Basic Dog Training Commands
5 minutes read
Simple training for puppies can be started as soon as you bring them home. Most puppies are about 8 weeks old at the time and you should subject them to regular, brief training sessions. These sessions shouldn’t exceed 5 to 10 minutes in duration and must always end on a note that you can consider positive. As the pup grows so does the duration of its training sessions as well.
Your dog must pick up something new from each of its sessions and therein lays the significance of this training. The latter makes a pup more reliable, energetic, and compliant. It prevents misbehavior or attitude problems and molds the canine into a companion fit for you.
If you are looking to teach your canine pal some basic dog tricks then you have come to the right place. You will find detailed accounts of all the basic commands that you need to train your dog in. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it:
5 Basic dog training commands for teach your dog
Teaching a Dog to come when called
You should adhere to the following steps if you want to teach this command to your dog.
- Sit with your dog and say the command “come” while calling its name
- Give your pup a treat every time you say the “come” command even if it doesn’t comply
- Then, put a treat on the ground near your pup. When it picks it up, say its name once again and reward it with a treat when it looks up at you
- Keep doing this several times till you can put the treat further and further from your dog and it turns to you when you call its name. Don’t repeat the dog’s name too often as it might begin to ignore you
- Make the game a little more fun by adding movement to it once your dog begins to turn and face you. Do so by taking few quick steps backward after putting a treat on the ground. Remember to call out your pup’s name while doing so. The dog will probably start chasing you as it finds this to be exciting
- Finally, praise and encourage your dog vehemently once it does catch you. Reward it with treats, toys, hugs, or whatever it likes. It will then start to associate coming to you with fun. Repeat this exercise daily and you will be able to get the results that you covet
Teaching Loose-Leash Walking
This is important if you want to teach your dog to not pull on its leash and act appropriately. To learn this command, you need to adhere to the following guidelines:
- The first thing to ensure is that your dog is comfortable while wearing a leash. So, get one that is comfortable and relaxing and reward your pup with treats whenever you put the leash on every single time
- Stand next to your dog while keeping the leash loose. Once the dog is standing next to your leg or sitting with the leash on, reward it with some treats
- Take a step forward and convince your dog to do the same by tempting it with treats. Give it the treat once it catches up with you. Continue doing this while keeping your dog at your hip or knee level while you are moving forward
- Run in the opposite direction if your dog runs in front of you. Call it to you and once it does come to you, reward it with a treat. Change the sequence of giving treats gradually, like from first to every second step, to third and so forth
- Your dog will eventually start walking alongside you happy whenever you put on its leash. Don’t be irritated if your dog stops in the middle of walks. Exclaim “Let’s Go” in a cheery voice and it will follow you again. Reward it again to reinforce this behavior
Teaching a Dog to Sit
You can teach a dog to sit through the following process:
- Take some treats in your hand and stand in from of your dog
- Wait till it sits and once it does, say “yes” and reward it with a treat
- Move back after this so that your dog stands up. Wait for it to sit again and then reward him again
- Begin saying “Sit” while your dog begins to sit after some tries
Another method of teaching this command is by putting a treat under your up’s nose and raising it above its nose. Allow the dog to eat the treat once its rear touches the ground. Keep doing this several times and say “sit” when the dog’s bottom touches the ground and immediately before you make the hand gesture. This will eventually lead to your dog associating the command and the intended action.
Teaching a Dog to Lie Down
- The first thing that you need to do is to wait for your pup to lie down by itself. Use your living room, bedroom, or TV lounge if you want. You can even go to the garden for this exercise
- Once the dog lies down by its own volition, reward it with a treat
- Lure your dog with a treat to get him to stand up and then wait for it to lie down again
- Say the command “Down” right before when your pup starts to lie down after standing up
- Repeat this several times daily and you will get the desired result in no time at all
Teaching a Dog to Roll Over
We recommend that you read the article: How to Teach Dog to Roll Over
- First, take a treat in your hand and let your dog assume the “Dow” position
- Bring your hand with the treat slowly around the back of the dog’s neck. Your pup should turn his/her head without getting up in this phase
- Roll the treat over as the dog reaches back to smell it. Reward the pup with the treat once it rolls over
- Encourage it excitedly to reinforce this behavior
- Say the command “Roll” over and over aloud when the dog begins to rollover
- Keep doing this exercise daily and for about 5 to 10 minutes for best results
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