Every dog is different and generally these commands do not have anything to do with intelligence. I feel that you can realistically practice for an hour twice a week, and in 8 weeks your dog should have some if not all of the commands down. The more you work together the better the command will stick.  

Define what obedience is to you. Your dog NOT misbehaving? Can you stop a toddler from misbehaving? No. You can only redirect their energy and as they go along in life they pick up on what is ok and not ok to do. Now we have an animal, not a human, that we are trying to build communication with. Your dog does not and will not understand human social norms. To get rid of unwanted behaviors you the human need to change what YOU, not the dog, are doing that is at least 80% of the work. 

In my program we review safety, removing opportunities for bad behavior, teaching your dog its name properly, Sit, Down, Stay, Place, Heel and Recall for a reason. These "tricks" establish you commanding the dog to do something and the dog obeying. If you work daily and really hard at luring the dog with treats to motivate them to do what you want they will do it. The dog is eager to please you. 

As for working on bad behaviors like chewing, digging, eliminating in the house, excessive barking. I do review some issues within the course but plan to have maybe 3-4 videos on common complaints and potential solutions. basically, if you don't establish the tricks, the communication, and if you aren't willing to change as a dog owner how are you ever going to change your dog? 

No. Please invest in a security system and self defense. 

NO. Most dogs are going to bark if someone is on their terf. A burglar is just going to bring ham and it is game over for you and your stuff. Please invest in a security camera system, self defense training and other home protection applications, do not rely on an animal.

Usually this is separation anxiety. We need to get to the root and keep your dog busy the entire time you are gone which is a challenge when most people work and commute up to 10 hours. 

You need to wear your dog out! Yes, sometimes that is an hour of play and a mile walk. Remember when you saw someone walking their dog and felt that you should be active more so you'll get a dog to give yourself a reason to walk more? Yes this is when you should do that. 

Also some breeds are built for work and they are just more energetic and need to be kept occupied or they will occupy themselves witha  behavior you don't want like eating the couch. 

Step One: Don't allow them. Yes that does mean you stop (A LOT) and correct them to the right position and start over walk WITH treats. A faster fix is a product I swear by for most dogs: The Gentle Leader. Check out Gentle Leader Here 

Dogs are typically strong animals with powerful noses and usually get REALLY excited about a walk. There are a million reasons to pull. 

I would invest in a really comfortable pet bed or purchase an old chair your dog can sleep in. Lure your dog off furniture with treats and reassurance rather than negatively yelling at them to get off of it and stay off.  Start there. 

Unpopular Opinion time: I want to boldly tell you that if you don't want pets on furniture you shouldn't have a pet, in this case, a dog. A good pet for you would be a fish or something in a container. HOWEVER, whether it is a $75.00 couch or a $7500 couch your pet should obey you and that is what I am here to help with. Do I think your pet should just claw up your furniture and bite everything and destroy it? No! There is a delicate balance and we will explore that more.