Bringing home a new dog is a very exciting time for all the members of the family. But, you as a dog owner should make sure that the dog becomes a part of the family through good behavior and good training. For this, it is necessary that you provide basic obedience training to your dog.

 

While there are obedience classes available, it is very easy to train your dog at home as well. This method would also help the dog become a much closer member of your family too! Here are a few tips for you to start obedience training your dog:

 

1) Your obedience training starts with collar training. You must get your god accustomed to wearing a collar and not feeling threatened by it. Try and avoid using a chain type collar as it tends to stifle the dog and could lead to breathlessness. It is best if you purchase a buckle type collar as it does not pinch the dog’s skin. Allow your dog to get comfortable with the collar for a few days. 

 

2) Next, you can add a leash to the collar so that you could guide him easily. A 6 foot collar would be ideal as it gives your dog the freedom to walk around at its own pace and yet keeps you in command. If you choose a shorter leash, it could restrict our dog’s movements while a longer one would distract him obeying your orders. 

 

3) Once your dog gets used to the collar and the leash, you can train him on some basic commands like “sit” “stay” “heel” and “down”. For obedience training it is necessary that you be patient with your dog and use positive reinforcements like praises and treats so that he learns efficiently and quickly.

 

4) To train your dog to “Sit”, stand directly in front of your dog with the leash above his head while the rest of the least is wrapped around your hand. Then, hold a treat in the other hand above your dog’s nose. Say the word “sit” and move the hand holding the treat backwards so that the dog looks upwards towards the treat. At this point, the dog will automatically sit down. When he sits, feed him the treat and praise him. Try this exercise 20-25 times until he understands the command.

 

5) Once your dog learns how to sit, you can teach him how to stay. When your dog is sitting, hold the leash with one hand and place the palm of your other hand in front of your dog’s face while saying the word “stay”. Then, step forward with one leg and stand in front of your dog. He will understand that since you did not use the other leg, he will know that he needs to stay in place. Repeat this process until he learns to stay.

 

6) Once you teach your dog to sit and stay, you can next train him to lie down using the “down” command. Keep a treat under your dog’s nose and say the word “down”. At the same time, keep lowering the treat in your hand to the floor so that your dog also lowers his body. Once you notice that he is down on the floor, you can treat him and praise him.

 

7) The "heel" command is an obedience training exercise that will train your dog to walk close to the owner’s knee and match his pace. Position your dog on your left side and slacken your grip on the leash. Then use the command “heel” and start walking with your left leg first. Your dog will associate this exercise with heeling.