In my 30 plus years of experience as a dog trainer, I have researched, tried, and experimented with a multitude of training styles and methods. I personally find that the most effective and proven methods to train a dog are by using a combination of "concept training" with "lure and reward" command training.

Obedience commands and concept training are both ways to teach dogs how you want them to behave. Command training is when you train a dog to respond to a specific command; teach a behavior associated with a "cue". But if your dog is worried, distracted, over-excited, etc., then your dog cannot "hear" your command.

Concept training teaches the skills that your dog needs to be able to listen. A concept training motto is: "change the emotion to change the behavior."

Concept training teaches the skills your dog needs to obey your commands out in the world. Practicing commands out in the world when your dog cannot hear or obey you is frustrating for you and your dog.

Concept training teaches your dog to want to do the skills that you ask for with obedience commands.

These two methods of training I find to be compatible in different ways. Obedience commands enable me to tell my dog exactly what behavior I want. Concept training teaches a dog "default" behaviors--what is good behavior even without a command. A nice thing about default behaviors is that the dog is making his own decision, rather than being told what to do.

Making good choices is actually a skill we can teach our dogs. We can do this through a series of ‘choosing games’. A choosing game is one where the goal is not to teach a command, but rather to teach a dog that good choices make good things happen. Choosing games bring joy, because they teach dogs that they can get what they want (and please you at the same time) by figuring out what you want.

'Choosing games' teach your dog to use their brain. They teach dogs to figure out what works, and what doesn’t work, instead of just going into battle to try to get what they want.

Once the dog has played a few games like this, they start to change their attitude towards you. You’ll see your dog start to think before barging in. Watch them try to figure out what you want, and think about how you can help them get what they want, in new situations. Additionally, I find the games help build a closer relationship as I have to adjust a game to make sure my dog succeeds at figuring out the right choice.

The change in the relationship between you can be awesome.