This is the day of the final exam, and graduation!

Cut the long line in half, and allow the dog to drag about 15 feet of line. Have a member of your family release the dog in the front yard, still dragging his line.

You should position yourself in the backseat of your assistant's car. Have your driver make as many passes as is necessary to convince you that your dog has kicked the habit, is now reformed, and views automobiles with absolute disgust.

The most hardheaded, stubborn dog, who views the short line, and your absence, as a reason to go charging, is in for quite a surprise. At his charge, have your driver stop the car. The shock of you emerging from the car will shock the dog even more than before. Now grab the line, jerk your disobedient dog toward you, making sure that his two front feet leave the ground and remain airborne, while you apply the loudest verbal assault you have even given him.

Really lay this disobedient chewing into the dog, making it count!

Keep in mind that this could mean life or death for your dog in the future so do not feel bad about laying your anger into him in order to communicate through the animal's mind.

Remember that there can be no such thing as compromise. Your dog will either associate this experience with displeasure, or not. It's up to you to make sure that it is as displeasing as humanely possible. Send the dog scampering back into his yard as you get back into the car and drive away.

A Final Word For All Of The "Humanitarians" Out There

For the humanitarians who will gasp and point the accusing finger at this perceived "inhumane" way of training a dog, let us remind you that we are literally training your dog to avoid a bloody, painful, flesh-tearing death. And remember that the dog will always be a victim, the car's occupants will be shocked, and the culprit will always be the dog's owner.

A few days of jerking your dog by the line, yelling and screaming, and using shock therapy to create the association of displeasure with a moving vehicle, is nothing compared to your family dog lying around on the streets for hours with broken bones, torn flesh, mangled body parts - all the while motorists drive-by without a care in the world until finally somebody stops, only to be too late as your lovable canine passes away.

Isn't your dog worth it?

Now it's time to find out if your dog has truly learned how to heel and execute an automatic sit.

Give him the command "Heel" and make any necessary corrections for poor heeling or lack of attentiveness to bring him up to the proper mental level of awareness. Come to a stop and command "Sit." Watch your dog do it all by himself. Get down to his level and praise him enthusiastically.

For the stubborn or uncooperative dog who would rather be helped for the rest of his life, you'll be surprised to see that he is going to graduate from being spoon-fed whether he wants to or not.

How do you do this? When you come to a stop and command "Sit", silently count to three. If your dog is not seated by the time you get to three, place both hands on the leash, making sure that there's a little slack in it, and jerk straight up! Your dog will immediately sit if you make the correction strongly enough. Don't forget the praise when you're done.

If he still refuses to sit after the initial correction, consider that correction ineffective. An ineffective correction is inhumane because it means that you will have to keep doing it. This is unfair to your pet and will only create resistance. If you simply tighten the collar around his neck by pulling up slowly on the leash, the only thing you can accomplish is constriction of your dog's breathing, and you have caused your dog's training collar to turn into a choking chain.

This is your fault, not his, and he is going to wonder why you have suddenly decided to choke him. So, in all fairness to your dog, make a humane correction by an emphatic and upward jerk of the leash using both hands. Make the correction properly the first time, and chances are you will not have to make it again. Remember to follow the correction with loving praise the moment your dog has responded correctly.

The heel and sit combinations should be continued for one week, after which time you will notice that it's no longer necessary for you to command "Sit" every time you stop. Your dog will realize that this is what is expected when he is out on a walk and you suddenly come to a stop.

At the end of a week, you can begin dropping the command "Sit" since he will be doing it automatically anyway. Be sure, however, that anytime he fails to sit, make the correction immediately, followed by praise.

Congratulations!

Now you have the proper tools to teach your dog to walk beside you and to sit automatically at your side each time you stop. Why is this crucial? In addition to getting your dog's attention, which is necessary in order to take him to more advanced levels of training, it will make all the difference in the world when you take him for a walk down a busy street or a crowded place.

Should you stop to talk to someone, your dog is trained to sit at your side patiently, rather than jumping on the person you're talking to or wrapping the leash around your legs and making a nuisance of himself.