When you get a new dog in your life, whether it's for you or the entire family, you will want it to become yours and accustomed to your way of living. The first step towards accomplishing that goal is to begin training the dog, whether it's a puppy or an adult dog.
The Canaan dog will keep you guessing at all times. Although they are very intelligent, they are also very challenging to authority or anyone they think they should control. From the time you bring your Canaan home, you need to begin the training, whether they fight it or not. Too many new owners feel sorry for their puppy in a new home and let him get away with stuff "just for a couple days until they are used to our home". This is a huge mistake because these first few days are when their patterns begin to set. You will have more work ahead of you if you don't start that first day.
The first part of the training should be socializing him with all the family members as well as any other pets (dogs, cats) in your home. The Canaan dog generally gets along very well with children, especially when they are socialized with them from a puppy. They do get along with other animals as well, although they tend to be territorial about their home and their family members.
It is possible to train your Canaan in obedience, although his independent streak will force him to challenge you. He needs affection and patience in his training, but most of all, he needs a firm hand and voice. The Canaan responds very well to positive training, loving the praise from their owners. They are a dog that gets bored very quickly with repetition. The best type of training you can give your Canaan is positive reinforcement in short sessions. Always end the session on a positive note with praise or a treat (treats are optional). Then move on to the next thing before he has a chance to get bored.
Although they believe they should be the boss, when they repeatedly see how they are pleasing you, they will come around to your way of thinking. It's very important to start the Canaan's obedience training as early as possible as they are a territorial dog. They may love and be protective of their family, but may be overprotective and aggressive towards strangers until they get to know them. Aggression is much easier to curb in a puppy than in a fully grown dog. In a puppy, you will be able to get rid of it with consistent loving and firm training. With this type of training, owners claim their Canaan is very easy to train in obedience.
It is said that it is their independence that helps them to excel in agility and tracking because they are working with you but thinking on their own as opposed to one on one training in obedience. They are very protective dogs that tend to bark a lot. This may be one of the issues you will want to work on in the obedience training.
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