Getting a dog can be exciting and rewarding. It can also be stressful. Whether you are getting a puppy or an older dog, you can bet that there will be an adjustment period while you all get used to each other. One of the best ways to make this transition period successful is to begin basic training with your new pet right away. Training for puppies can begin as young as 8 weeks, and with older dogs the sooner the better! Having a properly trained dog can lead to much happiness for you and your pet. Here are a few tips on teaching your dog to come, sit, lie down, and stay.
First, let's look at the basics of basic training. All dogs, especially puppies, learn more quickly with positive rather than negative reinforcement. Just as with humans, a little love goes a long way. The best reinforcements for good behavior are verbal praise, affection, a favorite toy, or a piece or two of your dog's regular food. Using treats can be motivating, but a dog can come to expect a treat if used too often, and using treats can become expensive. If you work on training immediately prior to your dog's normal meal time, your pet will usually be hungry and pieces of food as a reward will be welcomed. The reward should be given immediately following every correct response in the beginning. Once your dog has progressed, verbal praise should be offered each time, but a reward should only be given for exact responses performed in a timely manner. Gradually reduce the number of rewards given until you only give an occasional reward, but offer verbal praise each time. Dogs retain their training for the longest period of time this way. Also, you should use hand signals as well as verbal cues when you are giving your dog a command. Again, like humans dogs learn better when presented with more than one stimulus. For example, tell your dog to sit while pointing at the floor. When the dog sits, offer an immediate reward in the form of food or affection, coupled with verbal praise. These techniques apply to each of the commands discussed below.
Teaching your dog to come can be very easy. You will probably want to use a piece of food for this lesson. Hold out a piece of food between your thumb and forefinger towards your dog. Call your dog's name while holding out the food. As your dog starts to approach, say "come" and wave your hand towards your chest. When the dog reaches you give him the food and praise him. Then immediately step back and repeat the process with another piece of food. It's really that simple!
Teaching your dog to sit is an invaluable lesson. You will want to start with your dog standing. If you want to use a food reward, hold a piece of food directly in front of the dog's nose. Say the dog's name and slowly move the piece of food up over the dog's head. As the dog's nose goes up his rear end will go down. As this is happening, say "sit". Don't move the food too high over the dog's head, or the dog may jump to get it. When the dog sits, reward him with the food and verbal praise. If you want to use only verbal praise and affection, again start with the dog standing. Place your hand gently under the dog's chin. Say the dog's name and gently lift up on the dog's chin. Again, as the dog's chin goes up, his rear end will go down. With your other hand move your palm towards the floor and say "sit". When the dog sits reward him with praise and affection. Gradually your dog should learn to sit with only a hand movement and a verbal cue.
Teaching a dog to lie down takes a little more practice. This works best if your dog is on a smooth surface such as tile or linoleum. This technique works best if you use a piece of food as a reward. Start with your dog in a sitting position. Hold a piece of food directly in front of his nose. Say your dog's name and quickly move the piece of food to the floor right next to the dog's front paws. As the dog slides down to get the food say "down". Make sure you move the food right next to the dog's paws, because if the food is too far away the dog will get up to move to the food. With some practice, your dog should learn to lie down with just a verbal command and a lowering of your hand.
Finally, let's look at teaching your dog to stay. This is the most difficult of the basic training techniques to teach a dog. Most dogs love to be with people and they have a difficult time staying in one place for very long. It is best to practice this command at a time when your dog is very calm or has just had a lot of exercise. It will also be best to teach this technique after your dog has learned to sit. To get started, tell your dog to sit using only a verbal command and a hand signal. As soon as the dog sits, lean toward the dog and look him in the eyes. Hold up the palm of your hand towards your dog and in a firm voice say "stay". For the first few times you are practicing this, wait only a second before returning to your dog, praising him, and giving him a reward while he is still sitting. Practice this several times. If you attempt to walk away from your dog when you are first teaching him to stay, he is going to get up and follow you. It is best to teach him to stay when you are only one step away from him. Once your dog will stay for at least 10 seconds with you only one step away, you can begin to work on distance. It is important for you to hold eye contact with your dog for the duration of the stay time. If he looks away, lean toward him again and repeat "stay" in a firm voice. This command takes some time to teach, but it will be worth it in the end.
Training your dog can make the transition with a new pet much more pleasant for all involved. A lot of dog training involves using your common sense. On days when your dog is fidgety or training doesn't seem to be going very well, take a break and try again the next day. Dogs have off days too. Remember to be consistent and firm, but not angry. You should try to train the dog at a quiet time of day in a quiet location to minimize distractions. Only give the command one time. You want your dog to learn to obey with a single command, not multiple repetitions. Remember to always offer verbal praise as reinforcement of good behavior. Mostly, enjoy this time with your new dog and remember that any new addition to a family requires some adjustment time.
Thanks to the American Animal Hospital Association and to Dr. Wayne L. Hunthausen and Dr. Gary M. Landsberg for their contributions.
If you found this article helpful, please visit http://darnthatdog.blogspot.com for more useful tips about adding a dog into your family. Eileen Michalczyk is the mother of four gifted children and one dog, Hannah. They decided to add a dog into their family after much research about the benefits of pets for gifted children. They are now all living happily ever after!
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