How To Learn Dog Training

Jump Ahead:

Teach Your Dog to Come up When Called
Teach Your Dog Loose-Ternion Walking
Teach Your Domestic dog Sit
Teach Your Domestic dog Down
Teach Your Dog Stay

Getting Started

To start off on the right foot (and paw!) with your pup, he'll need to know what y'all expect from him. This will make him feel secure in his ability to come across the goals laid out for him going forward.

The foundation of training should be based on positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the process of giving a domestic dog (or person!) a reward to encourage the behavior yous desire, similar getting a paycheck for going to work. The idea is non to bribe the behavior but to railroad train it using something your canis familiaris values. Avoid using punishment such every bit leash corrections or yelling. Punishment can crusade a dog to go confused and unsure well-nigh what is being asked of him. It is of import to retrieve that we tin't expect dogs to know what they don't know – just similar you wouldn't wait a two-twelvemonth-old kid to know how to tie his shoes. Patience will go a long way in helping your new puppy learn how to behave.

Reinforcement can be anything your dog likes. Most people use small pieces of a "high value" food for training treats — something special — such as freeze-dried liver or even simply their kibble. Lavish praise or the run a risk to play with a favorite toy can also be used as a reward. Dogs must be taught to like praise. If you requite the domestic dog a treat while saying "Good dog!" in a happy voice, he will learn that praise is a adept affair and can be a advantage. Some dogs also enjoy petting. Food is oftentimes the most convenient way to reinforce beliefs.

Puppies can brainstorm very uncomplicated grooming starting as soon equally they come home, unremarkably around 8 weeks old. Ever keep training sessions cursory — just five to 10 minutes —and ever cease on a positive note. If your puppy is having trouble learning a new behavior, end the session past reviewing something he already knows and give him plenty of praise and a big reward for his success. If your puppy gets bored or frustrated, it will ultimately be counterproductive to learning.

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How to Teach a Dog to Come up When Called

You'll want to begin training a recollect (come up when chosen) in a quiet area and indoors.

Sit with your puppy and say his proper noun or the word "come."
Each fourth dimension you say "come up/name," requite your puppy a treat. He doesn't have to do anything yet! But echo the word and give a treat. Easy!
Next, drop a treat on the floor most you. As shortly as your puppy finishes the treat on the ground, say his proper noun over again. When he looks up, give him some other treat.
Echo this a couple of times until you tin can begin tossing the care for a little further away, and he can plow effectually to face you when you say his name. Annotation: Avoid repeating your puppy's name; maxim it also oftentimes when he doesn't answer makes information technology easier for him to ignore it. Instead, move closer to your puppy and go back to a stride where he can exist successful at responding to his name the first time.
Once your puppy can turn around to face you, begin calculation movement and making the game more fun! Toss a treat on the ground and take a few quick steps away while calling your puppy's name. They should run after y'all because chase is fun!
When they catch you, requite them a lot of praise, treats or play with a tug toy. Coming to yous should be fun! Continue building on these games with longer distances and in other locations. When preparation outside (e'er in a prophylactic, enclosed area), it may be helpful to proceed your puppy on a long leash at first.

When your puppy comes to you, don't reach out and catch him. This tin be confusing or frightening for some dogs. If your puppy is timid, kneel and face them sideways and offer him treats as you reach for the collar. Never call your dog to punish! This volition only teach him that you are unpredictable, and it is a good idea to avoid you lot. E'er reward your dog heavily for responding to his or her proper noun, fifty-fifty if they have been upward to mischief!

Read more nearly how to teach your dog to come when called.

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How to Teach a Dog Loose-Leash Walking

In competition obedience training, "heel" means the dog is walking on your left side with his head even with your knee joint while you hold the leash loosely. Puppy training can exist a picayune more relaxed with the goal being that they walk politely on a loose leash without pulling. Some trainers adopt to say "let's go" or "forrad" instead of "heel" when they train this piece of cake way of walking together.

Whatever cue y'all cull, be consistent and always employ the aforementioned word. Whether your puppy walks on your left side or your right side is completely upward to you. But exist consistent about where you want them so they don't go confused and learn to zig zag in front of you.

Showtime, make certain your puppy is comfortable wearing a ternion. This can experience strange at first, and some puppies may bite the leash. Give your puppy treats as you put the leash on each time.
Then, stand up adjacent to your puppy with the leash in a loose loop and give him several treats in a row for standing or sitting side by side to your leg.
Take one step forward and encourage him to follow by giving another care for as he catches up.
Continue giving treats to your puppy at the level of your knee or hip as yous walk forward.
When he runs in front of you, simply plow in the opposite management, call him to you, and reward him in identify. Then continue. Gradually brainstorm giving treats further apart (from every footstep to every other footstep, every third step, and and then on).
Eventually, your dog will walk happily at your side whenever he's on his leash. Allow your domestic dog enough of time to sniff and "aroma the roses" on your walks. When they've had their sniffing fourth dimension, requite the cue "Let's Get!" in a happy vocalisation and reward them for coming dorsum into position and walking with you.

