| Training |
| I wholeheartedly recommend that you take your puppy to classes. They are an excellent bonding tool, socializing opportunity and they teach you how to train your dog. Different instructors will employ different methods of training, so I suggest that you sit in on a session to see if their style appeals to you. If, however, you live in an area that does not offer dog training or you feel you would rather do it on your own, there are a few things you must keep in mind. When I am training a dog, I use a treat pouch which I clip to the waist band of my slacks. That way I always have a treat handy but have the use of both hands. All commands should be given only ONCE. If the dog doesn't do it on the first command, physically place the dog in what ever position you have asked him to be in. If you keep saying Dog, Sit-Dog, Sit-Dog, Sit, he will get the impression that he really doesn't have to do the command until you have said it 15 times. Keep the training sessions short. Puppies are like young children, their attention span is short. First you must have the dogs Attention. I do this by saying the dog's name (here after Dog) and Watch. When he looks up at me I give him a treat and tell him "Good watch". I emphasize the command word, by either making it sound happier or just a bit louder. You must be Consistent. Everyone in the household MUST use the same terminology and the rules are the same for everyone. One person can not say "Down" when they mean "Get off the couch", while another uses it to mean "Lay Down". One person can not allow the dog on their bed if the dog is not allowed on all beds. There have to be rules for the house and everyone has to stick to them. You must also be Patient. Dogs are like young children, they don't understand everything the first time. You must be Persistent. It may take several times before your dogs really understands what you are trying to accomplish. Praise is necessary, so they know they are doing the right thing, whether that be in the form of treats or just verbal. There are 3 "D's" to training; Duration (time involved), Distance (between you and the dog) and Distraction (will your dog maintain position or hold command when distractions are present). On all of these exercises, you want your dog to succeed, so never make them think they have done something wrong, instead, show them what is correct. Never move on to the next level until the level you are on is mastered. These are just guide lines and in no way replace taking your dog to a class, it is only to get you started out on the right foot. WALKING ON A LEASH Never, ever under any circumstances, drag a puppy by the leash in order to get it to walk. Puppies will naturally follow a leader. It is instinctual. Put the leash on the puppy and let it walk where it wants to for a bit. Let it feel the pressure of the leash holding it back, but not pulling. Encourage it to follow where you are going. Soon it will be walking like an old pro. HEEL With the dog on your left side, you give the command Dog, Heel and start walking forward, using your left foot first. If he starts to move in front of you, make an about turn, he is then behind you and having to catch up. If he is lagging behind, start jogging, so he has to pick up the pace. When you stop, he should go into a sit position. SIT There are 2 methods to do this. 1. You would hold a treat over the puppy's nose, say Dog,Sit, while moving the treat directly above his head. This should back him into a sitting position. If he jumps or does not sit, he does not get the treat. 2. You say Dog, Sit while you are scooping one of your arms under the puppy's hind legs (right at the bend) and the other arm holding the chest upright. Once he is in a full sitting position, he should be giving the treat immediately. DOWN With the dog in a sitting position, put a treat directly in front of his nose and slowly lower it to the ground, while saying Dog, Down. When he has his front and rear elbows on the floor, he should be given the treat. STAY With the dog in heel position (sitting next to you, on the left side), give the command Stay as you lower your hand, palm toward the dogs face. Then pivot around so that you are standing directly in front of your dog's nose. Remain there for a few seconds, then return to the original position. Praise him. Notice that we did not use the dogs name in this exercise. For any stationary command, the name is not used. Do this until the dog is good with it, then move a bit further away and stay a few seconds longer. Keep this up until you are several feet away and the dog can hold the stay for about a minute. COME With your dog on the leash, start walking, after a few feet start backing up instead of going forward. While backing up, give the command Dog, Come and when he does, he gets a treat. |
| Training |
