Are you ready to train your dog or puppy? Your dog’s basic needs include proper training and companionship. It is important to start training your dog as soon as possible. First of all, dog training can look exciting, especially if it’s your first dog. The truth is that training your dog is a great responsibility. If you start it step by step, you will find that this task is much less difficult. There are a lot of strategies by which you can train your dog to improve his behavior. Here are some free basic dog training tips to improve the behavior of your dog.
The Importance of Dog Training
Training your dog is an essential part of being a responsible dog owner. Usually, the memory of a dog is excellent, and they remember what they see in humans even when there is no specific reason to do so.
- Training can make sure your dog is well-mannered at all times.
- It helps your dog to behave well with humans and other pets as well.
- Basic Dog Training is important for its mental health.
- A well-trained dog will never bark or howl unnecessarily when alone at home.
Training helps establish a positive and healthy bond between you and your dog, which means you get to spend more time with your dog.
This video shows what can be achieved with consistent and regular training, the results will amaze you!
It is also important to teach your dog indoor training activities to do when it is raining outside, and you cannot go for a walk or exercise outside the house. Remember that training should be consistent, especially if you have a puppy or a very young dog.
Improve Your Dogs Behavior
Understanding your dog’s behavior is very important as you can only deal with a pet when you know all about his behavior. It can help you to understand what your dog needs. Teaching different commands can also help your dog to understand what you want. Below are a few basic dog training tips you can start with;
- If your dog keeps jumping excitingly when he sees you or any other guest, try to greet him calmly to discourage jumping. You may even want to try ignoring him initially until he has calmed down.
- Chewing is a normal behavior in dogs, especially when they are teething. The best way to stop your dog from chewing your shoes and socks is to provide him with an alternative thing to chew.
- If you reward your dog with counter surfing once (Hanging around the kitchen area), it would be difficult to stop him. Try not to feed your dog anything when you are cooking or preparing food.
- Dogs usually bark when they are bored, need exercise, or are afraid of other dogs. Teach a “quiet” command to stop them from unnecessary barking. Remember to reward them if the bark is warranted, i.e., an unwanted visitor, etc.
Basic Dog Training Tips & Commands
Sit, stay, come, and heel are the first basic training commands that your dog or puppy should be skilled at, and the correct training methods will make your dog a joy to own.
- SIT – The way most other trainers and I train this behavior is to hold a treat just above the dog’s nose. While giving the command, sit, slowly move the treat backward toward the top of the dog’s head, and with the other hand, slowly apply pressure to your dog’s rear end. Praise and treat your dog once the command is completed.
The next of the basic dog training tips is the command STAY & COME. These commands should be trained when your dog has learned the command sit. As for the start of your basic dog training, you will be putting your dog into this position to stay.
- STAY & COME – Have your dog go into the sit position, and when they do this, reward with a treat. Next, you will give the command stay, and as part of the initial basic training, I would suggest raising one hand as you would in a stop gesture. Slowly move a small distance away, drop the hand and at the same time give the command come. When your dog comes to you, that’s when you can reward them. You then continue to increase the distance as they start to get better with this command.
Have you ever seen those poor people being walked by their dogs?
There is nothing worse or more frustrating than your dog taking you for a walk, dragging you from one place to another. Yes, there are many training collars to assist with this behavior, the leader, the Halti, and the harness, to mention a few. However, if the HEEL command is incorporated into your basic dog training at a very early stage, you will never need these types of collars or training aides.
So how do you train your dog to heel?
- HEEL – You must start with your dog on a very short leash, one that keeps your dogs head just at your side. With this training tip, I will always have a bumbag on me loaded with the dog’s favorite treats and what I will do is to have a treat in the hand, not holding the leash at a place where I want my dog to be when in the heel position. Start walking with the command heel, and whenever your dog is in the position you want them, reward them with a treat. If they start to pull away, bring them back into position with the command heel and reward.
Basic Dog Training Tips – After Sit, Stay, Come & Heel
- Due to the short attention span of a dog, keep your training sessions brief.
- Always use the same words or commands to avoid confusion.
- Always praise and appreciate your dog or reward him when he obeys your command.
- Never force your dog to be trained physically.A dog that is forced to be trained will not enjoy training and will see training as something that is not fun. Remember, keep your training fun as your dog will enjoy this.
- Never try to teach your dog in a public area initially. Always start from your home or garden first.
- Your dog must be aware of his name before anything else. It will make it so much easier for the dog to obey your commands.
- Say “no” to jumping right away. Turn your back on the dog when he’s jumping to discourage this behavior and wait until the positive result.
- Don’t forget to tell “Good Dog” when your dog does something you like. For example, sit, lie down, behave, or heel. As well as treats, dogs LOVE praise from you. Remember, they see you as the pack leader, and praise from the pack leader is a great reward.
Dogs Are One of The Greatest Pets We can Own
“Dogs are one of the few animals that are considered intelligent, but we are surprised that, despite the racial differences, dogs share some of their owners’ mental abilities.” said researcher and author Claudia Fagaza.
