TRAINING FOR LIFE: Weekly Class Review

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Although almost all training begins with teaching your dog to sit and lie down, training is much more than repeating simple rote exercises. Training is the process of teaching you how to communicate with your dog and teaching your dog to be compliant with you. When the two of you reach an understanding, wonderful things can happen.

Establish Leadership

Dogs need leaders. Just as children need parents and teachers to guide them towards adulthood, so do dogs. In a natural situation, as older dog would assume leadership but in our families, it’s important that adults in the family assume a parental position and children be the older brothers and sisters. Not only will this help the dog grow up knowing what he needs to know, but it will also decrease disrespectful behaviors that dogs show their equals but would never do to a leader.

• The leader deserves respect. Your dog should never, ever turn his back on you when you’re talking to him. Use a leash, even in the house, to make sure he pays attention to you when you’re talking to him.  Practice the Watch Me command with really good treats to make sure he’ll pay attention.
• Nor should your dog EVER use his mouth on you. That is very disrespectful!
• Have your dog work for you and for everything he wants. He can sit before he gets a treat; sit before his leash is hooked on to go for a walk; and sit before he goes through a doorway.
• Leaders always eat first. Have an apple or carrot before you feed your dog.
• Have your dog sit and then hand feed him a few bites of food before you give him his bowl. Pick up the bowl after 15 minutes if he’s walked away from it. He’ll eat better next time.
• You should also control all the games you play with your dog. If you’re tired and your dog is pushy, have him lie down and stay. You play when you want to play. You should always end up with the ball or toy at the end of the game, too.
• Practice your training skills often and do not make excuses when your dog does not do something. He CAN do it; he just hasn’t learned yet that he must.
• Respect doesn’t mean you have to be serious all the time – have fun with your dog and your training!

Canine Communication

As your dog’s parent, it’s up to you to learn how to communicate with your dog. Sometimes this can be a challenge. Although dogs are very good at studying people and figuring out what is wanted, there is often a communication gap. Keep in mind that this is communication between two different species; although dogs live in our homes and are our companions, they were not born understanding English, Spanish, French, or any other human language. Nor were they born knowing human body language. Therefore, it’s important that you learn as much as possible about canine communication so that you can understand and then teach your dog.

Body Language

Your dog has very complex body language. The movements, postures, and positions of his head, ears, eyes, mouth, tongue, tail, and entire body can convey a variety of meanings. For example, a dog standing tall yet relaxed, with upright ears, open mouth, relaxed tongue, and wagging tail, exudes confidence without aggression. Each body part, alone or with others, demonstrates what the dog is feeling.

Those feelings and postures can be enhanced by colorings or markings, especially on the face and tail. For example, when the eyes are outlined in black, with tan spots above the eyes, any movement of the eyes is exaggerated. This can make communicating with other dogs easier.

Dogs lacking some of these markings, such as an all-white or all-black dog, is somewhat at a disadvantage and could potentially be misunderstood. A tailless dog, whether naturally tailless or docked, loses all the communication that a tail provides. Misunderstandings in the dog’s world could be minor, primarily because dogs use more than one body part to convey emotions, but occasionally a fight can ensue.

When you understand what your dog is trying to convey to you through his body language, you can communicate better with him yourself. You can tailor your training techniques when you see that he’s worried or frustrated; you can give him more confidence when you see that he’s insecure or afraid; and you can applaud his efforts when he’s accomplished something and is proud of himself.

