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Puppy training is no easy feat and something that all new dog owners will come face to face with sooner or later. But with patience and the proper techniques, the training process can be a fun and engaging experience for both you and your fur baby.
Teaching your puppy the ways of obedience is super important and will allow them to grow up into well-rounded and sociable dogs. In this blog we are going to take you through which commands to teach your puppy first when it comes to training, focusing on specific commands for specific actions and how to execute these efficiently and in a way that your pooch will understand.
Starting to train your puppy from as young as possible will help to instill certain behaviors from day one. And even though they might not be as receptive to start with, implementing training techniques from as early as you can sets a precedent for desired behavior.
Usually, puppy training would be considered around the twelve week mark, however it has been found that starting your puppy’s training as early as eight weeks - the general age they can be taken home - for maximum effect.
When it comes to training a puppy for the first time, it is important to start with the basic commands and work your way up. Trying to do too much too quickly will only confuse them and you’ll lose their attention pretty quickly.
The first thing to remember is to keep sessions short and sweet. Younger dogs in particular will struggle to stay focused for long periods of time, so keeping training times between 5-10 minutes will help avoid this issue.
While there may be several schools of thought on how to train puppies, some a little more unsavory than others, the only method which has shown time and again to have a successful outcome is positive reinforcement training.
This method of training works on a repetition and rewards-based system, reinforcing desired behaviors with repeated commands, treats and fuss to encourage your dog to repeat said behavior.
This style of training is a punishment-free zone; hitting, shouting, socking and other cruel alternative methods to dog training have no place here, and if used will likely just end up with a frightened and aggressive dog who doesn’t trust their owner. Positive reinforcement training promotes an environment of care and patience, building a strong bond between dog and owner to get the most out of the training process.
Choosing the first command to teach a puppy can seem overwhelming. What is the priority? Will they listen? What if I teach them too much too soon?
Every owner will have different priorities when it comes to teaching their pup new commands, whether sit and stay is your first port of call or you want to make sure your dog can quickly come to you when you call them.
We have put together a short guide to the 5 most common commands to teach your dog which should be the foundation of any new pup’s training programme.
One of the most important commands to help keep your pup safe, making sure you can quickly and easily recall your pup is a great place to start:
Step One: First things first, make sure you are in a calm and quiet environment, either indoors or perhaps outside in a peaceful garden. If you start your puppy’s training in a place where there is too much noise or foot traffic they can easily become overwhelmed or distracted, not to mention it can be unsafe for your dog if they are taken to a public place but cannot yet be recalled.
Step Two: Get down on your pup’s level and just say their name followed by the command ‘come’. Give them a treat after each time you say this; they will start to associate these sounds with something positive. Repeat this a couple of times so it starts to reinforce in your pup’s mind.
Step Three: Once this has been repeated a few times, you can try throwing the treat a little bit further away, use their name and ‘come’ command and see how they respond, hopefully turning round to look at you when they hear you speak. If your puppy doesn’t respond straight away it can be tempting to keep repeating their name and the command. This can actually be counterintuitive and just confuse your pup further; the thing to do in this instance is to get a little closer to them, going back to one of the earlier process steps and give them the chance to adhere to the command.
Step Four: Once you feel confident that your pup is getting the idea of the command, you can start mixing things up a bit! You can open up the playing field a little; try throwing a treat even further away, moving a few steps away from your pup, and when you use the command encourage your pup to come and chase you. Puppies thrive on playtime and stimulation, and by adding in fun steps like this to their training process can aid considerably in success.
Step Five: When you and pup are feeling more confident, you can then head out into the big wide world and see how they respond to commands when there is more outside stimulus to distract them.
A pillar command of the dog training process, teaching your dog to sit encourages calmness and obedience, particularly around mealtimes, greetings and other times of heightened excitement.
When it comes to teaching your dog to sit, there are two different methods you can try - these methods are called luring and capturing:
Step One: For the luring method, you start by kneeling or sitting down in front of your dog with a treat in your hand, the treat acting as the ‘lure’.
Step Two: You then hold the treat close to your puppy’s nose, not allowing them to eat it. They will very likely try and lick or bite at the treat - but don’t let them have it!
