How to train a puppy: 5 basic commands and questions to know

Begin

To get off to a good start with your dog, they'll need to know what you're expecting from them.
This will make your dog feel secure about his ability to achieve the goals he has set for himself
in the future.

The focus of training should be on active support. Positive reinforcement is about giving a dog
(or a person!) a reward to encourage the behavior you want, such as getting a paycheck to go
to work. The idea is that you don't have to bribe the behavior but rather train it using things your
dog loves. Avoid using punishment, such as correction with a leash or scolding.

Punishment can leave dogs confused and uncertain about what they are being asked to do. It's
important to remember that we can't expect dogs to know what they don't—just as you wouldn't
expect a 2-year-old to know how to tie his shoelaces. Patience will help the puppy learn
manners.

Increased support can be anything your dog likes. Most people use "delicious" small treats –
such as dried liver or even just a few kibbles. Praise or the chance to play with a favourite toy
can also serve as a reward. Dogs must be taught to like praise. If you give your dog treats while
saying "Good dog!" In a happy voice, they learn that praise is good and can be rewarding. Some
dogs also love to be petted. Food is often the most convenient way to support behavior.

Puppies can begin training very simply as soon as they get home, usually around 8 weeks old.
Always keep training sessions short – only 5 to 10 minutes – and always end on a positive note.
If your puppy is having a hard time learning a new behavior, end the session by reviewing what
they already know and giving plenty of praise. This will be a big reward for their success. If your
dog gets bored or frustrated, it will eventually backfire on learning.

How to teach a dog to run towards you?

You'll want to start training your "recall" ability (running to you when called) in a quiet, indoor
area. Sit with your puppy and say its name or the word "come." Every time you say "come
here/dog name," reward your dog with a treat. At this time, the dog does not have to do
anything! Just repeat the word and give the dog a treat. Easily!

Next, drop a treat on the floor near you. As soon as your puppy eats the treat on the ground,
say its name again. When the dog looks up, give him another treat. Repeat this a few times until
you can start to throw the treat a little further and the dog can turn to face you when you call his
name. Avoid repeating your puppy's name; saying it too often when the dog doesn't respond
makes it easy for them to ignore it. Instead, move closer to your puppy and go back to a step
where he might succeed in responding to his or her name for the first time.

After your puppy can turn to face you, start adding movement and make the game even more
fun! Toss the treat on the ground and take a few quick steps while calling your dog's name. Your
dog should run after you because the chase is so much fun! When your dog catches you, give
him lots of praise and play with a tug toy.

Running for you should be fun! Continue building these games over longer distances and in
other locations. When training outside the house (always in a safe, enclosed area), you should
put a leash on your dog.

When puppies approach you, don't reach out and hug them. This can cause confusion or fear
for some dogs. If your puppy is shy, kneel down and turn his face to the side and give him a
treat once you've grasped the collar. Never call your puppy for punishment! This will only let
them know that you are unpredictable and that the puppy will stay away from you. Always
reward your dog generously when he or she responds to his name when called out, even if they
act naughty!

How to teach a dog to walk on a loose leash?

In competition compliance training, "heel" means that the dog is walking to your left and walking
speed is only about your knee while you are on the leash. Training puppies can be a bit more
comfortable, with the goal being that they walk properly on a loose leash that you don't need to
pull. Some trainers prefer to say "let's go" or "forward" instead of "heel" when they practise this
easy walk together.

Whatever suggestion you choose, be consistent and always use the same words. Whether the
puppy walks left or right is entirely up to you. However, be consistent in which side you want
your dog to go so they don't get confused and learn to zigzag in front of you.

First, make sure that your puppy is comfortable on the leash. This may feel strange at first, and
some puppies may bite the leash. Give your puppy a few treats each time you put them on a
leash. Then, stand next to your puppy with a loose leash and give him several treats in a row
while standing or sitting next to your feet. Go one step ahead and encourage your puppy to
follow suit by offering a treat when he catches up with you.

Continue to reward your puppy with treats when he or she is standing at your knee or hip as you
walk forward. When the puppy runs ahead, call the dog to come back to you and reward the
puppy on the spot. Then continue. Gradually begin to give treats further apart (from each
footstep to each other, every third step, etc.).

