Every dog has its own unique personality and temperament, which means it will have different needs than other dogs. So it’s important to train your pup from an early age in order for them to know what commands are expected of them.
You can start with training your puppy from a young age by teaching him essential commands that every dog should know. Whether you have a new puppy or an established dog, it’s important that your pup knows basic obedience commands so that he doesn’t cause trouble when he meets other dogs and curious pets. If you lack time to train your dog yourself, then check out these great alternatives as well as a local dog trainer Southampton who specialize in pet training.
Here are The Essential Commands Your Dog Should Know
Sit
Sit is a basic command that will allow your dog to come to you. Once your dog is at a distance from either you or another dog, you can use a treat or your hand to encourage your dog to sit. With time, your dog will get used to being summoned with a call of “sit”. When your dog has learned the command, you can start teaching your dog how to go to a place. With time, your dog will learn how to find the spot you want it to go to.
Stay
Stay is a command that tells your dog to stay at a certain place. This can be helpful when your dog has been barking or is misbehaving in general. You can tell your dog to stay by placing your hand on its collar and saying “stay”. Once you have told your dog that it is staying, take your hand off its collar and let it see that you are still commanding it to stay. Some dogs may need a little more time to understand the command, so keep reinforcing it and be patient.
Very
Very is a command that will tell your dog that it has done something very well. Dogs have a natural drive to please their owners, so it is common for them to perform tasks like sitting, staying, or coming too. But, with enough positive reinforcement, your dog will start to realize that what it did was very good. With time, your dog will learn to associate “very” with a specific phrase. You can use the word “great” or “great job”.
Come When Called
Your dog should know when you call it with a specific command. This way, you can train your dog to come when called. It is also a great way to keep your dog safe, as you can give it a command to come if it is out of your sight. While this happens naturally when you train your puppy, it is still a good idea to practice coming when called as an adult dog is likely to become less responsive. Ask your dog to come to you when you have it on a long leash.
Come When Unconditionally Praised
Dogs naturally want to please their owners, so they will usually follow commands when they are praised. The problem is that many owners are too quick to praise their dogs, so praise can become a crutch that certain dogs rely on for happiness. It may be best to praise your dog for its good behavior but to stop praising it for its bad behavior. Praise your dog for staying or coming when you want it to, and then when it is done, praise it again but stop right away if it is done incorrectly.
Drop It
Dogs love to explore and they will sometimes be curious and pick up things that they should not. This can be dangerous, as well as an eyesore and waste of time for the owner. Teach your dog to drop things by placing the item in question next to your dog on the floor, and then praise it when it drops the item.
While it is good for your dog to explore, it is also important to keep it safe. You can also place a safety command word like “stay” in front of the word “drop it” to remind your dog that it should only explore things that are safe to pick up.
Shake Hands
Dogs love to be friendly and social, especially with people that they know. So, it is important to teach your dog to shake hands. Start by slowly extending your hand while your dog watches. When your dog offers its paw, gently pinch your dog’s paw between your own and reward your dog with a treat and praise.
Repeat this again, but this time as your dog extends its paw, give it a gentle push with your free hand to make your dog release its paw. Once your dog releases its paw, praise it again.
