Basic Puppies Obedience Training Commands

The definition of "sit" is very simple. The dog must but his bottom on the ground while keeping his front legs straight. Sitting is a simple behavior that dogs do very naturally. In fact they do it all the time on their own.

So you will not really be teaching your dog how to sit but rather to understand what you want when you say "sit". As your dog learns this behavior you can control his activity level by asking him to sit so he is less likely to get excited and move around.

Or, have him sit still to put on his equipment. You can also use it combined with other behaviors like sit-stay or sit-shake.

Here's how to teach your dog to sit:

- If you need to, gently touch your dog's back to give him a signal that you want him to sit. Do not push hard on his back or rear end.

- Be ready with a small piece of your dog's favorite treat.

- If your dog lifts his front feet off the ground, you are holding the treat too high. When your dog lifts his head and shoulders to get the treat, his bottom should go down.

- As soon as your dog is in the sit position, praise him by saying "Sit. Good boy, sit." Give him a treat if you like.

- Stand facing your dog or puppy. Holding the treat in front of your dog's nose, move the treat up toward the top of his head high enough that he can just barely reach it.

Certainly, for you and your dog to be successful in getting your dog to learn obedience training, you need to reinforce these learned commands by incorporating them into your dogs daily life.

Do it this way... use that sit-stay command when you leave the door of your house, get out of your car with the dog, or any other situation that will help you by a dog sitting and staying. Simply take advantage of your dogs smarts in knowing these commands. Just reinforce them by having your dog perform.

Here's how to teach your dog to stay:

- When you finish, say "okay!". Get your dog to move and tell him he is a good boy.

- Step away using your right foot. You should always leave your dog using your right foot.

- Have your dog sit; make sure he is sitting comfortably.

- Stand or sit in front of him, put the palm of your hand in front of his face and say "Stay".

- You may repeat the word 'stay' a couple of times. Wait only a few seconds and then return to your dog's side.

- If you want to give your dog a treat, give him a small piece while he's in the 'stay' position. Don't feed him after he moves, or he will think that he got the treat for moving. You can also tell him, "good stay" while he is staying.

- Take only one or two steps, turn and stand right in front of your dog.

- Do this several times over the next few days. When your dog seems steady, you can increase the time that you stand in front of him.

- Then you can increase the distance, but only a little at a time.

Shake Hands
Start by having your dog sit. Say, "Shake hands," and take his paw with your hand. Hold his paw and say, "Good dog!" Let go of his paw. Do this a few times every day.

TIP:
After a while, say, "Shake hands," but don't take his paw. See if he raises his paw by himself. If not, keep showing him what to do by saying, "Shake hands," and taking his paw with your hand. Your dog is not slow; he is just learning!

Fetch
If your dog doesn't fetch naturally, have an adult cut a slit in a tennis ball (a smaller, rubber ball if that is too big). Put some treats inside the tennis ball. Show your dog that there are treats in there, and give her one. Then, throw the ball. In the beginning, run with her and get the ball; then give her the treat. Soon you will be able to throw the ball and she will go get it (because she wants the treat!).

TIP:
After your dog has figured out what he has to do to get a treat, start throwing the ball two times in a row without giving him the treat. What you are trying to do is give him the treats less and less often so someday he won't need the treats in the ball to fetch it.



Come (to a whistle)
Have your dog sit in front of you. Using a dog whistle from your local pet store, blow it once and give your dog a treat. Do this several times and repeat several times during the day. Repeat this over several days, trying it a increased distances. Your dog should soon be running to you every time he hears the whistle.

TIP:
Us a small, but tasty treat, one that your dog really loves. After your dog will come to you from different areas in the house, move outside, to fenced areas only. When you notice your dog is a little distracted, give the whistle a blow and see if he comes. By now, he should be coming. If not, go back to shorter distances without distractions and take the steps a bit slower.

Quiet
This is easiest if your dog already knows how to speak. Tell your dog to Speak or catch him when he is barking. Get right in front of him and say "Quiet". The second he stops, even if it is to take a breath, give him a treat. You might want to hold your hand or palm in front of his face to add a visual signal. Practice playing 'quiet' often and your dog will be loving the word "Quiet".

TIP:
As you teach your dog Quiet, gradually increase the quiet time from 2 seconds to 5 seconds or more. Then, when he understands the trick, make a game of it. Tell him to "Speak", "Speak", "Speak", and then "Quiet". Then "Speak" again. It's a great trick that will entertain your friends and your pup will look so smart!