In the end, your dog will happily walk beside you whenever he's on a leash. Allow your puppy
plenty of time to sniff and "smell the roses" while walking with you. When the dog has had time
to sniff, issue the command "Let's go!" in a cheerful voice and reward the puppy when he comes
back to you and walks with you.
How to teach a dog to walk on a loose leash | How to train a puppy with 5 basic commands

How to teach a dog to sit?

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

The first method is called capturing. Stand in front of your puppy, holding some dog food or
treats. Wait for the puppy to sit – say "yes-yes" and reward the puppy with a treat. Then, step
back or to the side to encourage the puppy to stand up and wait for the puppy to sit down. Give
another treat as soon as the puppy sits down. After a few repetitions, you can start saying "sit"
as soon as the puppy starts to sit.

The next option is called luring. Lower yourself down in front of the puppy, holding treats as bait.
Place the treat right in front of the puppy's nose, then slowly raise the treat over the dog's head.
Puppies will likely sit with their heads raised to nibble on treats. Allow the puppy to eat when its
bottom touches the ground.

Repeat once or twice with the lure motion, then remove the food and use only your bare hands,
but continue to reward the puppy after they are seated. Once your puppy understands the hand
signals to sit, you can start saying "sit" right before the hand signal.

How to teach a dog to stay?

Puppies that know the "stay" cue will stay seated until you tell them to get up by giving another
signal, called the "release word". Staying in place is a time-limited behavior. The goal is to teach
your puppy to stay seated until a release word is given, then start increasing the distance.

First, let's teach the release word. Choose the word you will use, such as "OK" or "free". Stand
with your dog in a sitting or standing position, throw treats on the floor, and say your words as
they walk over to get the food. Repeat this a few times until you can say the first word and then
throw the treat after the puppy starts to move. This teaches the puppies that the release word
signal means they can already go.

Once your puppy knows the release word signal and how to sit on cue, put them in a sitting
position, face to-face with the puppy, and reward them. Pause and give the puppy another treat
to sit still, then finish with the release word. Gradually increase the waiting time between treats
(you can sing the ABC song or count the numbers to time it). If your puppy gets up before the
release word signal, that's okay! It just means that the puppy is not ready to sit for that long, so
you can make it easier by giving it a shorter time.
Once your puppy can sit for a few seconds, you can start increasing the distance. Put the puppy
in a seat and say "stay". Take a step back, then come back to the puppy, reward him with a
treat, and say the release word. Continue to follow the easy steps so that the puppy can do it
easily. Practice facing the dog while turning away (it will be more realistic).

Once your puppy can stand still, you can gradually increase the distance. The same is true of
"sitting". The more firmly a puppy learns this, the longer he can sit. It's important not to expect
too much, too soon. Training goals are achieved in steps, so you may need to slow down and
focus on one thing at a time. So that the training sessions don't get boring or confusing for the
puppy, they must be short and effective.

How to teach a dog to lie down?

"Lie down" can be taught similarly to "sit". You can wait for the dog to lie down (starting in a
small, dull room such as the bathroom can help) and capture the behaviour by encouraging your
dog to add a treat when it lies down. Give the puppy the release word sign to get up (and
encourage it with a lure if needed) and then wait for the puppy to lie down again. As the puppy
quickly lays down after standing up, you can start saying "lay down" just before the puppy does
so.

You can also lure your dog from a sitting or standing position by bringing the treat in your hand
to the dog's nose and slowly bringing it to the floor. Give the puppy a treat when its elbow
touches the floor. After a few practise sessions, start bringing your empty hand to the floor and
treating the dog after it lies down. Once your dog can master your hand signals, start saying "lay
down" as you move your hand.

Just like when sitting, never force your puppy down.

And remember...
Keep training sessions short and fun. End each course on a positive note. If you feel your dog is
having trouble learning or is "stubborn," evaluate the speed of training and the value of the
reward. Do you need to slow down the lesson and make the steps easier, or does your puppy
need a better treat for a more difficult exercise?

