Basic Obedience Training
Obedience training is an important part of every dog's life. Wouldn't you love to take your dog to the park or have friends come to your home without being embarrassed by Rover's behavior? With a bit of obedience training this will be possible. The basic commands that every dog should know are: sit, stay, come, heel, and down. Teaching these commands to your dog will improve your relationship. Your dog will be well-behaved and everyone will be much happier.
If possible, it is best to begin training your dog when he is just a young puppy. You can begin the day you bring your puppy home. To teach your puppy to sit, hold some food in your hand and slowly lift your hand over the puppy's head, saying "sit." Your dog should sit because of the act of following the food. If not, you can use gentle pressure on his rear to push him into a sitting position. After he has successfully completed the sit, reward him with the treat and lots of enthusiastic praise. This method will also work with an adult dog, but you may need to put more pressure on the dog's rear, or practice more times before he really learns the command. Some young puppies can learn in just a few tries!
To teach your dog down, have him stand in front of you. Then, with treats in your hand, slowly lower your hand to the floor in front of the dog while saying "down." Your dog should follow the food and end up in a down position. You can use pressure on the dog's back, or pull the front legs toward you while the dog is in a sitting position if he is having trouble with the command. Again, praise success and give your dog the treat.
Once you have mastered the sit and the down, you can work on stay. For this exercise, attach a leash to your dog and put him in the sit or down position. Then say "stay," and walk a few steps away from your dog. He should stay there until you release him. The release is a consistent word that you say to let the dog know he can move. A lot of people chose to say "OK." This can be a hard one to master, because many dogs want to follow you as soon as you leave their side. You may need to have another person hold the dog in place the first few times until he gets the idea. As your dog begins to have success with this command, gradually increase the distance and length of time before you release the dog.
The next command to learn after stay is come. This is a very important command because if your dog consistently responds you can use it to call your dog back to you if he ever gets out of your control. Put your dog in a sit-stay and walk about 20 feet away (your dog should be on a 20-foot lead). Then turn and, in a happy voice, call your dog to you while pulling gently on the lead. Many people will say something like "OK, Rover, come!" Have your dog sit in front of you and then heap lots of praise upon him. This command may also take some time but do not get frustrated. If it is not working, try to be closer to your dog when you call him, and then gradually increase the distance.
Heel is the final command that every dog should know. This is actually one of the first commands you can work on. The idea of this command is that your dog walks nicely next to you on a leash, not pulling you along or being dragged by you. Teach this by walking with your dog and keeping his attention somehow, either with a treat or by calling his name frequently. Having him watch you is also very effective. If your dog pulls you, stop every time he begins pulling and put him in a sit. When he pulls, you can also use a sharp correction with a choke chain, while saying "Back."
Be sure to use praise and food as rewards, and do not harshly punish your dog if he fails to complete a command properly. Try the command a few times, if it doesn't work, take a break for a few seconds and start over. Everyone benefits from obedience training, and having a well-behaved dog will be its own reward.