Everyone loves dogs, and they bring so much joy into all our lives. The love they give is so pure and unconditional, and they’re the perfect company for anyone.
Sometimes, however, dogs can be very sneaky and mischievous. It’s a good thing training can help them be obedient and responsive to your commands.
1. Crate Training
The first thing you need to teach your pups is to stay inside the crate when told to. Crate training plays a lot of importance, especially when your puppy is exposed to a new environment.
Make sure you make the practices a fun one for your dog so that they can establish a positive association with the crate.
Here are some tips that can help you:
- Get a crate large enough for your dog to stand, turn, and lay down. It should be spacious enough, so your pup doesn’t feel constrained.
- Put toys, blankets, and everything they love inside the crate to build a positive association.
- Don’t force them inside the crate and let them explore it first. This way, they can become comfortable with the space on their terms.
- The crate is your and your pup’s friend, so don’t scare your puppy away from the crate during the training.
2. Sitting
Teaching your puppy how to sit is the most basic and essential command dogs need to learn. The sit command is the foundation for all the other commands, so you need to get this one right.
Don’t worry, because teaching them this command is easy and the directions are simple:
- Keep a reward on your hand, and kneel in front of your pup. Hold the treat close to the nose of your puppy so it can be smelled.
- Lift your hand, and tell your pup to sit. If your puppy raises its head towards the treat, use your other hand to guide your puppy to a sitting position.
- Keep repeating these steps until your pup masters the command. Make sure to praise your pup for a job well done.
3. Healing
The next basic command your pup needs to learn is to heel, and it has two goals. First, it’s to teach your puppy how to walk with a leash; second, it’s to teach them to walk beside you instead of in front of you.
Make sure to follow these directions:
- Put a collar on your pup, and have them sit.
- Hold a treat or your pup’s favorite toy above their head, and start walking with your dog. Mention the heel command.
- When your dog gets distracted, stop walking, and repeat the same steps.
Read More - Benefits of Dog Knee Braces4. Down
Teaching pups this command is challenging, but it has a lot of benefits. It helps settle your dogs and calm them down when things don’t feel right. Its steps are easy to remember, so you shouldn’t have a hard time teaching your pup.
- Get a treat in your hand and allow your dogs to smell it.
- Slowly move your hand towards the floor, and make sure your pup is following it.
- Once the dog is in a down position, give out the command “down.”
- Give your dog a treat. Repeat the same steps until they’ve mastered this command.
5. Stay
Another useful command pups need to learn is to Stay, which will test their discipline and obedience. Puppies are exceptionally playful, so you’ll find that getting them to stay still is hard, especially since they want to play with you.
You can start by eliminating all distractions so you could teach your pup correctly. Once you’ve removed all distractions, it’s time to teach your pup to stay.
- Ask your pup to sit and open your palm in front of you.
- Command the word stay and take a step back.
- Once you’ve given the command, the pup should remain seated. If your puppy doesn’t stay, you can work out the command many times.
- Don’t forget to reward your pup for their efforts, mainly if they listen to your command.
6. Leave It
Pups are naturally curious, and they’ll bark, sniff, and bite, at anything new they see. They’ll be intrigued by what those things are, and they’ll be more interested in it than you.
You can teach your pups the leave it command, which can help them avoid dangerous objects and the like.
- Put a treat in one hand, and none on the other.
- Close both your hands and have the pup smell it. They’ll go for the hand with the treat, so you’d want to tell them to leave it.
- Repeat this step until your dog masters it, and then you’ll be able to try it out on other objects.
7. Reliable Recall
You want your pup to come back to you when you’ve called them. The reliable recall command is meant to teach your puppy to respond to your call, whenever. It takes a lot of time, patience, and practice to get this command right so you might need a lot of positive reinforcements and treats.
The reliable call is a basic command your pup needs to remember, and you can start teaching your puppy with games. Games are always exciting and fun for dogs and the right way for them to learn.
You and your pup will be best friends for years to come. Teaching them these essential commands will strengthen your bond even more, and your puppy can give its absolute loyalty to you.