How to teach a dog to lie down | How to train a puppy with 5 basic commands

The five basic commands above will give your puppy a strong foundation for any other training
you do with him.

And just think, if you and your puppy keep working hard—and having fun—during training, your
puppy could one day be an obedience champion!

However, in the process of command training for puppies, you will surely have many questions
that need to be answered, but you do not know where to find the correct answers. Let's find out
together!

From A-Z, frequently asked questions about command training for puppies

At what age can I start training my puppy?

You will be training your puppy from the moment you bring it home and start home training.
Puppies start learning from birth and good breeders will begin to handle and socialise them
immediately. Some training can begin as soon as the puppy can open its eyes and walk.
Puppies have short attention spans, but you can expect them to start learning simple obedience
commands like "sit," "lay down," and "stay" as young as 7 to 8 weeks old.

Traditionally, formal dog training has been delayed until 6 months of age. In fact, adolescence is
a very difficult time to begin with. Dogs learn from every experience, and delaying training
means your dog has missed an opportunity to learn how you want him to behave. During
adolescence, dogs begin to reinforce adult behavioural patterns and progress through periods
of fear. It may be necessary to change behaviours learned at an early age. In addition, anything
that has been learned or trained incorrectly will need to be reworked and taught again. Puppies
have the ability to learn a lot from an early age.

When starting training at 7 to 8 weeks old, use methods based on positive reinforcement and
gentle teaching. Puppies have short attention spans, so training sessions should be brief but
daily. Puppies can be taught to "sit," "lie down," and "stand" with a method called lure training.
We use treats to lure dogs to follow their noses into the appropriate positions to "sit", "lie down",
"stand" and "stay".

How do I start using feed training?

Small pieces of food or a favourite toy can be used to motivate the puppy to perform most tasks.
As long as the reward is attractive enough, the puppy can be prompted to give the desired
response by showing the reward, giving commands, and moving the reward to get the desired
response.

For example, food brought up to a puppy's nose and moved slowly backwards will receive a "sit
down" action; food that falls to the floor will receive the action of "lying down"; food raised will
receive the action of "standing"; food delivered at a distance will receive the "come here" action;
and food held at thigh level when you walk will cause the puppy to "follow". Puppies will quickly
learn what each command means if you pair a phrase or word with each action and give them a
treat when they do what you want them to do.

How often should I give orders?

It's best to give the command once and then use the food to move the puppy into place. When
the puppy has completed the task, give verbal praise and affectionate pats, known as secondary
reinforcements (see below). If the puppy doesn't obey the first command, you may have moved
too quickly. If you keep repeating commands, the puppy will learn that a few repetitions are
acceptable before he needs to obey. Wearing a leash can help get an immediate response if the
puppy is disobedient.

Remember, when first training, your puppy doesn't know the meaning of words. So you can just
as easily teach your puppy to sit with the word "banana" (or sit in any other language) as you
can with the word "sit." It's important to associate the word, in this case, "sitting" with the act of
putting your butt on the floor.

How do I remove treats and treats that tempt my puppy?

At first, you let the puppy see the food in your hand to get their attention and can use it to guide
the puppy into place. As the puppy begins to comply more easily, you can begin to hide the food
in your hand but give commands and repeat movements or signals that the puppy has learned
to follow.

Before long, puppies will be expecting a reward every time they perform a task. Then, signal
and command, but when the puppy does the task, reward him with praise and affectionate
patting. Next, you can start varying the frequency, praising the "good dog" and maybe patting
each time, but giving the food at random, maybe every 3 or 4 times. At this point, the puppy
should respond to hand signals or commands.

Over time, the words "good dog" and affectionate cuddles become second nature. Because they
have been paired with food in the past, they take on more meaning and become reinforcement.
It's important to use the second reinforcement because you won't always have food with you
when you need your pet to obey. Also, if you rely on food to get your puppy to obey, you'll have
a puppy that only does the job when it's treated.

At first, training begins during designated sessions of the day, with multiple family members. All
rewards should be saved for these training sessions. However, over time, you should start
asking the puppy to perform tasks at other times.
How much time should I spend training the puppy each day?

