Dog Obedience Training

How should obedience training be undertaken?

It should be started as early as possible in the dogs life. If you have a puppy then training should start as soon as the pup is weaned from its mother.
If you have an older dog then the process may be a little harder but will not be impossible.

It is in a dog's nature to please. In the wild, in their natural state, dogs live in packs. There is always one dog which is the leader or alpha dog. Amongst the dogs, the position of alpha male is not an envied one. It is in the dog's nature to want to be led. Dogs actually get pleasure and feel a sort of stability in knowing what they are expected to do, they aim to please. They are happiest when they know what they can and can't do.

For real obedience and a deep respect from your dog you can take the dog's nature and work around it. You must become your dogs leader or alpha male. this will entail acting as the leader of the pack. For example, if your dog is lying in your path do not step out over it or around it. Push it aside with your foot, oblige it to move out of your way. this reinforces to the dog that you are the leader of the pack. When you eat, allow your dog to watch you eat, if it starts to ask for food or get near as you are eating then you may well growl or snap at your dog. Literally growl. If this behaviour is unacceptable to you then you may tell the dog off which will also be interpreted as a sort of growl. Once you have finished eating then you can feed your dog. This is how it is in the pack. the leader eats then the rest of the pack feeds on what the leader has left.

Little things like this should be reinforced daily to remind your dog that you are still the leader. your dog will be very happy to have you as a leader and will give you nothing but respect. It is a great burden for a dog to be the leader and if possible will prefer you to adopt the role.
If the dog feels it is without a leader then it will reluctantly tale on the role itself because someone has to be the leader and if it doesn't see you as its leader then your dog will attempt to become your leader and you will end up feeding the dog when IT tells you its hungry and having the dog take you for walks and not vice versa.