Training Your Dog - Dog Commands

Here we are again on training your dog. Of interest to new dog owners are dog commands such as Sit, Sit-Stay, Come, Down, Down-Stay and the Heel command.

The Sit Command

To teach the Sit command, put your dog on your left side, hold the collar with your right hand and put your left hand on her loin just in front of her hip bones and behind her rib cage. Command "Sit" as you pull upward on the collar and push downward on the loin. If she is rigid and won’t budge, move her forward and walk her into the Sit. Once she is facing forward with her front paws on the ground, loosen your grip. Talk, pat and praise, but don’t let the dog move. Keep pushing her back into the Sit as you tighten upon the collar. After a few seconds, release with the Chin Touch-Okay.

After three days with no signs of resistance, command Sit and wait for a response. To reinforce your command, push downward on the loin and give a quick upward jerk on the lead. Later eliminate the push and just use a sharp, split second jerk-and-release action.

The Sit-Stay Command

As a prerequisite, your dog must be able to obey the Sit command. Hold the leash taut over the dog’s head. Command "Stay", step in front of her and act busy while producing distractions. Return to praise frequently and finally, release with Chin Touch-Okay. Moving the head and wagging the tail is acceptable, but you should correct scooting forward, rotating and attempts to stand with an upward jerk. If one jerk doesn’t stop it, the jerk was too slow or light. If two stronger, faster jerks don’t work, use a jerk and push combination. If your dog tries to lie down, tighten the leash enough to prevent her from lowering comfortably into the Down position.

Repeat the process but each time increase your distance from your dog. For the Out of Sight Sit-Stay, sit your dog behind a corner and step out of sight while still holding the leash. Throw distractions into her view. If she moves, correct her quickly by sliding your hand down the leash toward her collar and giving an upward jerk. Quickly move out of sight again after giving the correction.

The Feeding, Sit-Stay Command

In order to train your dog to sit and wait patiently before being allowed to eat his food, you may follow this training sequence:

First week:
• pour kibble into bowl
• raise bowl over dog’s head
• command, “sit ”
• place bowl on floor and let dog eat

Second week:
• pour kibble into bowl
• hold up bowl in front of dog
• command, “sit”
• start to lower bowl to floor AS LONG as dog is sitting
• as soon as dog gets up to go to the bowl, stand up and hold bowl up in front of you again
• repeat, “sit”, lowering bowl as soon as he sits
• keep raising it back up as he gets up, each time you should be able to get it slightly lower than the previous time
• keep at this until you actually have the bowl on the floor, with your hands off of it AND YOUR DOG IS STILL SITTING
• then release him with an, “okay” and let him eat
o make sure you don’t release him AS he is already getting up - take the time to make sure he is solidly sitting and staying before you release him to go eat

Third week:
• your dog should be able to sit and wait patiently until you release him
• so, as he is sitting and waiting, you can label the command, “stay”
• every “stay” has a release, “okay”

Fourth week:
(this week we work on getting more distance from your dog)
• pour kibble into bowl
• dog should be sitting and waiting patiently by this time
• place bowl a little further from him
• release with an “okay” and let him eat
• if your dog breaks his stay before you release him, pick up the bowl, and put your dog back in the exact spot you left him originally
Happy feeding!

The Come Command

This is the probably the most important command your dog will ever have to follow. All members of your household should be using the same command, and your command should be just that - a command. You need a consistent command that will be there for you in an emergency.
Give the Come command by calling his name followed by Come. Then praise and coach him in, let him know that it is the entire process of coming towards you that is just as great as getting to you, and you appreciate that the travel is the hard part. This also lets your dog know that you aren’t angry with him for being away in the first place (even if you are angry!) and it also motivates your dog that you are a good target to get to.
Model what you want your dog to do: Go right up to his nose with our hands filled with goodies. Command him and lure him to turn around and come just a few steps towards you.
Remember - he must TAG you - your treats/hands should be touching your pants at your dog’s height, so that you’re assured he will always come in close enough to be grabbed by his collar in an emergency.
When he gets to you, praise, pet, hug, and give one treat. Release him with Chin Touch-Okay and let him to go back to what he was doing. Repeat. Let your dog see your calling him as merely a delightful interruption of his fun, not an end all.
Gradually get further and further away before you call. Always run backwards a few steps so that you are enticing and fun, and your dog always learns to turn around, leave what he was doing and come to you.
As soon as your dog had the idea, don ’t give him a treat every time - vary it. You must always have the treat when you call him, until he is 2 years old and then he must always THINK you have something wonderful for him.
You must always praise and appreciate your dog for coming. As soon as you start to vary when you give your dog a treat, introduce the concept of a jackpot- something huge and excellent and unexpected for coming when called- like an entire pile of goodies, or a huge slab of liver, or a rawhide bone, or pull out his food dish and pour in his kibble and right then and there let him have his adored meal.
When you are calling him away from something distracting, like treeing a squirrel, or coming indoors from playing in the yard or park, let your dog believe that coming when called is merely an interruption: praise, treat, and then release, “okay” and send your dog back away to play. Then when you really do need your dog to come in and stop having fun, he won’t mind as much.
This is one command that can never be taken for granted. You must be willing to continue training and rewarding and motivating and jackpotting your dog from now till the day he dies. So he won’t die early from running away and being hit by a car…

The Down Command

Place your thumb and index finger behind the dog’s shoulder blades and on either side of the backbone. Command "Down" as you push. If the dog braces, use your right hand to pull her head down to the ground as you push. After about week of practice, enforce the Down using the two finger push and a quick jerk toward her back toe. When she is going down easily (and often on command alone), use just a two-handed jerk to enforce. Again praise and release with Chin Touch-Okay.

