Page 324 - The Complete Dog Breed Book Choose the Perfect Dog for You, New Edition (DK)

324 C ARE AND TR AINING

Basic commands AT THE ROADSIDE
Sitting is a behavior that comes quite naturally to puppies
and is therefore a good place to start formal training. It is Put the sit command into
practice whenever you need
a very easy command for a puppy to learn and gives him a control over your dog. For
guaranteed way of earning a reward. Because of this, most example, asking a puppy to sit at
puppies will offer a sit as the first option, when there is a every roadside will teach him not
to walk straight into traffic. (It is
reward available. As your dog gets older and a sit becomes not always possible to shorten a
less exceptional, the behavior is less likely to be rewarded, so leash in time to prevent mishap.)
he will try other methods to get noticed, such as jumping up Remember to practice sitting at
or barking. Keep rewarding your dog whenever he offers every roadside you come to—not
just at main roads. Your puppy
a sit to reinforce the calm behavior you want from him. cannot tell what type of road he
Teaching a puppy to lie down can be more difficult than is approaching.
getting him to sit, but this is probably the most useful of all
the basic positions for your dog to learn. Lying down is a Start teaching your puppy to lie down when he is highly
more stable position than sitting, meaning that a dog is less motivated. For example, if you carry out a training session
likely to move again immediately afterward. Having a reliable just before a meal, when he is hungry, he will be more
“down” command can be vital in emergencies when you need receptive to what you ask because he will be eager for food
to stop your dog on the spot—for example, if he is running treats. Encourage him by starting on a soft surface, such as
toward a road. Lying down also reinforces a relaxed state of carpet or grass, before moving onto harder, less comfortable
mind and can help calm a puppy in an exciting situation. surfaces. As with all your commands, be very precise about
Make it one of your puppy’s earliest lessons, because the the meaning of each word. If your command to lie down is
“down” command comes in handy if he becomes distracted “down,” then do not use the word “down” to ask your puppy
during a training session and stops paying attention. to get off your furniture.

TRAINING | SIT

With your dog Once your
t
s
1 anding in front 3 y is
pupp
of you, hold a treat reliably performing
right in front of his a sit every time
nose and slowly food is lured over
move your hand his head, move on
up and backward, to giving a clear
close over his head. hand signal while
Do not let go of the asking him to “sit.”
treat immediately. Then bend down
and lure him into
position as before.

As your dog’s
2 e moves up
no
s
to follow the treat,
he will have to place
his bottom on the
floor. Ask him to
“sit,” and as soon
as his bottom is
down, let him take
the treat and praise
him. Continue to
praise him for as
long as he is sitting.

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