Teaching your dog how to come when called is one of the most important dog training tips. When your dog is always running after you, straining your ears, barking constantly, and generally causing a disturbance wherever he goes, he needs to be taught to stop. It is a learned behavior. Dogs are naturally inquisitive animals and need to be continually exposed to new stimuli in order to process them. This is why they seek out the company of people, because it is a clear sign that they are not receiving sufficient sensory information to function normally.
When teaching your dog to get off it, start simple. Start with a short leash and just build up from there. If your dog is constantly pulling you away from things, consider cutting him a bit of slack so that he is more accustomed to being in control of the situation. Here is a video showing you how to teach leave it on a long leash simultaneously to take it (the clip is about a minute long):
If you have a dog that barks excessively while you are walking him, the best way to eliminate his barking is to teach him to sit. One of the easiest commands to teach, and one of the most successful dog training tricks. To teach him to sit, raise both your hands and place them flat on the ground. Then say “sit” in a firm, but gentle voice. If necessary, practice this until your dog can sit without raising his head, which is necessary if you want to train him to remain sitting down while you are walking or working through doors or other distractions.
After your dog has sat down, offer him a treat and lots of praise. When he stays down, reward him with a treat and lots of praise. As your dog gets better at sitting, you can begin using other simple sit commands like “stay” and “down.” Be sure to use these only for your dog’s immediate satisfaction and not when you are trying to teach him the “sit” command. He will quickly get confused between the two commands and start barking.
One of the easiest commands to teach your dog is the “lure” command. To teach your pup to lie down, simply stand next to him in a place where he can see you. Then, extend a pink treat toward him. He will naturally turn towards you for the treat. If he does not immediately lie down, do not punish him; instead, offer him the treat and praise him as he lies down.
Another easy verbal command for your dog is the “stay” command. Again, while he is standing still offer your palm up to him and give him your verbal command of stay. If he keeps standing, offer him your hand gesture and verbally tell him to stay. Do not pull him onto your lap or give him a treat until he complies.
Teaching him the stay command should be the last command that you teach him. After all, if he obeys the first command but then quits in the middle of the lesson, your efforts are for naught. You can, however, still use the same verbal reward and praise techniques that you used in the previous commands, only this time you will make them a positive reinforcement.
So how long does it take your dog to understand the verbal commands? Some dogs may take longer than others. Also keep in mind that some breeds of dog have different ‘phobias’ and it can take longer for them to learn and remember the verbal commands. When you finally teach your dog the’LEAVE IT MATTER UP’ command, do not forget the treats!
