Post by DogGoneGood on Jan 8, 2008 14:24:47 GMT -5
This was written about a year ago by me for a friend of mine... so keep in my mind my training techniques may differ a bit from any of the current information I've posted, but it's still all basically good advice 
The puppy basics I will cover below are everything your young pup should, and needs to know. This covers from house training, to the five basics, the advanced basics on my personal list, and much more!
With these fundamentals your pup should learn to grow up to be a respectful, and well-behaved member of the family.
Before You Bring Your Puppy Home:
There are a few things you need to understand first, in order to properly understand your new puppy. First, puppies are born a clean slate. The most important things they learn are from their mother first. While with their mother and littermates they are learning good socialization, and what they are allowed to do and shouldn’t do. A puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks old.
Puppies do not understand the human language as much as you don’t understand the dog language. Together you will have to teach each other a good way to communicate. This will go a lot faster if you spend a lot of time with your puppy, bonding and constant supervision will help you learn how your puppy will tell you what he needs.
Below is a list of items you should bring home before you bring your new puppy home:
• A good quality puppy food
• Two (or more) food dishes (stainless steel tends to work best)
• A good array of toys. Your puppy will be teething at one point, and toys made of thick rubber or made specifically for teething puppies is best. If you purchase toys made out of cloth or rope, your puppy will shred them quickly and easily creating a large mess and the risk of ingesting any of the material (which can become entangled in puppies digestive system)
• A few old blankets can work great for your puppy to sleep on, but if you choose to buy a dog bed, watch out! Just like material made toys, your puppy is likely to chew this up and destroy it quicker than you can blink! If you would like to buy a good dog bed, I suggest waiting until your pup is out of his teething stage to save on money, and a possible emergency trip to the vet! Of course the same precautions must be taken with an old blanket. Remember to teach your pup what is appropriate to chew on, and what isn’t, and his bed defiantly isn’t one of them.
• A good quality dog crate that is large enough to hold your pup when he grows up (that is if you decide to crate train, which I highly suggest)
• A nylon leash and flat buckle collar. Make sure you get a collar a few sizes too big, because your pup will be growing up fast! You will have to buy a few collars before your pup will be done growing.
House Training:
also see This Article Here.
House training is the process of teaching your pup to learn that inside is not a good place to go to the washroom, while outside is an excellent place! Some people choose specific areas of their yard to teach their pup to relieve himself. Personally what’s worked for my dog and I, is using the woods that surrounds my yard, but not everyone is lucky enough to have such luxuries; especially when living in a house with a small fenced yard, or in an apartment.
The advantages of choosing a specific area for your pup to relieve himself are that you are less likely to step in any puppy land minds, and it keeps the majority of your yard clean.
Remember that you must clean up after your puppy’s messes in the yard on a regular basis. Leaving it in the yard can cause parasites to grow; your puppy can step in it which is unsanitary for your pup, and unsanitary for your house! It also helps prevent you and any of the members of your household from stepping in it.
Starting the Training…
The best way to house train your pup is constant supervision and preventing an accident before it occurs. Make sure your pup it going outside to relieve himself often. After he wakes up, eats, or plays he should be going outside. If you see your pup starting to lose interested in the game you’re playing, and/or sniffing around the room it’s time to quickly get him outside and put him in his designated area to relieve himself (if you have chosen one).
If your pup does have an accident (and he will, accidents happen even right after he will come inside!) make sure you catch him in the act! This is very crucial. You can NOT scold your pup for a mess you didn’t catch him doing. He will not remember, or understand why you are yelling at him. This will cause an extremely confused and frightful pup of you! This is why supervision is so important. If you catch him relieving himself in the wrong spot, quickly scold him (a harsh “NO” should suffice) and quickly move him outside to his designated area. You can leave him out there while you clean up the mess.
The best way in dealing with a mess is first whipping it up/removing it with paper towel, and then scrubbing the area with a good cleaner. I suggest an organic cleaner that uses enzymes over any other kind. These are the most effective at removing the smell. Remember, your pup’s sense of smell is much higher than your own. Just because you can’t smell it, doesn’t mean he can’t. If he can still smell it he is more likely to relieve himself in that area again. You can buy most organic cleaners at your local pet store, or veterinarian office.
