Master the five key commands and you’ll strengthen your bond with your dog for life
We wouldn’t expect a child to know how to behave appropriately without being taught. The same principle applies to dogs. In addition to basic obedience training, it is also important to teach your dog the household rules. Decide on the rules before bringing your dog home and ensure that all members of the household consistently maintain them.
House rules can include whether the dog is allowed up on the couch or on your bed, and whether some rooms of the house are off limits. When teaching your dog basic obedience, some commands are more important than others.
The ‘come’ command (also known as recall) is the most important command and one that people have the most difficulty with. Dogs that reliably ‘come’ are much easier to manage.
When it comes to the recall, dog owners often expect too much. Many say: “My dog won’t come back when we’re at the park.” But the dog park is likely to be one of your dog’s favourite places. All those other dogs, people and new smells are very stimulating. Why would your dog want to come back to you when it means the fun has come to an end and you’re going home? It is up to you to outwit your dog. Make it think that you are much more interesting than the excitement at the park.
Tips
Start in a place where there are few distractions, like the backyard. What motivates your dog – treats or toys? Use this knowledge to your advantage.
Once your dog reliably comes back, continue to proof the behaviour in other situations and places (try it inside or at the park), gradually increasing the level of distractions, such as other people and dogs.
When you’re at the dog park, ask your dog to ‘come’ several times and reward it each time. When you call it and leave, you don’t want it to associate ‘come’ with “we’re going now, the fun is over”. With lots of practice your dog will learn that it’s rewarding to come when called.
Teaching your dog the ‘give/leave it’ command can be a lifesaver. Dogs (especially puppies) love to explore things with their mouths and this can pose a danger if they find something that can hurt them. Common household items such as rat poison, cleaning products, fertiliser, clothing and certain foods can cause harm so it’s important that you can tell your dog to ‘give’ or ‘leave it’ and know that you can safely retrieve the item.
Tips
When a dog has something it values, such as a favourite toy, it’s not likely to give it up easily. It’s up to you to outsmart your dog.
To teach your dog the ‘give/leave it’ command you need to use something it likes better than the object you want it to give up – a favourite treat for example – to serve as a distraction. Wave the treat in front of your dog while saying “give”. Once your dog drops the item, reward it immediately. Repeat this exercise on a variety of items.
You need to teach your dog that it’s more rewarding to give up the item than it is to hold onto it.
‘Sit’ is the most common command taught to dogs, and it has many useful applications. I recommend that ‘sit’ be used to teach your dog manners – to ‘say please’ when they want something. For example, you can ask your dog to sit before it comes into the house, before dinner and before giving it a pat.
You can then reward it with the thing it wants (to come inside, its dinner or a pat).
Tips
‘Sit’ is probably the easiest command to teach. Small treats work best.
‘Drop’ is a very important exercise. It is a submissive position and can be used to teach your dog to remain calm. Teaching your dog to drop when people come to the house, for example, prevents it jumping all over your guests. Ask your guests to ignore your dog. If they call or acknowledge the dog, it will want to stand up and come for attention.
Ask them to only show the dog attention when it is calm. This rewards good behaviour rather than the jumping up. The ‘drop’ command can also be used to get your dog to stay. Your dog should know it has to stay there until it is given a release command (such as ‘free’).
Tips
To teach your dog to ‘drop’, first ask it to sit. Once it is in the sit position, use a favourite treat to lure it into the drop position.
If you are happy to allow your dog in the house but would rather it didn’t roam, add this command to the repertoire.
You can also move your dog’s bed to different locations in the house (ideally where the action is) so you can spend more quality time together.
Tips
Place your dog’s indoor bed (or folded blanket) where you want your dog to sleep and rest. This command is easier to teach to a dog that already knows how to drop.
As responsible dog owners it is up to us to show our dogs the ropes. Obedience training is an ongoing process and should continue throughout a dog’s life. Training your dog also improves the bond between you and your pet – well-trained dogs are a pleasure to own and can be included in more family activities.
Kate Mornement is an Animal Behaviourist.
Visit www.petsbehavingbadly.com.au for more information.
