Because they are so darn cute, puppies can get away with their rambunctious behavior for a while.
But putting off puppy training is likely to make your life difficult before long – not to mention get confusing for your new puppy, who may not understand your growing frustration at his behavior. Puppies can begin training as soon as they are weaned and separated from their mother, so if you have recently brought a new addition home, you can begin with some basic puppy commands.
Training Methods and Basic Commands
A new puppy will have some trouble focusing for long periods of time, but can still be trained. To begin his training, try two to three times per day in 15-minute increments, but not much more. You may have to do some trial and error to determine which treats will inspire your dog to learn.
There are four basic commands which are generally recommended to start training your puppy. These are “sit”, “lay down”, “stay” and “come”.
- Sit: When training your dog to sit, put yourself on the floor with him. Hold a favorite treat directly in front of his nose, then slowly raise your hand up and towards his tail. As his eyes follow the treat, he will raise his head – generally forcing his butt to the floor. Immediately say “Sit!”, give him lots of praise, and the treat. Repeat until he can effectively perform “Sit” without the treat. NOTE: If your dog back peddles instead of sitting when looking at the treat, gently push his butt to the floor and say “Sit.” Give praise as normal. He should catch on before too long.
- Lie Down: Similar to the “sit” command, you can use a treat to guide a dog down towards the floor. When his elbows hit the floor, praise him and give him the treat. As he becomes better at the command, just use your hand movement to guide him, then praise. Alternatively, some trainers opt to bring the puppy into a boring room and just wait for him to lie down. When he begins to lie down on his own, vocalize the command and give praise.
- Stay: Because it is a duration behavior, teaching a puppy to “Stay” is a bit more complex. A puppy has to learn to remain sitting until you give another cue, known as the “release word.” Once he can perform that behavior, you can add time and distance. To teach your puppy the release word, stand with your puppy, throw a treat on the floor, and say the release word as he steps forward. Repeat until you can say the word first and then toss the treat AFTER he begins to move. When your dog understands both the “sit” cue and the “release” cue, you can train him to stay until he hears his release word. If it takes him some time, be patient. Remember, this is all new to him!
- Come: When teaching this command, it is best to have your dog on a leash so she cannot ignore the command. Start by tossing her treat far enough away from you so that your dog runs away. Say your dog’s name to get her attention, then start running backward until she follows. Be sure to be energetic and excited. When she is eagerly running toward you, say “come” and stop running. Have her perform the sit, then give lots of praise. Gradually make the leash longer, and then when she has mastered greater distance, go to more complex environments. Only practice off the leash when she consistently performs well.
By staying positive, realizing when your dog is tired of the exercise, and staying consistent, your puppy should be performing these commands well in no time. If you would like additional assistance, check out Gulf Coast Dog Training’s Puppy Training Class, for puppies aged 2-5 months. We’d love to help you and your dog get off to a great start to your life together.