You don't have to practise in a fixed daily session. Instead, integrate these tasks throughout the
day. The goal to strive for is at least 15 minutes of exercise every day. You can split up short
5-minute workouts spread out throughout the day. Try to get all family members to ask your
puppy to do these commands. Remember to try to practise in every room of the house. You
want your dog to "sit", "lay" and "stay" everywhere, not just in the training place but right.
Practice in all the places you want your puppy to act and feel comfortable in the future.

Use these training requirements as you integrate the puppy into your life. For example, ask your
puppy to "sit" before receiving food, "sit" before you let him in or walk out the door, and "sit"
before you pet him. These are times when your dog wants something and is more likely to
comply. This way, you are training your dog all the time, throughout the day, and also
establishing predictable rules and routines for interactions and helping the puppy learn who is in
control of the resources. force.

Train your puppy before receiving each need, helping to prevent problems. Letting the puppy sit
before taking food or treats helps prevent begging, and teaching the dog to sit before opening
the door can prevent him from jumping up or running out. Be creative. The time you spent
training the puppy will now pay off when you have an adult dog. To have a well-trained dog, you
need to commit to always having treats for near-daily training tasks by the time the puppy is one
year old. The more you teach and supervise your puppy, the less chance they have of
misbehaving. Dogs do not train themselves. When allowed to choose behavior, they will act
according to their dog instincts.

What can be done if my puppy is too distracted or too excited to handle?

Training should begin in a quiet and distraction-free environment. The selected reward must be
highly motivating so that the puppy focuses fully on the trainer and the reward. While a small
treat usually works best, a favourite toy or a special treat for dogs can be more appealing. It can
also be helpful to train puppies just before a scheduled mealtime when they are most hungry.
For difficult or stubborn dogs, the best way to ensure that the dog will perform the desired
behaviour and respond appropriately to commands is to leash them and use a collar for extra
control. This way, you can remind the puppy to give the right answer if they don't do it right
away, and you can let up on the pressure as soon as you get the answer you want.

When should I start socialising with my puppy?

Usually, socialisation should begin as soon as you receive your puppy, which usually means at 7
weeks of age. Puppies naturally accept new people and other species and get used to new
situations during the socialisation period that occurs between 7 and 14 or 16 weeks of age. This
period provides the opportunity for a multitude of commands that will provide positive memories
that last throughout the puppy's life.

Puppies are eager, exploratory, and unrestricted at this stage, and it is important to capitalise on
this enthusiasm. Make sure to protect your puppy during this period and make sure that every
experience is positive, fun, and doesn't evoke fear.

Why does my 16-week-old puppy seem scared?

There is a normal, natural period of fear that begins around 14 to 16 weeks of age. During this
period, puppies may become wary and suspicious of new people, species, or experiences. This
is a normal adaptation process. Watch your puppy closely for signs of fear (crying, urinating,
and refusing food). Avoid pushing or overwhelming the puppy during this stage of development.

Should I also consider training classes?

Owners who are new to training can start the training programme with a few simple steps.
Puppies need repetition, time, and perseverance to respond to commands in a variety of
situations. Only consider classes that use active training techniques.

However, a training class serves many functions. Instructors can demonstrate techniques and
help guide you through the steps in the training process. They can help advise you on puppy
training issues and can help you advance the training process to more challenging exercises.
Puppies will learn in a group situation, with some distractions in real life. And, in terms of human
nature, dog owners who go to a puppy class will be forced to practise (do homework)
throughout the week if they don't want to be overtaken by the next class. Finally, a training class
is a good place to meet and talk with other new dog owners and see how all the puppies
behave.

Puppy training classes are also a great way to acclimate your new puppy to a variety of people,
dogs, and other triggers in a controlled environment. Plus, you'll learn to prevent problems
before they start or deal with them when they arise, rather than having to work around problems
that have developed. Your puppy may also make new friends of the same age.

You can then visit these friends (or vice versa) with your puppy to play and exercise. Since a
dog's primary socialisation period ends at 3 months of age, the most valuable puppy
socialisation classes are at 8 weeks of age or older. If all puppies in the class have been
vaccinated initially, are healthy, and are free of parasites, the health risks are low and the
potential benefits are great.