Dog owners usually feel frustrated when their dog behaves well at home but doesn’t act accordingly in public places. Try to train your dog in varied environments, for example, in a park or a crowded beach. Make sure you understand the body language of your dog to improve the training. As dogs cannot communicate verbally, they always try to deliver a message through eyes or body language. Treat your dog just as you want to be treated or just as you treat a kid. Do you want your boss to yell at you when you do something wrong at work? No? the Same goes for the pet when you are training them.
In short, it becomes so easy to train a dog when you are aware of the different behaviors of the dog. Dogs are one of those pets that learn very early and easily if you invest some quality time. These four-legged family members play an important role in our everyday life, so proper training of these individuals is vital for themselves and society to avoid any harmful situation.
Please feel free to comment on this article and ask any questions you may have regarding your dog’s basic training or any other topics you would like to know more about regarding your dog.
Mark
This is coming my way at the right time I just got two GSDs and I have been think of how to train them. I agree with you on the essentials of training. It helps the mental health of the dog and helps them behave well with humans. In fact a well trainined dog is a companion and a friend. Thank for your advices, I won’t for get to tell – good dog
I worked with GSD’s in the Military as an EOD dog handler. They are so easily trained and such loyal dogs.
You mentioned mental health and that is so true, I also feel they help us with ours in their own unique way.
I am glad you liked the advice.
This was a very informative article about dog training. Lots of helpful tips especially when you have a new puppy in the house. One section of your post I like was understanding the dog’s behavior. It was a good learning experience knowing what not to do around my dog. Your post was very helpful and I enjoyed reading it..Thanks for sharing this post.
Hi Anthony thanks for your kind words.
Having worked with and owned dogs for 50+ years a dogs behavior and understanding it is so important and I am glad you enjoyed the article and I hope you and your dog can take something from it.
Woof Woof from Mark
Dog Training is an important way to strengthen our relationship with our companions. I value your website to benefit my viewers to use your page.I support your content to encourage us to train our animals for future emergencies and disipline. Join my Social Media Page on Facebook @ Cortenbach John.
Thanks for the support John it is greatly appreciated.
I will be sure to have a look at your social media page.
Hi,
These are wonderful tips, and I have tried them out yesterday and today, and I cant believe that they are working so well. In fact, I had no idea that we could train our dog in basic things. We were always looking for a trainer, and that would turn out too expensive.
Thank u. I am sure Zara will live a better life as a result of your training.
Regards,
Aps
Hi Aparna,
So glad you found some benefit it my basic training guides.
Don’t hesitate to hit me up for anything you need help with when it comes to both basic and advanced training.
Woof Woof
Mark
Hi Aps,
So glad the tips are helping and cant wait to hear how Zara gets along with her training.
Woof Woof
Mark
Hello Mark. Thank you for these free dog training tips. I have a 7 year old Beagle. I managed to teach him basic things. He is a good dog most of the time, but sometimes we have problems. He’s not allowed to go out to the street, but sometimes he does, and it’s hard to get him come back. Is there a way I can fix this behaviour? Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Debora
Hi Debora I absolutely love the beagles and they are a pleasure to train.
What I do with all my dogs when it comes to street training is to pick a time of the day when there is no traffic about. If you live on a really busy road I would suggest initially finding a nice quiet street.
If your beagle knows the basic sit, stay and come commands start by having your dog wait at the edge of the curb and tell him to stay (reward him) while you step out onto the street, again giving the command stay. Cross the street and return then give them a treat and walk to your house with the command come, again rewarding when they obey.
If you do this consistently after a while they will know that crossing the street brings no reward however staying the correct side of the curb does.
Put this into place and let me know how you get on.
Thank you for the instructions, I`ll start to work on fixing this issue.
I never knew that teaching your dog those 4 commands would greatly enhance the pet relationship. Some of these dog owners that I know and are related to simply do not provide such training to their pets.
I think there would be less unnecessary barking and commotion if these training methods were put in place by more dog owners/lovers.
Now, there have been times where I have visited homes who had large dog pets. I had the feeling of fear inside of me as I am expecting a potential violent encounter, yet the dogs are quiet and gentle. They are only around me to get my scent and to see what I am doing.
So, basically, from my understanding, its all about proper training a dog similar as you would a child and allow the dog to get used to behaviors and showing them how they should act and react.
Yes they are four very important commands.
Training your dogs heads along the same principles as raising a child, they are both life long commitments.
Hey.. I liked your dog training and programme. The dog is so good I like them as pet and security guide, it make house more confidence and more.
I have a friend that has a really boisterous dog and every time i visit he’s jumping all over me, when I sit down his nose is glued to my groin area! arrh. Any ideas how to stop it from happening from a guests point of view, should I maybe have a treat or two with me? Think i’ll point him in the direction of this site, hopefully he’ll get some ideas.
Oh yes the jumping dog and then the nose in the groin area, I have seen a few of those dogs in my time.
The jumping should really be taught by the owner. As with all training, the dogs success comes with repetition and consistency and unless you are with your friend everyday, the dog wont get the command, down, because to him that will be a foreign command.