Read more than well-nigh how to get your dog to walk on a leash.

How to Teach a Dog to Sit

There are two different methods for showing your puppy what "sit" means.

The offset method is chosen capturing.

Stand up in front of your puppy holding some of his dog food or treats.
Wait for him to sit – say "yes" and give him a care for.
Then step backwards or sideways to encourage him to stand and wait for him to sit.
Give another treat every bit soon as they sit.
Afterwards a few repetitions, you can brainstorm saying "sit down" right as he begins to sit.

The next pick is chosen luring.

Get down in forepart of your puppy, holding a treat as a lure.
Put the treat right in forepart of the pup'southward nose, then slowly lift the food above his head. He volition probably sit down as he lifts his head to nibble at the treat.
Permit him to eat the treat when his lesser touches the ground.
Repeat one or 2 times with the food lure, and so remove the food and employ just your empty hand, but continue to reward the puppy after he sits.
Once he understands the paw signal to sit, yous can begin saying "sit" right before you give the hand betoken.

Never physically put your puppy into the sitting position; this tin be confusing or upsetting to some dogs.

Read more about how to teach your dog to sit.

How to Teach a Dog to Lie Down

"Down" tin exist taught very similarly to "sit."

You tin can wait for your dog to lie down (first in a boring, pocket-size room such every bit a bathroom can help)
Capture the behavior by reinforcing your dog with a care for when he lies down
Give him his release cue to stand back upwards (and encouragement with a lure if needed) and then waiting for him to lie down once again.
When he is quickly lying downward after standing upwardly, you can begin saying "down" right before he does and then.

Y'all can likewise lure a down from a sit down or stand up.

Agree a treat in your hand to the domestic dog's nose and slowly bringing it to the floor.
Requite the treat when the dog's elbows bear on the floor to start.
After a few practices, begin bringing your empty hand to the flooring and giving the treat Afterwards he lies downwards.
When he tin reliably follow your manus signal, begin saying "down" as you lot move your manus.

Just like with sitting, never apply strength to put your canis familiaris into a down.

How to teach your dog to lie downward.

How to Teach a Dog to Stay

A puppy who knows the "stay" cue will remain sitting until you enquire him to get up past giving some other cue, called the "release give-and-take." Staying in place is a duration behavior. The goal is to teach your dog to remain sitting until the release cue is given, then begin adding distance.

Kickoff, teach the release word. Choose which word you will apply, such every bit "OK" or "complimentary."
Stand with your puppy in a sit down or a stand, toss a treat on the floor, and say your word as he steps forward to get the care for.
Repeat this a couple of times until you can say the discussion first and then toss the treat Subsequently he begins to move. This teaches the dog that the release cue ways to move your feet.
When your dog knows the release cue and how to sit down on cue, put him in a sit, plough and face him, and give him a treat.
Interruption, and requite him another treat for staying in a sit, so release him.
Gradually increment the time you wait between treats (it can help to sing the ABC's in your caput and piece of work your way upward the alphabet).
If your domestic dog gets up before the release cue, that'south ok! It just ways he isn't set to sit down for that long so you tin make it easier by going dorsum to a shorter time.
Once your canis familiaris tin can stay in a sit down for several seconds, you can begin adding altitude.
Identify him in a sit and say "stay," accept one step back, and then step back to the pup, give a treat, and your release discussion.
Continue edifice in steps, keeping information technology easy enough that your dog can stay successful. Practice both facing him and walking away with your back turned (which is more realistic).

Once your dog can stay, you can gradually increase the distance. This is likewise true for the "sit." The more solidly he learns it, the longer he tin can remain sitting. The key is to not expect also much, besides soon. Preparation goals are accomplished in increments, so you may demand to slow downwards and focus on one affair at a time. To make certain the preparation "sticks," sessions should be short and successful.

Read more most how to teach your domestic dog to stay.

Basic Puppy Grooming Tips

Keep grooming sessions brusque and fun. Cease each session on a positive note. If you feel your domestic dog is having a hard fourth dimension learning or being "stubborn," evaluate the speed of your training and the value of your rewards. Practice you need to tedious downward and make the steps easier, or does your canis familiaris need a bigger paycheck for a harder exercise?

The "Basic 5" cues will give your puppy a strong foundation for any future grooming.

And just think, if you and your puppy proceed to work hard—and accept fun—at training, someday you may become obedience champs!

Stuck at home with a new puppy? Training your canis familiaris during COVID-19 can be difficult without access to normal training classes. That's why we're here to assistance y'all virtually, through AKC GoodDog! Helpline. This live telephone service connects yous with a professional trainer who will offering unlimited, individualized advice on everything from house-training to behavioral issues.