We all know that teaching our dogs some basic obedience skills can make our lives with them much easier. After all, a dog who can walk politely on a leash, come back when you call, and follow other simple instructions is much more fun to be around than an out-of-control canine with no manners!
If you have a new puppy at home that needs training, or even an older dog that you’d like to teach a few things, you may be wondering where to start. Read on for some suggestions on the most important obedience commands that your dog should know.
“Sit”
This is the first obedience skill that most people teach their dogs – with good reason! It’s quick and easy for most dogs to learn, and sitting is a very useful behavior that can be used whenever your dog needs to ask politely for something. You can ask your dog to sit before petting or throwing a toy, attaching the leash for a walk, or opening the door to let it outside for a potty break – it’s a great way for dogs to say “please.”
To teach sit, hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose and slowly move it up and back – as your dog’s nose comes up to follow the treat, its weight will shift backward and the rear legs will bend. As soon as the rear end touches the floor, praise and give your dog the treat.
“Come”
Coming back when you call is arguably the most important skill your dog will ever learn – this command could save your dog’s life someday, so it pays to make sure that you teach it well. Ideally, your dog should stop immediately and come running back to you, no matter how far away it is or what kinds of distractions are present. It takes lots of practice to hone this skill, but it’s well worth your time!
To teach come, start with a handful of tasty treats and your dog on-leash. Call your dog’s name and say “come!” in a loud, cheerful voice, then run backwards and encourage your dog to follow. Most dogs love this game, and will happily chase you. As soon as your dog catches up, praise and feed several treats in a row – you want this to be very rewarding! Once your dog has the general idea, you can start to practice off-leash indoors, or outside in a safely fenced area.
“Stay”
The stay command is very handy in everyday life, since you may need your dog to hold still while you put the leash on, open doors, or even put the food bowl down at dinner time. It can also be handy in an emergency, if you accidentally drop the leash or if your dog slips out of its collar on a walk – a good, solid stay command can keep your dog from running into the street or bolting after a rabbit.
To teach stay, start with in a sitting position – make sure you’ve already taught “sit” first! Say “stay,” and immediately give your dog a treat before it has a chance to get up. Next, try pausing for one second after saying “stay” before giving the treat. Then try waiting two seconds, then three seconds, etc. until your dog can stay sitting for up to ten seconds at a time. If your pup becomes confused and gets up, don’t punish – just try again, making the time shorter if needed. Once you have a good ten-second stay, you can begin to add distance the same way – just a step at a time at first. Always return to your dog and reward while it’s still sitting, to reinforce the “stay” behavior.
“Drop it”
This command is an extremely useful one, especially for puppies and young dogs who like to pick up things they shouldn’t! You can use it during a game of fetch or tug if your dog tends to hang onto the toy and not allow you to have it back, or on a walk if your pup picks up a piece of trash or something else you don’t want it to swallow.
To teach this skill, you will need to practice first with toys that your dog is good at giving up. When your pup has a toy in its mouth, say “drop it!” in a cheerful tone and hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose. Most dogs will readily drop the toy so that they can eat the treat – praise and reward when this happens, and pick up the toy with your other hand. With practice, your dog will begin to drop the toy happily as soon as you say “drop it!” without needing to see the treat first. At that point, you can begin to use this new skill with real-life objects that your dog picks up.
“Heel”
For most pet dogs, a strict “heel position” with the dog lined up on your left side isn’t necessary – but polite loose leash walking skills are a must! It’s fine to let your dog meander and sniff things on-leash when you walk, but in crowded areas or other situations when you need more control, it helps to be able to ask your dog to walk nicely beside you. Fortunately, this command is easy to teach in most cases as long as you’re patient and consistent.
To teach loose leash walking (the “heel” command), first choose which side you want your dog to walk on – the left side is traditional, but you can choose whatever is most comfortable for you. If your dog is on the left, hold your treats in your left hand and reward the dog for paying attention and walking nicely beside you. If your pup gets distracted and runs ahead, just stop and use your treats to lure it back into position. You will need to reward very frequently at first – every step or two – in order to keep your dog’s attention, but you can begin to space the treats out more as your pup catches on. With practice, you can have your dog walking politely with you for the length of a block or more for a single treat!