Raising a dog is somehow like raising a toddler. You feed them, clean up after them, and help enforce positive behavior to keep them from harm’s way. As a paw-rent, it’s our responsibility to teach our doggos obedience to help them grow as well-behaved floof babies.

Here at Maxime, we’ve listed some basic commands as well as a few tips on how you can train your dear doggo to learn them.

When should I start training my dog?

We recommend training your dogs as early as three months old. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t teach a well-grown adult doggo some commands! With command teaching, it’s important to capture your doggo’s full attention. Remember to pack treats (you can use Maxime kibbles!) and a lot of patience before you begin your training sessions.

Basic dog commands

• Heel/With Me – This command encourages your doggo to stay by your side while walking them without tugging on their leash. To teach this command,  bring some treats and a leash. Walk your dog on your left side, all while saying the command “Heel” or “With me” and your doggo’s name. Give your floof baby treats when they walk correctly. If they start to get ahead of you, tug the leash gently to make them stop, or bring them to your side and do it again. Repeat the command as needed until they get the hang of it. 

• Sit – This is one of the easiest commands you can teach your doggo. To teach this command, hold a treat by your doggo’s nose, then lift your hand towards the back of their head. This will help your doggo lower his butt to the ground as they look at your hand. If your dog doesn’t, lightly tap your dog’s back until they’re lowered into a sitting position. Once your dog is finally sitting, repeat the word sit and give them a treat.

• Stay – After teaching your dog how to sit down, the next best step is to teach them how to stay put. To teach this command, coax your floof baby in a sitting position. Hold your hands up with your palms facing forward, then say the word “stay” as you slowly move away from your dog. Remember to keep eye contact with your doggo as you move away. If they stand up and follow you, repeat the process. Let your doggo hold their stay position for 30 seconds or longer. Reward your floof baby with praises and treats after successfully learning this command.

• Come – This is an essential command that your doggo also needs to learn for their safety! Teaching your dog to immediately come when you call them could prevent them from getting into accidents, like when they dash out of your house or slip out of their leash. To teach this command, go to the other end of the room and say, “come”, then call your dog’s name with an enthusiastic voice. When your doggo comes to you, make sure to treat him with pets, praises, and treatos.

• Down/Lie down – This command can help you calm an overexcited doggo and prevent them from pouncing on guests or visitors. To teach this command, hold a treat with your closed fist and let your dog sniff the treat. Once you get their attention, gently move your hand to the floor. Continue to move your hand along the floor until your dog assumes a lying position. Once your dog has settled down, say the “down” command, then reward your doggo with a treat and praise.

Things to remember

When training your dog, it’s important to use positive reinforcement. There’s rarely a dog who would refuse treats and our domesticated floof babies always want to please. A dog rewarded with healthy treats and praises is more likely to respond to command cues.

If your doggo doesn’t master these commands on your first few training sessions, don’t fret! Like with learning any skill, repetition is the key to mastery. Practice with your doggo at least 3-5x a day.  Do remember to keep your training short though; dogs have a short attention span. Your training sessions should last no longer than 15 minutes.

Lastly — patience, patience, and patience. Dog training is a good time to strengthen the relationship between you and your floof baby. By learning these commands, your doggos can win your approval. By teaching these commands, you help your dog be obedient and responsive. It goes both ways. Make sure to incorporate heaps of love into each training session so you can #LiveTheBestLifeTogether with your floof baby!

References:

5 Basic Puppy Commands, FigoPetInsurance.com
10 Commands To Teach Your Dog, Dogue.com.au
Tips On Training Your Dog | MyPet, MyPet.com