Two weeks ago, Christmas puppies were delivered to new homes. Some came by way of Santa Claus, some by grandparents seeking revenge on their adult children by presenting their grandchildren with an adorable, yelping, furry ball of terror, and now that leather shoes have been used as chew toys and carpets ruined, some seem to have arrived by more dubious means.

A puppy for Christmas

Dog training is part of being a dog owner. In the last ten years, Cesar Milan achieved fame as a dog trainer with a TV show called The Dog Whisperer, which he followed up with several best-selling books and training DVDs. Local obedience schools are available to help new dog owners learn to live well with their new canine family members. Cat people are amazed at the lengths that dog people have to travel to achieve a peaceful co-existence with a canine, but the work is well worth it.

Training collars are usually a big part of training a puppy. Training collars differ from other collars in that they are designed to close on a dog's neck in the event of a struggle. There are many types of training collars, including the famous Martingale. The increasing pressure provides an unpleasant stimulus to help the dog learn to obey commands. A training collar and a leash is an important first step to helping your puppy learn to become a good citizen. When it's time to choose a collar, nylon collars are comfortable, and less expensive than many other types. A dog who can be taken for walks and to accompany his owner in public on a leash with a positive disposition and a confident temperament is a joy and will live up to the canine reputation as being humanity's best friend.

The Internet has many guides to help the new dog owner learn to handle these basics. With some dedicated attention, a training collar, and a leash, your new canine friend can learn and grow into the best possible friend and companion.