Your dog must understand the basics of obedience. A well-trained dog will respond to your commands and will keep out of harm’s way. Having a well-behaved dog helps to keep him safe and protected.
If you allow your dog to walk off-leash or your dog tends to bolt from the house when the door is opened, he must come back as soon as you call. However, dogs with good manners and behaviors are considered as good companions. Therefore, training your dog in Marlton NJ makes sense.
But when do you start training? If you have a puppy less than three months old, you should start with very light training. You can begin with some household ground rules like the place where he should sleep, where he should stay during your mealtimes, which rooms your dog is allowed to get in, whether he is allowed to sit on the couch, and so on.
Once your dog is around three or four months old, he has attained the age to start learning the basic commands. Taking professional dog training in Marlton, NJ, is a perfect way to bond. However, some of the basic commands every dog should learn are heel, sit, stay, and come.
Heel –
Keep the dog at the knee level on your left side and hold the leash and start walking with your left foot first when you say “Heel” using your pet’s name. Give some rewards and treats when he walks perfectly. If he doesn’t get the hang of it immediately, you can offer a gentle tug to the leash to bring him back into place and start again.
Sit –
Hold a treat towards the back of his head when you say “Sit” by using your pet’s name. Most dogs sit automatically. If your dog doesn’t, touch his butt lightly as soon as you command. After that, you give a treat and praise your beloved pet.
Stay –
To learn this command, let your dog start from the sit position. You stand in front of him, show an open-palm hand when you say “Stay” and his name. Maintain eye contact and leave him in the stay position for thirty seconds and say “Okay” to release him. When you practice, let him stay longer as you stand farther.
Come –
Hook up a non-retractable leash of at least six feet to stay your dog in the “Sit” position. Pull him gently when you say “Come” and the name of the dog excitedly and happily. When your dog comes and sits in front of you, praise him and give a treat.
Additional Tips –
- If you want to avoid confusion in your dog’s mind, you say the same short word and his name with every command.
- Try to keep the training sessions brief. The span of your dog’s attention is short.
- If you allow your dog to learn basic commands, start training them three to five times a day. Every session should not be more than ten or fifteen minutes.
- Keep in mind that your dog wants to please. Your dog will respond to your praise and shrink from your punishment. Patience, practice, and heaps of love go a long way in making an untrained dog into a responsive and loyal dog.
Bottom Line –
Do you want your dog to learn some basic manners and obedience? You should take dog training in Marlton NJ through Happy Tails. For more information about our training classes and schedules, please visit our website. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
