Thinking about bringing home a new puppy, adopting an older dog, or looking for something to do with your current pup? Trick and obedience training is key in training a mannerly, well-rounded dog. Plus, it’s fun, and a great way to build a relationship with your furry friend! But with all of the commands and techniques out there, it can be a little intimidating to figure out where to start. Luckily, there are a few basic commands that are easy to teach, and will help set your dog up with a foundation to grow on in the future!
- Sit
Sit is a common trick that serves as a great building block for future trick training. Sit teaches your dog the mindset of patience and waiting for reward, which will be a huge help when teaching more advanced commands. Plus, it can be used in tons of different circumstances- from waiting for a treat to helping to calm an overstimulated pup outside. - Place
The ‘place’ command is an advanced form of sit, and is a great tool for overexcited puppies or dogs. When teaching ‘place’, it’s important to choose a spot that is solely for your dog, whether it be their bed or a training tool such as a KLIMB. Place can be used when guests come over, when feeding your dog, or even during human meals. Really, it can be used any time your dog needs to practice some patience! Place will be an incredibly handy tool throughout your dog’s life, and is a must have when teaching basic commands. - Off/Down
When building respect with a new dog in your household, especially a puppy, it’s not unusual to find yourself running after your furry friend, making sure they’re not getting into any trouble. Teaching ‘off’ or ‘down’ is a simple tool to make sure that your pup’s nose is staying where it belongs. This is also a crucial command for excited puppies, as we all know that a large adult dog jumping on you isn’t nearly as cute as a puppy. - Come
Besides their name, it is vital to have a command to pull your dog’s attention, especially if you intend to let your dog play with friends. Since dogs hear their name tons of times throughout the day, it loses the ability to immediately pull their attention. Come, on the other hand, is a great command to reserve for situations where you immediately need both eyes on you. - Stay
Just as teaching your dog to come is important, teaching them to stay is just as crucial! Similarly to place, stay teaches patience and is a great tool to have when teaching an overexcited puppy or dog. It’s also important to teach your dog to stay in a variety of different environments, from your own home, to busy stores, to even out during walks. That way you can ensure that your dog is ready to listen no matter the nearby distractions.
Though there are many important (and fun!) commands to teach your dog, we feel that the most important are commands that teach your pup patience and help to build understanding and communication between the two of you. Looking for some assistance in command training? Our Daycare & Training Center offers tons of fun classes- from puppy-specific to group classes to private training- and are more than happy to help! Please give us a call or stop by to get signed up for one of our wonderful classes. Happy training!