Odedience training

5 essential commands you can teach your dog

Having a trained dog isn’t the same as having a balanced dog, but if your dog knows a few basic commands, it can be helpful when tackling problem behaviors — existing ones or those that may develop in the future.

So where do you start with dog obedience training? You could take a class, but it’s not necessary; you can do it yourself. In fact, with the right attitude, it can be fun for both you and your dog!

Sit:
This is one of the easiest dog obedience commands to teach, so it’s a good one to start with.

Hold a treat close to your dog’s nose.
Move your hand up, allowing his head to follow the treat and causing his bottom to lower.
Once he’s in sitting position, say “Sit,” give him the treat, and share affection.

Repeat this sequence a few times every day until your dog has it mastered. Then ask your dog to sit before mealtime, when leaving for walks, and during other situations where you’d like him calm and seated.

Come:
This command can help keep a dog out of trouble, bringing him back to you if you lose grip on the leash or accidentally leave the front door open.

Put a leash and collar on your dog.
Go down to his level and say, “Come,” while gently pulling on the leash.
When he gets to you, reward him with affection and a treat.

Once he’s mastered it with the leash, remove it — and practice the command in a safe, enclosed area.

Down:
This can be one of the more difficult commands in dog obedience training. Why? Because the position is a submissive posture. You can help by keeping training positive and relaxed, particularly with fearful or anxious dogs.

Find a particularly good smelling treat, and hold it in your closed fist.
Hold your hand up to your dog’s snout. When he sniffs it, move your hand to the floor, so he follows.
Then slide your hand along the ground in front of him to encourage his body to follow his head.
Once he’s in the down position, say “Down,” give him the treat, and share affection.

Repeat it every day. If your dog tries to sit up or lunges toward your hand, say “No” and take your hand away. Don’t push him into a down position, and encourage every step your dog takes toward the right position. After all, he’s working hard to figure it out!

Stay:
Before attempting this one, make sure your dog is an expert at the “Sit” command.

First, ask your dog to “Sit.”
Then open the palm of your hand in front of you, and say “Stay.”
Take a few steps back. Reward him with a treat and affection if he stays.
Gradually increase the number of steps you take before giving the treat.
Always reward your pup for staying put — even if it’s just for a few seconds.

This is an exercise in self-control for your dog, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to master, particularly for puppies and high-energy dogs. After all, they want to be on the move and not just sitting there waiting.

Leave it:
This can help keep your dog safe when his curiosity gets the better of him, like if he smells something intriguing but possibly dangerous on the ground! The goal is to teach your pup that he gets something even better for ignoring the other item.

Place a treat in both hands.
Show him one enclosed fist with the treat inside, and say, “Leave it.”
Let him lick, sniff, mouth, paw, and bark to try to get it — and ignore the behaviors.
Once he stops trying, give him the treat from the other hand.
Repeat until your dog moves away from that first fist when you say, “Leave it.”
Next, only give your dog the treat when he moves away from that first fist and also looks up at you.

Once your dog consistently moves away from the first treat and gives you eye contact when you say the command, you’re ready to take it up a notch. For this, use two different treats — one that’s just all right and one that’s a particularly good smelling and tasty favorite for your pup.

Say “Leave it,” place the less attractive treat on the floor, and cover it with your hand.
Wait until your dog ignores that treat and looks at you. Then remove that treat from the floor, give him the better treat and share affection immediately.
Once he’s got it, place the less tasty treat on the floor… but don’t completely cover it with your hand. Instead hold it a little bit above the treat. Over time, gradually move your hand farther and farther away until your hand is about 6 inches above.
Now he’s ready to practice with you standing up! Follow the same steps, but if he tries to snatch the less tasty treat, cover it with your foot.

Don’t rush the process. Remember, you’re asking a lot of your dog. If you take it up a notch and he’s really struggling, go back to the previous stage.

Just these five simple commands can help keep your dog safer and improve your communication with him. It’s well worth the investment of your time and effort. Remember, the process takes time, so only start a dog obedience training session if you’re in the right mindset to practice calm-assertive energy and patience.

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As with any other training, it’s important to set the criteria before we start. Here are the three behaviors that we want to encourage:

Looking at us, because we need the dog to pay attention to where we go;
Putting slack in the leash;
Walking by our side, I’m looking for the dog to be in a heel position, but this criterion can be modified depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.