• If your dog is fearful, he will lower his body almost to the ground, with elbows and hocks bent. His tail will be lowered, as will his head and ears. The tip of the tail may be wagging slightly. He may lick his nose.
• Very fearful dogs—those so afraid that they may bite if cornered or pushed too hard—will also have a lowered body posture. The head and ears will be lowered, and the back of the lips will be pulled back, making the dog almost look like he’s smiling. The eyes may look forward at the potential threat and then glance away. The tail will be tucked, even up against the belly, and will be still.
• A submissive but not necessarily fearful dog may roll over and bare his belly. The tail may be tucked and still (if worried) or tucked and wagging (if simply submissive). The eyes will look away.
• A dominant dog—one with the potential to take his dominance too far (with the possibility of a bite or fight)—will have all his body language moving forward. He will be on the tips of his toes leaning forward, with his head forward and his eyes staring hard at the object of his interest. The ears will be lifted and facing forward, and the tail will be up and wagging slowly or stiffly, or still. His hackles will probably be up.
• A confidant dog who is interested or alert but who has no need or desire to bite or fight will stand tall but also be relaxed. He will not be leaning forward. His head will be high but relaxed, with ears up and forward, and his hackles will be down. His tail will be wagging.
• An eager dog will not be standing still; he will dance, circle, or bounce up and down. His eyes will be toward you; his ears will be up and down, with openings toward you; and his tail will be wagging happily. He may lower his front end to bow, an invitation to play.

This is just a brief example of some body postures. Every breed and every individual dog has its own characteristics. For example, many herding breeds stare. This technique is used to control sheep and cattle, but herding dogs also learn to use it on their owners. Staring is usually an attention-getting device, because, when stared at, most owners respond, “What do you want?” and the dog could end up going for a walk or playing ball. In other breeds or dogs (such as guard and guardian dogs), a stare such as this could be a direct threat or the first step in aggression.

As you train your dog, you will learn to recognize other gestures. If your training is getting too serious, your dog may yawn at you. This is called a calming signal; your dog is basically saying, “Relax!” Some dogs, when they are getting frustrated or bored, will look away from you. This is the time to take a training break for a few minutes and rethink your training technique so that you can approach it from another angle. Watch your dog, get to know him, and use his means of communication to your advantage.

• If he looks away, he may feel pressured or you may be staring harshly at him. Or depending on his personality, he may be avoiding your commands.
• He may also turn away from you if you’re angry or frustrated and he feels it.
• Your dog freezes in place; he may be afraid to do something. He may be worried or afraid to try something new. You may also be coming on too strong in your training approach.

You may be using some of your dog’s body language without knowing it because some stances are very similar to our own. A person who is confidant yet not aggressive or pushy stands tall yet relaxed. A bully or pushy person who is trying to get his way stands tall and leans into people, invading personal space. A worrier pulls into himself, looks away without making eye contact, and uses small hand gestures.

But you can communicate more easily with your dog if you can copy some of your dog’s body language as long as you are conveying the message you wish to share.

• If your dog is having a hard time with a new lesson, take some pressure off him. Instead of facing your dog straight on, turn so that you are at an angle, facing toward him and to the front. Make sure that your body language is relaxed, look at your dog (his paws, body, tail, face) without staring into his eyes, and smile. This conveys to him, “Hey, it’s okay. No pressure!”
• If your dog is getting into trouble, especially when he understands that he’s doing something your don’t want him to do, stand tall, look him in the eye, and don’t flinch. You have just conveyed your position as the dominant family member. Don’t assume this position with a potentially aggressive dog, however; he will read it as a challenge!
  
• At the end of a training session, lift your hands high over your head, and then, with a big smile on your face, bring both hands down to your knees as you bend your body at the waist. You can also hop at the same time. You have just invited your dog to play!

Verbal Communication

Dogs are very verbal creatures. They whine, warble, howl, bark, and growl to communicate with one another and with us. Many of their sounds we don’t even have words to describe; an Australian Shepherd male named Riker makes a sound that can only be mimicked: a “woo woo woo.” Riker found that this sound made his owner laugh, and when she laughed, she paid attention to him. So he uses it!

Sounds vary from breed to breed and among individuals. The howl of northern breeds is quite different from the howl of a coonhound treeing a raccoon, and the alarm bark of a Chihuahua certainly differs from the alarm bark of a Rottweiler. But miscommunications among dogs are rare, even though many seem to be speaking different languages, primarily because verbal sounds are never used alone; they are always used in conjunction with body language.
Dog owners can use verbal communications in much the same way.

