If you have a dog or puppy, one of the best purchases you can make is a good dog training video. Unfortunately, puppies don't come to us already trained and well-behaved. They have to be taught what is expected of them, like human children. It requires consistency, patience and time.

Training your dog to obey and behave also takes knowledge, knowing how to teach him by breaking down information into smaller pieces and how to communicate it to him in a way he can understand. A puppy needs to be taught what behavior is acceptable and what isn't. He needs to know what he can chew on and what he can't, where he can potty and when. It isn't difficult to do when you have the right tools.

Your puppy will grow up to be a problem dog without proper training. A problem dog can be destructive to your home and life with expensive chewing, carpets and rugs destroyed, furniture damaged. An unruly or aggressive dog can keep your friends and family away, damaging relationships and can even be a danger to himself and others.

A well-behaved, well-trained dog, however, is a priceless member of your family. With devotion, fun, companionship and friendship, even protection, few things can so enrich your life as a good dog.

Whoever said "you can't teach and old dog new tricks" was wrong! No dog it too old or too stubborn or even too set in his misbehaving ways to be turned around. With the right information and tools, even the worst behavior can be improved and quickly. The trick is getting those tools and that information.

This is the value of a dog training video.

Pet store "obedience" classes are okay for learning a basic or two, like walking on a leash or sitting, but that's about all. They are unable to address issues that you might already have or that you may see in the future.

A group type situation with other dogs is far from ideal especially for beginning dogs and puppies. There are too many distractions to overcome to get and keep their attention. There's a reason why there are so many obedience school flunk-outs. It is not your dog's fault or yours.

You can hire an expensive professional trainer to come to your home for individualized training. This is a terrific option of you can afford it. You can be trained - yes, you. Training your dog is almost incidental to the trainer whose job it is to teach you how to train your dog. There is no point in teaching your dogs commands if you don't know how to give them or how to reinforce and maintain the good behavior learned. Training is, in essence, relationship building, learning to communicate and live together. Only you can do that.

Books on dog and puppy training are a great resource. Unfortunately, they are limited in that you can't hear the trainer's voice or see the body language so important in effective training. Without being able to see and hear, you are at a disadvantage. It's possible that you are getting slower or less than positive results from your training without knowing that it's just a simple matter of changing the tone or pitch of your voice.

You can find it all in a dog training video. With step-by-step instructions, broken down into bite-sized pieces that you can watch and listen to, you and your dog can achieve success together every step of the way. You don't have to imagine the pitch of the trainer's voice or degree of excitement or calm, it's right there for you to copy. You can watch the responses of the dog on the video to know when your dog is on track.

One of the best advantages is that you can move at your own speed and that of your dog. You can watch it over and over again as often as necessary until you fully understand the techniques to insure your success.

A good dog training video will be the second best purchase you will ever make. The first, of course, was your dog.