So you have decided that a small French Bulldog is for you. And why not? They make great companions on the go and at home. In addition, they do well in an apartment or a condo, where there isn't a lot of space to run around. But your new dog, whether you just purchased him or her or you have adopted him or her from your local shelter, they will need some training. No matter how small your friend may be, if you don't explain the rules of your new house, your cute Bulldog's behavior may become a big problem.

Before you start any kind of obedience training, there are a few things you need to keep in mind about your new tiny companion. First of all, he is tiny so never use force or rough physical contact to achieve obedience. You should never do this with any dog, but especially not with the smaller more delicate breeds, such as Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and Papillions. Not only will it cause them to be afraid of you, since you are so much bigger, but you may run the risk of breaking a bone. Because of their small size, these dogs have a more fragile frame. Always use positive reinforcement to get what you want, such as treats and praise.

Start with an easy command first. After you have decided the command you want to teach your dog, stay consistent. If you are going to use "no," to get Bella to leave something alone, stick with it and don't change to "stop," halfway through. If your dog is having trouble concentrating on you (as many small breeds are known to do) you may want to implement the use of a clicker or a can filled with pennies. The loud sound will break her away from the distraction, and get her to focus on you. You can take this a step further and give a treat right after the noise. This will make your dog more likely to follow orders and get the "click."

Given the short attention span puppies have, training sessions should be kept to only 15 minutes at a time, a few times a day. This is to keep Bella and you from becoming frustrated or exhausted during the process, which can make training far longer than it needs to.

Commands like "sit" and "down" are probably the easiest commands to teach using the above method. Commands such as "come" may benefit from a special method that uses a soft nylon string tied near the collar, where your puppy can't see it. It works by gently limiting how far your dog can run before she stops. It won't take many times before Bella gets the idea. Once she has established how far she can go away from you, work on getting her to come back to you. Gently pull on the nylon, and say, "come." When your companion complies, quickly reward her with a cuddle or cookie. If she doesn't obey you the first time, keep trying. Wait a few seconds, give the string a little tug and give the command. Overuse of the expression, "come", may cause your dog to ignore the word, or misunderstand what you want. Patience and consistency will avoid this and help your pup connect the dots. If you were trying to learn something new and someone kept using the same word at you when you did different things, wouldn't you be confused as well? You wouldn't know what the word meant, or what the person wanted. It is the same with your dog.

So communicate clearly, reward for positive behavior and never be stern when she doesn't get it right. But patient and it will pay off and soon Bella and you will have the tight-knit pack you both desire.