Teach your pup to sit as his first lesson. There are several good reasons why you should start with this command. First, sitting comes naturally to dogs since they often sit to rest. Two, teaching the pup to sit is relatively easy, a lesson that he will learn very quickly. Three, you will find the sit position an excellent base or jump-off spot from which to launch the other commands.
When your puppy is sitting, he is quiet and under control. The sit position is akin to the five basic foot positions of the ballet dancer. From the five positions, the ballet dancer can execute any number of steps or combinations, from an entre chat to a capriole.
The sit position has practical applications, it is not just a trick. When walking the pup, you will find the sit useful at intersections, when meeting a friend, and in various other situations where you want the dog to be quiet and under control.
Start the lesson with the pup on the leash. You can place him on your left side; later he'll be walking or heeling from that position. Hold the leash in your right hand, give the command "Sit!" and lift up on the leash. This will raise the pup's head. With your left hand, push down on his rear end.
Repeat these movements until the pup sits down without your having to lean on him. Then unsnap the leash and give the command. If he balks or sits down only halfway, put him back on the leash and start over. He'll soon learn that when he doesn't obey, he'll be restrained with the leash. Praise him well when he gets the lesson right.
Next, introduce him to the appropriate hand signal. Move a pace or two in front of the dog, give the command "Sit!" and hold up your forefinger in an admonishing gesture. Let him see it.
Keep repeating the lesson, using both the command and the hand signal. While the hand signal has its best use when working at a distance, such as in the field, there are many situations in which you will find it useful. One of these is when there is too much noise for your dog to hear your voice.
Is there one thing that you can do that will help your puppy to be a friendly, more stable, easier to train dog? Is there just one thing that you can do that will reduce the chances of your puppy becoming aggressive to other dogs, or people, including kids? Is there just one thing that you can do with your puppy that will make him much happier and less fearful?
Yes.
What is that one thing?
Socialization. Socialization is the absolute best thing you can do with your young puppy. Puppies have a socialization period where they are like little sponges. They are taking in a lot of information into their young brains and becoming familiar with their world. The socialization period that all puppies go through is a window of opportunity for you to expose your puppy to a lot of different sights, sounds, smells, and people. Expose your puppy to as many different things as you possibly can.
Puppies that are not properly socialized sometimes become fearful and aggressive. The best time to socialize your pup is from eight weeks to four months old. During that time I always advise puppy owners to bring their pups into the woods hiking, into the city for a walk around some busy streets. Take a trip to the beach or a lake. Bring your pup for a friendly visit to the vet's office and the groomers.
It is also a great time to start obedience training. The younger the puppy starts training the easier it is to train the dog. Waiting until the puppy is six months old is a terrible myth. If your pup is brought home at eight weeks old and you wait until the sixth month you have lost four valuable months of training time. There is also a good chance that in those four months your dog will have developed some behavior problems like jumping that could have been avoided if training had started earlier.
Start socializing your puppy today. You and your puppy will be much happier.
Both Bobbie Mckee & Eric Letendre are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Bobbie Mckee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, About Web Hosting and Credit Cards. Bobbie McKee loves dogs. From this passion she has written the book on and how to take care of him. To learn how to make Rover stay, come and heel, visi. Bobbie Mckee's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Eric Letendre has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dog Care, Pets. Eric Letendre, author of The Amazing Dog Training Man, invites you to visit for free dog training video clips, tips, articl. Eric Letendre's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.