A good way to start obedience raining is to research your dog's breed. Get familiar with the basic characteristics, personality traits and exercise requirements of the breed. If you have a mixed breed dog, research as many breeds as you can identify your dog by and study them all. It shouldn’t take long to figure out why your Jack Russell/Beagle mix is so active and predatory. In fact, you can hardly find any Beagle characteristics at all. Now you’re on your way to learning about your dog! If you have trouble identifying your dog’s breed, ask your veterinarian or some experienced dog people to give you their opinions. It shouldn’t be difficult to single out at least one breed, if your dog is indeed mixed.
The most important part of obedience training is to get your dog to pay attention to you when asked. Start at home by calling their name periodically throughout the day. When your dog appears, offer a little treat or throw a toy, then praise them for coming when called and go about your business. Make it casual and fun and your dog will want to hear their name being called all the time! Once your dog's consistent about giving you their attention when their name is called, you've mastered the first step in obedience training.
During training sessions however, when your dog is required to focus attention for more than just a few minutes, you may discover that they seem bored and easily distracted. The younger the dog, the more easily distracted they’ll be, as they’re still in the mode of discovering the world around them. To combat unknown distractions, loud noises and other dogs, avoid training your dog in a park or public place until they have learned to focus well. Generally, your backyard or even your living room will be a perfect and quiet place for them to learn. Use motivators like treats and toys to keep it fun and little eyes focused on you.