• When asking your dog to do something, use a normal speaking voice; do not change your normal, comfortable body language.
• When the dog does something you have asked him to do, praise him in a happy “ice cream” tone of voice. Your dog language should be relaxed. Move your hands and arms up and down a little: a small play-bow. Keep eye contact soft, allowing your eyes to move naturally.
• If you catch your dog in the act of doing something he knows is wrong (not afterward, but as it is happening), deepen your voice (growl) and turn to look directly at your dog.
• The goal of all verbal communication is to teach your dog to listen to you—not just when he wants to, but whenever you direct anything toward him. You want him to listen, not just when giving him commands but also when you need to tell him something to keep him from getting into trouble or to keep him safe.

Socialization

Socialization is the process of introducing the puppy to the world he lives in. The primary ages of socialization are between twelve and sixteen WEEKS of age; however it should continue on into adulthood. If a puppy is not well socialized, it can not be made up for later; you cannot undo what wasn’t done during those weeks.

The socialization should include positive (fun) introductions to people of all ages, sizes, shapes and ethnic backgrounds. Have people – one at a time – offer your puppy a treat and let them pet him. No rough stuff; no wrestling. Just calm gentle pets.

Your puppy also needs to see and hear cars, trucks, motorcycles, trash trucks, the mail man, the UPS man, and the meter reader. He should see laundry flapping in the wind, a trash bag being shook out, and flags flying. He can hear birds singing, a motorcycle roaring and a truck backfiring. Keep treats in your pocket so you can have them on hand as rewards for meeting, seeing and hearing all these people and things.

If your puppy is worried about something, do NOT comfort him. Instead, jolly him along, “What’s that? Let’s go see!” If you comfort him, he will assume he’s being praised for being afraid; exactly the wrong message! 

Training Tools and Techniques

Training techniques and styles have changed over time, just as any profession changes. Thirty years ago, almost all trainers used chain slip collars (often called choke chains), and food rewards or lures were not used at all. Dogs were praised enthusiastically for good work, and collar corrections (some quite severe) were used to let the dog know when he made a mistake.
Today, food is commonly used as both a lure and a reward, and the variety of training tools is growing almost daily. The techniques used to train dogs are much more varied today, too.

Although this makes it difficult for dog owners to decide which technique to use, it’s wonderful for the dogs themselves. The variety today provides a technique for dogs of every personality.
Some of the training tools being used today include:

• Leashes: from 6- and 4-foot-long nylon, leather, or rope leashes used in obedience training to short traffic leads used while training off-leash work and many dog sports.
• Buckle collar: This is the collar your dog should be wearing with his identification tag on it. Many dogs, especially once they understand what is being asked of them, need only this collar.
  
• Chain and nylon slip collars: These collars have gotten a bad reputation because they are often misused. When used correctly, however, a slip collar should not hurt a dog. Instead, the snap of the collar should convey only enough force to get the dog’s attention. These collars should never be pulled tight by the owner (which could choke the dog), and the dog should never be allowed to pull on the collar.
  
• Head halters: There are several makes and styles of head halters, and they all work on basically the same premise: where the dog’s head goes, the body will follow. As with any tool, these have been misused, too, and when misused (such as by yanking on the head halter with a leash, thereby jerking the dog’s head), the dog can suffer neck and back injuries. However, when used correctly, with a gentle guiding motion and other training skills, this training tool can be very effective.
  
• Prong collars: Although many people abhor these collars, it is primarily because of their look. However, the prongs are not sharp and do not dig into the dog’s neck. Many expert trainers prefer this type of collar, especially for strong-willed dogs just beginning their training who have taken control of their owners. Most of these trainers emphasize that the prong is not necessarily for long-term use, but just to control the dog until the owner can teach him.
  
• Food: Although thirty, and even twenty, years ago, food simply was not used in dog training, trainers today have found that food can be a powerful training tool. It is a strong motivator, lure, and reward. The size of the food used should be appropriate to your dog. Toy dogs can work for tiny pieces, even crumbs, while a giant dog needs something a little bigger. And of course, the dog must like the food being offered.
  