Step Three: Then, you lift the treat into the air and above their
head in an ‘up’ motion - they will probably look up at it.
Step Four: The aim then is to use the ‘sit’ command and deny them the treat until they complete the action. Their focus will be on the treat, so try repeating the ‘sit’ phrase several times, and when your puppy finally sits, they can have the treat.
Step Five: Repeat this in short sessions every day as part of your puppy’s training process, and you’ll have your pup sitting pretty in no time.
The capturing method of teaching your dog to sit works on a similar treat-focused basis, but is slightly different in practice.
Step One: Stand facing your dog, armed with their favorite treats or puppy chow. Food is always an excellent motivator for dogs, especially puppies, and is an easy way to let them know that they are doing a good job.
Step Two: Wait to see if your dog sits. Don’t force it, if your pup doesn’t seem willing they might need a break and then you can come back to it. Once your pup complies and sits, you can give them the treat.
Step Three: After this, you can step either sideways or backwards as an incentive for your puppy to stand up again - if they think you are moving away from them then they are likely to follow. Once standing again, wait and see if when faced with a treat they choose to sit again. If they do, they get the treat!
Step Four: Once you feel you can successfully ‘capture’ your dog’s attention with the treat and they are sitting at will, you can start to add in the verbal ‘sit’ command.
Similarly to sitting, teaching your dog to lay down on command can help keep them calm and safe in stressful situations, and is particularly effective when teaching them to stay home alone, as well as in crate training and self-regulation:
Step One: As per usual, the first step is to grab your puppy’s attention with a treat. The attention span of younger dogs is very short and giving them something to work for is always a great incentive for them to deliver a desired behavior.
Step Two: If you have already taught your dog to sit, this will greatly benefit you when teaching them to lay down, as the process is very similar and they will be familiar with how it works. If you can, get your dog to sit, and from there is where we introduce the new command of ‘down’ or ‘lay down’.
Step Three: Just like when teaching a puppy to sit, hold the treat out in front of their nose so that they focus on it, again not allowing them to take it from you. This time, rather than pulling the treat upwards, you will pull it downwards towards the ground. By doing this, you entice your pup into the right direction, whether they are led by their nose or try and stretch their paws out in front of them as a way of reaching for the treat.
Step Four: When your pup is all the way down and in a satisfactory lying position, you can give them the treat.
Step Five: You can then repeat this a few times a day in short sessions to ensure that your dog is maintaining the information that you teach them. Puppy training should be done in short, regular bursts, think 5-10 minute sessions maybe once or twice a day as many days as you can. Dogs thrive through positive repetition, and offering lots of fuss and treats when required will keep their tails wagging and morale high.
Step Six: One of the most important things to remember when training your dog is to end on a success - there is such a thing as overdoing it, and if your dog has shown to comply with commands several times, be sure to end on a good note rather than trying to force it for a few extra minutes.
Another important command when it comes to safety, this one comes in super handy when face to face with road safety, stopping them from eating things they shouldn’t, as well as in social settings with other dogs or humans:
Step One: Funnily enough, we’re going to start with the end! First of all you will choose what you want your ‘release’ word to be to release your dog from the state of ‘stay’. This can be something like ‘okay’, ‘go’ or ‘free’, letting your dog know that they are alright to move on after staying.
Step Two: Ensure that your dog is either standing, sitting or laying still, then take their treat of choice and throw it out in front of them. As they go to get the treat, use your verbal release command.
Step Three: Repeat this a few times, and after a while you should get to a point where you are able to say the command and have them move after, at which time you can then toss the treat. The more you repeat this the more your pup will come to associate the release cue with the action of moving their feet or coming out of stand/sit/lay.
Step Four: You can then work your way up to releasing them from other commands. For example, give your dog the ‘sit’ command, give them a treat for complying, pause a moment, then issue another treat for staying sat. After this you can then release them from sitting. This teaches your dog to remain in a certain state until you release them, reinforcing the idea of ‘staying’. Puppies may not be able to wait for too long so start with shorter pauses and work your way up.
