Dog Training Commands

Training your dog how to perform simple commands is an essential for all dog owners. The time it will take will vary depending on how much time you invest in training your dog each day. Generally, dogs trained about 20 minutes each day will follow simple commands after 2-3 months of training.

To teach any command, you should follow these simple steps:
1. Decide what you would like your dog to do.

2. Make up an auditory and/or visual sign to initiate the desired action.

The auditory command should have his name in it (e.g. "Buddy, sit"). Your voice should be of right tone and volume (e.g. don't mumble, shout).

3. Say the command only once.

4. To help the dog make the association of the command to the action, make your dog perform the action after the command is given.

5. Use reinforcements for good behaviors (e.g. petting him or treats)

6. After your dog follows the commands consistently, use distractions and see if he still obeys.

Sit
To teach your dog how to sit, first place a leash on the collar of your dog. Say the command in a firm voice once. Pull up in the leash while pushing down on his back until he is in the sitting position. For larger dogs, if you are unable to push the dog down into the sitting position, and easy way to do this is to walk the dog forward a couple steps and this will allow you to easily push the dog's rear down. If your dog is fidgeting around and won't sit, keep a firm grip on the leash while pulling upward. After your dog is in the position, praise the dog, but do not let him get up. This enables the dog to associate your command with this position. After a few seconds, you can allow your dog to get out of that position by petting under his chin. This tells the dog it is okay to move. Continue this process until your dog obeys the command.

Stay
After you teach your dog to sit, you can teach him to stay. First, have him sit. Then command him to "Stay" while you stand in front of him with the leash over his head. You should act distracted (e.g. look the other way, tie your shoes). if your dog gets up, you should pull the leash upwards until the dog sits again. Prevent your dog from lying down by holding the leash high enough that he can't comfortably lie down. After some time sitting and not getting up, you can pet under its chin, which the dog will associate with being okay to move. After your dog successfully stays seated, you can eventually move one or two paces away. You can also start to use other distractions like food or toys. The dog should still obey your command and stay in a sitting position, despite the distractions.

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