The benefits of basic obedience training are many but the ease of living you can achieve by using these commands in your everyday life with your dog is priceless!
Ever tried to put the leash on a dog jumping with excitement? Ever tried to clean the house with the dog chasing the vacuum cleaner all over the place? Ever tried to relax with company while the dog jumps and bites on everyone in the room? I could go on and on but the message is conveyed.
The basic obedience commands the dog will learn are place, sit, down, stay, come , heel. Of course the dog knows how to sit , come and stay, only now he will do it on your command.
Use the “place” command to send the dog to his place. When you have visitors over, when you need the room to yourself, when it is best the dog is not fully emerged into what you are doing. I am sure you will find many ways this command can be useful in your everyday life.
Use it and enjoy.
Use the “sit” command every time you want to put the leash on the dog before going out for a walk. When you do not want the dog to jump on people. When you are in a crowded place and you do not want your dog sniffing every passer by. Use your imagination and the sit command. It's a powerful combination.
Use the “stay” command when you want the dog to stay put! Broken glass on the floor, vehicle appears out of nowhere, heavy books falling off the book shelve, no matter what , the dog stays put. Practice the command in the house and outside, and rip the many benefits of living with a dog that stays on command.
Use the heel command to save your arm and shoulder. That should be enough to denote the importance of your dog walking casually by your side without pulling. A relief and finally, enjoyable walks for the both of you.
Use the down command when you want your dog to stay in one place more than the sitting position permits. When out for coffee with your dog, when visiting other people, all the times you want him to stay comfortably in one place.
The commands are pleasant alternatives you give the dog. For example, “instead of jumping and making our guests nervous and disregarding of you, you can “sit” and enjoy praise and reward”. This is the mind set behind the command. Never give a command with a punishing or angry tone in your voice and frustration in your mind. And always reward the dog for performing correctly!
It is important that the dog feels that sense of accomplishment you feel when he performs a command too. Be consistent on the correct use of the commands and the offering of reward and enjoy a most enjoyable everyday life with your dog.
There are more commands in a training program and innumerable ways to utilize a command. My concern is utilizing the training the dog has received as a whole. My concern is for dog owners to understand and practically enjoy the benefits of living with a trained dog. A dog will live the life the dog owner provides. Training helps make it more interesting , safe and enjoyable for both the dog and the dog owner. Training means caring.
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