1. Sit
Your dog should know when you want it to sit. When you are trying to put on a leash or feeding it, it is important to ensure your pet remains stationary for a while. However, unless you teach it when to do so, it won’t. This is why sitting is a command you should teach your dog the first chance you get.
The best part is that this is one of the easiest commands to teach. Your dog is bound to learn it quickly. A way to teach this is to place a treat in front of it, move it closer to its nose and then move your hand up. You will notice that your dog will be following your moves with its eyes. Once you move the treat up its head, your dog will look up, thereby lowering its bottom or, in other words, sitting.
Once it has sat, say sit and give the treat to him. Do this every day for a few times. Slowly, your dog will comply with the command, even if there isn’t a treat in the equation.
2. Come
This is a command that you have to teach your dog, regardless of the difficulty you face in doing so. This is, by far, the most important command. It will make sure that your dog doesn’t run off every time it slips out of its leash. You must teach your loyal friend to come to you whenever you call, regardless of what it is doing.
The best way to teach this command is to have someone else hold your dog in one room. You should go to another room or at the end of the same room. Call your dog by saying, “Come here (dog’s name).” Make sure your tone is enthusiastic and warm. For the first few times, give your pet a treat every time it comes to you after you call it. However, giving a treat is not enough. You must look elated that your dog came to you. Pet it, fuss over it or play with it. Give it a reason to come to you when you call. If your dog turns out to be very stubborn, you should think of buying the training collar. It makes teaching a dog to come a lot easier.
Once you have mastered this command, you can rest assured that your dog will come back to you every time you call, regardless of how many distractions there are.
3. Stay
Does your dog attack its food the moment you put the bowl down? Does it get overexcited the moment you bring out a leash? If so, it is time to teach it the “stay” command. However, before you move on to this command, it is essential for your beloved pet to have already mastered the “sit” command. You can say that this command is an extension of the other one.
This is because you first tell your dog to sit when bringing the food. Now, without the “stay” command, your dog will start eating the moment you put the food down. To teach it basic etiquettes, you must hold your palm open and say “stay.” Say this multiple times, keeping your palm open throughout it all. Then, take a few steps back and see if your dog still stays in its position. If it does, reward it with a treat.
Be warned that this command will take a significantly longer time for your dog to master. Don’t get disheartened; it will get there.
4. Down
Compared to “sit” and “come,” this command is a tad more difficult. This is because dogs are not used to being in submissive positions. Therefore, they might take a long time to comply. However, they will eventually come around.
To train your dog, begin by finding a treat that has a distinct smell. The smell should be strong enough for your dog to easily recognize, and it must like the smell too. Hold this treat in the palm of your hand and form a closed fist over your dog’s nose. It will sniff your hand and detect that there is something delicious in there.
Move your hand to the floor and watch as your dog follows. To ensure that your dog lies down completely, slide your closed fist on the ground. After your dog is lying on the ground, say “down” and give it the treat. Pet it for being a good boy and repeat this until your dog starts responding to the “down” command. If it doesn’t lie down and instead tries to lunge forward, say “no” and take the treat away.
5. Drop/Give
Dogs love to chew on things. If they do so on a chew toy, all is well and good. However, if your possessions become their chew toy, you might not be a fan. What do you do to ensure they let go of your possessions from their mouth? Simple. You teach them the drop/give command.
All you need to do is give your beloved pet a chew toy and hold your hand in front of it. Say “give/drop” and hold a treat in your other hand. If it doesn’t budge, give the toy a tug and repeat the command. Once it opens its mouth enough for you to take the toy away, give it a treat and praise it. Slowly, you would see that it won’t just open his mouth but also drop the item completely.
Verdict
Teaching your dogs commands is all about positive reinforcement. They won’t do it unless you reward their behavior. Use treats and petting as a way to reward your doggo each time it follows your commands. At least get these five basic commands instilled in it. Your life will become easier.