• Toys: If your dog is not food motivated, you can use other things instead. Tennis balls are great for many dogs, as are toys with a squeaker inside, or for terriers, furry mice made as cat toys. Just make sure that the toy is safe before you use it as a training motivator.
  
• Clickers: Clickers are small, handheld contraptions that, when pressed, make a clicking sound. Originally used with dolphins that could not be trained using a leash and collar, the click is used to mark good behavior. When the dog realizes that the click equals good, which equals a food treat, he understands and can learn. Although the clicker is an effective training tool, it requires precise timing to work well. In addition, some dogs and people simply do not like the sound, and for them, this tool will not work.
  
• Your voice: As mentioned earlier in this chapter, your voice is the most important training tool you have. Your voice helps your dog pay attention to you, guides him, and rewards him.

There are other training tools, such as citronella collars for stopping barking, leashes that make a noise when the dog pulls, and harnesses that slow down dogs who pull when they go for a walk. Electronic collars are also gaining in popularity. Many of these tools, especially electronic collars, should be used only under the guidance of a trainer experienced in their use.

Training Techniques

Most trainers today use a much more positive method than those used many years ago. Trainers have found that the more compulsive training techniques, which were forceful (“You WILL do it!”) and used leash corrections and a harsh verbal correction when the dog made a mistake, weren’t much fun for dog or owner. The dogs usually disliked the training sessions and, as a result, were rarely compliant or cooperated out of fear. Of course, owners rarely enjoyed the training, either.

Today, there is a wide variety of training techniques, but the two most prevalent ones are:

• Positive training. Many trainers use what is often referred to as purely positive training. No corrections at all are used, and the dog is helped to do the right thing and then rewarded for it. Most positive trainers use a clicker, and all use either food or other motivators, depending on the dog.
• Balanced training. Balanced training uses techniques from both positive trainers and compulsive trainers. They feel the positive techniques can be powerful training tools and use them eagerly, but that dogs can also learn from making a mistake. Letting the dog know that he has made a mistake may range from withholding a treat and praise to giving a verbal correction or a snap and release of the leash.

No matter what techniques are used, almost all trainers agree that dogs need to be taught what to do rather than simply be corrected for bad behavior. When a dog knows what acceptable behavior is and is consistently rewarded for doing it, he no longer needs to do the “bad” behavior. For example, dogs jump on people out of excitement and to greet people face to face—a very natural behavior for dogs. They don’t understand, however, that jumping on people ruins clothes and knocks people down. A dog can be corrected in any number of ways not to jump up, but if he is only corrected, he will continue to jump up because he doesn’t know what to do to get the attention he wants. In addition, with the corrections, he will become more and more anxious.

However, if he is taught to sit and is greeted and petted in the sitting position, he no longer needs to jump up. The jumping will disappear.

Simple Skills for Successful Training

Dog training is not a mysterious skill known only to a few; most dog owners, with a little help, can become successful dog trainers. Here are some skills that will make your training easier:
Know what you want your dog to do. Set both short-term and long-term goals.

• Find a technique that is comfortable for both you and your dog and then stick with it. Don’t change techniques each time something doesn’t work; you and your dog will both be confused.
  
• Give a command only once. If you repeat the command over and over, which one should he listen to? The first or the sixth?
  
• Show your dog exactly what you want him to do, help him do it, and reward him when he does it correctly.
  
• Timing is critical to success. Praise your dog as he does something right. If you use interruptions, let him know as he makes a mistake.
  
• Remember that any behavior that is consistently rewarded will be repeated.
  
• Praise or corrections after the fact are not effective and can confuse your dog.
  
• Consistency is important—in your training and in enforcing the rules you have established.
  
• Always finish training sessions on a high note. Have the dog do something well and then reward him for it.

