Dogs are known for their obedience, love, loyalty, and willingness to learn new things by observing their owners.
One of the best things about having a dog is the ability to train them to follow dog commands.
Dog commands differ from other tricks and methods for entertainment.
When you teach your dog new tricks, you need to be patient, persistent, and not give up if your dog does not follow your lead right away.
You should also establish some rewards system that your dog will recognize and follow.
All dog commands can be taught similarly. Just use the reward system and constantly repeat things so your dog will catch up on them.
Some common commands for your dog include teaching them to sit, stay, get down, come, fetch, take it, drop it, and many more.
All commands are useful in their own way.
If you want your dog to be trained appropriately, then you must teach them many different commands so they can obey you every time you use them.
By teaching your dog different commands, they will become more loving, obedient, loyal, and will see you as a leader and authority.
As you start teaching your dog the main basic commands, it will become more enthusiastic in following orders, and your methods of dog training will take off smoothly.
As soon as your dog becomes fully familiar with the methods you use, you can then teach them some more complex commands.
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Things to Consider Before Dog Training
1. Pick a name for your dog and respect it.
Choose the name very wisely because you will use it to train your dog.
You should choose a catchy name that can be easily remembered and that your dog will love it.
Dogs adapt rather quickly, so use their name repeatedly, and soon enough, they will respond positively to it.
The important thing is to associate your dog`s name with something pleasant.
When they hear their name, they should think of something that will bring joy to them.
2.Decide on the rules that your dog has to follow.
You must be clear what your dog can and cannot do.
If you set rules early then, there won`t be any confusion for you and your dog.
3.Create a special den for your dog.
Every pet needs its own space where he will sleep, relax, and eat.
Make sure you create something special where your dog will have its own privacy without anyone disturbing him.
Sometimes pets need time for themselves.
They need a comfortable and quiet place where they will take a nap.
Provide that to them so they will be more obedient later when you teach them new skills.
4.Help your dog relax when entering your home.
Make them feel comfortable in the environment, give them food and water, and pet them.
Tell him he is a beautiful dog that will be loved and cherished and that he is part of your family if you say that in a soothing voice, your dog will definitely feel it and will respond back with all the love he can give.
5.Teach your dog to come when it is being called.
This is not part of the training, but it is an excellent way to keep your dog familiarized with his name before you go into more sophisticated training techniques.
Your dog must hear its name constantly in order to remember it and to get used to the sound of it.
Perfecting this will make the training process much easier later.
6.Reward your dog for the good things he is doing.
Give him a treat, hug, or just praise him for good behavior.
7.Make sure you discourage him from bad behavior and biting.
Pretend you are in big pain when he starts biting.
That will surely surprise your dog, and he is likely to stop doing it if he sees you are hurt or in pain.
If that tactic does not work, then trade a chew toy for your leg or hand.
8.Always use positive words to encourage your dog.
Tell him he has been excellent, that he has done a great job.
Praising your dog can have a very big effect on the way they behave, and they will be more responsive next time you call them to come to you.
Essential Dog Commands List To Train Your Dog
1. “Name” Command
Keep calling your dog by its name, and eventually, they will become familiar with it.
You can speed up the entire process if you use games to help your pet associate its name with some positive sounds.
Get some small treats to reward your dog every time they obey you.
When your dog looks in another direction, call them by their name in a happy and cheerful tone.
When the dog looks at you, let him know that he has done well and tell him “good boy” or “well done” and give the dog a delicious treat.
Practice this regularly until your dog gets completely familiar with the name they are called by.
2. “Sit” Command
Use a treat that you will move slowly from the dog`s nose up to their eyes.
Keep it an inch away from them all the time.
As your dog sits down on the ground, praise them and award them with a treat.
Repeat this many times until the dog fully learns what is expected from them.
To teach a dog to sit down, call them to come to you, and then use a strong voice to tell them to sit.
If the dog sits, reward them with praise or some tasty treat.
If the dog refuses to sit, apply gentle pressure to their rear end until they fully sit down.
3. “Stay” Command
Stay command is almost similar to the previous one.
The difference is that you teach your dog not to move when you walk away.
Once again, use a stern voice to tell the dog he should stay in place and not move until told otherwise.
Use treats to reward them for good behavior.
4. “Come” Command
Remember that no matter how hard you try, dogs are not robots.
You must take it slow and be patient. There is no guarantee that they will listen to your command.
When you teach them to come, use your hands to point them towards your direction.
When you first teach them, make sure you do so in a quiet environment without any distractions.
When they come to you, praise them for their behavior and give them a treat and praise. Repeat this several times during the day and week.
After a few weeks, they will get the point and will fully start listening and obeying your commands.
5) “Watch Me” Command
Watch me dog command is one of the simplest to teach your dog.
You just have to get the attention of your dog and then say or do whatever you want your dog to notice.
Once again, it requires some practice, but it is easily doable, and one of the quickest commands your dog can learn.
6. “Take it” & “Drop it” Command
With this command, you need to show your dog what should be taken and dropped.
Repeat it several times so your dog will get the idea of what should be done.
7. High five, Paw. Shake hands
This dog command is something many owners want their pets to do. It shows the bond and love between the owner and the dog.
