One essential key to teaching your dog to come, or doing any basic puppy training routine, is to allow the puppy no alternative but to obey the command. Non-compliance can never be an option. What this means for you is that you must set your dog up for success and when training, give it the opportunities it needs to succeed. A common error when teaching “come” or any other command is to use it when you do not really want the dog to perform the action. In the case of “come,” you want to use the word only when you really want to dog to cease any other action and come to you. This also means that you have to learn how to monitor yourself a bit when your puppy is within hearing range.

I can give you a personal example. When my wife and I started training our lab and shepherd, we inadvertently taught our pets that “ok,” is a release word from a command. So, if we gave our dogs a “stay” command, and then accidentally said, “Ok,” the dogs would release can come bounding over to us or whatever might have their attention.

When training this command, one essential puppy training technique is to never give your dog a choice. Use the “come” command only when he is either on his way to you, or when he is on the leash. When you give the command, follow it with a gentle tug. You should stick to this rule until your dog has been reliably tested by many different distractions and is about two years old.

The next caution we want to suggest is that you never use the “come” command and then scold or rebuke your dog. You do not want your puppy to associate the command, “come” with negative experience. And that’s true even if you need to isolate your dog for something necessary such as bathing. If your dog does not enjoy it, and you train that command, it will suspect something bad as a result of compliance.

If you do catch your dog in the act of something naughty, you must go to it in order to correct its behavior. If you come upon your dog after it has already finished doing what it shouldn’t have been doing, it is too late for correction. Never use “come” in this circumstance.

Another effective tip is to always take advantage of times when the puppy happens to be moving toward you. You can leverage this to your training advantage by saying, “come” and then letting the puppy do what it is doing naturally. And of course you give it lots praise. A trick that can work with a young puppy (6 to 8 weeks) is to put it on a leash with plenty of slack. Toll a toy a small distance away and let the puppy run to get it. When the puppy has the toy, tell it to “come” and then gently tug it in your direction, and reward it with generous praise and occasionally with a treat. This is almost as easy as it sounds, and your dog will love learning how to please you!

Learn the best practices for training your puppy to come each and every time. Discover more basic puppy training techniques today!

Who else wants to know the secret to housetraining your puppy? The secret is that there really is no big secret. Here is how it works: You need patience, you must be persistent, and you must be firm but gentle. Housetraining your puppy properly will set the stage for an unbreakable, loving bond with your puppy.

Chances are that the idea of potty training a new puppy brings to mind vivid images of indescribable mess. Many people cringe at the mere mention of the words, “housebreaking” and “potty training.” True, some mess is unavoidable, but housetraining your puppy does not have to be a nightmare of pooh but can, in fact, be pleasurable learning experience for both you and your pet.

How long does it take to before you have a potty discipline puppy? Experts say–and my own experience confirms this–that you should see consistent results in two to three weeks. However, professionals also warn that it may take two to three months without the dog eliminating before the job is truly accomplished.

The real secret to housebreaking puppies is routine. That is, the persistent and consistent application of an established, rote procedure. What many people do not realize is that routine makes dogs feel secure. The more your dog understands the daily routine, the more confident it will be because it will be able to predict the routine.

Here are your essential steps to potty training your puppy: Determine a routine and do not depart from it; always take your puppy out to eliminate every 1 to 2 hours; Determine a precise feeding schedule, and never alter it; take your puppy outside 10 to 15 minutes after each meal; always praise your puppy when it makes its toilet outside; never scold your puppy when it has an accident inside; and always thoroughly clean the spots where the puppy has messed inside.

If you pay attention to these key basics and follow the pointers given, you will soon reach the goal of a happy and housebroken pet. And just as important, you will have established the pattern for any future training that you have planned for your dog. Your pet will look forward to your company and learning how to please you.

Housetraining your puppy with less stress and mess. How to get the most out of puppy training techniques–start now!

One of the first commands you teach your dog is the command to sit. Fortunately, this is not only easy, but a fun way to begin training your pet. This is an essential command because it could save your dog’s life if you teach it well. I won’t dwell on this, but more than one dog would have happily charged into traffic and certain death had its owner not saved it with the “sit” command.

In this article, I suggest two basic ways to train your dog to sit. If your pet is a puppy, then start at about 8 weeks. Set up a schedule, and then once you start, don’t deviate from the routine. Make sure that your training is conducted in the same manner.

When putting your pet through its paces, try to be as predictable as possible. That means that doing everything the same. As you continue training your dog, you see that this “sameness” is crucial as it allows your dog to feel safe, secure, and confident. Again, never lose patience and always give lots of praise followed by an occasional treat.

Method 1

The first thing you want to do is catch your dog’s attention. In this method, you do this by uttering your pet’s name while holding a treat in front of and just above your dog’s muzzle. Move the treat in a slow arc above and backward over its head. Your dog will want to keep its eyes on the morsel, and as it moves its head back, its rear end will reposition itself on the floor. As you see the dog begin to sit, firmly utter the command, “sit.” Follow this by praise and a treat.

Now, you will need to repeat this. You might set a 10 or 15 minute training period each day. As your puppy begins to understand, you will find that your dog will respond to the hand motion and you can begin rewarding with praise instead of a treat. In all training, you want to wean the dog away from treat rewards. Plan on spending a couple of weeks with this for reliably consistent obedience.

Method 2

Method 2 is similar to method 1 and is actually the one I prefer. This method requires that you leash your dog and have it positioned to your left. The way this works is that when you say, “sit,” you gently tug upward with leash and gently push down on the dog’s hind end. Follow the completion of the act with praise and a treat. Rinse and repeat for about 10 minutes. If you have a young puppy, consider several sessions of 5 to 10 minutes throughout the day.

Find out more about dog and puppy training, learn more about crate housebreaking and other basic puppy training techniques.