Training is a learning process for both you and your puppy. Don’t rush it; take your time and watch your dog. When he’s confused, worried, or fearful, take a break and think about what you’re doing. Why is your dog reacting the way he is? How can you communicate with him in a better way? When he does get it, don’t be stingy with the praise!

Teaching the Basic Commands

All the training you do with your dog throughout his lifetime will begin with these basic commands. In addition, the basic commands can help enforce good behavior at home, on walks, and in public. Many of the basic commands can help bad behaviors disappear because they work as alternative behaviors. For example, as mentioned earlier in this chapter, sitting is an excellent alternative behavior for jumping up on people.

The techniques taught here are easy to learn and use food as a lure with your voice and food as rewards.

Week One:

Listed below are the skills taught on the first week of class. When your dog is doing these well, do not go on ahead. We want your dog to practice these for a week. However, if you’re going to be absent a week, go ahead and read up on the next week’s work.

Sit

The sit position, where your dog’s hips are on the ground while his shoulders remain up, is the foundation of everything else your dog will do. Sit is also the replacement action for jumping up on people. With your dog on leash and the leash held in one hand, show your dog the treat held in the other hand. Let him sniff the treat. As he’s sniffing, tell him, “Fido, sit,” and move the treat back over his head. As his head comes up, his hips will move down. When he’s sitting, praise him—“Good to sit!”—and pop the treat in his mouth. After a few seconds, tell your dog, “Fido, release,” and encourage him to get up.

Practice the Sit five times and then take a break. Come back later and do it again. When your dog is beginning to sit nicely on command, start using it. Have him sit at the door before you let him go outside; sitting nicely will stop him from charging through the door. Have him sit before he comes inside for the same reason. Plus, if the weather is bad outside, you can towel him off before you let him inside. Have him sit before you feed him so he doesn’t try to jump on you for his food. Look at your routine with your dog and have him sit in any situation where you could use more control.

Release

As you begin training your dog, he needs to understand when you are going to ask him to do something. That can begin with his name or with his name and Watch me. He also needs to know when a training exercise is finished. By teaching him what is called the release command, he knows exactly when he’s done and can then move, stretch, sniff the grass, and relax.

With your dog on leash, ask him to do a Watch Me. When he does, pop a treat in his mouth and praise him. Then tell him, “Fido, release!” and, using the leash, move him several steps, praise him, and pet him. From now on, every time he performs a command for you, tell him “Release” when he’s finished. If he doesn’t move on his own, use the leash to get him up and moving, and then praise him.

Watch Me

This command teaches your dog to pay attention to you. When your dog can pay attention to you, he can focus on you and ignore distractions, plus he can follow any additional commands you give him. To teach this command, have your dog on leash and hold the leash close to the dog with one hand (to keep the dog from jumping on you or dashing away). With a treat in the other hand, let your dog smell the treat. Then tell him, “Fido, watch me!” and take the treat from his nose to your chin. As his eyes follow the treat to your face, praise him—“Good boy to watch me! Yeah!”—and then pop the treat in his mouth.

Repeat five times for this training session and then quit. Come back later and do it again five times. When your dog seems to understand, hold his leash loosely, stand up, and ask for a Watch Me. After about a week of practice, do the Watch Me as you walk one or two steps (and that’s all for now) with your dog. When he understands and is doing it well, gradually add more distractions. When you find him looking at you and you haven’t given him a command, praise him anyway!

Week Two:

Down

When you ask your dog to lie down, you want him to lie down on the ground yet be comfortable, and to remain in that position until you release him. Eventually your dog will be able to lie down and hold the position with distraction for up to half an hour at a time. This exercise is wonderful in situations where your dog should remain quiet and still, and when he needs to control himself.

Begin with your dog on leash, and then have him sit. After you praise him for sitting, show him a treat. As you tell him, “Fido, down,” move the treat from his nose to his paws. As his nose follows the treat, move the treat forward until he’s lying down. Give him the treat and praise him. After a few seconds, release him.

