How should you correct your dog when he is doing something wrong? Many people shout at the dog or use their hands, smacking the dog or grabbing his collar to control him.
However, this method is often counterproductive, and can strain the relationship between dog and owner.
Your hands should always be positive things, used for praising the dog, but not correcting him.
Otherwise, the dog will quickly learn to avoid your hand, and may even growl at you if you reach toward him, causing you to pull your hand back.
This teaches the dog that if he growls, you will leave him alone, and it puts him in control of the situation.
Not only does this not build obedience and respect toward this owner, but the situation may even progress to the point that the dog will snap at any hand that comes near him.
So how should you correct your dog instead? One possibility is a leash correction; this is good for teaching basic commands and respect for the word "no".
To implement a leash correction, your dog's leash should initially be slack.
Then, give the leash a quick jerk and a snap release.
In other words, briefly apply tension and then immediately let the leash go slack again.
Do not use so much force that your dog becomes alarmed and defensive, but apply enough force to get his attention and make him briefly uncomfortable.
There are a variety of other corrections you can use while training your dog: sound corrections, taste corrections, smell corrections.
Another option is to give your dog a "time out" in a quiet room or a crate.
A professional dog trainer can help you understand which corrections are most appropriate for your dog in a variety of situations, and can show you how to properly apply these corrections.