One of the greatest obstacles you will face in training your dog is teaching him to obey your commands despite outside distractions. If the first formal training session with your dog is held outside, he will probably be more interested in the local squirrels and birds than anything you have to say. Look at it from your dog's point of view. He instinctively wants to chase or at least play with other animals. He can have a dog biscuit any time, but not every day does he have the opportunity to chase a squirrel!

Dog Training Advice: Gradual Introduction to Distractions
A good place for the first few training sessions is the hallway. Your dog has been there before. There are no great mysteries yet to be uncovered, and hopefully, there are no rodents there to distract your dog! You'll have your dog's undivided attention.

Even without distractions, it's a good idea to keep your dog on a leash for the initial training sessions. This is when you teach him simple commands like, "Come," "Sit," "Down," and "Stay." Once your dog masters the commands, move the location of your training sessions. You don't want your dog associating obedience with only one place in the house.

Eventually, you can run the training exercises in the backyard, and then the park. As your dog becomes more and more confident that he will be rewarded for obedience and loyalty, you as the owner will become his primary focus in nearly every situation. When you allow him to play with other dogs, your commands will interrupt his play. When someone leaves the front gate open and the dog escapes, he will return at your beckoning.