The Down-Stay Command

This command is to teach your dog to lie down and stay for grooming and examinations. Down your dog and command Stay. Examine her ears, eyes, teeth and paws. Use the jerk alone or the combination jerk and two finger push to correct movements like crawling, rolling or ascension. Praise her frequently when she cooperates, and return to her right side to praise and then release her with Chin Touch-Okay.

Progress the Down-Stay command with increasing distance from your dog i.e. with Down-Stay one-step away to out of sight Down-Stay as with the Sit-Stay command.

The Heel Command

The aim of the Heel command is to teach your dog to walk on your left side with her shoulder aligned with yours and her body 3 inches from your leg, regardless of your pace or direction and to sit when you stop. Hold the leash in your right hand with your right thumb through the loop and four fingers holding the slack. Command “Max, Heel” as you begin walking. Prepare to stop by grabbing the collar with your right hand and using your left to place his rear end into a sitting position and his right foot is alongside your left ankle.

To stop slight forging, crowding and sniffing of the ground, turn 90 degrees to the left, then step perpendicularly into your dog so that your left foot and leg slide, or step behind her front legs. Shuffle into him until he becomes attentive and moves back to the left side. Practice slowing your pace abruptly, then turn left immediately if your dog’s shoulder is even one inch ahead of yours. If your dog attempts to cross in front of you to the right side, tighten the leash with your left hand as you continue to step into him.

To stop wideness, sniffing or lagging, follow a right turn with a puddle jump. Pivot 90 degrees to your right on your left foot, take a large step in your new direction with the right foot and leap forward with your left leg as if you were jumping over a puddle. As you jump the puddle, you should feel the leash against your left thigh, puling the dog forward. Steady your leash by holding your right hand against your right hip as you leap.

Jump and praise simultaneously to motivate your dog. Hold the leash in your right hand so the slack will remain in front of your thighs as you jump.

The Front Command

Front means to come briskly and sit facing you with paws in front of your feet until released with Chin Touch-Okay. In this position the dog will be close enough for you to easily touch her.

This is done by calling Front and then backing up as you praise and reel in the leash. Grab the collar with one hand and place the dog’s rear end straight with the front end as she arrives in front of you. Release with a Chin Touch-Okay. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times per day for a week.

After one week, most dogs require only gentle guidance to sit; after 4 weeks, they should be sitting automatically.


Other Important Commands

The Wait Command (5 Steps)

1. Wait at Door
2. Wait at Door with Distraction
3. Cross-Through
4. Out of Sight
5. Wait in Open Areas

Differentiate the Wait command from the Stay command so as not to confuse your dog. If you want your dog to stay in or out of a certain area, the Stay command seems the obvious choice but remember that your dog has learned that Stay means to remain in position either sitting, standing or lying down. Certainly you could use the Stay command as a door opens, but that is ridiculously restrictive if you are leaving for work. Wait is a better solution; it means “Don’t go through the door,” not “Freeze until I come home.” It tells you dog not to leave an area but allows her to move freely within that area.

Wait at Door

Choose a lightweight door, estimate how wide your dog’s front end is and open the door 2 inches more than that as you command Wait. Stand there with your hand on the knob of the partially open door, ready to gently bump the dog’s nose with it should she attempt to pass through the opening. Be sure never to shut the door while correcting. Instead, leave the door open with your hand on the door handle, ready to stop attempted departures with an abrupt and silent bump of the door. Leash your dog so that if your attempts to deter her fail and she successfully skips across the border, you can step on the leash and prevent her defection.

Wait at Door with Distractions

Practice with an assistant who tries to coerce your dog to leave. He or she can talk to the dog or drop food but he/she shouldn’t call your dog. As your assistant remains on the opposite side of the door, engage in lively conversation to teach your dog that even when you are preoccupied, the Wait command is enforced.


Cross-Through

Teach your dog to obey the Wait command as people are passing through the door. After saying Wait and opening the door, hesitate before you or your guests pass through the door. You may need to give a reminding correction to convince her to back off so you can easily pass through. Should she try to slip out as you’re in the doorway and are unable to tap her with the door, use your knee to bump her back.

Out of Sight

To enforce the Wait command from behind a door, begin by commanding Wait at a door that opens out. Stand momentarily with the door open, ready to tap your dog. If she obeys the Wait command, cross through the doorway so you’re standing behind the door, hand on knob, completely out of sight. Throw distractions and have children run in and out as you watch, ready to tap her snout with the door should her nose appear in the opening. Now, whether you’re present or not, she’ll respect your command.

Wait in Open Areas

Once your dog understands Wait at doorways as a result of your door-tapping correction, you can use the Wait command to keep your dog in or out of designated areas, indoors or outside.

1. Determine the boundary – the area should be defined by some type of marker; a change in surface, a dividing rope or anything noticeable that you’ve laid down.
2. Attach a long, lightweight line to the dog’s collar.
3. Command Wait as she is about to enter the off-limits zone.
4. Jerk the line to stop her from entering the off-limits zone.
5. Keep the line “grounded” between corrections. Except for the split second that she’s being jerked, the line should be dragging on the ground, out of your hand.
6. Praise her verbally (not physically) if she obeys your Wait command or following a correction. If the dog begins coming toward you, fold your arms, turn your back and ignore her.

So there you are... hope you have gain some knowledge on dog training. For more dog training guides you can also check out Puppy Training and Dog Training Online by Dove Cresswell