5 BASIC CUES YOU SHOULD TEACH YOUR PUPPY
Bringing home a new puppy is so exciting!
All that cuteness and the snuggles can't be beaten. Another benefit of puppies is that they're too young to have picked up many bad habits. But that also means it's up to you to teach your little fur-ball whatever he needs to know about being part of your family.
In this article, you will know: The 5 Basic Cues you should teach your puppy.
Don't Miss Dogs Books:
★ 101 DOG TRICKS (Click Here)
★ WHAT'S MY DOG THINKING (Click Here)
IMPORTANT TIPS BEFORE THE BEGINNING
To start off on the right foot (and paw!) with your pup, they’ll need to know what you expect. This will make them feel secure in their ability to meet the goals laid out going forward. To set yourself up for success, training begins before you get a puppy.
Make sure you have everything you'll need for a new puppy and that you've puppy-proofed your home. Know ahead of time where you want your puppy to sleep, play, and go potty. Also, consider what areas of the home will be off-limits.
✔ The foundation of training should be based on Positive Reinforcement.
Positive Reinforcement is the process of giving your puppy a reward to encourage the behavior you want, like getting a paycheck for going to work. The idea is not to bribe with the behavior but to train it using something your puppy values.
Reinforcement can be anything your puppy likes. Most people use small pieces of High-value food for training treats (something special, such as freeze-dried liver or even just their kibble).
Lavish praise or the chance to play with a favorite toy can also be used as a reward. Puppies must be taught to like praise. If you give the puppy a treat while saying: Good Boy! in a happy voice, they will learn that praise is a good thing and can be a reward.
❎ Avoid using Punishment such as leash corrections or yelling.
Punishment can cause puppies to become confused and unsure about what is being asked of them. It is important to remember that we can’t expect puppies to know what they don’t yet know; just like you wouldn’t expect a 2-year-old child to know how to tie his shoes. Patience will go a long way in helping your puppy learn how to behave.
Puppies can begin very simple training starting as soon as they come home, usually around 8 weeks old. Always keep training sessions brief - just 5 to 10 minutes - and always end on a positive note.
★ If your puppy gets bored or frustrated, it will ultimately be counterproductive to learning.
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1) Teach your puppy to come when called:
Sit with your puppy and say "Their Name" or the word "Come". Each time you say (Come/Name) Give your puppy a treat. They don’t have to do anything yet. Just repeat the word and give a treat... Easy 😉
★ Next, drop a treat on the floor near you. As soon as your puppy finishes the treat on the ground, say their name again. When he looks up, give them another treat.★ Repeat this a couple of times until you can begin tossing the treat a little further away, and your puppy can turn around to face you when you say his name.
Take care:
👎Avoid repeating your puppy’s name; saying it too often when he doesn’t respond makes it easier for him to ignore it.👍Instead, move closer to your puppy and go back to a step where they can be successful at responding to his name the first time.
Once your puppy can turn around to face you, begin adding movement and making the game more fun. Toss a treat on the ground and take a few quick steps away while calling his name.
Your puppy should run after you because chasing is fun. When he catches you, give them a lot of praise, or treats, or play with a tug toy. Coming to you should be fun!
Continue building on these games with longer distances and in other locations. When training outside (always in a safe, enclosed area), it may be helpful to keep your puppy on a long leash at first.
When your puppy comes to you, don’t reach out and grab them. This can be confusing or frightening for some dogs. If your puppy is timid, kneel and face them sideways and offer treats as you reach for the collar.
❎ Never call your puppy to punish. This will only teach him that you are unpredictable and that it is a good idea to avoid you.✅ Always reward your puppy heavily for responding to his name, even if he has been up to mischief❕
2) Teach your puppy Loose-Leash walking:
In competition obedience training, "Heel" means the puppy is walking on your left side with their head even with your knee while you hold the leash loosely.
Puppy training can be a little more relaxed, with the goal being that they walk politely on a loose leash without pulling. Some trainers prefer to say: "Let’s Go" or "Forward" instead of "Heel".
Whatever cue you choose, be consistent, and always use the SAME WORD. Whether your puppy walks on your left side or your right side is completely up to you. But be consistent about where you want them, so they don’t get confused, and learn to Zig-Zag in front of you.
★ Then, stand next to your puppy with the leash in a loose loop and give him several treats in a row for standing or sitting next to your leg.
