As a responsible dog owner you want to ensure your dog is well trained and knows some basic commands that will make life much easier for both of you. These basic commands can help control your dog in special circumstances and will help establish your leadership. They can be easily taught from the convenience of your home or along with an obedience trainer in classes. The latter is a much preferred approach since your dog will learn to obey such commands under a distracting environment along with other people and dogs.
- Sit
The sit command comes in handy in many circumstances. A dog may sit nicely before being told to eat, he may sit before having his leash put on and he may sit before opening a door to be let out. The sit controls the dog and it helps him maintain his composure when necessary. Puppies as early as 8 weeks old can be easily taught the sit command using a treat as a reward.
- Come
The come command is the most important command because it could really turn out to be a life saver. Simply imagine the scenario of your dog getting ready to dart into a road full of cars. Calling your dog's name can save its life. Of course, in order to work well, the come command should be obeyed promptly. Obedience training will provide a good environment to teach a dog a strong recall because the dog is exposed to several distractions and learns to come when called no matter what. One very important rule: Never call your dog to punish him. A recall is always something positive.
- Stay
The stay command may be hard to teach but it is helpful in many scenarios. Say you want to leave the room for a few minutes and you want your dog to not wander anywhere. The stay command will ensure your dog will be right where you left him. Very young dogs may have difficulty staying for more than a few minutes but older dogs may even keep a stay for 20 minutes or more. The stay command is great for keeping dogs quiet as needed such as when you are having dinner or while you are cleaning a floor.
- Drop It
This command is another life saver because you never know what your dog may be about to eat. The 'drop it' command is taught by catching the dog right when he is about to pick up something and offering a treat in exchange for the dropped item. The word 'drop it' is pronounced right when the dog drops the item in order to get the tasty treat you are offering in exchange for the item. Most dogs will give up almost anything for their tasty treats.
- Go Potty
Tired of having your dog out in the yard and waiting for him to sniff everything in sight for long minutes as you are freezing in the cold morning hours? It is a good idea to let your dog know exactly what you expect from him. Teach your dog to go potty on command. This should be started as early as possible when the dog is still a puppy. Every time you will see your dog squat you will say 'go potty'. Sooner than later, your dog will know what you mean. After your dog goes potty on command praise and give a treat. Your dog will be eager to do its business and come straight to you for its prize .
Dogs can be taught several other commands that may entertain guests such as paw, roll over and shake but the above commands are the most important that every dog should know. It will not take long for dogs to learn such commands as most dogs are eager to please their owners and will look forward to learning something new especially if the reward is a pat on the head and a tasty treat.
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