Having your new family member home is an exciting time, it brings lots of snuggles, smiles and ...stress. Yes, that is right there is a portion of stress involved. The key to having more enjoyment with your new puppy, than stress is to be prepared!
By now I am sure that you have looked at potty training advise so, this would be a good time to look at other basic commands that your puppy needs to understand. I am fairly certain that every one who is adding a puppy to their family wants it come when called and stay when asked to. Not only is it frustrating, and perhaps embarrassing but it can also be dangerous if your puppy does not understand what you are telling them! A dog that wonʼt come when called can easily get hit by a car or find other trouble that you wish for them to avoid. Unfortunately without the proper information and time spent working with your dog this could be the situation you find yourself in. Thankfully most dogs want to please, and when they understand what you want they are usually happy to respond to your direction.
Come, Sit, Down, Stay, and Leave It ... are five basic commands that will make your relationship with your dog a joy. These commands should be the main focus of the first several months of training. We suggest working on them everyday during your regular daily schedule. Such as asking your puppy to sit before feeding them, lie in a designated spot and stay while you eat dinner, and so on. We also encourage you to take your dog to a basic obedience class for socialization, training with the help of an instructor, and of course fun together.
As you are getting ready to start with the training process you will need to pick a couple of key words, a praise word, and a release word. Your praise word should be one that you can remember easily but one that you do not use on a steady basis, for example "Good Pup" or "that's a pup!" What ever you decide on the key is to say it with enthusiasm.
Next is your release word, this is a word you use to release your puppy from a command such as sit or down. An example of a release word is "free" or "okay"
Please note as you begin your training always be in a position to enforce the command you have given, if you can not enforce the command do not give it. By giving a command that you can not enforce your puppy learns that it does not have to listen to you every time.
Come
We believe that one of the most important commands you can teach your dog is to COME. Most certainly the safety of your dog will weigh on how well they respond to your command to come. This is one command that you should make sure is well underhand before allowing your puppy to roam free. Safety aside your stress level will greatly diminish when you are able to trust that your puppy will come when called.
We start with our puppy on a leash or long light weight line about 10 - 20 feet attached to a harness. (We suggest using a harness in- stead of a collar for this training exercise, as you can harm your puppyʼs neck if you accidentally pull to hard) Allow your puppy to run and play a bit then ask them to come in high pitch playful happy voice. If they do not respond the first time give a slight tug on the line and slowly reel them in. ( Remember: Say it only once! ) Then reward them use your praise word and play with them, give them a treat, or give a toy. Then let your puppy go back to what it was doing. Repeat the process two or three times; then quit. Do this several times a day if possible.
Sit
Sit is a daily basic command that helps you to have control over your dog in situations such as encountering new people, vet visits or other times when you want to settle your dog down. When beginning to teach your puppy to sit you want to make sure that you start in a controlled environment. Examples of this would be small room with no distractions or on a leash where they are not able to get away. Start by getting your puppies attention by holding a treat in front of them and then slowly raise it back over his head toward his tail. As your puppyʼs nose comes up to follow the treat, its butt has to go down. When your puppy starts to fold its hind legs to sit, say SIT. Keep moving the treat slowly backward. As soon as your puppy sits completely, give the treat with lots of praise. When your puppy goes to get up say the release word. Do several sessions a day and, your dog should sit on command in no time. As your puppy progresses at the sitting command, start to lengthen the time you ask them to stay sitting before they get the treat. Start with a few seconds, gradually increasing to half a minute, and then a minute. Your puppy should remain sitting until you release them with your release word. *If your puppy backs up instead of moving to the sit position you can try a couple of tricks to limit their ability to back up. One is have your puppy standing so their butt is facing a wall or corner where the only option is for them to sit. Another option is to use your free hand to put slight pressure on your puppyʼs rump as you lift the treat over their head, again as they go to sit, give the command SIT.
Down
Down (Lie) is an important command that should not be overlooked, it can be a key safety command. For instance if your puppy is on the other side of a street it may be best for them not to come to you and take the chance of being hit! When you have the Down command it can be given from a distance and the puppy should down on the spot, giving you the chance to get to them. It is best to teach the down command from the standing position instead of from the sitting position. Teaching Down from a sitting position requires two commands....SIT and then DOWN. It is best if each command is taught as its own separate command and teaching it from the sit has a tendency to connect the two in your puppies mind. Also obedience competition beyond the Novice level, require a moving down in which they down from a trot. To begin teaching the Down while your puppy is standing, hold a treat in your hand and show your puppy that you have it. (Depending on your puppies size you may want to kneel in the beginning.) Then start to slowly move your hand under your puppy's head, between its front legs, lowering your hand as you go. Your puppyʼs head should follow the treat, and it should fold your puppy downward. If necessary, you can also gently guide your puppyʼs butt down; then praise them and give them the treat as soon as they are completely down, as they go to get up say your release word.
