The Poodle is a beautiful breed known for its dignified appearance. This breed has been in existence for hundreds of years and was once used by hunters in hunting in land likewise in water. They are intelligent, alert and active dogs that have been performing in circuses all over the world. These characteristics are what makes the Poodle dog breed a most widely loved dog by most dog lovers. But dogs, no matter how intelligent, must be trained in order for this intelligence to be in control and put in good use. Luckily, Poodles are highly adaptable and trainable thus training won't be very difficult. Below are some tips every dog owner must remember when training their Poodle dog.

Purpose of training. A dog can be trained for various purposes. A Poodle is a great circus performer thus one option is to train a Poodle to perform tricks and circus acts. A Poodle can also be trained for hunting and agility. Many dogs are now used as guide dogs to guide the blind thus you can train your Poodle to become one, though Labrador and Golden Retrievers are often the ones used for this purpose.

Communication. Communication plays an important role whatever the purpose of the training is. It is important that the handler can understand what the dog is trying to show. A dog that is distracted or stressed may not be able to learn and respond well so training must be set aside for the meantime.

Right age. Socialization should begin when the puppy is around three weeks of age. Social investigation and playful fighting is important to help the puppy develop its social relationship. Basic behavior and commands such as sit, down or stay can be taught to a puppy eight weeks of age.

Training method. A dog owner or handler can train a dog using various training methods. Positive training method are used by most dog owners or handlers. This method includes rewards (such as favorite toy or treat, praise or time to play) for every good behavior. Some use correction based training. The effectiveness of these methods depend on the individual dog since not all dogs are the same. Some respond better to correction based training while some do well with positive training. But according to some, the combination of positive and correction based training works better in making your dog behave in a way that makes them pleasant to be around.