Isn't it always amazing to see a friend, neighbor, or relative's dog that can do all sorts of intricate and complicated tricks? Does he balance a biscuit on his nose while dancing on his hind legs and playing a piano? Do not look down upon your own pet who rarely sits when you ask him or her to.
Instead, consider the roots of those tricky commands.
Even the most complicated routine began with basic dog training commands.
If you are willing to put in time, effort, and patience, your dog can become the life of the party.
Before you can begin with the detailed commands, start simple.
Ensure you have established your place as alpha.
This is the first step.
Once your dog respects you and recognizes you as the master, he or she will look to you for guidance and be far more receptive to your instruction.
Begin with the easiest commands for dog training.
The very first dog training commands your pet should have learned originated in puppyhood.
This is the basic recall, whether you use "come," "here," or your dog's name.
Next move on to simple one step commands.
"Sit" is one of the first dog training basic commands you should work on.
Most dogs will naturally sit down when they look up to see something just over their head.
This is a wonderful opportunity to utilize a toy or treat.
Try holding the reward just over the dog's head as you give the sit command.
As soon as his or her rear hits the floor, praise and reward.
If your dog seems to be having difficulty understanding, make the steps smaller so the reward comes sooner.
Much like a human, a dog can grow frustrated always jumping for the obligatory carrot.
You cannot expect to get much out of your pet when he or she never receives and satisfaction or reward for effort.
For example, if your pet seems to be having trouble learning the sit, make smaller milestones.
Even if his or her rear does not hit the floor, any motion in that direction should be praised.
Feel free to offer a portion of a treat rather than a whole one until the entire motion is achieved.
This same method can be used for other basic commands, such as lay down, stay, and heel.
You can combine them to create a sit stay and a down stay.
Each requires the same activity, or rather, lack of activity, but in a different position.
This will also help you to determine that your dog is actually associating the action with the spoken command.
Not all dog training basic commands are verbal.
You can work with hand commands for dog training.
The easiest way to go about this is to use the verbal command with the hand gesture.
Eventually, your dog will learn to execute the command with just the hand gesture.
Be patient, your pet will eventually make the connection.
Always reward immediately after every success.
When dog training simple commands, you are laying the groundwork for more complicated commands.
As your dog becomes comfortable with what you are teaching, build off what he or she already has learned.
It takes time, but eventually you will get your point across.
Remember to praise promptly and reward profusely!