If your pup is catching on, and you find him whining at the door, or around the door in general this is a good thing! Praise and let him outside! Remember to also praise when he relieves himself in the proper spot outside.
To Sum it all Up…
• Choose a designated area for your pup to relieve himself
• Let your puppy out often to stop the bad behavior before it starts
• Praise good behavior (relieving in the right spot, or whining at the door)
• Scold bad behavior (relieving in the house)
• Use an enzyme based cleaner to remove the smell completely
The Five Basic Commands:
The five basic commands are Sit, Stay, Heel, Lay Down, and Come. These are the essentials your pup must learn in order to retain some manners and be a functional member of society.
There are the Dog Training Three P’s you should understand before beginning training: Patience, Persistence, and Praise. Keep these three in mind every time you sit down to train your pup!
Sit:
Sit comes in handy for many daily life things. Teaching your pup to sit before meals, taking something from you, entering through doorways, and greeting people can keep him respectful, and under control. It teaches him patience and manner.
Teaching Sit…
To teach Sit, place your pup in front of you and show him you have something he enjoys (treats or toys can work. Usually it depends on the dog, some are more treat motivated, and some are more toy motivated; you should figure out which your pup is first). Place the reward a few inches from his nose with one hand, and place the other hand on his rump. Tell him “SIT” and raise the reward hand back and over his nose, while gently guiding his rump down into a sit. It’s okay if he doesn’t get it right away. He may jump up or spin around. Don’t scold him if he does, just keep trying. When he gets it right, even for a split second PRAISE and give him the reward!
Once you think your pup is understanding the concept, remove your hands as guides and instead try throwing in a hand signal. The one I use for my dog, is I raise my hand up towards my chest (elbow down), palm facing towards me. Use your voice and the new hand signal together. Eventually you can drop the voice command and just use the hand signal if you would like. Dogs understand body signals better than voice. If your pup isn’t listening when you switch to the new hand signal, go back to step one and keep guiding him until you think he’s ready again.
Stay:
Stay and “Wait” should never be confused with one another. I prefer to teach both commands to my pup. Wait is not considered part of the basics to most, but it is to me. Teaching Wait can strengthen your pup’s Stay, while using Stay as both “Stay” and “Wait” can weaken it.
The difference between Stay and Wait is this:
Wait: When you tell your pup to “WAIT” he is expected to wait where he is until you give further instruction. This could mean waiting where he is until you release him to do something else (as often used in the sport Dog Agility), or until you call him to you. Usually Wait and Come are taught hand in hand.
Stay: When you tell your pup to “STAY” he is expected to stay where he is until you return to him. No if’s, ands, or buts. You do not tell your pup to Stay and then tell him to come. That’s what wait is for. This is why I think using the two commands can strength your pup’s stay better. If he knows stay means he doesn’t get released until you return to him, he is less likely to pop out of his stay when you walk away.
If you choose not to use Wait, but instead use Stay as both your wait and stay command, that is fine. But to make life easier, I suggest splitting up the two.
Teaching Stay…
To teach your pup to stay, put him in a sit first. Tell him to “STAY” and back up no more than a foot. If your pup runs to you, do not scold him, simply put him back where he was, tell him to sit again, and STAY. Keep doing this until you can back up and count “one” then return to him and praise! Once he has learned the basic concept of stay, you can try lengthening the time you are away from him, and/or the distance you walk away. If you try a new length of time or distance and he breaks it, go back to the previous step and keep at it until you feel comfortable moving on. Eventually try walking out of the room or around a wall so he can’t see you. You can also try throwing in a hand signal like you did with Sit. The hand signal I use for Stay is moving your hand up, palm out like a “stop” signal.
Teaching Wait…
To teach wait you use the same basic methods as teaching stay. The only difference is you are not coming back to your pup once you wish for him to break the command. Instead, you are calling him to you, or telling him to do something else. It’s best to call him to you first, because at this stage your pup is still learning all the basics and will probably not grasp the concept of being released to do or go somewhere else.
Heel:
Heel is the most important command when you decide to take your pup for a walk. Remember to keep your pup on leash, especially where leash laws are enforced. You should not be taking your pup off leash in a public area until they are old enough, and understand their five basic commands, and the rules of being in public. It is also important to remember to keep your pup on leash when in areas with a lot of traffic, people, and other dogs.
