“How do I train my dog myself” is a question many dog owners ask themselves. Bringing a dog into your home is exciting—but it can also feel overwhelming when you realize just how much training is needed. The good news? You can train your dog yourself. With the right tools, consistency, and patience, you’ll build a strong bond and a well-mannered companion.

Start With the Basics

Dogs thrive on structure and clear communication. Instead of jumping into showy tricks, focus on the essentials first:

• Kennel training: Teach your dog that the kennel is a safe, calm place. This helps with potty training and gives your pup a way to rest and reset.
  
• Potty training: Stick to a schedule and take your dog to the same potty spot every time. Routine is your best friend.
  
• Functional commands: If you have a puppy, or have just started training your older dog, stick to the basics, at first. Remember functionality is better than flashy.
  

How Do I train my dog myself using functional commands?

Functional commands are those that you will utilize in your daily life. Fetching a water bottle from the fridge is neat, but it doesn’t teach your dog to be calm. They need structure and a long term ‘job’. For example, we use the Place command. Place is when we ask them to go sit on their bed and not leave it until we have released them. That’s function! If you have guests over, place. If you are cooking dinner and don’t want them under your feet, place! Learn how to teach them to stay there in this blogpost. 

Use the Power of Pressure and Release

Dogs naturally understand pressure and release—it’s built into how they communicate. A little leash flick (pressure) followed by loosening (release) communicates far more clearly than words alone. When used correctly, this builds trust and helps your dog focus on you instead of the hundreds of distractions around them.

Tools we recommend

Any tool you don’t know how to use is a bad tool. Not just in dog training, in life. While these are the tools we use in our training, please make sure you understand how and when to use them. Train your dog yourself with our step by step programs, here. 

For Puppies Younger Than 5 Months:

• Slip Lead
• Food

For Dogs 5 Months and Older:

• Food
• Herm Sprenger Prong Collar
• E-collar 

Keep Sessions Short and Fun

Training doesn’t have to mean hours of drills. In fact, multiple 2–5 minute sessions a day are far more effective than one long one. Think of training as a series of little games sprinkled throughout your day.

Focus on Calmness

A calm dog is a trainable dog. Teaching composure is just as important as teaching commands. Work on short moments of stillness, eye contact, or staying on a mat (the “place” command). Over time, your dog learns that calm is the default state—not chaos.

Stay Consistent

The biggest secret to training your dog yourself? Consistency. Dogs don’t change overnight, but with steady, repeated practice, you’ll see progress. Remember—you’re not just teaching commands. You’re shaping a relationship of trust, respect, and understanding.

When to Get Extra Help

We know, you have searched “how do I train my dog myself” on youtube. There is so much good content, the problem? There’s too much. You may be watching a trainer teach a dog a seemingly simple command, but you don’t know where that dog is at in its training journey, what foundation it has, and if your dog has the same experience.

To avoid the confusion find a training plan. Here at Cornerstone Dog Training we offer online courses that will walk you through any issue at any age. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, our online courses are for you. We will send you the tools you need, and step by step videos that walk you through any problem your dog might face. If you ever feel stuck, know that you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

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👉 Training your dog yourself is absolutely possible. Start simple, stay calm, be consistent, and enjoy the journey. The work you put in today will pay off for years to come!