As we walk with the dog, we’ll want to click and treat for any of these behaviors. When we first get started, we’ll make sure to click and treat very often. Most of us struggle with being to too stingy, for best results, frequent rewards will help the dog understand which behaviors work. As the dog is successful, we’ll gradually increase our criteria, clicking and treating only when the dog is in position, on a loose leash while looking at us. We’ll also gradually increase the distance and time between the reinforcement until we can replace the treats with real life rewards (access to a favorite area, to another dog, a toy, etc). Finally, we’ll make sure to repeat this process in many different environments while slowly introducing increasing levels of distractions.

In addition to the method described above, here are several techniques that help the dog understand what works and what doesn’t. I use all of them at different times, as they complement one another and all contribute to a forming solid leash habits.

Yielding to pressure: Since dogs naturally tend to push against the pressure on the leash, this method will teach them to do the opposite, in other words, to move with the pressure, not against it. This technique, also called ‘silky leash‘ by Grisha Sterwart, is directly inspired by horse training, where horses are taught to follow the feel of the reins, versus pushing against it. We start in a small and familiar room, to limit any desire to explore. With the dog on leash, we’ll pull very lightly in one direction or the other, just enough for the dog to feel a slight tug. We’ll wait and even move along with the dog until he/she makes any move in the direction of the pull. As soon as the dog releases the pressure, we click and treat. For best results, we’ll make sure to immediately release the pressure, adding to the reinforcement. After a few repetitions, once the dog shows intentional movements in the direction of the leash, we can gradually increase the criteria and the level of difficulty, moving to a larger room, taking more steps, going in the back yard, etc. For more on this technique, please refer to the blog an example of negative reinforcement’.
Be a tree: Our goal here is to teach the dog that pulling does not work. Anytime the dog pulls, we stop moving forwards, we plant our roots. The dog will naturally keep trying to pull, but there is always a point where he/she turns around, looks back to check on us, and/or puts slack in the leash. Click and treat, then move forward again. With repetition, the dog will start looking at us and putting slack in the leash faster and faster. This method applies both negative punishment (we stop the forward movement, so we take away what the dog wants (-) to reduce the pulling (punishment)) and positive reinforcement (we click and treat for eye contact and slack in the leash (+) to increase both those behaviors (reinforcement)).
Penalty yards: If moving forward is the reward, we can use this as a means to teach the dog to pay more attention to us. In this technique, we’ll use anything the dog wants to reach: a patch of grass, a treat or toy on the ground, a person they like, another dog, etc. As long as the dog synchronizes their speed with ours and keeps slack on the leash, we’ll keep moving forward. We’ll also click and treat anytime the dog turns and looks at us. If at any time the dog forges forward and puts tension on the leash, we immediately back up swiftly all the way to the starting point. By backing up swiftly, we encourage the dog to follow us, as he/she is more likely to be drawn towards us by our rapid movement. It’s important to allow the leash to slide through our hand as we back up, all the way to the end of the leash if needed. This will give time to the dog to respond to our change of direction while avoiding a sudden jerk to the collar. In this method, we simultaneously use both negative punishment (we take away the forward movement towards what the dog wants (-), diminishing the pulling (punishment)) and positive reinforcement by clicking and treating (+) for eye contact, reinforcing those behaviors.

Back and forth: In this method, here again, our focus is to teach the dog to synchronize his/her movements with ours. The dog will learn that if he/she doesn’t pay attention to us, we’re likely to be walking in the opposite direction. As we walk forward, as long as the dog pays attention to us and synchronizes with our change of direction and speed, we keep moving forward, while clicking and treating as defined above. Anytime the dog forges ahead, putting tension on the leash, we turn around and start walking in the opposite direction. As we repeat this process, we’ll gradually be able to walk longer and longer distance in the same direction. Here we simultaneously use both negative punishment (we take away forward movement with the dog (-), diminishing the loss of focus on us (punishment), and positive reinforcement (click and treat for eye contact and position).

With regular repetition, all these methods will gradually teach a dog, at any age, to pay attention to us and walk on a loose leash. Over time, simply slowing down when the dog gets out of position will trigger Fido to quickly correct his position. Here’s the catch though. It’s important to follow through any time the dog is out on a leash. As long as the dog is allowed to pull when we’re not ready to put in the effort, the results will be limited. This also means that at first, we’ll have to give up on walking with our spouse or friend so we can focus completely on the dog until she’s ready for a nice relaxing walk. Isn’t years of great times with our dog worth a little effort up front?