Step Five: You will start to notice your dog being able to sit for longer, at which time you can add in extra elements. While they are sitting, you can move away a few steps before releasing them, encouraging them to stay where they are even if you are moving away from them. This can gradually be increased to the point where you can get quite far away from them, or even be out of sight, and still have them sit and stay. Read more - How to teach your dog to stay
Loose-leash walking is where an owner is able to have their dog walk calmly at their side, also known as ‘heeling’, with the dog’s leash hanging loosely rather than pulled tight as the dog tries to pull forward. Making for a much calmer walkies, loose-leash training is definitely worth the effort:
Step One: If your dog isn’t yet leash or collar trained, this would be a good time to start. Leashes and collars will feel foreign to a puppy at first, and they may show signs of resistance. Making sure you take the time to fully accommodate your pup to their collar and leash through exposure training will make future leash-related exercise easier to manage.
Start by letting your pup see and sniff their collar and leash, showing them that it is a positive thing and not something to be feared. Allow them to wear it around the house for short periods of time to get used to it, making sure it is not so tight that it is uncomfortable but not so loose that they can wriggle out of it. It is quite common for puppies to get distracted by their leash and want to bite it and play with it; this behavior should cease once their attention is focused elsewhere.
Step Two: Be sure to treat your dog before and after putting on their leash so they associate it with something positive. Depending on the leash type, either attach it to your dog’s collar or place it in a loose loop around your dog’s neck. Stand next to them and offer treats and encouragement just for standing there with the leash on.
Step Three: You’re then going to take it a few steps at a time; take a few steps, let your pup follow, then offer a treat. The trick is to keep the treats down at knee level, as the puppy will then stay close to your leg and in the desired ‘heel’ position. Repeat this a few times, perhaps doing a small lap around the room or garden to test how far they can go before they either begin to pull at the leash, get distracted or stop altogether.
Step Four: Naturally, puppies may not get the hang of this straight away and may start to pull or run off. If this happens, simply turn the other way and start slowly walking in the other direction, of course being careful that you aren’t pulling on the leash or dragging the puppy. Call them back to you and then offer a treat when they come as a way of distracting them from the unwanted behavior and moving them towards obeying the initial command.
Step Five: This training technique can be repeated daily to get your dog ready for walkies in the outside world. Once they are ready to head out on their adventures, it is important to find a balance between letting them sniff and explore whilst not letting them get carried away and making sure they continue walking. Coming up with your own enthusiastic command such as ‘walk on’ or ‘let’s go’ can be implemented during training to ensure you have an effective verbal command when out and about.
Here are some of the most essential tips to remember when it comes to puppy training:
Keep sessions short and sweet - Puppies have super short attention spans and keeping their attention for more than a few minutes at a time can be a struggle. For the most effective training, keep sessions between 5 - 10 minutes, taking short breaks throughout if needed. Repetition training in short bursts is the best way to keep young dogs focused and enthusiastic about the task in hand.
Choose the right treats - Every dog will have their own personal favorite flavors, and luckily training treats come in a wide variety. Your dog may love branded treats or prefer little scraps of dog-safe human food. Whatever the choice, be mindful not to overdo it - the last thing you want is a puppy who can sit on cue but is left running to the loo!
Be clear and patient - Above all else, the most important thing to remember when it comes to puppy training is to approach it with enthusiasm, patience and a whole lotta love. Dogs will not respond well to shouting, anger or physical violence - all of which are cruel and unnecessary - and the use of these ‘techniques’ will only leave you with an anxious and disobedient dog. Training should form a bond between dog and owner, one eager to teach and the other to please - you will both learn a lot about each other during this process, and it can be a lot of fun if you let it!
At the end of the day, the key takeaways about puppy training are pretty simple. Sessions should be kept short and focused, with plenty of fun and fun mixed in to help keep your fur baby’s attention. Dog training should only ever be practiced with love and care, with clear instructions for your dog to follow to avoid confusion.
Repetition and positive reinforcement are the orders of the day, with sessions being short yet regular, and all training techniques and commands being rewarded with a treat of choice.
If you enter puppy training ready to learn about both your pup and yourself, and you do it with a loving hand, you won’t steer far wrong.
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