Being a responsible pet owner includes investing time and effort into training your dog. But training isn’t just about teaching your furry friends some fun tricks. It’s more about building a strong bond with your pup, ensuring their safety, and creating a harmonious living environment. While there’s an endless variety of behaviors and commands for dogs, it’s best to start with the basics: sit, stay, and come.
Why Start with Basic Commands?
Laying a solid foundation with fundamental commands for dogs like sit, stay, and come is similar to building a house. That means you need a strong base before adding more complex structures. These basic commands for dogs form the building blocks of your language with your furry friend.
Commands for dogs like “come” improve your pet’s safety, as they help you control your dog in public. Mastering basic commands also makes learning more complex behaviors a lot easier for your pup in the future. Lastly, according to research, consistent obedience to simple commands can curb other unwanted behaviors and improve their overall behavior.
The Importance of Dog Training
A well-trained dog is a joy to live with. Training offers numerous benefits. It strengthens the human-animal bond through shared experiences. Consistent training reduces various unwanted behaviors like jumping, barking, and chewing. As we mentioned above, teaching your pup commands for dogs like “come” and “stay” is crucial for keeping your furry friend out of trouble.
Dog training is a type of mental stimulation for pups that keeps pets engaged and happy. Training can help improve your dog’s social skills, as it often involves interacting with other dogs and people. Not to mention, having a well-trained dog is more likely to be respected by other people as well as animals.
Training should be a positive experience for both you and your dog. Patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement are key. With dedication and the right approach, you can enjoy a fulfilling relationship with your canine companion.
Basic Commands
Sit
This is a fundamental command that forms the basis of canine discipline. The most common way to teach a dog to sit is to hold a treat above their nose. Slowly start to move the treat backward, encouraging them to tilt up their head. As their bottom starts to lower, say, “Sit.” Once they sit down, reward them with the treat and, of course, a lot of praise.
Be patient, as it might take a few tries for your pup to catch on. Use a happy and upbeat voice when you’re giving them the command, and immediately reward them after they sit.
Stay
Once your dog has mastered "sit," you can move on to "stay." Start by having your pup sit down. Hold your open hand in front of their nose, with your palm facing them, say “stay,” and then take a small step back. If they stay, generously reward them. It’s best to start with short stays and gradually increase the duration.
Make sure you’re using a variety of distractions so your furry friend can learn how to stay in place in different environments. Be patient and consistent, and reward your dog for staying each time, even if it’s just for a few seconds.
Come
This is a crucial command for safety. Use a leash to teach your dog the ‘come’ command when starting out. Then, with a happy, upbeat tone, say “Come” while gently pulling on the leash. When your dog comes to you, enthusiastically reward them.
Be sure to use a long leash when you’re training your pup the ‘come’ command, and practice in various environments, such as a dog park and at home. Reward them as soon as they come to you.
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Training your dog can be a rewarding experience, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. As long as you use the same words and hand signals whenever you give a command and reward your dog for following commands, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your pup can learn.
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