Teaching Your Dog To Sit And Stay, Shake And Bring It Back!

The Dynamics Of
By Linda McRae
Dynamic training is a must for all breeds of dogs. Do not make the mistake of using the term STOP for everything he or she is doing, techniques of training will pay off in teaching your dog the correct behavior. The techniques you use must become second nature to you as well as your pet! In the world today you can take your pet with you to many places. You want your animal to be well mannered and polite.

As humans are different, so it is true of your dog. All training has to be positive and your new pet will learn with the "gusto" you are wanting. Sometimes, the trainer needs an attitude adjustment, and then being so, the animal can correct their own behavior problems. Teach your pet with a lot of love and trust. They will return this passion to you many times over.

I think the most important factor to training your dog is communication; you have to learn to speak to your dog in a voice he will understand. Not threatening, not weak, just right, and your dog will respond to the voice he loves the most. Your true voice as you speak to a friend is good beginning. It has been said that 90% of training your dog is teaching the owners.

I think starting from basics; "sit" will be the first command to teach your dog. It is so simple, and requires this become a habit to you and your dog. Say "sit" while pressing on your dog's rump with gentle pressure urging them to sit down. A trick of the obedience trainers is when you take the dogs head in your hands and GENTLY force them to look up, the dog will just immediately sit on his hind legs. It is a reflex motion and then they get a reward! The dog is happy and you are doing a great job!

With this mastered, try holding the treat just above your pets head and say firmly "sit", as the dog begins to sit, give him the treat and reaffirm with lots of petting! Our pets love to please us and if it includes a treat, they are gung ho for the chance! Now, you are ready to have your pet sit, and then ask him or her to "shake" or "give me your paw." You might have to show them what you mean a few times by taking their paw in your hand. Load them with praises; they will not forget if they are rewarded!

When, most of the other commands are mastered, I try the "bring it back" technique. This is best taught one on one, no pack mates please, and they all want to show off! Okay, when you have the undivided attention of your pet, throw the item a short distance. When I say item, something your dog loves. Not anything too heavy or that can damage the dogs mouth or teeth. Okay, pitch, say "bring it back" as he or she runs for it, yell "bring it back" (or some if more comfortable for you word "Fetch"). Choose wisely because you can not change this command midstream; remember you must have a good communication voice with your dog. This may take a few workouts until they really understand what you want. Nothing lost, because it is great exercise for you and your pet! Oh, the simple delight when you throw the item, and your dog runs without hesitation grabs the item and brings it back to you.

Now, comes the next command...put it in my hand, or let go! Teaching never ends for many months and years to come have a lot of fun with it. One of the most difficult commands to teach your dog will be "stay". They want to be with you all the time, and do not understand why you want them to stay. Although, they feel this way, this command can be important for safety for you and your dog. For example: You see a car approaching out of the corner of your eye, your dog has not recognized it yet. You only have to say "stay" and your dog will remain in a safe location and all is well. By having a dog that is under voice control, you can prevent your pet from serious situations which could injure the pet or others.

This takes more training then most other commands, so I will save this for one of the experts, and you can find many valuable books on obedience training. I will suggest one now if I may, that can be found on my website titled "ILuvBassetHounds.com".

These are the basics of dog training, this does not come about instantly so be prepared to spend lots of time with your companion, and you will find the lessons of sit, stay, shake and bring it back to be wonderful accomplishments that will bring you both joy for many years to come.

Like I mentioned earlier, learning to communicate with your pet is the essential element in obedience training. If you need help with any of the basics there are many experts in the field that can take you from square one to finish so don't be afraid to ask for help from an expert dog training person, book or guide. That said I must mention there are many books and guides that will help you to learn to keep your special pet healthy and a well mannered member of your family.