Basic dog training tips...?

If you are potty training, teach your dog to go to one place if it has to go to the bathroom. Once you get that, give the dog a precise area to go to the bathroom. Good luck.

ALWAYS reward with a small bite size doggie treat (I kept them with me at all times). Food is a much more effective motivator than a smack on the rear or nose! Be consistent. If its "No" once, it must ALWAYS be "No" or don't be surprised if he/she doesn't listen. A very good method for punishment is the clicker method. Puppies don't like sharp loud noises and if they're doing something bad - like chewing for instance - you can either buy a clicker at your local pet store, or a few pennies in a soda can works too. Shake vigorously while saying "NO" in a firm voice. Works great! Good luck!

My wife likes to train dogs a lot. She always makes sure to put the dog outside when it looks like it's looking for a place to go. She then praises it with "good dog!" and stuff like that. I always feel stupid doing that, so I haven't ever tried it. Anyway, after you teach a dog that, teach it a few tricks like how to shake and sit, and while it's learning that, it will pick up on how to be obedient. From that point on, you just have to make sure it listens when you tell it stuff (like to stop getting on the counter for food, begging, etc). Dogs will test their limits even if they're trained really well, and they will become bad dogs again if you let them.

Be patient and have lots of food and praise