Four basic puppy obedience training commands

puppy obedience training

What every puppy should know

      Now that you have brought your new family member home and your new puppy is settling in it is time to start his obedience training. Puppies can begin their obedience training as early as seven or eight weeks old. 

There are several very basic commands every new puppy should learn. Dog training can be fun for both you and your dog. Teaching a puppy requires patience and time. Often they have very short attention span of  5-10 min at a time so lessons should remain short. Positive reinforcement is more effective than punishments. Hitting or loudly scolding your puppy is a short term solution to an immediate problem. That kind of discipline may lead to more behavioral problems down the road. However, praise, affection and using positive reinforcements like training treats, are more likely to lead to a happy obedient dog. 

Four basic obedience training tips every puppy can learn

The first command you should teach your puppy is :

Come

While enjoying your time together, sit with your dog with some favorite treats in hand. Begin by just saying come and his name, followed by a reward and praise. Slowly distance the treats on the floor and continue to encourage him by saying his name when he comes to get it. Continue to move further away and toss the treats further and call his name. Toss a treat , call his name, allow him to get used to paying attention and turning towards you when you call him. It may even turn into a game of chase, as long as your puppy comes back to you even to get a treat, praise, praise, praise. In no time, your dog will come when called. Then you will be on your way to an obedience happy pet. 

Here is the next helpful training command you can teach your puppy

Sit – Method #1

Now that your dog knows his name, and comes when called. Learning to sit is a good way to begin teaching good manners. There are two popular methods both involve praise and treats or  a “lure”. By now you probably know your puppies favorite treat. To begin teaching him to sit, Hold the lure in your hand and hold it near his nose. As soon as he goes for it and naturally sits back to get the treat, praise him for sitting and reward him. With repetition, consistency and praise this will be a quick command to teach.

Sit – Method #2

Sometimes a puppy may be very active and has a hard time focusing even during a short 5-10 minute session. One clever way to teach is to catch him in the act of sitting THEN praise or reward. In no time, your smart new family member will connect the two things. Once your puppy sits with a treat, it is very easy to replace the lure or treat with a verbal command. Remember to praise and pet for good sitting behavior. Your well mannered eager to please puppy will be ready for the next obedience training session.

Stay

Once your new pal has mastered come and sit, stay is a natural progression of puppy training . By now you both should look forward to your time together. Your dog will be familiar with the sessions and understand that good behavior = reward.

In order to train your puppy to to stay, start with the commands he already knows. Have Fido sit. Stand in front of him with your palm facing him and say STAY. Repeat this process a few times be sure to praise your puppy for good behavior. Begin the process of telling him to sit, tell him to stay and begin distancing away from him, keep your palm up and repeat the word “Stay”. This is more advanced command and may take more patience and repetition. However with time and patience your puppy with become a well behaved pet that stays when told.

A good tip in teaching this trick is to consistently offer praise when you come back to the puppy, NOT if the puppy doesn’t stay and trying to follow you.

 

Down

The fourth and last puppy obedience training tip is to teach your puppy to lay down. This should be a relatively easy trick to teach. As long as your puppy is disciplined and can sit and stay, “down” is another basic command.

To begin this lesson, have a treat or lure in your hand and sit on the floor next to your student. Allow him to sniff his reward in your hand. Guide him to the down position with the command of DOWN. As soon as he is fully on the ground , then reward him with his treat and praise. Repeat the actions several times.

These are the four first basic things that a puppy should learn as soon as possible. Puppies are playful, but also eager to please and looking for direction. Spending ten or fifteen minutes each day enforcing the lesson, and tricks both encourage bonding between you and good behavior. Puppies also enjoy playing with plenty of stimulating chew toys.

Disaster Preparedness and Your Dog

disaster preparedness dog

Are you and your dog prepared if there is a disaster?

Disasters Preparedness for your dog is essential. Disasters strike when you least suspect them . Therefore, it is good to have a disaster plan in place for your home and family that includes making provisions for your dog and other pets . If you live in an area that gets hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes, you probably have some idea of what you will do to evacuate or if you lose power and services. But what will you do with your dog?

 Disasters can also strike your home, when you are not there. spelling a disaster for pets that are home alone. You can get stickers for your home windows that let fire rescue workers know that pets are inside in need of rescue. You will probably pack a first aid kit for your family, but don’t forget about supplies for your dog as well. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to treat your dog if he is injured in a disaster and what supplies you should have on hand. Be prepared to live off of your emergency supplies and be totally self sufficient for at least seven days.

What should be in your dog’s basic first aid kit ?

It is important to make an emergency supply kit for your dog and other furry pets. Preparedness reduces stress.  

  •  A seven days’ supply of food,
  •  Treats, Poop bags
  •  Bottled water,
  •  Bowls
  •  A few favorite toys, 
  •  An extra leash and collar WITH identification AND an Emergency contact
  •  Copies of important papers,vet records

If your dog doesn’t use the crate on a daily basis, you can store all of your supplies inside it. It is a good idea to have a blanket and travel crate packed This helps your dog feel secure at a time when everyone may be panicked. You don’t want your dog to get scared and bolt. You may even want to consider buying a halter or harness rather than a collar so your dog is less likely to get away. It is also a good idea to make sure your pet is microchipped for easy identification

Hopefully, you and your dog or other pets, will never be involved in a disaster but it is always best to be prepared and not need it, rather than to be in need of supplies and shelter and have nowhere to turn. The time to plan for your dog’s safety and well being is before there is any threat underway. Many evacuation centers will not accept dogs and the ones that do usually require advanced registration. Its good to have a back up plan for you animals.

You don’t want to have an emergency and have no where for your dog to ride it out in safety. Above all else, never go off and leave your pets alone. If it isn’t safe for you to be in your home, it isn’t safe for your pets either.

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