Stay
Stay tells your puppy it is not suppose to move from whatever position it is in, whether standing, sitting, or lying. Also your puppy should stay regardless of what other activity is going on around them. Teaching Stay is easiest to begin with in the down position. It is the most natural position for a dog to hold, so it sets your puppy up for success and then makes learning stay in other positions much easier. Have your puppy on the leash and when they are completely down, tell them Stay. If they start to get up, put them back in the down position and praise them, but don't give them a treat. Tell your puppy Stay again. If they stay down a few seconds give them the release, praise, and then reward them. Start with very short satys, a 10-20 seconds and remain only a few feet from your puppy. Then slowly increase the time until your puppy will stay about five minutes with you standing close by. Once your puppy can stay for five minutes, put them in the down stay, and take a few more steps away from them. Shorten the time to 30 seconds, and slowly build the time up again to 5 minutes. Repeat this process, always reducing the amount of time and building it back up each time you increase the distance between you and your puppy. Always remember to release your dog from the stay when you're finished. Don't let your puppy decide for themselves that they are done. You can repeat this process for the Sit and Standing positions. Make this a regular exercise of your day you can use this training process while you are cooking dinner, folding laundry or going to get the mail, just do not forget to release your puppy from the stay or they will start to decide when the stay should be over.
Leave It!
Imagine you are at a family picnic and you just finished grilling yourself a juicy hamburger. You set your plate down on the picnic table so you can reach for the BBQ sauce and suddenly you sense your new family member about to have your burger as their treat. Wouldnʼt it be a relief if you knew that two words could stop Frodo in his tracks and keep your hamburger safe and sound! Teaching the command "Leave It" will depend on your puppy knowing that you are in charge, and that the reward to listen is better than any desire that they are currently facing. Thus when you teach the command, you need to reward your puppy for leaving the object of their desire, and the reward has to be worthwhile in your puppies eyes (or mouth!). It is best to start teaching this command with a situation that you can control so your puppy doesnʼt learn that it can disobey you. Set something that you know your puppy will want on the floor such as a bit of food, a stuffed toy, or anything else that they will try to pick up. Keep some especially desirable treats in your pocket. With your puppy is on leash or line, walk your puppy by it, making sure the leash is short enough so you can keep your puppy from getting it. When your puppy shows interest, say "Leave it" and walk away quickly so theyʼll have to follow you on the leash. As soon as your puppy looks at you instead of it, praise them and give your puppy the treat. Make a BIG DEAL about what a GREAT PUPPY they are. Repeat the process three or four times, and then stop. Try to do this a couple times a day and soon you will have your puppy understanding the command LEAVE IT. Please Note: In case your puppy manages to get it before you get him away, you need to get it back! Take it away from them put it back where it was, and repeat the training process making sure they don't get it again! If it is food, you need to get it away from him if possible. Eventually, you won't need treats tofor your dog to leave things, but do always praise them! Always remember your puppyʼs desire to listen to you is connected to the trust you have built in other areas of your relationship with them. And only time, love and patience can build trust it can not and will not be something that you can force or rush.
Remember the basic training rules as they apply:
- Always use the same command word.
- Never give the command more than once you'll be teaching your puppy that they can ignore you. If they don't obey the first time help them to complete the command. Then praise and reward them!
- Never give a command you can't enforce. Be proactive and not reactive! Being prepared will save months in the training process.
- Always reward your dog for obeying, a reward may be a treat one time, a cuddle the next, and your praise word every time.
The Potters Paws- 5 Keys to Training:
* Time (Focused & Relaxed) -
It is important to spend time focused on teaching specific commands, (business time). As well as time just bonding and relaxing with your new family member! Your new puppyʼs desire to please you will grow as their trust and love for you grows.
* Consistency-
Always use the same key words for the your command, and give the command only once. Giving the command more than once teaches your puppy that they do not have to respond right away.
* Understanding Dog Behavior-
Take time to learn about dog behavior in general, and time to learn about your puppyʼs temperament. This time will be very valuable in the next step of establishing clear communication with your new puppy.
* Establishing clear communication-
Building understanding between you and your puppy will take time, patience and needs a foundation built with the first three keys.
* Effective Use of Positive and Negative-
We believe that balance is key in life, and training your puppy is no exception! It is very important that your puppy understands that there are both positive consequences and negative consequences for their behavior.
(Please note : This does not include the use of physical abuse such as hitting or kicking your puppy, no physical consequence is an effective training method. This only instills fear, breaks down trust and builds resentment that can lead a good puppy to become aggressive and destructive.)
One of the most effective negative reinforcements is the tone of your voice, a low tone indicates naturally to your puppy that you are not pleased with the current situation, while a high pitch tone indicates you are pleased. For most puppies this is very effective when used properly.
For everyones safety, your family, friends and even your puppyʼs - it is vital that your puppy understands that you are in charge!
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The Potters Paws Basic Obedience Training Tips
