Timing is probably the most important factor in how fast your dog learns something. What we mean by timing is this: Let’s say that your dog put his nose on the hot oven door. A few moments later he walked into the family room, looked at the TV, and then felt the burning sensation on his nose. He would associate the burning sensation with the TV. Because of the lapse in time, he would never in a million years associate the experience of his burned nose with the oven door.

Timing is vital when teaching your puppy the rules around your house, such as not to chew the rug. For example, say you walk into the living room five minutes after the puppy has finished chewing the rug. You find him sleeping in the corner and drag him over to the rug. You point to the rug and scold him. Your correction is too late. Your pup will never figure out that the disagreeable experience he is having now has anything to do with what he did five minutes before.

Correcting a dog more than a few seconds after he does a behavior is too late. He will no longer associate your correction with his previous deed. Of course, if you come into the room even many hours later ranting like a maniac, your dog is going to cower and act apprehensive. Do not misinterpret apprehension for “guilt”. To help your dog learn rapidly and efficiently, it is up to you to develop good timing.

So what is good timing? Good timing is correcting or praising your dog as he is thinking about doing a behavior. That’s the best way to get a dog to associate your correction or praise with the behavior you are trying to influence. You do not have to be a dog mind-reader to know what your dog is thinking. Canines are open, honest creatures. Everything they are about to do is written all over their faces.

The ability to anticipate a dog’s next move is called “reading the dog.” It’s not as hard as it may sound. The more time you spend with your dog, the better you will become at “reading” him. Imagine this scenario: You are expecting company and put out a plate of cheese and crackers on the coffee table. Your dog looks at the cheese and takes a few steps toward the table. Now is the time to tell him “Naaaa!” Chances are good that he was thinking about taking the cheese. Well-timed corrections will teach your pet to avoid stealing food.

The next best time to correct your dog is just as he is doing the unwanted behavior. Using our example, this means a tough “Naaaa!” just as the dog’s mouth is reaching for the cheese. The worst time to correct is ten seconds after the dog has done the unwanted behavior. Yelling at the dog when you discover an empty cheese plate will not effectively teach him to avoid stealing the cheese in the first place.