Normal dogs can learn at any age up to the time their mental capacities start to deteriorate with old age.

Dogs learn best through patience, repetition and with suitable rewards. Rewards must be given within seconds of the desired behavior. The same rule applies when correcting unwanted behavior.

Intermittent rewarding of desired activity produces behavior that is more resistant to extinction.

The value of the reward should be appropriate for the desired behavior.

Learning should be enjoyable. Spend fifteen minutes two times each day. Sessions should be separated by several hours. Tired dogs do not learn easily. Mental activity is more tiring to the dog than physical activity.

Learning should take place in a quiet environment at first. Once you build skills in that environment, you can move to a more stimulating environment and repeat the processes.

Every dog should be trained to sit, heel, stay, stand, come, and down in that order. If a dog fails at any skill do not punish, simply go back and retrain.

Use one word commands in training. Do not use your dog's name with punishment.

Your dog should learn commands from each member of the household. In this way he learns the dominance hierarchy, he is beneath all the humans in his pack.

Physical punishment can be counterproductive. Use it with care. Natural punishments using your voice, stare and body language can, however, be very effective.