When your pup “heels” he should be at your left side, his shoulder blades aligned with your knees. He should not be pulling, and he should be walking comfortably and respectfully.
Teaching Heel…
To teach your pup to heel, place him on your left side with his shoulder aligned with your knee. If he pops out of the position you place him in (and he will the first few times) simply put him back into the position and tell him to “HEEL”. Once you can have him at your side without jumping away, spinning, or trying to run away while you’re at a standstill, try walking a couple of steps. Remember to keep upbeat and positive, talking to him and keeping his attention on you and where you are going. If he manages to heel for one step, praise! Keep trying and build up the distance you walk gradually as he begins to understand.
When turning left, move your knee slightly out towards your pup to push him in that direction. If you don’t he will run straight into your leg and trip you! When a pup is first learning to heel, there are a lot of distractions, even when training in a place with minimal distractions. The leash is new and exciting, and a possible new toy! Being with you is exciting, being tethered to you can be frustrating to him (it helps if before training to heel you attach his leash and collar when in the house to get him used to the feel of it).
When turning right, pull puppy towards you while you turn and talk to him in an excited tone, “here puppy, lets go!” Praise him when he follows you and keeps his heel position.
You can add in a hand signal to start your pup at a heel if you would like. I bring my arm down and swing it forward, “pushing” with my hand at my left side while using the command “Heel!”
Lay Down:
Lay Down is an essential tool to help calm your pup, and show him it’s time for a bit of a time out, or time to go to sleep. When you use a command for Lay Down, try just saying “Down”, shortening the command helps your pup to understand and learn faster. Remember, DOWN and OFF are two completely different commands. Do NOT tell your pup “down” when he jumps on people or furniture. If you wish to keep him off people and furniture, use the command “off” instead of down. Down should only be used when telling your puppy to lie down. Using the two different commands helps strengthen each and prevents confusion in your pup.
Teaching Down…
To teach your pup down, first place him in a sit in front of you. With one hand, hold your pups’ reward a couple inches from his nose and with the other place it on your pups’ shoulders. Tell him “DOWN” and move the reward hand towards the ground and out away from your pup, meanwhile use the other hand to gently push his front end down. If he stands his ground and refuses to lie down, try using your guiding hand to gently pull his front legs out in front of him. If he doesn’t get it right away, no worries just keep trying and keep guiding him into the down position. As soon as his chest touches the floor praise and reward! If he pops up right away that’s okay, as long as you’ve praised him the second his chest touched the floor. Eventually try keeping him in a down for a few seconds before rewarding him, we’re not trying to teach him stay, but we’re trying to strengthen the down a little bit better.
Eventually you can add in a hand signal along with your voice command. You can choose any signal you wish to use. What I use is I place my hand out, palm facing down and make a “slicing” movement through the air to my left, and a slight downward facing movement (when using my left hand, the hand starts at the right and ends at the left, and vice versa for your right hand).
Come:
Come is one of the most important commands to teach your pup. If your pup knows a solid come, it can help prevent disaster in an otherwise bad situation. If your pup is venturing into bad territory, or near someone else and their dog you can call him back to you to prevent a fight or any confrontation from occurring.
Teaching Come…
To teach your pup to come, place him in a sit, or down in front of you and tell him to “WAIT”. Move away from him about a foot and tell him “COME!” (Come and Wait can often be taught together at the same time). Once he reaches you, praise and reward! Once you feel your pup is ready and you’re comfortable with it, move away further and repeat the lesson. Eventually you should be able to call your puppy to you from across the yard or house.
A good way to strengthen your dog’s recall is playing games such as Hide and Seek. You can play this game just you and him, or with any number of people. It works best if he already has a good Wait learned. Place him in a wait, and go hide somewhere in the house. When first starting this game, don’t go too far or hide somewhere that he’s most likely to not be able to find you. The last thing you want is him to not find you and lose interest in the game, which can weaken his recall command and give him the opportunity to create a mess in the house. Once you’ve chosen your hiding place, call him to you. When he finds you praise like crazy! Keep it up and try different locations to hide in, eventually moving further away and in harder places for him to find you.
We have five acres, the most of it covered in trees, and sometimes I play the Hide and Seek game with my dog, he has to search through brush and many other scents in order to find me, but each time we play it he gets better and better at it!
