As most obedience class trainers know, most of the work in teaching dog obedience is teaching the owners! Once they know the basics of training, the rest is easy! Everyone wants a well-behaved dog with impeccable manners, but how is this accomplished? Unless you are lucky enough to have adopted a dog that someone else has trained, chances are you will be left to do the work. Fortunately it is not difficult to train basic obedience, but it does take some commitment and consistency on your part.

Think Like a Dog

Your dog may have been the smartest pup in his litter, but he is still a dog! Do not expect him to understand commands until you have taught him! Do not expect him to obey a command that he does not understand or one in which you cannot control the outcome. One of the classic mistakes that people make is to shout at their dog to COME when he is clear across the yard. First, unless you have taught the dog the command, he has no idea what you want. Secondly, by giving the command while you were not in control, you’ve taught him that when he is out of your reach, he can ignore you!

A second classic mistake scolding the dog long after the event occurred. If the puppy piddled in the kitchen at noon and you arrive home at 3:00 and then scold him, all he has learned is to avoid you when you return. He cannot make a connection to the actual event. People often mistakenly think that the dog is acting guilty, when in fact he is acting the way he was taught—nervous that he will be scolded when his owner returns home. It is better to ignore the transgression until you catch him in act.

Training takes time, commitment and patience. Just as you would not put your child in high school until he has learned to read and write, you cannot expect your dog to behave until he has learned the basics. Most dogs who are unruly really have the owners to blame.

Consistency

Before you start your training, it is helpful to have some tips on training in general. Firstly, a reliably trained dog takes some work and commitment. Set aside time to train everyday. The time needed will vary with the dog’s age and previous training. A small pup will have an equally small attention span and you do not want to stress him. Five to ten minutes twice a day is plenty at this stage. As the dog gets a bit older, and as he learns more of what you expect, you can increase the time to about 20-30 minutes, once or twice a day. Don’t try to overdo it or it will be frustrating for both you and your dog.

Use the same commands each time. It won’t matter if you teach your dog in German, French or Pig-Latin, he will remember the commands if you use the same ones each time. Don’t confuse him by switching terms.

Set rules for your household before the dog arrives and stick to them. If you have decided that the couch is off limits, that means it is off limits all the time, not just when company arrives. The dog will not understand the difference. If you do not want your dog jumping up on people to greet them, do not let him do it at all. The limits you set are up to you, but be consistent in how they are enforced.

Tone

If you are confident and upbeat your mood will transfer to your dog. Give commands in a firm, audible voice. You want the dog to hear you, but you do not want to frighten him. Conversely, commands given in a timid, soft voice may very well be ignored. Don’t give commands in the tone of a question. If you say "SIT?" your dog will sense some indecision on your part. Give commands once. If you consistently repeat commands until the dog obeys, the dog, will learn to ignore the first 3-4 commands. A dog is very adept at learning how far he can go!

Praise

Be generous with praise! Let your dog know that you are very happy with his performance—he lives to please you! Use a very happy tone and a good pat if he has worked well. Always end your training session on a positive note, praising him for a job well done. Be stingy with corrections. If the dog does something wrong, a simple, firm "NO" will do. Do not berate him and ensure that you praise him all the more when he does the behavior correctly.

Fun

Most importantly, have fun with your training. Think of it as a fun exercise that you and your dog do together, rather than as a chore. Never do your training if you are in a bad mood or had a bad day. Your mood will impact your dog’s performance and the session will be frustrating for you both. Keep the training interesting—dogs can become just as bored as humans can. Vary your lessons, train in new areas, train with friends or in a class. Fun is the name of the game!

Equipment

The basic "sit" and "stay" can be taught in your home, but eventually you will want to expand your training outside and in various situations. For this you will need a training collar and a 6 foot leather or cloth lead. It is helpful to have "treats" for training. These can be small biscuits, string cheese, dried liver or hot dogs, just about anything that your dog likes. However, try to make your treats healthy and use very small treats or pieces. Otherwise, you will have an overweight dog before long!

Teaching the "Sit"

Stand along side your dog, with the treat in one hand. Give the command SIT firmly. At the same time, move the treat toward his nose and upward, so that he will naturally move to the sit position. Press gently on his rump if necessary. It may take a couple of practice tries on your part to get this to be a fluid motion, but the dog should start to sit as the treat is moved up and toward his nose. Once he is in the sitting position, praise him and give him the treat. Practice in this way until he consistently sits on his own. The idea is to get him consistently performing correctly. Don’t try to progress too quickly to moving away from him.

Once he is consistently sitting, you can progress to giving the command without moving the treat toward his nose. Give the command once, wait a few seconds and, if he sits, give him the treat and plenty of praise. If he does not sit, repeat the command, moving the treat toward his nose, pushing on the rump if necessary until he does, then praise and give the treat. Resume the original strategy until he is consistent and then try to move away again. The treat and praise and the correction must all be given within seconds. You want the dog to make an immediate connection between the SIT and the treat. Do give a command when you are not in control of the situation, for example, if the dog is across the room.

The Stay

Once you have your dog sitting consistently on command, you can progress to teaching the "Stay". With the dog in the sit position, move your open hand down in front of the dog’s eyes and say "STAY". Say the command firmly, without making it a question. Say the command just once. If you say "Stay, stay, stay?" the dog is going to wonder what the heck is going on! Say it once, firmly, then take one step away from the dog. If he moves, go back to him, say "No" and put him back in position and try again. Do not attempt to make him hold the stay for more than a few seconds at first. You want him to succeed and get praise! When he consistently stays for a few seconds, you can gradually increase the time in the stay, as well as the distance away. Do not rush it! You want him to do well and to enjoy the training. If he starts to break the stays, go back to the beginning, moving only one step away. With patience, you will be able to gradually build up the distance and time.

Remember, keep your lessons short and always end on a positive note! Happy training!