Teaching a dog to come on command

Teaching a dog to come on command

Of all the basic obedience training commands, the recall is usually the one dog owners have the most trouble with.
It can be easy to teach a dog to come when called in the beginning.
But as he gets older, his recall may get to be unreliable.
The trick to make recall training stick is to keep from accidentally teaching your dog not to come when you call him.


Step 1: Recall while on a leash
First teach your dog the meaning of the word "Come". With his leash on, put your dog in a sit-stay and walk a few feet in front of him. Then bend down slightly with your arms open and give the command, "Spot, Come". Offer plenty of praise as your dog comes to you. If he doesn't come, clap your hands to get his attention and give the command again. Practice this several times until you're sure your dog understands the command.

Step 2: Recall on a leash while moving
Many times, a dog will come when called but swerve away at the last second. This step trains your dog to come directly to you every time. Follow the directions from step one above, but jog backwards away from your dog as he comes toward you. Remember to keep the leash slack to allow for corrections. If your dog looks as though he may swerve away, jog in the opposite direction he's swerving. The leash will set him back on course.

Step 3: Recall on a flexi-lead or cord
The next step is to increase the distance your dog has to cover when you call him. With a 20-30 foot, nylon flexi-lead or cord attached to your dog's collar, give a sit-stay command and walk to the end of the cord. (This is also excellent training for teaching your dog to stay.) Again, follow the directions from step one. Give the command to come and gently praise as your dog comes to you. If he doesn't respond, clap your hands to get his attention and repeat the command.

If you can't get your dog to obey the sit-stay command long enough to walk away, attach the cord to his collar and let him wander around the yard or house. As he travels out to the length of the cord, practice the recall as instructed previously.

"My dog won't come when I call!"
If you can't get your dog to come when you call him, do not chase him. He'll see it as a great game and continue to run from you. Instead, run away from your dog. This can activate his prey drive and get him to chase you instead. Let him catch up, then settle him with a sit or down command. If that doesn't work, sit down with your back to him or lie on the ground. This can pique his curiosity and lure him to you.

Avoiding problems with the recall
The following tips will help you make sure your dog always comes when you call him.

Don't call to punish, give medicine, or for any unpleasant reason
Your dog will associate the recall command with the punishment or objectionable activity and eventually he won't want to come when you call. On these occasions go to your dog instead.

Don't call to get your dog's attention or stop play times
Use the sit or down commands, which are much more effective at stopping your dog in his tracks, then go to him.

Don't call your dog to confine him
Instead, go to your dog, put on his leash, and take him where you want him to go. You can also train him to go to specific places on command.

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'Sit' Command

'Sit' Command

You can stand with your dog on your left or face your dog and say, “Sit.” in a firm, kind voice.
Raise your right hand (with or without a treat in your fingers) above your dog’s nose.
His natural instinct will be to look up and sit down. You can lightly touch your dog’s rear end to give him the idea that he is to lower his rump to the ground. Never push on your dog’s hindquarters as you could injure the back or hips.
Once your dog sits, praise him loudly and enthusiastically, “Good Dog!” and give him the treat if you are using treats.
You may also incorporate a gentle tug on a dog’s collar with the leash to raise his head and get him in the correct position.
It is also useful to incorporate a hand signal into this training.
Once your dog has mastered the verbal signal, you may teach him to sit to the hand signal of your choice.
Don’t be disappointed if it takes a while for dogs to get the idea. Keep trying and reward any progress the dog makes.
Never punish your dog for not sitting. He won’t understand what he is being punished for and punishment just doesn’t work well in animal training.
Limit the training sessions to five minutes at a time.
Working for longer periods may be unproductive, as the dog will lose interest.

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'lie down' Command

'lie down' Command

Once your dog has learned to sit then you will be able to teach it the command "Down".
To teach your dog the command "Down", have it first walk with you at heel and then command it to sit.
Now while holding tightly onto your dogs collar with your left hand, knee down and place your right hand in front of your dog with a treat in it.
Move the treat away from your dog's face and downwards, this will cause it your dog's body to move down as it follows the treat.
Just as your dog's chest is about to touch the floor say, "Down" and then treat and praise your dog.
Repeat this until your dog is able to lie down (from a sitting position) just by hearing the down command.

Now train your dog to lie down from directly from the heel position.
Remember to always have your early training sessions away from distractions so that your dog can better concentrate on what it is that you are teaching it.
When your dog has mastered down without distractions begin introducing distraction into your training sessions.
However if your dog is getting overly distracted by something and not paying attention to your commands then you should ease off on the distractions and go back to practicing the basics of "Down" with less distractions until your dog is ready to try again.
Be sure to always praise your dog and reward it for its good behavior and for its hard work during your training sessions together.
Once your dog has learned to lie down on command you can begin using the down and stay commands combined.
The down command can be used to give your dog something to do when it would normally be jumping up on people or barking wildly.
Be careful about having your dog assume this submissive position around other dogs as this can lead to conflicts or your dog may just simply ignore your command if it feels threatened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfAPyaNz0Uc

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‘Stay’ Command

‘Stay’ Command

The stay command is very important. Learning the ‘stay’ command is something of a safety issue.
In an emergency you want to be able to keep your dog from crossing a busy street or approaching a fearful child. This command is not as easy as the sit. However, it is well worth the effort to work on the stay with your dog.
Once your dog will consistently sit on command, you can begin work on ‘stay’.
Firmly as your dog to stay and silently count to three.
As your success increases work your way up to twenty counts over the course of a week.
Again, reward your dog for every step in the right direction even if he has only remained at the sit for a few seconds.
If your dog tries to get up before time is up, gently put him back in the sit and start counting again.
Teaching the stay requires more patience and perseverance than sitting does.
But it’s well worth the effort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeuvTs_tlN8&feature=channel

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'Heel' Command

'Heel' Command

This is an important command and I consider it as a Pelamun breeding dogs is the most difficult in training the dogs the basic commands

Here is the way

Teaching your dog to heel (walk beside you without pulling) while on a leash is one of the basics of obedience training.
It is important to always keep your dog on a leash while out at least until he has proven his obedience in all types of situations. There are some breeds that should never be let off of the leash when out in public not even when highly trained.
To teach your dog to walk calmly besides you while on a leash follow the following steps.
Make sure to have plenty of yummy rewards ready for your dog.

