The Essentials of Training Your Dog in Basic Commands
As a dog owner, you'll want to teach your pet certain commands — both for her own safety and the well-being of the humans and other animals she interacts with. Whether you use treats, a clicker, or just praise, you need to make sure that your dog understands and can respond to your commands.
How to Train Your Dog to Sit
The Sit command is one of the simpler and yet most useful commands you can teach your dog. It gives you a wonderfully easy way to control your pet pooch when you need to keep him in one place.
Teaching your dog what the word sit means is quite easy and quick:
Show your dog a small, bite-sized treat, holding it just a little in front of his eyes, slightly over his head.
Say “Sit” as you bring your hand above your dog’s eyes, about two inches above his head.
Proper hand placement is important to training your dog to sit.
Proper hand placement is important to training your dog to sit.
When your dog looks up at the treat, he should naturally sit.
Putting your hand in the right place is important. If your hand is too high, your dog will jump up; if it’s too low, he won’t sit.
When your dog sits, give him the treat and tell him what a good doggy he is.
Praise him without petting him. If you pet him at the same time as you praise him, he’ll probably get up, when you really want him to sit.
If your dog doesn’t respond on his own, say “Sit” again and physically place him into a sit position by placing your left hand under his tail and behind his knees and your right hand on his chest, and tuck him into a sit. Keep your hands still and count to five before giving him the treat.
Practice making your dog sit five times in a row for five days.
Some dogs catch on to this idea so quickly that they sit in front of their owner whenever they want a treat.
When your dog understands what the word “Sit” means, you can start to teach him to obey your command to sit:
Put the treat in your right hand and keep it at your side.
Put one or two fingers, depending on the size of your dog, of your left hand through the training collar at the top of his neck, palm facing up, and tell him to sit.
If he sits, give him a treat and tell him how good he is while taking your hand out of the collar. If he doesn’t sit, pull up on his collar and wait until he sits, and then praise and reward him with a treat.
Practice until your dog sits on command — without your having to pull up on or touch the collar.
Give your pooch a treat and praise him for every correct response, keeping him in position to the count of five.
As your dog demonstrates that he has mastered sitting on command, start rewarding him every other time, then rewarding him randomly — just every now and then. Strange but true for dogs and people, a random reward is the most powerful reinforcement. It’s based on the premise that hope springs eternal.
Now when your buddy wants to greet you by jumping up, tell him to sit. When he does, praise him, scratch him under the chin, and then release him. Following this simple method consistently, you can change your dog’s greeting behavior from trying to jump on you to sitting to be petted.
How to Train Your Dog to Stay
The Stay command is strongly linked with the Sit command — you rarely see a dog standing up and staying. So, a more accurate name for this command is the Sit and Stay command. Make sure your dog already knows to sit on command. If she does, teaching her to stay should go pretty quickly.
Put your dog sitting at your left side, both of you facing the same direction (called Heel position).
Position the rings of his training collar on top of his neck and attach the leash to the dead ring of the collar.
Put the loop of the leash over the thumb of your left hand and fold the leash accordion-style into your hand with the part of the leash going toward the dog coming out at the bottom of your hand.
Hold your hand as close to the dog’s collar as you comfortably can. The farther away from the dog’s collar you hold your hand, the less control you have.
Apply a little upward tension on the collar — just enough to let him know the tension is there, but not enough to make him uncomfortable.
Don't tug or jerk the leash.
Say “Stay” and give the “Stay” signal — a pendulum motion with the right hand, palm facing the dog, stopping in front of the dog’s nose, and then returning to your right side.
Keep your body as straight as you can, and don’t bend over your dog. Before you step away from your dog, make sure that your right hand is at your side again.
Take a step to the right, keeping the tension on the collar; count to ten.
Return to your dog’s side, release tension, praise him, and release your dog, taking several steps forward.
Repeat Steps 3 to 5, this time changing your position.
Step directly in front of your dog, count to ten, step back to Heel position, release tension, praise, and release.
With your dog in Heel position, put the rings of the training collar under your dog’s chin and attach the leash to the live ring of the collar.
Neatly fold your leash accordion-style into your left hand, and place it against your waist where a belt buckle would be, allowing one foot of slack.
Say and signal “Stay,” and then place yourself one foot in front of your dog. Keep your left hand at your belt buckle and your right hand at your side, palm open, facing your dog.
If your dog is thinking about moving or actually tries to move, take a step toward your dog with your right foot and, with your right hand, snap the leash straight up to a point directly above his head. Bring your right foot and right hand back to their original positions without repeating the “Stay” command. Count to 30 and pivot back to your dog’s right side. Count to five, praise, and release.
Until you discover how to recognize the signs that you four-legged friend is going to move, chances are you’ll be too late in reinforcing the Stay, and he’ll have moved. When that happens, without saying anything, put him back to the spot where he was supposed to stay, stand in front of him, count to ten, return to heel position, count to five, and release him. Repeat over the course of several training sessions until your dog is steady.
