Training

This can feel so daunting at times when you are sleep-deprived, and your puppy is still getting used to things. It’s easy to take the approach of “later” or “they don’t need this.” I’m telling you, for your puppy’s safety, train, train, and train some more. This helps to keep them safe. It helps to have a better-behaved dog when it’s just you or when you have company over. 

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Where do I start?” “How do I do this?” I am not a professional dog trainer, however, I have trained all my dogs basic commands and even some less basic commands. What I am going to share with you, has worked for me. I hope that it works for you but if it doesn’t, find something that does work for you. I just want you to understand the importance of training your dog. Having you as a loyal reader is a perk for sure, but this is something that is very important to me, as I have seen untrained dogs get into situations that get them or their owners injured.  You have to be willing to put in the time, have patience and practice. Training is great mental stimulation for your puppy and helps them to learn respect and boundaries.

In this post I will give you my top 3 commands to start out with. These are great to have if you take your dog out into public and also to set boundaries in the home if you are cooking, eating dinner or if you have company over. 

My advice for training is to remember to be patient. Never hit your puppy when they don’t do what you want. If your puppy does great three times and then starts to chase his tail or play with toys, give him a break. It is pointless to teach a tired pup tricks because it leads to frustration for you and your puppy. 

Tip #1- The Sit Command

This is probably my first command to teach any puppy I have ever had. When I was working in the clinic, I always demonstrated this in the room if the puppy was up for it to give owners an idea of the techniques. 3 stages for teaching the sit command is what I have found that works. 

Step 1- lure and mark

Step 2- lure and mark with command

Step 3 – command and mark

• Have your puppy on a leash and hold it close to the collar
• Have a treat in your hand and let your puppy smell the treat as you hover it above their head
• You are trying to coax them into a sit by getting them to put their head back and will automatically force them to put their bottom down.
• Wait until their bottom is all the way on the ground. Do not give them a treat if they come back up or they hover over the ground. 
• Do this with no command for a bit. When they are planted on the ground, you mark with an ecstatic, “yes!” and reward with the treat. 
• If you move forward to the next step and your puppy is not picking it up, practice step 1 first a little more.

• Now after your pup seems comfortable with the above actions, you’re going to add the command at the end. 
• Repeat all the steps above, when your puppy is lured into the sit, instead of just a “yes!” you give her a “yes!” with a “good sit!”
• With this you are giving a name to the command and helping them understand what you are requesting. 

Command and Mark-

• Again, if you get to this step and your pup struggles, go back. There is no time limit. It may take a few days for your pup to get it, or it may take a few weeks. This is where breed comes in. Don’t get frustrated with your puppy if it takes longer. They will get there.
• Now you switch up the order in which you give the command. Instead of only at the end of the mark, you give your pup the sit command at first. This is a command, remember, Don’t ask your dog to sit. Tell them to sit. With your stubborn breeds, this can make a difference.
•  When they sit, again with their feet and bottom planted on the ground, they get a “Yes, Good Sit!” and then mark with a treat. 
• If your puppy pops back up before you can give them the treat, take it back, and start over. Your labs can be a little quick with this so sometimes they will pop up as they take the treat. If your dog has a tendency to pop up when you give the treat, just give it to them slower.  Make them work for it. 

Tip #2- The Stay Command

This one can take a little more effort as your puppy just wants to be with you all the time. This command works best if you build up to longer periods of them staying put. The key to this is that they stay until you give the “release” or “all done” command or until you give them the “come” command. 

-Start with your puppy in the sit position. Tell them to stay, keep your treat in your hand and take a step back. If your puppy stays, walk right back to them and give the “yes!” mark. If your puppy gets up, patiently put them back in a sit, don’t give the treat and try again. You will work up to get further and further away from them and should eventually be able to walk out of sight and your puppy stays until you give the “release” command.

– 

Tip#3 – The Come Command

The come command is a good command to get your puppy to you if necessary. I do recommend a recall, which is different from the come command. However, the “come” command is a good one to start with. The “come” command will be when you need your puppy to get to you. To practice this, you just use the command with your pup’s name. When he comes, you mark with a “yes, good come!”  and then give a treat. You don’t want to use the command more than once. This teaches your pup that they can wait to come to you until the 3rd or 4th call or until your voice gets higher. You want your puppy to get to the point where no matter what he is doing, when you say come, he stops everything and gets to you. 

These are my top 3 commands I recommend teaching your puppy first. This is a great foundation to build on for harder commands and will help you to bond with your puppy. It helps your puppy to trust you and grow up understanding what is expected of him.

These commands can be started as early as 8 weeks or even on older dogs. Just remember to have patience when training your dog and make it fun. If they associate training time with negative reinforcement, they will be less likely to be loyal and trusting of you, making the task of training much harder.