THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRAINING YOUR DOG YOURSELF
The most significant disadvantage of do-it-yourself dog training is the possibility for time loss. You don't have to worry about wasting time if you're one of the few people who can effectively teach their dog without assistance or interference. However, if you're winging it and trying to figure it out as you go (as most of us do), you risk wasting precious moments in your dog's life that might be spent rewarding positive behaviors rather than providing confusing and inconsistent signals. Once again, we had to learn the hard way. The first year of a dog's existence is highly formative, just as it is for people. It's not impossible to teach an old dog new tricks; it's simply not as simple. So, if you have a new puppy, my suggestion is to get it together as quickly as possible. By all means, go for it if you've worked with dogs before. Otherwise, take the plunge and engage a professional dog trainer. You'll be happy you took the time to do so. You