Your dog is one of the most important parts of your life! Not only that they keep you company but they also make you happy. According to research, dogs help lower blood pressure and improve mood even with just 10 minutes of interaction daily!
As a responsible guardian, you need to start with the basics. As Nassau Dog Training experts advise, some commands will help raise a happy and well-behaved dog.
Because of the pandemic, the majority stay at home more often than usual. When you work from home, your dog is with you 24/7. You must be very happy and stress-free. But, you can’t do anything without your dog tailing you every time you move!
Your dog thinks, it’s playtime and kept on jumping on your lap or running around the house. Then you decided to take your pet out to use up all his energy in running and playing, but he’s not following anything that you say.
If you are a new owner, you can do something to teach your dog these simple and timeless commands that can make your everyday life easier.
1. Sit
This is the most common command that you need to teach your dog at an early age. You can use it when you’re inside the house ready to give the food, or you want them to calm down and wait as you prepare it without distractions.
No running, tripping, and falling. You can also do your chores easily.
This is also very when you are outside and you want him to stop going in different directions, or running after some dogs. It is an effective way to call their attention.
2. Come
As much as you wanted your dog to know how to sit, you would also find it very useful if your dog answers the command ‘come’. This will save you from burning your throat from shouting and screaming your dog’s name to come to you when you need to go home from your routine walks.
It’s easy to call your dog where you want to go and call his attention away from possible danger.
3. Heel
Heeling is one of the most important ways to secure ways of walking your dogs, especially in unfamiliar places. When you go to a new place and your dog notices something unusual, chances are they will get overly excited and starts to explore the environment.
It is natural for dogs to act this way, just always remember to make sure that they are still under control. So if you want to visit different parks and places with your fur baby without worrying about them being so hyperactive, train them to heel and do it consistently.
4. Stay
Dogs and kids share the same trait. They cannot stay still. It’s in their nature to walk, smell and run around to explore the world. New places and things make them curious and they are unstoppable in discovering them on their own.
As a pet parent, you want them to enjoy but also stay safe at the same time. As much as you want them to be with you especially when you’re outside, there are just places that they are not allowed to go in or it would be faster for you to go alone. It is also important to teach this at an early age so dogs will know early on that it is acceptable and desirable behavior.
5. No
Do you wonder why even after several times of saying stop or no to your do, they still keep on doing it? That’s because most commands are for them to do something.
That’s why teaching dogs to stay can take a while for them to master. Expect that teaching them ‘no’ won’t be a walk in the park.
It will test your patience and will require your time. When you teach them ‘No’, you also need to look for acceptable behavior and reward them for doing so. For example, if your dog peed on the designated area, you need to praise or reward them. Or when they’re standing next to the sofa and not chewing the leather, you also need to take notice and remember to be consistent as much as possible.
Several more commands can help you and your dog communicate and understand each other well. You just have to try with the basics especially if you are waiting for your board and train training or looking for a trainer in your area.
Before the formal training even starts, you can remember this advice from Nassau dog training experts to help you start the basics with your dog and improve your daily activities.