By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2011-09-24 09:36:07 | Word Count: 544
In order to have a great relationship with your dog you will both need to learn some basic commands so that you can better communicate with each other and so your dog knows what to expect. Your dog is very eager to please you so if you do basic commands with your dog in a positive way, he will quickly learn them and be excited to do them for you.
Sit is one of the first things that people usually want to teach their dog. Before you start to do training with your pet, be sure to have a quiet area and have some tasty treats for positive reinforcement. Start by talking to your dog and petting him to show him that everything is ok. Next, you can gently push on your dog's bottom while saying sit. When your dog sits, praise him and give him a treat. You should find that this will only take but a few tried before your dog gets the idea that if he sits you will be happy.
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Once you master sitting, you can train your dog to lie down. Some people have different names for this command such as down or lie down. Decide what you want to go with and stick with it. When you get your dog into a sitting position, let him smell the treat in your hand and bring it to the floor while he is sniffing it. This will make him lie down as he follows the treat. Be sure to tell him the command name and give him the treat when he completes the task.
Walking on a leash is something that both of you will have to get used to. When you walk your dog on the leash you want to be sure that you have a collar on that will not slip off while walking. Some people like to use a choke collar, some like to use a collar that have prongs in it to gently tug at the dogs neck much like the mother dog and other people like a regular collar. Choose one that you and your pooch are comfortable with, you can change the collar out if you find that your dog just will not get the hang of the leash.
Do not give your dog too much lead on the leash. It is best to keep the leash short so that he is walking right at your side. Gently tug the collar back and tell him to heel if he is pulling you down the sidewalk. Many trainers like to use small treats to help the dog stay focused on walking at your side without tugging on the leash. Once you master the leash, you can move on to the stay command.
To teach your dog to stay you will need to get him in a sitting position, leave the leash on, and tell him to stay. Use and commands for this as it helps tour dog to see what he is to do. You can place your hand up in front of him, telling him to sit and then stay while you are backing away from the dog. Do this is short intervals, increasing the space between you and the dog with each try.
Author Resource:-
Article by Kelly Marshall of http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/, check out our selection of designer dog beds and cool dog clothes.
