Having a puppy doesn’t have to be hard, but more often than not we make it that way, especially for an inexperienced owner!
Here you will understand the importance of teaching your puppy 5 simple commands starting from the moment you bring him or her home!
Puppies are a blank canvas, everything they have learned is by natural teachings by the litter and from their maternal mother in their first few weeks of their lives.
When you receive your puppy between 8 – 12 weeks everything they have learnt, everything they know, is what its mother and siblings has taught him/her. Therefore, it is vital not to take a puppy away from its litter prior to 8 – 12 weeks.
At 8-12 weeks a puppy knows how to be a dog around its canine family, it has no idea of how to integrate into the human world. We expect them to seamlessly fit into our lives without realising how many hours, days, months, and years of effort and work is needed to be put in.
Imagine being given a baby and expecting him/her to walk straight away, to know its 5 times table without going to school or sitting and eating nicely around the dinner table without being shown. It just wouldn’t happen there would be carnage everywhere! A puppy is the same principle, it needs to be taught with kindness, love, given clear boundaries and positive reinforcement.
A grown dog has emotions and feeling equivalent to that of a 2 ½ year old child, but we expect so much more from them!
WolfeEdu firmly believes that we can shape our dogs and if they have unfavourable behavioural traits then it is highly likely to reflect poor training, negative influences & bad experiences etc….
From jumping up, stealing food, not coming back on command (poor recall), destructive behaviour, barking, whining, biting, separation anxiety, fear, aggression, mental shutdown ohhh the list goes on, we cause it all!!
If you have a child, as a parent, you naturally become their leader and you take responsibility for their good and bad points! Now look at your dog from this perspective and you should now feel the responsibility to help educate them into being the best possible dog they can be teaching them all the right things to the best of your ability!
If we stay focused on these 5 simple commands in the first 6-12 months then you may just have a happier puppy who will turn into a magnificent, obedient, adolescent dog that others admire.
Yes you will have other challenges, but they will be lessen if you start teaching your pup these 5 commands when you bring him/her home!
The 5 Commands that all Puppies should be Taught from Day 1
Sit, Lie Down, Stop, Wait, Come That’s It!
- Sit – This is the one command I think most dog owners use whether it is sitting before they eat their meal, sitting on the pavement at the side of the road ready to cross, or sitting attentively waiting for your next command! As soon as you get your dog to sit instantly the dog’s eyes are on you, focused and waiting for the next instruction! Such a powerful command!
- Lie Down – Lying down normally comes next after your dog has mastered the sit. Lying down grounds your dog and forms a larger surface area anchor point, your dog is less likely to be reactive and impulsive! By grounding your dog and being able to stay in this position for a period of time until released will serve you no end!
- Stop – A visual and verbal command can save you and your dog when he/she is at risk or something unfavourable happening. STOP if your dog has sighted another dog, bird, deer, small child, cars, any moving object and makes a run for it. STOP will instantly break their attention from that potential hazardous situation.
Many people who have sight hounds (examples of sighthounds Lurcher, Greyhound, Afghan, Suluki, Borzoi etc..) have experienced this – Your dog has gone slightly out of the control range, and he sees movement you frantically call them back but there is no point as they are off, there is no stopping them! If you have a clear stop command this can be the difference from loosing your dog for hours on end (or worse) to stopping them before the event has happened!
- Wait /Stay – Waiting is extremely hard for any dog and is a potentially life saving command/trick. Visually and verbally, do not overuse the voice but use concise clear command. Start with on the lead close training and do not introduce distance until he/she has mastered not breaking the stay. This will also serve you with dogs who jumps up, runs to the front door barking ferociously every time the doorbell goes and at feeding time!
- Come -Recall, how many people cannot exercise their dog safely off the lead? Too many! How are many people’s dogs never allowed to stretch their legs and explore safely without the constraint of a collar and a lead? If your dog has a good recall, then many problems are resolved! Your dog will lead (excuse the pun) a happier life, and so will you as you will have utter control over your dog, always keeping him/her safe!
These 5 simple commands are easy, but it is also easy to become a nag! DO not desensitize your dog from you voice by using the same command repeatedly without a result and reward, do not use your dog’s name over and over again otherwise they will simply switch off!
Clear concise commands – start small do not go out into a wide-open space and let your dog off the lead and expect him/her to come back! This will take months of training start in the house, in the garden, on a long training line etc, and once you are comfortable in a secure safe environment for example a dog park or fully fenced field only then should you let your dog off the lead. Please ensure safety to you, your dog and others in your vicinity are paramount!
Always acknowledge and reward good behaviour positive reinforcement is a key training method that is kind and works!
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