There’s a reason people call them “fur babies.” A puppy can cause family squabbles, obsessive Googling, and the kind of guilt usually reserved for raising children. The stress is real, and experts say the household anxiety often becomes the first thing that needs training.

“The number one mistake people make is thinking, I have to make my dog be perfect and sit all the time, instead of remembering why we got a dog and that we’re meant to have fun together,” Amanda Gagnon, a zoologist and trainer in New York City, told The Guardian. Training should build communication, not fear.

Here are 5 expert tips for training a dog while keeping your sanity intact.

1. Manage expectations

Social media has created unrealistic ideas of perfect dogs. “A lot of people get stuck on the Instagram-perfect

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