When you feel ready, you can add in a hand signal with your verbal command. Most commonly used is “patting” your thigh/leg. For my dog I move my hand out and towards my chest and an angel, palm facing me.
Here are a few tips to remember when teaching your pup the Five Basic Commands:
• Some commands can be taught together in one training session, such as Sit, Wait, and Come, or Sit, and down
• Always remember the three P’s when training
• Use any of the basic commands in daily life to help teach your pup manners, and strengthen his commands
Preventing, and Correcting Bad Behaviors:
Bad behaviors sometimes occur naturally in your pup if not corrected. All bad behaviors aren’t considered bad to him unless you teach him otherwise. Raiding the garbage, chasing other pets, chewing up non acceptable items are all things your pup gets something out of that’s pleasurable to him. He doesn’t understand that these things can be harmful to not only your house and items, but him as well. It’s up to you to prevent these things from happening, and correcting them if they do. Bellow are a few common problems that occur with puppies and how to prevent or correct them. Remember, the best way to cull bad behaviors is preventing them from starting in the first place!
Raiding the Garbage:
Your pup is likely to get into your garbage if it isn’t properly contained. To him it contains a smorgasbord of tasty treats and smells!
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from getting into the garbage, make sure it is safely contained in a garbage can with a lid, or up high out of his reach. Also supervising your pup at all times is a must in preventing him from getting into something he’s not supposed to.
Correction…
To correct your pup from raiding the garbage, each time you catch him give him a firm “NO” and remove him from the area, placing him in his bed or outside away from the garbage while you clean it up is best. Remember, just like house training, you should only correct your puppy when he is caught in the act. Showing him the mess he made of the garbage and yelling at him will only confuse and frighten him.
Chasing other Animals:
If you have other animals in your household such as cats, rabbits, or rodents, your puppy’s natural instinct to chase is likely to kick in. Especially if he has any herding, or hunting breeds in him such as Border Collie or Labrador Retriever. To him, chasing is as natural as breathing, and it’s in his blood.
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from chasing any other animals, you must always supervise when he’s around other animals, and teach him to respect them. When another animal is out or around him, and he’s showing interest that he’s going to chase (high stance, ears up, and tail up, are a few signs he might be thinking about chasing) get him to sit or lie down next to you and stay. Remember to praise your pup for staying away and respecting the other pet.
Also, keeping your pup occupied with his own toys, and playing with him can help focus his energy and prey drive onto something else that’s more productive and fun!
Correction…
If your pup does happen to chase one of your other pets, it’s important to correct him. A firm “NO” and removing him away from the pet he’s chasing, placing him in a sit/down and stay can help show him that chasing is not acceptable, and remaining at a safe, respectable distance is good!
Eating Other Pet’s Food:
Like raiding the garbage, eating another pet’s food is enjoyable and tasty to your pup.
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from getting into another pets food; the best method is keeping the food up and out of reach. If this is not possible, try in another room or away from where your pup eats his own food.
Correction…
If you catch your pup eating another pet’s food (like garbage raiding and house training, he must be caught in the act to correct), give him a firm “NO” and remove him from the dish. Show him where his own food is, and that his dish is the only acceptable dish to eat from.
Chewing:
Especially during the teething period of your pup’s life, he’s bound to get his little sharp teeth on something he’s not supposed to. Teething is completely natural for your pup, and chewing is a release from the pressure and pain he is feeling in his mouth while his new teeth come in. Chewing is also a form of destructive release. If your pup is not teething and chewing up things he’s not supposed to, it probably means he’s not getting enough mental and physical stimulation. Chewing when left alone can also be a form of stress, and/or separation anxiety.
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from chewing up items he shouldn’t, always supervise and make sure he has enough of his own toys to chew on around him. Exercise, training, and play are also all good ways of keeping your pup from destroying things he’s not supposed to. A happy and tired dog is a good dog! If he is chewing when left alone, it may be a form of separation anxiety, and it’s best to talk to your vet about it, and work on teaching him that being alone is okay. Taking him for a long walk or playing a good game of fetch before leaving him alone can help keep him from chewing. If he’s too tired to chew, he won’t. Also leaving some of his favorite toys with him while you are away can help keep him busy. I suggest a “stuffed Kong”, which is a Kong brand toy that you can fill with treats to keep your pup occupied.