How to Release Your Dog with “Okay”
The point of a release word is to let your dog know that he can move now and is on his own time. “Okay” is the release word of choice for most dog trainers, although you’re free to choose a different release word.
Make it a strict rule to give your dog the release word, which allows him to move again, after every time you tell him to stay. If you get lax about releasing, your pooch will get into the habit of releasing himself. That teaches him that he can decide when to move — not a good idea and the opposite of what you want him to learn.
Your dog needs to know the difference between being praised for responding correctly and being released. Praise is not an invitation to move. You say “good boy” when your pup responds to a command. You say “Okay” to release him when the exercise is finished.
How to Train Your Dog to Lie Down
Your dog already knows how to lie down, she just needs to be taught to lie down on command. “Down” is the command to use when you want your dog to lie down in place, right now, and stay there until you release her.
The following steps can help you teach this command to your canine companion:
With your dog sitting at your left side and a treat in your right hand, put one or two fingers of your left hand, palm facing you, through her collar at the side of her neck.
Show your dog the treat and lower it straight down and in front of her as you apply gentle downward pressure on the collar, at the same time saying “Down.”
With a small dog, you may want to do this on a table.
When your dog lies down, give her the treat and praise her by telling her what a good puppy she is.
Keep your left hand in the collar and your right hand off your dog while telling her how clever she is so that she learns she’s being praised for lying down.
Reverse the process by showing her a treat and bringing it up slightly above her head with upward pressure on the collar as you tell her to sit.
Practice having your dog lie down at your side five times in a row for five days, or until she does it on command with minimal pressure on the collar.
Praise and reward with a treat every time.
Practice over the course of several days until your obedient pup lies down on command without any pressure on the collar.
Traditionally, the Down command can be a safety tool that gets your pet to stop wherever she is and stay there. For example, if your puppy finds herself on the other side of the road and starts towards you just as a car comes, you can say “Down” to keep her in place until you can get to her.
How to Train Your Dog to Leave It
The Leave It command protects you from having to deal with the nasty things your dog thinks are appropriate to pick up in his mouth and protects him from potentially dangerous nonedibles — or poisoned edibles.
Depending on how quickly your pup catches on, you may want to practice this exercise over the course of several sessions. Keep the sessions short — no more than five minutes at a time, and follow these steps:
Hold a treat between your thumb and index finger.
With your palm facing up, show the treat to your dog.
He’ll try to pry it loose. Say “Leave it,” close your hand into a fist, and turn it so that your palm now faces down.
Observe your dog’s reaction.
He may stare fixedly at the back of your hand, he may try to get to the treat by nuzzling or nibbling your hand, or he may start barking. Ignore all these behaviors. You’re looking for the first break in his attention away from your hand. He may make eye contact with you or look away.
The instant he breaks his attention away from your hand, say “Good,” and give him the treat.
Repeat until your dog looks at you or away from your hand when you give the Leave It command and turn your hand over.
You’re teaching your dog that looking at you and not at your hand is rewarded with a treat.
To find out whether your dog is responding to the command or to the turning of your hand, repeat Step 1 without turning your hand.
If he responds, praise and reward. If he doesn’t, close your hand into a fist and wait for the break in attention. Repeat until he responds to the command.
Make yourself comfortable on the floor, and show your dog a treat; put it on the floor, and cover it with your hand.
When his attention is on your hand or he tries to get to the treat, say “Leave it.”
Wait for the break in attention, and then praise and reward.
Repeat Steps 7 and 8, but cover the treat with just your index finger. Then try it when placing the treat between your index and middle finger.
When successful, place the treat one inch in front of your hand, and repeat Steps 7 and 8.
Here you need to be watchful: He may be faster at getting to the treat than you can cover it.
Put your pup on leash and stand next to him (Heel position), neatly fold the leash into your left hand, and hold your hand as close to his collar as is comfortable without any tension on the leash.
You need to make sure that the amount of slack in the leash isn’t so much that his mouth can reach the floor.
Hold the treat in your right hand and show it to your dog, and then casually drop the treat.
When he tries to get to the treat, say “Leave it.” If he responds, praise him, pick up the treat, and give it to him. If he doesn’t, check straight up. Repeat until he obeys the command.
Test his response by taking the leash off and dropping a treat. If he makes a dive for it, don’t attempt to beat him to it and don’t yell “No.” He’s telling you he needs more work on leash.
To test your pup in a real-world situation, first seed an area outdoors with food items readily visible to you outside in the grass or the ground, such as crackers or popcorn. Drop four or five pieces of food in the area where you’re taking your dog for the big test.
Put some of your regular treats in your pocket, and take your pet for a walk on leash in the area where you left the food. As soon as his nose goes to the food, say, “Leave it.” If he responds, praise enthusiastically and give him a treat. If he doesn’t, check straight up.
If he manages to snag a cracker or kernel of popcorn, you’re too slow on the uptake. Practice walking around the food-contaminated area until he ignores the food on command.
