If you have not yet taught your precious pooch how to sit on command, you may want to go back and teach him or her that useful morsel before you try to teach it to stay or to come. This is for fairly obvious reasons: a dog is much happier to stay in one spot when it is allowed to be/told to be in a sitting position. So, take some time out of your busy schedule-about fifteen minutes, two or three times per day-and really get that dog sitting well. Once you are confident in his or her sitting ability, it is time to raise the stakes.
Speaking of steaks, treats are an indispensable item to carry on you at all times whenever one is training their pet. Once your dog is properly sit-trained, tell them to sit and, once they do that, give them a treat.
Then, hold your hand up like a stop sign. Make sure that it is in front of the dog and so they can see it clearly. Back up slowly, saying the word "Stay" in a firm and clear tone. Of course, if you would like to get the dog's attention first, say its name. When speaking any of these commands, you must speak clearly and with confidence. The firmness in your voice will tell your dog that you are saying something he or she should listen to. For the first few times teaching them how to stay, you do not turn your back to them as you walk away from them-be walking backwards, facing them, hand out front, and keep your eyes on the pup. Do not go too far the first couple times-a few footfalls will do. Then, with a bit of a fun jive in your voice, say, "Come!" Your dog should take the cue and bound over towards your direction, or at least pad over lazily, and when they do, reward them again. Praise them and give him or her a treat.
Of course, if the dog decides to run prematurely-before you say the command "Come!"-then you must tell them "No!" in a hard voice and back them up all over again. Then, consider what you may have done wrong. More than half of the time during training sessions with a miscreant pup, it is the owner who is unknowingly prompting the pup to behave badly. Are you moving too far away from your pup? Have you turned your back to your dog as you were backing away? With the right motivation, your dog will be staying when you'd like him or her to and coming back to you, as well.
After your dog has consistently stayed when you told him to stay and came when you told him to come, you may want to try backing farther away to give the dog a bit more of a challenge. Remember to only do training where your dog may fail if you are feeling energetic and happy-never go into a training period with a frowning face or it is only a matter of time before you will become frustrated with your dog. Dogs can sense frustration, as they are pack animals, and this may confuse them and cause them to slip up in their training. As your best friend and companion, they are always looking for ways to please you; if you seem displeased with the training sessions, the dogs may associate the training with your negativity and come to dislike the sessions.
Once you have the "Sit", "Stay", and "Come" commands, the sky is the limit. You will be able to train your dog easier, and, in general, your dog will have learned to respect you and listen to your commands.
Ivan's Puppies has been breeding and training puppies for over 30 years. Our hard work has been paying off, as now we are proud to be breeding Bulldog litters with excellent quality, with little to no health problems and good temperaments. For English Bulldog Puppies, visit our website at http://www.BulldogsNewYork.com.
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