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Clicker Training Your Dog

Clicker training is a popular way to train your dog and reward his good behavior. It can be fun for you and your dog and often produces quick and effective results. Clicker training is based on the scientific concept that an animal will continue to do a behavior that is rewarded. Once your dog understands what the clicker is all about, you will be able to teach him all kinds of tricks with plenty of rewards along the way.

Learn how to use a clicker. A clicker, which is available at your local pet store, is a small, handheld plastic device with a button or small metal tongue that you press down on to make a clicking noise. The key to using a clicker is to use it at the exact moment that your dog performs the expected behavior. The sound of a click should always be followed by some type of reward (eg, food, toys, verbal praise.

Keep in mind that the clicker is the signal that a reward is coming, rather than being the reward itself.
With the clicker, your dog will learn two main things–the exact moment that he is doing the right thing, and that a treat always comes after the click.
The clicker can be a much more precise method than verbal cues ("good" or "thanks") to communicate with your dog during a training session. This can help speed up the pace of training.
You could think of the clicker like the winning buzzer on a game show–the noise signals the exact moment that the correct behavior or action is being performed.

Introduce your dog to the clicker. Before you can use the clicker for training purposes, you will need to teach your dog what the clicker means to him. This is known as “charging” the clicker. While you are in the room with your dog (any quiet room will do), hold a treat in one hand and the clicker in the other. Press down on the clicker once. When your dog turns to you at the sound of the click, immediately give him the treat.

You will need at least a handful of treats, since you will be practicing this over and over.
Repeat this several times. Vary the amount of time that you hold the treat in your hand before using the clicker so that your dog does not begin to expect when the treat will come.
If your dog wants to sniff and try to get at the treat, keep your hand closed and wait until he loses interest in the treat before using the clicker.

Observe your dog’s response to the clicker. Some dogs may be sensitive to the sound of the clicker. If your dog runs away when he hears the clicker, the sound is probably a little too harsh for him. To soften the sound, you could wrap a towel around the clicker. You could also use a different clicking device, such as a ballpoint pen, that would have a quieter clicking sound.

If he continues to run away from the clicking noise, you will probably need to rely more on verbal cues to train him.

Choose a quiet location. Once your dog has learned what to expect with the sound of the clicker, you can use it to train him to do different commands (e.g., sit, down, stay). It would be best to train him in quiet location without other people or distractions around. If you have a fenced in backyard, you could also clicker train him outside.

As your dog becomes more comfortable with clicker training, you can use the clicker in areas that are louder or have more distractions (e.g., room with a TV on, dog park).

Click when your dog is in the act of good behavior. One method of clicker training your dog is called “catching”– you will click as soon as you catch your dog doing a good behavior that he’s already pretty good at doing on his own. For example, if he is in the room with you and decides to lie down to get more comfortable, click as soon as he lies down and immediately throw him a treat. When he gets up to eat the treat, wait until he lies down again and repeat the process.

The “catching” method will only work when your dog already knows how to do the good behavior without being commanded to do so.
The clicker training will reinforce to him that he is doing the right thing, which will encourage him to repeat the good behavior.

Use the clicker at each small step of a new behavior. This is called “shaping”– by using the clicker and immediate reward at each small step, you are shaping the new behavior as a whole. For example, if you want to train your dog to go lie down in a specific area, click and reward him as soon as he turns his body in the direction of that area. You can then click and reward him at each small step: beginning to walk to the new spot, arriving at the new spot, starting to lie down, and fully lying down on the floor.

By using the clicker and reward at each small step, you will be providing him with continual positive reinforcement as he is learning the new behavior. He will think that this learning is fun and will likely perform the new behavior with eagerness.
You may need to practice each step of the new behavior over and over again before moving to the next small step.

Use a food lure. For this method, the treat is used to lure your dog into doing the expected behavior. A food lure is commonly used when training a dog to lie down. For this behavior, you would hold the treat right in front of your dog’s nose and slowly move the treat down to the floor. Your dog will follow the treat down. When his elbows hit the floor, immediately click and reward him with the treat.