Your dog should now know and obey the “Leave it” command. Test him off leash, and his response will tell you if he needs more work. Still, like any other command, you need to review it with him periodically on leash.
How to Train Your Dog with Treats
The age-old question is “To treat or not to treat?” Training without treats can be done, but it’s not much fun, and in a life filled with daily responsibilities and stress, you may as well enjoy the process of teaching and learning with your puppy.
One of the better treat-training tools is a treat cup, which is easy to make and fun to use: Find an empty plastic container, cut a small hole in the lid, and fill it half full with small treats or your pup’s food. Shake it and give treats until your puppy associates the sound with getting a reward.
Shake, treat, shake, treat, shake, treat . . . soon the sound of the cup will bring her running. Then, you can use this sound to highlight positive moments between you and your puppy and to encourage your pooch’s happy association to important words and people.
Create multiple treat cups and spread them all around — in every room of the house, in your car, and at Grandma’s house. You can never have too many treat cups. However, remember to put them out of your puppy’s reach so that she doesn’t overindulge!
Have children? Make it a family project by decorating your treat cups with construction paper, markers, and stickers.
Use your treat cup to shape your puppy’s happy and willing cooperation. For example, if you want your puppy to sit but she’s jumping up, hold the treat cup out of her reach. When she finally calms down, praise her and give a treat.
Each time a puppy puts something in her mouth — whether it’s something of hers or something she shouldn’t chew — find the treat cup and shake it. Say “Share” as you approach her calmly and exchange a treat for the object in her mouth. Giving a treat doesn’t reward bad behavior, it rewards the positive share response and encourages her to bring you what she’s found, undestroyed.
Yelling at a puppy when she’s doing something wrong just creates tension and stress, leading to more bad behavior. To top that, trying to get her to release something in her mouth conveys prize envy and often leads to catch-me antics or, worse, aggression.
How to Train Your Dog with a Clicker
A clicker is a small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when you press it. Pair this sound with a food reward — always — and you have a dog-training power that would make Pavlov proud. Your puppy will alert to the sound, and when he connects this noise with a food reward, he’ll be prompted to repeat whatever action makes it snap.
A clicker is best used to reinforce good reactions the moment they happen: from sitting or lying calmly and coming when you call to peeing in the right spot. Your puppy sits: Click and treat. He potties in the right place: Click and treat. He returns with a toy in his mouth (or returns to you with anything): Click and treat.
To get the most out of the click-treat combination, click the very instant your puppy accomplishes a task (such as “Sit” or “Down”) — that moment may be gone in an instant. And limit your excitement and praise until after you dole out the treat.
Some behaviors you can easily associate with a clicker and a treat include
Name: Call out your puppy’s name. If he looks to you, click and treat. If not, ignore it and move on.
Sit: Each time you expect civility, encourage your puppy to “Sit.” Some preferred times of civility include before you give him a treat or toy, before you toss a stick, and when entering and exiting the home. Click and treat the instant his bottom hits the floor.
Housetraining: Click and treat the moment your puppy eliminates in the right spot.
Down: Click and treat the moment his elbows hit the floor, and say “Down” as he lowers herself into position.
Give or Drop: To help your puppy learn to spit out toys or other objects on cue, hold out a treat when he has something in his mouth. Say “Give” or “Share” and click and treat the instant he spits it out. If he debates the issue, use a more tantalizing tidbit.
Come: If you want your puppy to return to you reliably, click and treat whenever he’s nearby. With this click and treat combo, he won’t stray far.
Rewarding a puppy for being nearby is different from trying to lure your puppy to come to you. Though many have tried to use the clicker to entice their puppy to come, the cooperation is short lived — especially when the temptation to stray is stronger than the temptation to snack.
Settled down and chewing a bone or toy: Ah, finally a moment’s peace: Your puppy is settled down and is quietly chewing a bone. Now is the time to lavish him with attention and praise.
If you don’t want to carry a clicker and treats 24/7, limit the use of the clicker to set times or organized lessons — one to four ten-minute sessions each day, for example. To forestall the danger of having your puppy listen only when you have a clicker, use words and hand signals at all times.
You use a clicker just temporarily to condition your pooch. After your puppy is well trained in the behaviors you reward with click-and-treat, you phase out the clicker gradually so that your puppy is unable to track its predictability. This system peaks his motivation and interest until each new direction gets encoded into his behavioral memory — click or no click!
Don’t stop using the clicker cold turkey. Instead, vary the click-and-treat reinforcement with praise. For instance, click and treat two responses, and then go two or three with praise only. Click and treat three in a row, and then praise the next one. Over a week’s time, tip the scale: Click and treat one, praise three. Within two weeks, your verbal appreciation will be incentive enough for your pup to continue the good behavior.
As you phase out the clicker, don’t forget to praise your puppy. Eventually, when all the lessons are understood, you’ll shelve the clicker, and the only thing motivating your puppy’s good behavior will be the sound of your voice.
source taken from: http://www.dummies.com/
