Puppies love to follow their human parents all around the house, they love to adventure into new areas of their new house, and they love getting into trouble. With their mouths they learn what's in their new environment. Obedience training snaps the puppy out of that put-everything-in-my-mouth mindset and focuses their attention on you.
The quickest way to train your new puppy is food. Find a treat that they can't get enough of, and give them one or two so they know you have treats. The first command to teach them, and the easiest, is "sit." Put the treat in front of their nose, let them smell it. Then lift the treat so their head goes from down to up. As a natural reflex, they should sit. When they do, immediately say "sit" and praise them for doing what you asked. The treat is their reward for doing the command.
Once they master "sit," which is the easiest to teach a new puppy, move on to "come." Call their name and get their attention. Show them you have a treat and tell them "come." When they come to you, have them "sit." Then give them the treat and praise them. (Having them sit before giving them the treat reinforces the sit command, and puppy awaits your next command.)
"Down" is harder to teach them, but not impossible. First, put puppy in the "sit" position. Then put the treat in front of their nose. Let them smell/lick it so their focus is completely on that treat. slowly bring it toward the ground. (Don't let puppy have it until they start going into the "down" position!) A puppy owner myself, this took a few days for Copper to learn. Don't force puppy into the position. It helps if you put one hand on their haunches, without applying pressure, and then bring the treat down to the floor. Being in this position is a sign of submission in dogs, so you can imagine that your rebellious fur baby wouldn't want to give up all his/her power! If your puppy gets halfway to the floor in the "down" position, give them a treat. They're doing what you want them to, and a little coaxing goes a long way. Once they understand what you want from them, it clicks in their puppy brains and they lay down. Praise and treat giving immediately after they fulfill the down command solidifies that they're doing what you want.
After they have mastered "sit," "come," and "down," move on to "stay." If you have a puppy that loves to be with you constantly, this is the trickiest of them all to teach them. Start with putting puppy in the "sit" position. From there, put your hand out in front of you with your fingers together and tell them "stay." Take one step back, then repeat the command "stay." Move back in front of puppy and give them praise for staying in the "sit" position while you moved away. This is a HUGE step for them. Every day, take one step further away than the last. If puppy moves out of the "sit" position before you allow them to, then take a step or two closer to them; they weren't ready for that distance. They will learn to stay whether they're near you, can see you, or even hear you. It takes patience and practice.
You might feel like these won't help you get any peace when trying to get ready for your day, when you're cooking, when you're cleaning, or when nature calls. Teaching puppy "out" is a lot like the command "come," just the opposite way from you! Point to the exit of the room/area that you don't want them in. Firmly tell them "out" and usher them out of the room/area. When they pass through the exit, praise them and give them a treat. Put them in a "sit-stay" position, and go about your routine. If they come in, do the command again until they understand. They will catch on to this one quickly, especially if they can see you.
Since they love everything about you, puppies love to grab hold of anything and everything of yours that they can fit in their mouths. Teaching them "leave it" snaps them out of that curious mindset and puts their focus on you. Put puppy in a "down-stay" so they know they'll be in that position for a while. With a treat, put it on the ground with your hand covering it and tell them to "leave it." With your free hand, gently move their head to look at you and repeat "leave it." When their eyes meet yours, give them the treat and praise them for completing the task. It's important not to reward them until their eyes meet yours. Once they finally look at you, it means their focus is no longer on that treat in your hand. Repeat this exercise daily until they look at you and hold your gaze until you release them from that position.
Having a command to let puppy know they are no longer required to sit, stay, come, leave it, etc. is important. For my puppy, we use the word "release." It let's him know that he's done what I asked him to do, and he can have his reward. You can choose any word that your puppy responds to best. Once you do, stick to it and be consistent with it.
Hand signals can be taught to puppy after they learn the initial command of your voice. It's easier for them to make the connection between the command and your hand signals. After they get used to the signals, don't always give the verbal command and vice versa. You will have a well behaved puppy that listens and obeys what you tell them to do, and it will benefit both of you as they grow older. These are some basic commands that I taught Copper from the moment that we got him, and he now knows how to roll over, play dead, spin, will leave treats that I randomly place on his body, heels on a leash, gets off/out/leaves whatever I don't want him on or to have, and alerts me when I start having a hive outbreak and start scratching anywhere on my person.
At the end of the Puppy Parenthood posting, I will be posting a video of all the tricks and tips of training your new puppy.
Until then, live long and prosper.
No comments:
Post a Comment