Motivation is the key to your training success. Dogs continuously make associations between what they are doing and what happens in the environment. People do the same. You only touch a hot stove once. Thereafter your behavior is modified. This is true for dogs, too. 

Some of the most common training failures that dog owners deal with are dogs that don't respond to requests reliably, especially dogs that don't come to the owner reliably. Certainly you can prevent problems by using the leadership model to raise your puppy but you've got to work on motivation. 

Most dogs learn to come when they are young or new to your home. You call his name, he comes over to find attention, toys and food waiting. A solid response to a request is based on a long history of reinforcement, in other words, it’s always been worth it. Trouble is, most people do not bother to practice asking for things in order to build the successful history. We see that the puppy comes in the house most of the time and we take it on the road.

We take our new puppy to some terrific place where he has a fantastic time and when we are ready to go home, we call him and the fun ends. Then we do this again. And again. One day, he won’t come. So we practice calling him for treats at home but whenever we are out and about, he “wont’ listen”. Then we chase or catch the dog and punish him for disobedience. Now already knows that you call him when the fun is over. Now he knows he should not let you catch him. 

MOTIVATION: The elements of motivation are very basic. 

	You are your dog's leader from whom all blessings flow (See Leadership Plan) Otherwise a request from you has little value unless you are holding a treat which is better than whatever the dog would rather do.
	You have trained your dog to respond to the request at a distance and under distracting circumstances over time (See Basic Lesson)
	You set up delays between the dog's response to a command and negative consequences.

	Don't call your dog while he is playing then leave the area. DO call your dog and play tug of war for a minute before you leave.
	Don't call your dog then reprimand him for what he was just chewing on. Do go to your dog when he has something he shouldn't, and trade for an acceptable toy.
	Don't call your dog then give him a bath. Go get him or call him, give him a treat then take him to the bath.
	Don't ignore your dog for lying quietly and playing with a toy. If you ignore behavior it goes away. Ignore your dog for pestering you. Ignore your dog for begging for food. Ignore your dog for whining. DO go to your dog when he is entertaining himself and offer a treat or affection. Do reward your dog for quiet behavior every chance you get.

Be aware of the consequences you are providing for your dog's behavior at all times. Your reaction or lack of reaction is directly responsible for the response you get from your dog. It's not obvious which environmental occurrences are most noticeable to the dog unless you think about it. What did the dog do? What happened TO THE DOG immediately following? 

This is very important. Whatever happens immediately following leaks back to the first thing in a dog’s mind. For example, every time you yell at your dog for pulling on the leash he responds by relaxing the leash so you say “Good Boy!”. You have just taught him that yelling at him on the leash will lead to a reward. You have just taught him to like pulling on the leash. The opposite is also true. If you show your dog a treat and then cut his nails, you’ve just made the treat a warning that it’s time to cut his nails. Think carefully about what you do first because it is the cue about what the next thing will be. Dogs are watching us constantly for hints and information. Be sure to give the information you want your dog to use.

Dogs that chew while you are gone can't possibly learn not to do this. It's fun. Dogs can learn that when you come home you usually are angry. They can even learn that you are more likely to be angry if there are pieces of cloth on the floor. But this in no way is connected with the dog's enjoyment earlier, while he was playing a game. Additionally, your dog can learn that being around you is complicated and your behavior is unpredictable. The amazing thing is that dogs are still willing to work it out. Don't betray a dog's loyalty by confusing him and forgetting about motivation.