One thing I have used with clients Is that if a visitor (Like Yourself) comes over keep your hello with the dog very low key, almost to the point of ignoring them, when the dog jumps on you turn your back on him and walk back out the door.
You might have to try this a few times, but as with all dogs they will soon learn that with jumping up comes no reward or greetings and they will only get that if they don’t jump.
There are a few other tips I have if your friend is interested. Just have him shoot me a question here in the comments or send me an email and I will be happy to help him out, and your groin lol.
Cheers,
Mark
Yes, a dog is man’s best friend and when trained well, a dog is a delight to take out in public an makes you feel proud when great comments come your way from other people. I can relate to your article as I have experienced training a dog from a puppy stage and facing up to some of the challenges and repetitiveness of commands during the training periods. It is a very satisfying feeling when finally your dog obeys orders and behaves. (not too unlike teaching children good manners and behaviours). I like the loyalty and companionship that dogs and they are always happy to see you. Thank you for putting forward your easy to follow and apply tips.Caesar Milan used to say that a dog should know who the leader is – the dog owner and not the dog.
Thank you for your input Helen.
I am also big fan of Caesar, he is amazing with what he can do with dogs, it is definitely a gift.
Hi there,
Awesome post. I found it very useful. Thank you for sharing it.
My dog is huge, and when he sees new people, he tends to jump on them. He does this because he is happy, but the problem is that people get scared and often don’t want to come back because of this. So now, every time a new friend of my daughter comes over, I need to lock him in the bedroom until she goes away. I will try these tips you have suggested in the article. Just a question, please. Why start the training at home or in the garden?
Thank you very much!
Hi Daniella,
We always start a new training routine in the home or garden because this will be where the least distraction will be. If you start training at the local park etc there are a lot of distractions to take his focus away from learning. You will have more control in a small area which is very important whenever you are training something new.
I hope this helped explain your question?
Woof Woof
Mark
Thanks for writing this article. i love dogs and have kept them all my life. So its always great to see articles like this. Another thing I have found works well is just giving them a gentle tug on the ears as theyre pups. This reminds them of their mother, as that’s how the mothers keep them all together as newborns. Its a great way to bond. Not hard. just a gentle stroke on the ears.
A very effective and kind way of training and something I use regularly in my puppy training classes. Great puppy training technique you have highlighted Kwiz.
Woof Woof
Thanks so much for the reminders of why dog training is important plus some practical tips on how to achieve them. Our dog was found as a stray, and didn’t seem to know any commands when we found her. It’s been a long road to just get her to sit on command, and even that isn’t 100%. How long does it normally take for adult dogs to master these basics?
Hi Aly,
Firstly I want to thank you for taking in a stray, you rock!
With the right training technique I can have an adult dog sitting to command within a few attempts. Reward, recognition and consistency is the key.
If you do this, the basic commands are very easy to train and instill.
May Your Home Be Filled With Love & Dog Hair.
Mark
Hi Mark!
I really enjoyed reading your article. I have been thinking about getting a dog, so I don’t feel lonely at my house. However, training my dog is really important and as I have never done it before, I am a beginner in this topic. I have learnt a lot from your article of improving my dog’s behaviour and the commands for the dogs. With your article, my dog will be well trained in no time!
Thank you so much for sharing your article with us and I wish you all the best!
Amzy
Hi Amzy,
I’m so glad you found this article useful and I guarantee when you get a dog loneliness will disappear.
May your home be filled with love and dog hair.
Mark
Hi Mark,
This is a great article on dog training. I have a friend who just purchased a dog and is trying very hard to train her but is finding it a challenge. I will pass this on to them.
Thanks for breaking down the basic sit, come, and heel commands in such a clear and straightforward way. Your article takes the stress out of training the basic commands. I’ve had that training explained to me before but it was just confusing. Your instructions make perfect sense.
I appreciate your reminder to reward dogs when they bark in an appropriate way, like at an unwanted visitor. It’s really easy to forget to reward this one. And your reminder that if you reward counter-surfing once, it will be hard to break the behavior! So true. I don’t have a dog but I see this one in my cat big time! I wonder what he wants when he sits in front of the fridge and points his nose at it!
All the best to you,
Beth
Hi Beth,
Thanks I am glad you enjoyed the article and I hope your friend gets some benefit from this.
Yes a lot of trainers make the basic sit, stay, come and heel a whole lot harder than it really is.
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks for sharing a very informative article about dog training. I am a great animal lover, I had a few dogs in my lifetime, they all passed on to a doggy heaven. What I learned is that every dog is different, they all have their own mindset, a lot of patience and love is needed to train a dog. I agree dogs are very intelligent, more than we can realize, sadly us humans do not always understand dogs, we often fail to get down to their level. True dog lovers will always have a special connection and bond with their dogs. Dog training and discipline is essential to strengthen the bond between the dog owner and his four legged companion. I really enjoyed your post on the tips for basic dog training, thank you.
Hi Carola,
Yes the bond between us and our dogs is very special.
I am so glad you enjoyed the article on free basic dog training tips.
Thanks,
Mark