Practice the Down five times and then take a break. Come back later and do five more. When he’s doing the Down without too much fuss, have him lie down at your feet while you’re relaxing in the evening. Give him something to chew on, but have him lie still while you relax. Or, when you’re out on a walk and meet a neighbor, have your dog lie down while you’re chatting.

Stay

The Stay command is used with both the Sit and the Down. When the dog is in either position, tell him “Fido, stay,” and show him the flat of your hand as a signal. Take a step or two away while holding onto the leash. Wait a few seconds and then go back and praise him, pop the treat in his mouth, and release him. If he gets up from the position before you release him, tell him, “No,” put him back where he started, and repeat the exercise. Practice a few times in the Sit and a few in the Down, and then take a break. Come back later and do it again.

The Stay should never be released from a distance (don’t call your dog from a Stay); instead, always go to your dog. Doing so helps create a reliable Stay that you can eventually (with practice) depend on.

Come

The Come is a very important command, one that makes day-to-day living with a dog easier but also could be a lifesaver. You want to teach your dog that the word come means to come to you, as fast as possible, every single time you call him. To do so, you want a really good treat or toy that your dog really likes. This will be your dog’s motivator; something that will get him excited and will help him learn to pay attention to your voice when you call him.

Take a small plastic container, like a margarine container, and put a handful of dry kibble dog food in it. Put the top back on. If you shake it, you will hear a nice rattling sound. With your dog sitting in front of you, have the shaker in one hand and some good treats in the other. Shake the shaker and then pop a treat in his mouth. You are building an equation in your dog’s mind: the sound of the shaker equals a treat. Practice this for two or three times and then quit for the training session but come back to it later and do it again. Keep this fun, use a happy tone of voice and great treats.

After two or three days of this training, add the word ‘come.’ Start with your dog sitting in front of you (he’s not going or coming anywhere); shake the shaker, say “Sweetie, come!” and pop the treat in his mouth. Now you’re changing the equation. The sound of the shaker equals the word ‘come’ which equals the treat popped in his mouth! Practice this for several days, two or three times per session. When he’s sitting in front of you with his mouth open, waiting for the treat, start backing away from the dog as you say “Sweetie, come!” Lead him by the nose with the treat as you back away. After a few steps, pop the treat in his mouth and praise him, “Good boy to come!”
In a week or two, depending upon how enthused your dog is, pick up the shaker, call him from across the room and when he charges across the room to you, praise him and pop the treat in his mouth. Keep this fun; remember a fun game garners more interest than work does!

Use a really, really good treat for this. This is the time to bring out the leftover chicken breast, freeze dried liver, or hot dogs. The treat must be so good your dog will ignore distractions to focus on you.

Leave It

Here is the text for leave it: Leave it is a command that teaches the dog to ignore something he would rather react to – that you want him to ignore. So for example, you’re on a walk and your neighbors dogs are barking wildly behind the fence. Your dog would like to respond but you want him to walk past calmly. The leave it can give you control in these situations.

This command was demonstrated in class so practice as you did in class, first with a dog biscuit, then later with a sandwich or cat food, then later begin using it in every day situations.

Week Three:

Review of all the commands taught so far, plus Let’s Go and Heel.

Let’s Go!

This exercise teaches your dog to walk nicely on a leash without pulling. The Heel position is not emphasized; instead, keeping the leash loose is the goal. Have your dog sit in front of you. Show him the treat and ask him to do a Watch Me. As soon as you have his attention, take a step backward, smile, tell him, “Let’s Go!” praise him, and encourage him to step toward you. When he does, praise him and pop the treat in his mouth.

When your dog will take several steps following you while watching you, turn so that the two of you are walking forward together. Stop, have him sit, and praise him. If he pulls away or pulls ahead of you, stop, get his attention with a Watch Me, and start again at the beginning, backing away from him. If your dog has a problem and really enjoys pulling on the leash, you will have to make sure that his Watch Me is very, very good, and you will have to keep this exercise short and sweet, praising each step that he takes with you.

