This probably is obvious but I garauntee someone needs to be reminded of this. I tell people all the time to moderate how they treat the dog. Match the severity of the crime to the severity of the punishment. You have to able to have corrections that feel like a gentle reminder and corrections that feel some what similar to the wrath of God. I am definitely not saying it should be physically uncomfortable for the dog but it instead should be mentally uncomfortable. At the end of the day you're controlling the dogs mind and if you want to pursue any particular direction, the mind is what you need to get in control. This also means that you have to understand some of the motivations behind what a dog is doing. Now a dog that makes a mistake but it was trying and just did something wrong from a reaction to over pressure or to a lack of understanding of what was asked, should be treated differently then a dog that was going out of its way to be an asshole. That is where you moderate the correction you give. One scenario simply needs a gentle reminder not to do something and the other needs to feel like a grievous sin. It's your responsibility to know the difference. And if you're ever wondering which to do, just follow your gut then watch how the dog reacts. If the dog is still acting combative then you weren't firm enough. If the dog try's to quit you, then you were way to tough on them. Never fear, neither will wreck a dog. Simply adjust and keep working. Either be way more gentle and encouraging or way more strict and firm. Just remember that there's no one size fits all and every situation has to be taken on a case by case basis.
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