Basic Obedience Training

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Training your pup obedience is important in the development of its behavior. You can start training it to follow basic commands at any age. It’s better to start sooner.

What You Need:

1. Place to Practice

This area should be free from distractions when you are just beginning to teach your pup. As it learns the commands, you can later move to an area with distractions to improve your dog’s focus.

2. Rewards

It can be toys or treats. Find out which is best for your dog. If you are using treats, make sure that these are small to avoid giving your pup too much food.

3. Collar and Leash

Use size and age-appropriate collar for your puppy. The ideal leash length is six feet.

4. Realistic Expectations

It may take some time for your puppy to understand what you mean, so be patient. Make each session short, about 15 minutes.  When you are struggling with a command, move to another. Come back to the ones you are struggling with later on.

Basic Commands

These are the most useful commands you can teach your dog.

Sit

  1. Have your dog stand in front of you.
  2. Get your dog’s attention by showing it a treat in your hand.
  3. Slowly move the hand with the treat up and over your dog’s head.
  4. Gently guide your dog into a sitting position by moving your hand above its head towards its tail.
  5. As your pup moves into the position, give the command “sit”.
  6. As soon as it sits, give the treat to your dog and praise it for a job well done.

Down

  1. Lead your dog into the sit position.
  2. Show it the treat in your hand.
  3. Hold the treat in front of your dog’s nose.
  4. Guide your dog by slowly moving the hand with the treat towards the ground, giving the command “down.” If the dog slouches in the process, move your hand away to guide it further.

As soon as your dog’s in the right position, give it the treat and praise.

Stay

  1. Tell your dog to “sit” or lay “down.”
  2. Stand in front of your dog, holding your hand up, palms open in a stop gesture while saying “stay.”
  3. Keep eye contact with your dog and take a step back. Continue saying “stay.”
  4. If the dog stays in position, move back and give it the reward.
  5. If your dog breaks position, guide it back to “sit” or “down.”

Come

  1. Tell your dog to “sit” or lay “down”.
  2. Make the dog “stay”.
  3. Walk a few steps away.
  4. Gesture your hand in a come motion while saying “come”. You should only have to say the command “come” once.
  5. As soon as the dog reaches you, reward and praise it.
  6. Once your dog improves, you can start training it without the leash in a safe and fenced area. If it does not follow the command, use a long lead until it can follow the command correctly.