1. If your dog is still a puppy and unfamiliar with a leash you must give him time to become accustomed to this. Let him smell and investigate the leash that you are holding in your hands.

2. Now put the leash on him but do not pull on it or in anyway try to guide yet.
Praise him for letting you put the leash on him. He should equate the leash with fun good stuff.

3. Command your dog to "Sit" and making sure that your dog is on your left hold the end of the leash with your right hand and put your left hand on the leash about halfway between you and your dog's collar. Use your left hand to control the amount of tension in the leash that your dog feels.

4. Give the command "Heel" and begin walking. If your dog is walking too far ahead apply a little pressure to the leash to bring him back to your side.

5. Again repeat the command "Heel" and come to a stop. Command your dog to "Sit." If he follows your instructions then make sure to reward him and praise him.

6. Repeat until your dog can perform without problems.

7. Now while walking turn to the right and with your left hand just above your dog's collar guide him to the right along with you giving the command "Heel."

7. Repeat the previous step to teach your dog to follow you to the left.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUgFR4MBw7I

Modifying the Training(to Stop Dog Pulling On the Leash)
Sometimes you have to modify the way that you are training your dog slightly. When your dog starts to pull, you need to:
1. Stop and give your dog's lead a few tugs, and growl the guttural growl, ("AAHH!" rather then "NO") then bring the dog back beside you.
2. Start walking away again and hold a treat by your side (so that your dog knows it is there).
3. Your dog should be following along side you. If it tries to jump for the treat ignore it (do not let your dog bite at your hand though).
4. When your dog tires of that, and simply walks along beside you, say "HEEL!" then reward your dog for walking beside you.
5. Repeat this over and over and you should start to see the results. If you praise your dog as it comes towards you then your dog is being rewarded only for backing up (the very last action it performed).
You need to reward your dog for walking freely beside you as you move off from the stand still.
It may be a common problem, but your dog pulling on the leash doesn't have to be a nightmare.
Follow the steps above, and you and your dog will be able to enjoy long, peaceful walks without incident in no time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoJPUH6ULLc&feature=channel

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The cure to dog behavior problems

The cure to dog behavior problems

So, you've analyzed your dog's behavior problem and you've come up with ways to manage him so it doesn't grow out of control. Now you can get to work on a long-term solution. The cure is to teach your dog new ways to deal with a situation that would normally trigger his bad behavior. This is done through positive reinforcement of alternative or incompatible behavior.

Train incompatible behavior
Incompatible behaviors are those that interfere with your dog's bad behavior. For instance if you train your dog to roll over and show his belly to greet guests, then he can't jump on them.
If you teach him to retrieve a toy when the doorbell rings, then he can't bark at the sound.
Essentially, you force your dog to replace his usual response with something that's more constructive.
Think about what triggers your dog's specific problem and come up with other ways your dog can respond to it.
Remember, the simpler the new behavior is the easier it'll be for him to learn it.

Reinforcing good behavior takes time
If your dog has had a problem for awhile, don't expect immediate results.
Think of your dog's behavior as a bank account.
Every time he offers a particular behavior he makes a deposit.
If his bad behavior account is maxed out, it'll take time to make enough deposits into a new, good behavior account to even things out.
So be patient and train consistently.
You should follow the same guidelines as for obedience training: keep training sessions short, keep the exercises simple, and make it fun for both you and your dog.

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How to stop dog jumping

How to stop dog jumping

Often starting during puppyhood, dog jumping can be a serious behavior problem. It seems innocent while your dog is young, but as he grows it can become extremely irritating. This is especially true if he's from a larger breed, although toy dogs are no exception. If your dog jumps on you, he'll definitely jump on other people. This can create an uncomfortable atmosphere for your guests. Take the time to train your dog not to jump up and you'll be one step closer to a well-mannered companion.



Jumping on you
If your dog jumps on you every time he gets excited or greets you, there are a couple of ways to train him to adopt an alternative behavior.

Place your foot on his leash
This simple leash technique should help to stop dog jumping. Whenever your dog looks like he wants to jump up, place your foot on the leash. Leave enough slack to keep him from noticing your foot is on the leash but not enough to let him jump all the way up. When he tries to jump, say "Off!". If your foot is placed properly, the leash will automatically correct your dog. Tell him to sit and gently praise him when he does. Eventually, your dog will learn that jumping up causes an unpleasant tug on his neck while sitting leads to your affection. Remember to remove the leash when your dog can't be supervised.

Hold his paws when he jumps up (Recommended)
When your dog jumps on you, grasp his paws and hold them firmly in place. Wait until he gets uncomfortable and starts to struggle, then let go and say "Off!". Tell him to sit and give him praise if he does. Repeat this process every time your dog jumps up.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFscKdfpQWA&feature=channel

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