Learning basic obedience commands for dogs is an important part of dog training. A dog that cannot be trained using the basic dog training commands is not a well-behaved dog. An obedient dog is one that meet your dog’s needs in each interaction, and can be trusted anywhere in your home, on walks, in the home, even when you are away from home. If your dog is trained and learns these basic dog training commands, he will be able to understand your commands and follow them when you give them. You and your dog will both feel better because you will have more mutual respect for one another.
To teach basic obedience commands for dogs, there are many dog training tricks, games, and methods to help teach your dog the basic commands. One of the most basic commands, sit, can be taught to your dog through the use of a service dog puppy raiser, or guide dog puppy raisers. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that all dog owners train their dogs using dog training tricks that they have personally mastered. It doesn’t matter whether you are teaching your dog to sit or some other basic dog training commands.
Teaching your dog to sit requires that your dog sits while you hold a treat in his mouth, and you encourage him to “sit.” Hold the treat above his head so that it can’t fall to the ground, and make sure you reward your dog when he “sits.” Also, you should make sure that he isn’t bending over or any other weird type of motion that would make him uncomfortable if you were to stand up and move towards him. If he stops paying attention to the command, immediately replace the treat with something else, like a piece of food or your fist, so that he learns that if he sits, he gets a treat. After a few times of doing this, you can move on to asking him to stand. Don’t use a service dog puppy raiser for this one, since he will only be uncomfortable if you are standing up, but instead use your standard shouting technique from back in the day.
Basic dog training commands that involve walking are much easier than training for other skills. Your dog doesn’t have to stop to answer your commands, and he won’t get angry at you if you walk past him. If he is scared or anxious about approaching a dog, he will probably ignore your commands, so it is better to simply tell him to walk by. Walking is so much easier for dogs that have learned to walk themselves before learning to do anything else.
There are several ways to teach your dog to walk. There are books and DVDs, and many obedience classes and trainers who will walk you through it. You can also take your dog to the park with you and let him participate in your dog walks. Puppies especially respond well to being walked on a leash, and you may want to keep him on a leash until he is around a year old. Some dogs will not respond to walk unless they are encouraged to go; they may ignore the idea the first day, but will learn more in the coming days. The trick is to be consistent, and have enough patience for it to work.
Basic dog training commands that involve sitting down include “sit” and “down.” These two commands are important because while you are teaching your dog to stay on his own and sit, he will also learn how to stay off of furniture and stay away from dangerous things such as toxic materials and open fires. You should begin your training session by sitting down and using the sit command, then moving your body closer together until your dog understands the command. Repeat this exercise ten times, then move to the down command.
Basic obedience commands for walking with a leash include “stay” and “walk.” If your dog is nervous about walking on a leash, you can start your walk sessions slowly and gradually increase the distance you are walking while reassuring your dog. Have treats ready, and when your dog begins to go along with your instructions, give him a treat and lots of praise so he will remember what you have taught him. This will reinforce the fact that you are the leader and that your dog must always listen to you.
When you teach Bonnie several commands, she will learn several things and develop very good habits. She will be calm and trusting, and you will always know where you should go and what you should do if your dog needs you. Bonnie will grow into a well behaved dog with a lot of patience. She will make a lovely family pet for many years.