Puppy Basics:
The puppy basics I will cover below are everything your young pup should, and needs to know. This covers from house training, to the five basics, the advanced basics on my personal list, and much more!
With these fundamentals your pup should learn to grow up to be a respectful, and well-behaved member of the family.
Before You Bring Your Puppy Home:
There are a few things you need to understand first, in order to properly understand your new puppy. First, puppies are born a clean slate. The most important things they learn are from their mother first. While with their mother and littermates they are learning good socialization, and what they are allowed to do and shouldn’t do. A puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks old.
Puppies do not understand the human language as much as you don’t understand the dog language. Together you will have to teach each other a good way to communicate. This will go a lot faster if you spend a lot of time with your puppy, bonding and constant supervision will help you learn how your puppy will tell you what he needs.
Below is a list of items you should bring home before you bring your new puppy home:
• A good quality puppy food
• Two (or more) food dishes (stainless steel tends to work best)
• A good array of toys. Your puppy will be teething at one point, and toys made of thick rubber or made specifically for teething puppies is best. If you purchase toys made out of cloth or rope, your puppy will shred them quickly and easily creating a large mess and the risk of ingesting any of the material (which can become entangled in puppies digestive system)
• A few old blankets can work great for your puppy to sleep on, but if you choose to buy a dog bed, watch out! Just like material made toys, your puppy is likely to chew this up and destroy it quicker than you can blink! If you would like to buy a good dog bed, I suggest waiting until your pup is out of his teething stage to save on money, and a possible emergency trip to the vet! Of course the same precautions must be taken with an old blanket. Remember to teach your pup what is appropriate to chew on, and what isn’t, and his bed defiantly isn’t one of them.
• A good quality dog crate that is large enough to hold your pup when he grows up (that is if you decide to crate train, which I highly suggest)
• A nylon leash and flat buckle collar. Make sure you get a collar a few sizes too big, because your pup will be growing up fast! You will have to buy a few collars before your pup will be done growing.
House Training:
also see This Article Here.
House training is the process of teaching your pup to learn that inside is not a good place to go to the washroom, while outside is an excellent place! Some people choose specific areas of their yard to teach their pup to relieve himself. Personally what’s worked for my dog and I, is using the woods that surrounds my yard, but not everyone is lucky enough to have such luxuries; especially when living in a house with a small fenced yard, or in an apartment.
The advantages of choosing a specific area for your pup to relieve himself are that you are less likely to step in any puppy land minds, and it keeps the majority of your yard clean.
Remember that you must clean up after your puppy’s messes in the yard on a regular basis. Leaving it in the yard can cause parasites to grow; your puppy can step in it which is unsanitary for your pup, and unsanitary for your house! It also helps prevent you and any of the members of your household from stepping in it.
Starting the Training…
The best way to house train your pup is constant supervision and preventing an accident before it occurs. Make sure your pup it going outside to relieve himself often. After he wakes up, eats, or plays he should be going outside. If you see your pup starting to lose interested in the game you’re playing, and/or sniffing around the room it’s time to quickly get him outside and put him in his designated area to relieve himself (if you have chosen one).
If your pup does have an accident (and he will, accidents happen even right after he will come inside!) make sure you catch him in the act! This is very crucial. You can NOT scold your pup for a mess you didn’t catch him doing. He will not remember, or understand why you are yelling at him. This will cause an extremely confused and frightful pup of you! This is why supervision is so important. If you catch him relieving himself in the wrong spot, quickly scold him (a harsh “NO” should suffice) and quickly move him outside to his designated area. You can leave him out there while you clean up the mess.
The best way in dealing with a mess is first whipping it up/removing it with paper towel, and then scrubbing the area with a good cleaner. I suggest an organic cleaner that uses enzymes over any other kind. These are the most effective at removing the smell. Remember, your pup’s sense of smell is much higher than your own. Just because you can’t smell it, doesn’t mean he can’t. If he can still smell it he is more likely to relieve himself in that area again. You can buy most organic cleaners at your local pet store, or veterinarian office.
If your pup is catching on, and you find him whining at the door, or around the door in general this is a good thing! Praise and let him outside! Remember to also praise when he relieves himself in the proper spot outside.
