Basic Dogs Training
Basic training at home
Basic training such as sit, stay, come can be trained very easily for puppies from eight weeks of age. They can learned up all these commands by the time they reach 3 months old. Most puppies will work for food treats. Dried liver is the common treat but if they do not like liver, can try other treats such as cheese or biscuits. It is advisable to use treats all the time during the early stages of training. Do not put high expectations on the dogs, expecting the dogs are able to learn quickly. They need time, treats and praises. Here are some basic trainings for dogs :
Training #1 : Sit
Stand in front of the puppy, hold a treat above its head. Ask the puppy to sit. In order for the puppy to get the treat, it needs to put its head up and back , and in doing this it will naturally place its bottom on the ground. As soon as it sits down, give it the treat and praise it.
Training #2 : Down
Ask the dog to sit and reward it when it does so. Hold another reward in your hand and move it between the dog’s front legs and under its chest, giving the command ‘down’. In following the treat with its nose the dog will move into lying position. When it has done this, release the treat and praise it. Some dogs only get half way to the ground at first. You can use your free hand to gently push the dog on the shoulder until it lies down.
Training #3 : Heel
From a dog’s sitting position, encourage the dog to look up at you by holding a treat in your clenched hand and talking in an ‘interesting’ voice. This means varying the tone and pitch. Walk forward, give the command ‘heel’, and encourage the puppy to follow while still looking up at you. Always keep the lead loose. Never resort to pulling the dog along after you. When the dog is walking freely looking up, give it a reward but keep walking while you do so. If you do not give a reward, the dog will stop walking and waiting for a treat, and soon refuse to move.
Training #4 : Come
Practise this frequently throughout the day in various situation. Always carry treats, call the dog by its name and followed by the command ‘come’. When the dog comes to you, reward it with a treat. When you call, you need to sound interesting enough to override the rest of the environment. When the dog comes to you, treat it as the most wonderful event of the day. You have to make the dog feels that it is worth to return to you when there are so many other things to do. Always take young puppies and dogs out on an extending leash and do not let them run totally free in public areas until you know they will return to you. This can take about a year of training. It is one of the most difficult lessons for the dog. Do not ever punish your dog for not returning to you. If it ignores you, quietly go and get it. Keep trying and eventually your preserverance will be rewarded.
Training #5 : Quiet
Most dogs have the tendency to bark at the slightest provocation. It is useful to teach dogs a ‘quiet’ command. Start this training when the dog is sitting or lying quietly. Praise the dog and say ‘quiet’. Do this frequently through the day. When the dog barks at something, call it to you, and ask it to sit, then tell it to be quiet. Praise and reward it for being quiet. Take note that this command does not extinguish the dog’s desire to bark for it is natural for a dog to bark at unfamiliar sounds or intruders.
Training #6 : Fetch
Some dog breeds are natural retrievers, while others just do not see the point. If your puppy enjoys retrieving, you can see that your puppy will naturally pick up objects and invite you to chase it while holding something in its mouth. Trying throwing something like a ball, and see if your puppy will chase it and try to pick it up. You need to work with this natural retrieve drive to teach the dog to fetch an object on command and bring it to you. You may begin by encouraging the puppy to chase a toy that is hand held, then thrown a short distance. Go with the puppy and pick up the toy, give the toy to the puppy and take the puppy back to the starting point. Give the command ‘fetch’. You may want to work with the puppy on an extending leash at first so that you have control over its movements. Some puppies retrieve the object but then refuse to give it up afterwards. You can overcome this by swapping the retrieved object for a treat or a brief play with a favourite toy. Eventually the fun of having an object thrown for chasinf is enough rewarding to encourage the puppy to give up the object. Breeds that are natural retrievers are such as Labradors, Pointers, Setters, Poodles, German Shepherd Dogs, Dalmations and some other cross breeds.
