Almost without fail people use one word too much and incorrectly when raising a puppy. The word is "No." Some puppies hear it so often they think it's part of their name: "JoeNO!" "MeganNO!" Used constantly and especially if used in a whiny, pleading manner, "no" loses its value as a training tool.

"No" should be delivered firmly and sharply, as guttural as a low, barky growl -- comparable, in other words to how a puppy's mother expresses her displeasure. Don't whine at your dog: "No, no, no, no. Mommy's fluffums is bad, bad, bad!" Instead, throw the word at the pup.

Because of the overuse of the word, some trainers suggest using another sound especially for correction, something that lends itself more naturally to sounding like a growl, like "arrrggghhh."