To Sum it all Up…
• Choose a designated area for your pup to relieve himself
• Let your puppy out often to stop the bad behavior before it starts
• Praise good behavior (relieving in the right spot, or whining at the door)
• Scold bad behavior (relieving in the house)
• Use an enzyme based cleaner to remove the smell completely
The Five Basic Commands:
The five basic commands are Sit, Stay, Heel, Lay Down, and Come. These are the essentials your pup must learn in order to retain some manners and be a functional member of society.
There are the Dog Training Three P’s you should understand before beginning training: Patience, Persistence, and Praise. Keep these three in mind every time you sit down to train your pup!
Sit:
Sit comes in handy for many daily life things. Teaching your pup to sit before meals, taking something from you, entering through doorways, and greeting people can keep him respectful, and under control. It teaches him patience and manner.
Teaching Sit…
To teach Sit, place your pup in front of you and show him you have something he enjoys (treats or toys can work. Usually it depends on the dog, some are more treat motivated, and some are more toy motivated; you should figure out which your pup is first). Place the reward a few inches from his nose with one hand, and place the other hand on his rump. Tell him “SIT” and raise the reward hand back and over his nose, while gently guiding his rump down into a sit. It’s okay if he doesn’t get it right away. He may jump up or spin around. Don’t scold him if he does, just keep trying. When he gets it right, even for a split second PRAISE and give him the reward!
Once you think your pup is understanding the concept, remove your hands as guides and instead try throwing in a hand signal. The one I use for my dog, is I raise my hand up towards my chest (elbow down), palm facing towards me. Use your voice and the new hand signal together. Eventually you can drop the voice command and just use the hand signal if you would like. Dogs understand body signals better than voice. If your pup isn’t listening when you switch to the new hand signal, go back to step one and keep guiding him until you think he’s ready again.
Stay:
Stay and “Wait” should never be confused with one another. I prefer to teach both commands to my pup. Wait is not considered part of the basics to most, but it is to me. Teaching Wait can strengthen your pup’s Stay, while using Stay as both “Stay” and “Wait” can weaken it.
The difference between Stay and Wait is this:
Wait: When you tell your pup to “WAIT” he is expected to wait where he is until you give further instruction. This could mean waiting where he is until you release him to do something else (as often used in the sport Dog Agility), or until you call him to you. Usually Wait and Come are taught hand in hand.
Stay: When you tell your pup to “STAY” he is expected to stay where he is until you return to him. No if’s, ands, or buts. You do not tell your pup to Stay and then tell him to come. That’s what wait is for. This is why I think using the two commands can strength your pup’s stay better. If he knows stay means he doesn’t get released until you return to him, he is less likely to pop out of his stay when you walk away.
If you choose not to use Wait, but instead use Stay as both your wait and stay command, that is fine. But to make life easier, I suggest splitting up the two.
Teaching Stay…
To teach your pup to stay, put him in a sit first. Tell him to “STAY” and back up no more than a foot. If your pup runs to you, do not scold him, simply put him back where he was, tell him to sit again, and STAY. Keep doing this until you can back up and count “one” then return to him and praise! Once he has learned the basic concept of stay, you can try lengthening the time you are away from him, and/or the distance you walk away. If you try a new length of time or distance and he breaks it, go back to the previous step and keep at it until you feel comfortable moving on. Eventually try walking out of the room or around a wall so he can’t see you. You can also try throwing in a hand signal like you did with Sit. The hand signal I use for Stay is moving your hand up, palm out like a “stop” signal.
Teaching Wait…
To teach wait you use the same basic methods as teaching stay. The only difference is you are not coming back to your pup once you wish for him to break the command. Instead, you are calling him to you, or telling him to do something else. It’s best to call him to you first, because at this stage your pup is still learning all the basics and will probably not grasp the concept of being released to do or go somewhere else.
Heel:
Heel is the most important command when you decide to take your pup for a walk. Remember to keep your pup on leash, especially where leash laws are enforced. You should not be taking your pup off leash in a public area until they are old enough, and understand their five basic commands, and the rules of being in public. It is also important to remember to keep your pup on leash when in areas with a lot of traffic, people, and other dogs.
When your pup “heels” he should be at your left side, his shoulder blades aligned with your knees. He should not be pulling, and he should be walking comfortably and respectfully.
