Knowhow-Now Article

Basic Commands To Teach Your Dog

Dogs are naturally curious as well as protective of their owners. In order to keep your dog safe as well as to protect the safety of others around the dog, you should train him to do what you say in a variety of situations. Fortunately, teaching a dog basic commands is not difficult.

Tip: When you train your dog, remember to keep sessions short. In fact, 15 minutes is an optimal limit to have on each session to reduce frustration on your part and your dog's.

Sitting is one of the most basic commands dogs learn. Many dogs are trained to sit on command as puppies, but you can also train an older dog to sit. Once he has learned this command, your dog will sit down when you tell him rather than chasing people, cars, cats or anything else you don't want him to chase.

Tip: Your dog needs to be trained throughout his entire life to ensure excellent behavior. Puppy's aren't the only dogs that can learn.

To teach a dog to sit, get one of his favorite treats and hold it above his head. Tell him clearly and firmly, "Sit!" and gently push his behind down into a sitting position, then give him the treat. Don't allow your dog to jump up to get the treat.

Tip: Shock collars are not a good idea. They are often scams and, in any case, are completely unnecessary to proper dog training.

Practice this command in short, 10 to 15 minute sessions for best results. Always pet the dog as well as giving him a treat when he sits on command so that he will associate obedience with rewards.

Tip: Work on making your dog's memory stronger. Your canine friend needs to know to come back to you when you call out, regardless of what has their attention around them.

Once your dog has mastered sitting, it's important for him to learn to lie down when you tell him to. In order to learn the down command, your dog must accept you as leader of the pack, as lying down makes him more vulnerable. This command stops your dog from jumping on small children or acting in other undesirable ways while in public.

Tip: When trying to train your dog, avoid accidentally reinforcing negative behaviors. This means denying your dog treats and praise whenever it misbehaves.

To train your dog using this command, start by telling him to sit. Once he is sitting, lavish him with attention as usual. Then, take a dog treat and move it down so that he naturally lies down in order to get the treat. Praise your dog when he is lying down. Once your dog has mastered lying down when you move the treat down, begin saying, "Down!" in a firm voice right before moving the treat down so that your dog will associate the command with the action.

Tip: Train your dog by reinforcing positive behavior. You do not necessarily need to punish the dog for errors, but you should not reinforce problematic behaviors.

Once your dog understands "down," have him practice staying down despite distractions. Throw a ball near him and praise him if he stays down, or take him for walks in public places and practice the down command. Always praise your dog when he does what you ask so that he will learn to listen to your command.

Tip: It terms of barking, take note of the sorts of things that cause your dog to bark a great deal. This way you can avoid the things that trigger barking.

Once your dog knows "sit" and "down," it's time to teach him to "stay" when asked. This is an important command because you don't want your dog following you into traffic or into a busy store. Stay is also useful for stopping your dog from coming up to strangers such as small children.

Tip: Giving lots of treats for good behavior is important to do with your puppy. Slowly, as they get older, begin reducing the amount of treats you give them until they are only given on special occasions.

Teaching your dog to stay is a little more complicated because it requires him to learn not to follow you when he hears your command and to wait for a new command before moving. Start by using one of the commands he's already learned and praising him and rewarding him if he stays in a sitting or lying down position for a couple of seconds. Gradually increase the time he has to stay in order to get the treat. When he is staying for a reasonable period of time, introduce the word "stay" and reward him for staying in position after you say the command.

Tip: Teach your dog not to bark with a simple command. As the dog begins barking, display a treat and then repeat your order until the barking ceases.

Finally, teach your dog a release command such as, "Come" or "Okay" by using this command when he gets up after staying for a minute or two and rewarding him.

These three basic commands are important to your dog's development. Once he learns these commands, you can teach him all sorts of tricks if you wish, but first he should learn to sit, lie down and stay so that you can keep him safe.

Comments
Order by: 
Per page:
 
  • There are no comments yet
   Comment Record a video comment
 
 
 
     
Related Articles
Having a properly trained dog is your responsibility as a pet owner. Having a dog is a major responsibility, and one of those responsibilities is that your dog can listen to and follow instructions. (...)
09.05.2016 · From MikeHirst
Puppies, especially when they are too young, easily get bored and they become pre-occupied with new things that catch their attention. It is useless to hold long obedience training sessions. Instead, puppy training can be integrated with the normal routine.
09.05.2016 · From TheAuthor
When you add a new puppy to your family remember that there will be a period of adjustment because having a puppy can be a little like having a new baby at home. Your new pup needs to learn how to behave and you have to meet its needs.
08.03.2016 · From Editor
Many people find that using dog training videos helps them to learn to train their dog. There's more to video training about dog training techniques than may be immediately apparent. This article discusses the benefits of such videos and explains their use.
12.06.2015 · From TheAuthor
People who have owned a dog for any length of time will tell you that dog training is vitally important if your dog is to integrate well into your household and family. Check out these dog training tips to see what you can do with your new dog right now.
12.06.2015 · From TheAuthor
Ads
Article Info
604 Views
0 Subscribers
All Articles by MikeHirst
Sharing Is Good!
Rate
0 votes