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The 3 most important dog commands
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can begin training your puppy as early as eight weeks of age.
Positive reinforcement is highly suggested and always works best - especially in very young dogs.
Whenever your puppy performs any dog commands correctly, give him a small treat or lots of praise.
Make a big deal out of it and you'll be surprised at how much your puppy will want to please you.
It's very important to understand that if the puppy makes a mistake, don't punish him. Simply ignore the mistake and try again.
Training sessions should be short and very upbeat with a dog or puppy of any age. There are certain basic dog commands that all dogs and puppies should know. We'll list them for you below and briefly describe how to teach the command.
The 3 most important dog commands
to teach your puppy or dog
1) SITOne of the easiest ways to teach this is to take a few of your dogs favorite small treats, put them in your hand and then make a fist. Next, hold your clenched fist directly in front of the dog’s nose so that he can smell the treats inside it.
Lift your fist (with the treat) upward above the dog's nose while moving it back toward the dogs tail area at the same time. The dog will lift its head in an attempt to follow the fist with the treat. As the dog shifts its body weight to follow your treat hand he will automatically “sit”.
Just as soon as the dog “sits”, praise it and give it the treat . Give the command "sit" as the dog actually sits while completing this training command exercise. Try teaching this in several short sessions per day.
2) STAY
Wait to teach the “sit-stay” command until your dog has first mastered the “sit” command. First, command your dog to “sit”. Praise your dog but do not give it a treat. Now, while the dog is sitting, give the command “stay” while holding your hand in a stay position directly in front of the dogs face and wait a few seconds. Afterwards, praise the dog and give it a treat. Repeat this training exercise and gradually build up the length of time the dog stays, in increments of five to ten seconds.
Once you get your dog to successfully "stay" for thirty seconds or more, the begin to add distance with this command. Now, repeat the stay exercise but this time after the dog “sits” take one step back and wait a few seconds. Next, step back to the dog, praise him profusely and offer a treat. Slowly increase the distance and length of time the dog remains in the stay position over time. Several training sessions per day will help the dog practice his skills while performing this exercise.
3) COME
Probably the most important command you will ever teach your dog is to “come” on command. Begin teaching this command while inside your home or in a securely fenced area. First, squat down, quickly say your dog’s name several times in a happy, excited voice while gently clapping your hands. Most dogs will usually come to you if you call them in this manner.
Just as soon as your dog reaches you, pet it, praise it profusely and give it a treat. One way to train the come command is to have a helper hold the dog as you move away from it. Once you get a few feet away excitedly call the dog to "come" to you over and over as the helper turns the dog loose to come to you. Practice this over and over. Using various treats and lots of praise makes this behavior an easy one for your dog to learn. Train in several sessions per day, with several repetitions per session.
While all dogs love to please their owners, I can think of no better way to begin than by learning these most basic dog commands.
• Always be consistent in your dog training methods.
• Be generous with praise.
• Keep training sessions but short but perform them frequently to prevent your dog from becoming bored.
• Be patient and kind - dogs have good and bad days just like us.
And in the end, the whole reason for this process is to encourage our dogs obedience, teach them to learn and to bond with us, isn't it? Good luck with your training methods teaching any new dog commands.
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