Teaching Heel…
To teach your pup to heel, place him on your left side with his shoulder aligned with your knee. If he pops out of the position you place him in (and he will the first few times) simply put him back into the position and tell him to “HEEL”. Once you can have him at your side without jumping away, spinning, or trying to run away while you’re at a standstill, try walking a couple of steps. Remember to keep upbeat and positive, talking to him and keeping his attention on you and where you are going. If he manages to heel for one step, praise! Keep trying and build up the distance you walk gradually as he begins to understand.
When turning left, move your knee slightly out towards your pup to push him in that direction. If you don’t he will run straight into your leg and trip you! When a pup is first learning to heel, there are a lot of distractions, even when training in a place with minimal distractions. The leash is new and exciting, and a possible new toy! Being with you is exciting, being tethered to you can be frustrating to him (it helps if before training to heel you attach his leash and collar when in the house to get him used to the feel of it).
When turning right, pull puppy towards you while you turn and talk to him in an excited tone, “here puppy, lets go!” Praise him when he follows you and keeps his heel position.
You can add in a hand signal to start your pup at a heel if you would like. I bring my arm down and swing it forward, “pushing” with my hand at my left side while using the command “Heel!”
Lay Down:
Lay Down is an essential tool to help calm your pup, and show him it’s time for a bit of a time out, or time to go to sleep. When you use a command for Lay Down, try just saying “Down”, shortening the command helps your pup to understand and learn faster. Remember, DOWN and OFF are two completely different commands. Do NOT tell your pup “down” when he jumps on people or furniture. If you wish to keep him off people and furniture, use the command “off” instead of down. Down should only be used when telling your puppy to lie down. Using the two different commands helps strengthen each and prevents confusion in your pup.
Teaching Down…
To teach your pup down, first place him in a sit in front of you. With one hand, hold your pups’ reward a couple inches from his nose and with the other place it on your pups’ shoulders. Tell him “DOWN” and move the reward hand towards the ground and out away from your pup, meanwhile use the other hand to gently push his front end down. If he stands his ground and refuses to lie down, try using your guiding hand to gently pull his front legs out in front of him. If he doesn’t get it right away, no worries just keep trying and keep guiding him into the down position. As soon as his chest touches the floor praise and reward! If he pops up right away that’s okay, as long as you’ve praised him the second his chest touched the floor. Eventually try keeping him in a down for a few seconds before rewarding him, we’re not trying to teach him stay, but we’re trying to strengthen the down a little bit better.
Eventually you can add in a hand signal along with your voice command. You can choose any signal you wish to use. What I use is I place my hand out, palm facing down and make a “slicing” movement through the air to my left, and a slight downward facing movement (when using my left hand, the hand starts at the right and ends at the left, and vice versa for your right hand).
Come:
Come is one of the most important commands to teach your pup. If your pup knows a solid come, it can help prevent disaster in an otherwise bad situation. If your pup is venturing into bad territory, or near someone else and their dog you can call him back to you to prevent a fight or any confrontation from occurring.
Teaching Come…
To teach your pup to come, place him in a sit, or down in front of you and tell him to “WAIT”. Move away from him about a foot and tell him “COME!” (Come and Wait can often be taught together at the same time). Once he reaches you, praise and reward! Once you feel your pup is ready and you’re comfortable with it, move away further and repeat the lesson. Eventually you should be able to call your puppy to you from across the yard or house.
A good way to strengthen your dog’s recall is playing games such as Hide and Seek. You can play this game just you and him, or with any number of people. It works best if he already has a good Wait learned. Place him in a wait, and go hide somewhere in the house. When first starting this game, don’t go too far or hide somewhere that he’s most likely to not be able to find you. The last thing you want is him to not find you and lose interest in the game, which can weaken his recall command and give him the opportunity to create a mess in the house. Once you’ve chosen your hiding place, call him to you. When he finds you praise like crazy! Keep it up and try different locations to hide in, eventually moving further away and in harder places for him to find you.
We have five acres, the most of it covered in trees, and sometimes I play the Hide and Seek game with my dog, he has to search through brush and many other scents in order to find me, but each time we play it he gets better and better at it!
