Woof Wednesday: Puppy Training Tips–Sit, Wait, Come!

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Woof Wednesday: Puppy Training Tips–Sit, Wait, Come!

"Teach me, please!" Copr. Summer Hughs.

Everyone wants a polite puppy. But how does it happen? Polite behavior doesn't develop overnight and what's cute in Junior-Dawg can become a problem when that 10-pound baby turns into a 60+ pound dynamo.

Many folks delay training until it becomes a problem. But actually, puppies are little sponges that soak up lessons with little effort. You can train the little guys and turn it into a game! My Magical-Dawg was doing "puppy push-ups" (sit-down-sit-down) on TV at age 10 weeks. Here's how you can turn your puppy into a genius–or at least he can play one on TV!

Note, these tips work for adult dogs, too–and also for cats. :O

TEACHING "SIT"

This can be the canine "open sesame" to all good things. You teach kids to say the magic words, right? Well just as please-and-thank-you work for human kids, a "sit" can work for the dog. You can do this using lure training or my favorite, clicker training. I used the clicker training techniques with Magic. It lets the pet puzzle out how to please YOU instead of you trying to out-think the dog. Learn the step-by-step tips here.

TEACHING "WAIT"

These techniques also work for train the "come" command. I like using "wait" with puppies, though, because they rarely have the patience to hold still long enough to win a reward for a "stay." The "wait" command simply means don't move forward–but they can get up from a sit or down or whatever. Wait works really well to keep pups from dashing through a door and knocking you off your feet. Here's how to do it.

"Come? I'd rather play keep-away!" Copr. Paige Nelson

TEACHING "COME"

This one is a HUGE DEAL when you've got a puppy on the loose. After all, the little guy learns very quickly that you can't catch him and then–wow, watch the fun HE has while you tear your hair and pray he won't dash into traffic! Of course a safe area to train or confine is best to prevent such awful potential accidents. But it's also a great idea to teach your baby dog (or your adults!) to come when called. These tips work really well for puppies. For my Magical-Dawg, his fail-safe recall command has become, "CAR RIDE!" That really brings him running!

Are your puppies–and adult dogs–well trained? What are some must-knows for your furry crew? How did you train them? Are there any behaviors you wish pup-o-matic would do but don't know where to begin? Please share!

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