When you see that your dog consistently responds with the food lure, remove the food lure but continue to hold your hand in front of his nose as if you have a treat. When he lies down, immediately use the clicker and give him a treat.
Eventually, your dog will learn how to lie down by following only your hand signals without the lure of a treat.
The “lure” method can sometimes be quicker than the “shaping” or “catching” methods.

Add a verbal cue. Adding a verbal cue is helpful regardless of which method of clicker training you have been using to train your dog. You will say the cue first and then wait for your dog to do the desired behavior. As soon as he does the behavior, click and reward him with a treat.

Your verbal cue should be short and direct, such as "sit" or "down." Sentences, such as "Be a good boy and stay" or "Roll over for mommy" would be too long.
Make sure that you give the verbal cue before your dog does the behavior so that he knows to listen for your command and then respond to it.
If you have used the “lure” method, give the hand signal after saying the verbal cue.

Loose Leash Walking Fundamentals

Whistle training

How do I start dog whistle Training?

First of all, using a dog whistle requires a bit of practice. Try generating the rising and falling notes, long blasts and short pips. Practice the 'spit' blow to produce short sharp notes. This requires you to put your tongue over the end of the whistle and effectively do a spitting action !

THE SIT: The distant 'sit' is the most important command to master early in your whistle training programme. When your dog is in the sit position, you are more likely to have their full attention to any follow up commands. The added benefit of mastering this command is that it stabilises any situation. Assuming that the command 'sit' does not occur in the middle of the road, a sitting dog is calm and out of trouble or danger, ready for the next command.

Lets assume that your dog has mastered the close up sit command accompanied by a raised hand signal. Start to replace the verbal command (i.e. continue with the hand signal) with the whistle command. This is one long blow- but not too loud- while you are working close up to your dog. If they don't respond correctly, then add the verbal 'sit' command. With practice, your dog will gradually respond to just the whistle and perhaps the hand signal for reinforcement.

Don't attempt to dive into long distance 'sits' at this stage- you will need to build this up slowly. Start by practicing the sit position at just a couple of steps back. When they do this successfully, go back to the dog and praise them warmly. Don't be tempted to call your dog towards you as they will understand the returning to you as successful completion of the exercise. If, as you increase the distance, your dog attempts to move (or crawl) towards you, repeat the command again. It will take a large number of training sessions to build up the distance, remember - small steps at a time. When your dog is able to sit at considerable distances (say 50m), you can then start to practice moving out of your dog's sight for a short period. Then start to build up the amount of time you are out of sight.

COMING WHEN CALLED: You must have the ability to recall your dog, no matter what the situation or other temptations. The best way to achieve this is by ensuring that returning to you is a rewarding and highly pleasurable experience available to them. To do this it is essential that you never punish your dog for returning to you regardless of what they were doing before (or how angry it made you!).

Recalling a young puppy is often quite easy as they often lack the confidence to wander far away. It is important to take advantage of this period in building the recall command and associating it with very positive experiences. To get your dog's attention and make it return to you, be prepared to step out of your comfort zone in terms of your own behaviour. Use high pitched voices, clap your hands, jump up and down. Make yourself seem as interesting as possible to your dog. If you are really desperate, use a treat or run in the opposite direction to your dog. Their natural chase instinct nearly always gets their attention and brings them running. When they get to you, heap on the praise, hug them, play a short game or a tummy rub. Anything that makes them think returning to you is just the real business.

Start to introduce the whistle when recalling. To start with, you could just whistle yourself unaided and gradually move onto the dog whistle as your distances increase. Assuming your dog is able to sit on command, practice walking away from them a short distance, then using the pip-pip to recall. Sometimes return to your dog instead of doing the recall. This will stop your dog anticipating the command or always assume a sit/stay is followed by a recall.

If at any time your dog seems confused, keep calm and don't start shouting (this will only make things worse). Go back to commands that your dog has mastered and start to build up slowly again. Training is always two steps forwards and one back. Be prepared for this and to take it in your stride (excuse the pun!). Remember praise = success - ignore = fail.

Other than gun and herding dog handlers, most people are happy to achieve successful distance sits and distance recalls with their dog whistle. You can, however, move onto more advance commands involving directing your dog to particular locations to retrieve objects and much more.

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Training & walking service

Odedience training

Page Title

Loose Leash Walking Fundamentals

Whistle training

How do I start dog whistle Training?

Odedience training

Page Title

Loose Leash Walking Fundamentals

Whistle training

How do I start dog whistle Training?

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