Make sure you use a soft, gentle voice when telling your dog to give a high five and shake hands.
Reward them with a treat and repeat several times until they learn.
8. “Speak” Command
Say the words repeatedly that you want your dog to say. Make sure you establish eye contact.
This is a more complex command, but your dog can learn it eventually. Be patient and persistent.
9. “Place, Bed, or Crate” Commands
Another command that requires frequent practice. Show your dog what should be done and how.
Do this in a quiet environment where there will be no distractions for the dog.
10. “Down” Command
Down command is a relatively simple command, but do not feel bad if your dog does not obey right away.
If it does not go down right away, gently tap them behind and make them sit. Give a reward for successful getting down.
11. “Heel” Command
As it is widely known, walking can be very beneficial for any dog. Most breeds do not know how to properly heel when going on walks.
That means it is up to you to teach them this nice skill that will make your dog healthier and happier.
With this command, your dog needs to learn to walk beside you instead of in front of or behind you.
The dog must follow your pace and stop when you stop. Every time you go for a walk with your dog, motivate him to walk beside you.
Lure him with some treat or pleasant words. This is a complex skill, but it can be learned with regular practice.
12. “Wait” Command
The point of this command is to make your dog sit where it is no matter where you walk.
Dogs are curious by nature and will instinctively try to follow you, but you can still train them to sit still and wait while you are on the move.
13. “Off” Command
As we all know, dogs what to bite and chew things. They want to play and have fun, which is why they often get something with their teeth and do not want to let it go.
You can teach them to back off by rewarding them if they behave well and respond properly when you tell them off.
14. “Take it” & “Drop it” Commands
This is a bit complex command that requires a longer time to teach, but it can be done.
Basically, you are telling your dog to take some object and drop it when said so.
Once again, the reward system must be in place in order for them to learn, so keep trying.
Use your voice to train them, pet them, and give them something as a treat every time they do as you tell them.
15. “Out” Command
When you say “Out,” your dog is supposed to jump on his legs and go outdoors.
It will work better if you associate the word “out” with some pleasant activity outside.
Do this every day, and the dog will catch on the pattern.
16. “Roll Over” Command
Rollover dog command takes time to perfect. As soon as your dog learns it, you will love it.
The good idea is to use your fingers in circling way when teaching your dog to roll over.
Do it over and over again until your dog learns to do it and do not forget to reward him for the job well done.
17. “Place, Bed, or Crate” Commands
The best way to learn this command is by having your dog leashed first. Have a treat in one hand and hold the leash in the other.
Guide your dog with the leash and treat. The treat will provoke your dog to move in the direction you want him to go, such as his place, bed, blanket, or crate.
As soon as the dog enters the place where you want him to be – give him the command “place” and reward him with the treat.
Repeat this activity as many times as necessary until your dog learns the command properly.
This dog command is very good for the dog as it tells him to stay in a particular place and be calm.
This can come handy to you, especially when you have visitors in your home or when you want to take a nap and rest.
18. “Stand” Command
With this command, you are teaching your dog to stand when you tell them to do so.
When they are seated, have a treat in your hand and get it close to your dog`s nose.
Lower the treat down until your dog is completely down and then move it up and tell your dog to stand.
After your dog stands, give him the treat as a reward for his compliance.
Once again, this command needs to be repeated many times every day until your dog learns it completely.
This command can come very handy in situations when you want your dog to be examined by a veterinarian or if you want to brush them.
Final thoughts
- Be regular and patient. Regardless of which command you want to teach your dog, remember that you cannot teach anything overnight. It requires constant practice every day.
- Do not be too hard on your dog when you start with the teaching process. Dogs are not like humans, and they require more time to learn something. Do not punish them or hit them if they cannot do things right. Over time it will happen, so once again, be patient.
- Start doing the exercises in some quiet place. There should not be any distractions nearby, so the dog will be focused on learning.
- Learning sessions should be simple, short, and easy to follow. Do not start with complex commands right away. Go slowly, bit by bit.
- Start teaching your dog at home or in your yard before doing it in public. Make sure he learns everything necessary at home before exercising the dog commands somewhere public.
- Always reward the dog when they are good, but do not hit them or punish them when they are not doing well. You will not achieve the desired effect by forcing your dog, so take things slowly.
- Do not proceed towards teaching new things until your dog learns the old ones first. After your dog fully learns one command, then it is a good time to proceed to another.
- Make sure you make the training session fun and entertaining for your dog. Not just for your dog, but you should also take an active part in the exercises. Be a friend to your dog and practice together. That way, your dog will learn things more quickly.
These were some things you should know when you want to start teaching some dog commands.
There are plenty of dog commands that you can teach your dog, but the mentioned ones here are the easiest to learn.
Of course, different dogs require different time to learn new tricks and commands.
The main point is never to rush things and take all the time necessary for them to learn.
Learning commands to follow can be a nice activity for all involved and certainly a rewarding experience.
Hopefully, you will find this information useful when starting to teach your dog new commands.
Consider the valuable advice here, and soon enough, you will enjoy some great moments with your dog.
Be patient, and enjoy the time spent together. Regardless of how long it takes for your dog to learn the commands, you are certainly guaranteed to spend memorable moments with your lovely dog.