★ Take one step forward and encourage him to follow by giving another treat as he catches up, with continue giving treats to your puppy at the level of your knee or hip as you walk forward.
★ When they run in front of you, simply turn in the opposite direction, call them to you, and reward them in place. Then continue. Gradually begin giving treats further apart (from every step to every other step, every third step, and so on).
Allow your puppy plenty of time to sniff and smell the roses on your walks. When he has had his sniffing time, give the cue: Let’s Go in a happy voice and reward him for coming back into position and walking with you.
3) Teach your puppy to sit:
There are 2 different methods for showing your puppy what Sit means.
💿 Capturing:
★ Stand in front of your puppy holding some of their dog food or treats.★Wait for him to sit. Then say Yes and give him a treat.
★Step backward or sideways to encourage them to stand and wait for him to sit.
★Give him another treat as soon as he sits.
★After a few repetitions, you can begin saying: Sit right as your puppy begins to sit.
💿 Luring:
★Put the treat right in front of the pup’s nose, then slowly lift the food above his head. he will probably sit as he lifts his head to nibble at the treat.
★ Allow him to eat the treat when his bottom touches the ground.
★Repeat one or two times with the food lure, then remove the food and use just your empty hand, but continue to reward your puppy after he sits.
★Once your puppy understands the hand signal to sit, you can begin saying Sit right before you give the hand signal.
❎ Never physically put your puppy into the sitting position; this can be confusing or upsetting to some dogs.
4) Teach your puppy to lie down:
Down can be taught very similarly to Sit:
★ You can wait for your puppy to lie down (beginning in a boring, small room such as a bathroom can help).★ Capture the behavior by reinforcing your puppy with a treat when he lies down.
★ Give him the release cue to stand back up (and encouragement with a lure if needed) and then wait for him to lie down again.
★ When they are quickly lying down after standing up, you can begin saying "Down" right before they do so.
You can also lure a down from a sit or stand:
★ Hold a treat in your hand to the puppy’s nose and slowly bring it to the floor.★ Give the treat when the puppy’s elbows touch the floor to start.
★ After a few practices, begin bringing your empty hand to the floor and giving the treat after he lies down.
★ When your puppy can reliably follow your hand signal, begin saying: Down as you move your hand.
Just like with sitting, never use force to put your puppy into a down position.
5) Teach your puppy to stay:
A puppy who knows the Stay cue will remain sitting until you ask them to get up by giving another cue, called the Release Word. Staying in place is a duration behavior. The goal is to teach your puppy to remain sitting until the release cue is given, then begin adding distance.
★ First: Teach the Release Word. Choose which word you will use, such as OK or Free.★ Stand with your puppy in a sit or a stand, toss a treat on the floor, and say your word as they step forward to get the treat.
★ Repeat this a couple of times until you can say the word first and then toss the treat after your puppy begin to move. This teaches the puppy that the release cue means to move your feet.
★ When your puppy knows the release cue and how to sit on cue, put him in a sit, turn and face him, and give him a treat.
★ Pause, and give him another treat for staying in a sit, then release him.
★ Gradually increase the time you wait between treats (it can help to sing the ABCs in your head and work your way up the alphabet).
★ If your puppy gets up before the release cue, that’s okay. It just means they aren’t ready to sit for that long, so you can make it easier by going back to a shorter time.
★ Once your puppy can stay in a sit for several seconds, you can begin adding distance.
★ Place your puppy in a sit and say: Stay, take one step back, then step back to the pup and give a treat and your release word.
★ Continue building in steps, keeping it easy enough that your puppy can stay successful. Practice both facing them and walking away with your back turned (which is more realistic).
Once your puppy can stay, you can gradually increase the distance. This is also true for the Sit. The more solidly they learn it, the longer they can remain sitting. The key is to not expect too much, too soon. Training goals are achieved in increments, so you may need to slow down and focus on one thing at a time.
★ To make sure the training sticks, sessions should be short and successful.
Don't Miss Dogs Books:
★ 101 DOG TRICKS (Click Here)
★ WHAT'S MY DOG THINKING (Click Here)
CONCLUSION:
★ Keep training sessions short and fun.★ End each session on a positive note.
★ If you feel your dog is having a difficult time learning or being “stubborn,” evaluate the speed of your training and the value of your rewards.
These Basic 5 Cues will give your puppy a strong foundation for any future training. And just think, if you and your puppy continue to work hard - and have fun - at training, someday you may become "Obedience champs"!
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