Heel

This is a more formal walking position than in the previous exercise. Whereas the goal of Let’s Go is to keep the leash loose, the Heel emphasizes a position in regard to you. The dog should walk with his shoulder next to your left leg. He should maintain that position whether you walk slowly, walk quickly, zigzag through a crowd, or even decide to jog to get out of the rain.

Begin by repeating the Let’s Go exercise. When you and your dog are both walking forward, use a treat as a lure to focus your dog’s attention on you while he’s walking by your left side. At that moment, tell him, “Fido, heel, good job!” After just a few steps, stop, have him sit, and pop the treat in his mouth. This requires quite a lot of concentration, so keep the praise coming when he’s in the correct position, and use a good lure to help him maintain it.

Week Four:

Review of all commands previously taught, plus come on a long line. We’ll also discus problem behaviors, why they happen, and how to handle them and hopefully, begin to make them disappear.

Second Come Technique

You want a long leash, not a retractable one that has tension on it but a simple leash—even a length of clothesline. Holding the leash so that your dog is 8 to 10 feet away, show him the treat or toy and call him, “Fido, come!” Back away so that he has to chase you. If he’s moving toward you, praise him, let him catch up to you, and give him the treat or toy. Praise some more: “Yeah! Good boy! Yes, you are!”

If he doesn’t appear interested, continue to back up and then reel in the rope, helping him come even if he doesn’t particularly want to. While you reel him in, praise him, but don’t give him the treat or toy. Next time, make sure that you are more exciting to him, either with your voice or with the treat or toy. Make him want to come to you.

Repeat the training five times and then take a break. Come back later and do it again. As your dog learns the command, continue using the long leash but extend the distance. Then add some distractions. First have him come when there’s another dog around, and then some kids playing. Have him come when a squirrel is out in the grass. Make sure that he will come when you call no matter what the distraction.

Week Five:

Review all commands taught so far, review leave it, and will discuss specific problem behaviors.

Week Six

Review all commands. Practice social skills, meeting people on a walk, meeting other dogs on a walk, leave it with distractions and watch me with distractions.

Using These Commands

Teaching your dog to sit and stay can keep him safe; if your dog sits and stays at the open door or gate, he won't dash out.

The obedience commands and exercises you’re teaching your dog should not be used only during your training sessions. Your best results will be found when you incorporate them into your daily routine.

Have your dog sit:

• When greeting people so that he doesn’t jump on them.
• When you hook up his leash so that he’s holding still. Before coming in from outside so that you can towel him off or brush him if he needs it.
• Before going outside so that you can give him permission to go out, and so that he doesn’t charge through the door.
• When you give him a treat so that he doesn’t jump up on you or grab for the treat.

Have him sit and stay:

• When you’re fixing his meal so that he isn’t underfoot, begging, or jumping for his dish.
• At the door when you’re bringing something into or out of the house so that he doesn’t dash out.
• At the gate when you take the trashcans out to the curb so that he doesn’t dash out without permission.

Have him down and stay:

• When you’re eating meals so that he isn’t begging under the table.
  
• When guests come over so that he isn’t pestering your guests.
  
• When you want some peace and quiet in the evening.

Take a look at your normal routine in the house, when you’re out for a walk, or even when you walk out to get the mail or newspaper. How can you make these training skills work for you? How can they make lifer with your dog easier?

Once you decide, share this information with everyone in the family so that everyone uses these skills in the same way. Remember, consistency is important.

Have Fun as You Continue Training

If you and your dog are having fun with your training, there is still much more you can do. The basic obedience skills are just the beginning. Find a trainer in your area who offers basic obedience classes so that your dog gets a chance to use the commands you’ve taught, but with the distractions of many other dogs and people. After he satisfactorily completes a basic obedience class, enroll for more training. He can learn to come when called off leash, to finish back to the heel position, to stand and stay, to heel in a figure-eight pattern, and more.

Many dog sports might appeal to you and your dog, too. You can compete to titles in many sports, or train and participate just for the fun of it. You might decide to participate in a volunteer activity, such as therapy dog work or search and rescue. There’s so much you can do!