When you feel ready, you can add in a hand signal with your verbal command. Most commonly used is “patting” your thigh/leg. For my dog I move my hand out and towards my chest and an angel, palm facing me.
Here are a few tips to remember when teaching your pup the Five Basic Commands:
• Some commands can be taught together in one training session, such as Sit, Wait, and Come, or Sit, and down
• Always remember the three P’s when training
• Use any of the basic commands in daily life to help teach your pup manners, and strengthen his commands
Preventing, and Correcting Bad Behaviors:
Bad behaviors sometimes occur naturally in your pup if not corrected. All bad behaviors aren’t considered bad to him unless you teach him otherwise. Raiding the garbage, chasing other pets, chewing up non acceptable items are all things your pup gets something out of that’s pleasurable to him. He doesn’t understand that these things can be harmful to not only your house and items, but him as well. It’s up to you to prevent these things from happening, and correcting them if they do. Bellow are a few common problems that occur with puppies and how to prevent or correct them. Remember, the best way to cull bad behaviors is preventing them from starting in the first place!
Raiding the Garbage:
Your pup is likely to get into your garbage if it isn’t properly contained. To him it contains a smorgasbord of tasty treats and smells!
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from getting into the garbage, make sure it is safely contained in a garbage can with a lid, or up high out of his reach. Also supervising your pup at all times is a must in preventing him from getting into something he’s not supposed to.
Correction…
To correct your pup from raiding the garbage, each time you catch him give him a firm “NO” and remove him from the area, placing him in his bed or outside away from the garbage while you clean it up is best. Remember, just like house training, you should only correct your puppy when he is caught in the act. Showing him the mess he made of the garbage and yelling at him will only confuse and frighten him.
Chasing other Animals:
If you have other animals in your household such as cats, rabbits, or rodents, your puppy’s natural instinct to chase is likely to kick in. Especially if he has any herding, or hunting breeds in him such as Border Collie or Labrador Retriever. To him, chasing is as natural as breathing, and it’s in his blood.
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from chasing any other animals, you must always supervise when he’s around other animals, and teach him to respect them. When another animal is out or around him, and he’s showing interest that he’s going to chase (high stance, ears up, and tail up, are a few signs he might be thinking about chasing) get him to sit or lie down next to you and stay. Remember to praise your pup for staying away and respecting the other pet.
Also, keeping your pup occupied with his own toys, and playing with him can help focus his energy and prey drive onto something else that’s more productive and fun!
Correction…
If your pup does happen to chase one of your other pets, it’s important to correct him. A firm “NO” and removing him away from the pet he’s chasing, placing him in a sit/down and stay can help show him that chasing is not acceptable, and remaining at a safe, respectable distance is good!
Eating Other Pet’s Food:
Like raiding the garbage, eating another pet’s food is enjoyable and tasty to your pup.
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from getting into another pets food; the best method is keeping the food up and out of reach. If this is not possible, try in another room or away from where your pup eats his own food.
Correction…
If you catch your pup eating another pet’s food (like garbage raiding and house training, he must be caught in the act to correct), give him a firm “NO” and remove him from the dish. Show him where his own food is, and that his dish is the only acceptable dish to eat from.
Chewing:
Especially during the teething period of your pup’s life, he’s bound to get his little sharp teeth on something he’s not supposed to. Teething is completely natural for your pup, and chewing is a release from the pressure and pain he is feeling in his mouth while his new teeth come in. Chewing is also a form of destructive release. If your pup is not teething and chewing up things he’s not supposed to, it probably means he’s not getting enough mental and physical stimulation. Chewing when left alone can also be a form of stress, and/or separation anxiety.
Prevention…
To prevent your pup from chewing up items he shouldn’t, always supervise and make sure he has enough of his own toys to chew on around him. Exercise, training, and play are also all good ways of keeping your pup from destroying things he’s not supposed to. A happy and tired dog is a good dog! If he is chewing when left alone, it may be a form of separation anxiety, and it’s best to talk to your vet about it, and work on teaching him that being alone is okay. Taking him for a long walk or playing a good game of fetch before leaving him alone can help keep him from chewing. If he’s too tired to chew, he won’t. Also leaving some of his favorite toys with him while you are away can help keep him busy. I suggest a “stuffed Kong”, which is a Kong brand toy that you can fill with treats to keep your pup occupied.
