You’ve probably heard dog owners say, ‘my dog doesn’t listen to a thing I say.’ When you think about it, this is pretty dangerous. Imagine if your dog didn’t know how to listen when you’re calling their name or giving them an instruction. They might get into something they shouldn’t, which could lead to an accident.
That’s why teaching your dog commands is essential for responsible dog ownership. And you might do this through a professional dog training service such as allbreeds.biz or other similar dog training service providers, or you could do it on your own if you have the time.
This article will explain what commands you should be teaching and why.
Name Recognition
Teach your dog to recognize its name when it’s called as the first step to its training.
You want to start with this before anything else since it’s easier to teach them when they know which name to answer. You’ll know the dog has mastered its name when it looks at you whenever you call it. In the first stages, whenever they look at you when you call them, try to immediately throw them a treat so they can associate following this command with a reward. They will eventually start answering to it even without rewarding them anything. Do this often so that your dog gets used to it.
Leave It/No
Teaching them this command will help you tell them to stop before they grab or eat something they are not supposed to.
To help your dog master the no or leave it command, hold treats in your hands, then slowly move one hand to your dog’s face. They will likely sniff or lick on the treat. Once they begin to do this, tell them to ‘leave it’ or ‘no.’ If they try to grab it, keep insisting on the no until it shows a loss of interest in the first treat or toy. Doing this shows they are starting to master this command. However, you’ll still need to repeat this routine a couple of times before they can follow the instruction consistently.
Come
This signal can become handy to ensure your dog stays as close to you as possible and out of trouble.
To teach your dog what the instruction means:
- Start by having your dog put on a collar and a leash.
- After this, let your dog walk away from you, pull gently on the leash, and say come.
- Teach your dog to associate the word come with its accompanying action, and when it does manage to follow the order, make sure you give it a treat as a reward.
Doing this frequently will teach the dog what it means to call it using the signal.
Watch Me Or Look
This order will be helpful when you want your dog’s attention to focus on you. To help your dog master this command, offer your dog something while your hand is closed. Move it as close as possible to your dog’s nose, then move that hand towards your face. When you’re sure you have the dog’s undivided attention, you say, ‘watch me.’ By doing this, your dog should soon learn to associate the instruction with that action.
Down Or Lie Down
Teaching your dog to listen to your order to ‘lie down’ is vital. It can help when you want your dog to calm down or address something it just did.
Getting your dog to learn this command can be pretty challenging as it requires the dog to be passive. To teach your dog, you may use again the trick where you put your closed hand towards your dog’s face to allow it to sniff it and slowly move your hand to the ground. Do this until your dog is lying on the ground, and at this point, you may now give the ‘down’ command, so they get what it means. Repeat this routine and offer praise or treats when they do it right.
Take It And Drop It
This order will help you tell your dog when they need to drop something they’d have taken or when they need to pick something up.
To get your dog to learn to follow this command, you’ll need to offer an object to your dog, and soon as it opens s its mouth to take it, you can now give the command to take it. After a while, as your dog plays with the first toy, take a second one, preferably something you know the dog will choose over the first. As the dog drops the first toy to take the second, give it the drop it commands, then say ‘take it’ as your dog prepares to take the second object.
Conclusion
There are countless commands that a dog can learn, but if you’re new to dog ownership, it may be a little daunting to teach your pup more than just the basic commands and tricks that come naturally. Focus on one to three skills at a time to effectively train your dog. This way, you don’t overwhelm them. Help your favorite pooch become a well-rounded member of the family through training and education—and who knows? You may even learn how to help your puppy become properly mannered.