From what I've gather training all boils down to...

[sspbass]

From the reading I've been doing lately and the videos I've been watching, training a dog or puppy basically consists of a cue, a mark/treat, and praise.
If you want them to do something you use a cue word so they know what you want and a reward for them when they do what you want. It also involves steering them towards the behavior you want in the beginning and then weening them off of treats for every desirable behavior toward the end. Oh, and being consistent, can't forget that. Isn't that basically it?

[Holmeshx2]

pretty much. I think people make it far to difficult. Consistency is the biggest part of it lots of practice and being consistent, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. Timing is pretty important also. If you say sit and the dog sits then goes to get up and you reward then they don't quite get the right idea. If you give the dog a stay command and they stay but then move when you go to give them the treat they think they got rewarded for the break not the staying part. BTW on that note never reward breaking even if you give them to break command the break is the reward.

[Catu]

Teaching tricks in the living room consist basically of mark/treat and praise. Training... is way more complex than that.

To me it is not obedience training until you get the same dog to do the same thing under any circumstance, in any place, wether the dog likes or not and if with a positive actitud, the better. And with the dog knowing there are no balls or hot dogs on the pocket. While you need a strong foundation of instrumental conditioning, you don't get there with a healthy relationship with your dog. THAT... is the harder part.

And there are other kinds of training that doesn't involve marker training, where the reward the dog gets from his actions came from places you cannot use a clicker with. Herding and protection come to my mind.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

I think training involves trying to get into the mind of the dog, and motivate them to want to try to get in yours as well.

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by Catu

Teaching tricks in the living room consist basically of mark/treat and praise. Training... is way more complex than that.

This. Teaching new behaviors is easy and it's basically what you described. Proofing through distractions, helping your dog learn to trust you in tough situations and look to you for leadership instead of making decisions on his own, that's a little more involved.

[Catu]

Originally Posted by Catu

While you need a strong foundation of instrumental conditioning, you don't get there with a healthy relationship withyour dog. THAT... is the harder part.

I meant "without".

[Sammy79]

Is there a certain age where the puppy will focus more? At 7 weeks, Ace just gives me a funny look and goes to sleep or walks away. He likes the treats I give him, but if he has to work for them he doesn't make much effort. I try training him 15-20 mins at a time. Right now I'm only doing sit and lay down. Not sure if he does some of them on purpose, but I praise him anyways and give him a treat.

[Catu]

at 7 weeks it is a baby and you can ask for about 0.75 seconds of attention.

[Holmeshx2]

agree with Catu. At 7 weeks there is no way in hades he can pay attention for 15-20 minutes for a session literally try 10-20 second training sessions multiple times a day. Work on one thing at a time. I'd get him to learn to watch you first hold the food in front of his nose bring it to your face say watch or focus or whatever you want then when he looks at your face its good watch and treat anytime he looks at your face mark the behavior and reward. Then sit food over the head butt goes to ground good sit and treat. Not difficult just hard on us not thinking they are going to learn in such short sessions but it's really all they can take if you are going 10 minutes it's way to long.