While basic training will teach a puppy how to behave properly in general, obedience training will give you the ability to get your dog to do what you want, when you want him to. Not only that, but obedience training is the foundation to more advanced tricks. These are the basic obedience skills:

Sit

Stay

Down

Heel

Come

Wait

Sit

Teach the “Sit” command by putting your puppy on your left side, holding his collar with your right hand, and putting your left hand on his loin just in front of his hip bones and behind his rib cage. Command “Sit” as you pull upward on his collar and push downward on his loin. Talk, pet, and praise, but don't let the puppy move. When necessary, reposition him by pushing him back into the sit as you tighten up on the collar. After a few seconds, release with “Okay!” If he is rigid and won't budge, move him forward and walk him into the sit.

record your progress

Use the following space to record your dog's progress with learning the “Sit” command.

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Stay

While your dog is sitting, hold the leash taut over his head. Say, “Stay” in a firm voice, and then take one step back from him. While looking at your puppy, count silently to three, then release with “Okay!” and praise your puppy. Do this once more, and if your puppy stays for the whole count of three, give him a big hug and do something else for a while. If your puppy moves his head or wags his tail, that's acceptable, but you should correct scooting forward, rotating, and attempts to stand by pulling up on the leash and repeat.

If your puppy tries to lie down, tighten the leash enough to prevent him from lowering comfortably into the down position and give him praise as he realizes he doesn't have enough slack to lie down. Loosen the lead and prepare to repeat this sequence many times during the next week of training if your puppy is one who is inclined to recline.

You may be wondering why you should care about lying down on the sit stay if you're not thinking of doing any competitive obedience. The answer is simple. You need your puppy to sit, not lie down, so you can look in his mouth, administer medication or ear ointment, or wipe dirt off his paws. Say what you mean and mean what you say to avoid confusion in all areas of training.

record your progress

Use the following space to record your dog's progress with learning the “Stay” command.

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Down

With your puppy in the sit position and a tasty treat in your hand, hold the treat near his nose so he gets interested in it. Without letting him eat it but so that his nose follows your hand, start to slowly lower your hand toward the floor and toward you. The idea is to get his front end to come down toward your hand and then follow your hand out until he's lying down.

Many puppies stand up while they follow the lure with their nose. You can either keep a hand on his hindquarters to keep them down, or you can sneak the food lure under a chair so that he has to scooch on his tummy to follow it. As soon as he's down, feed the treat and say, “Good down!” Then release with “Okay!”

Once your puppy knows what “Down” means, practice rapid-fire downs by commanding “Down,” giving praise and releasing with “Okay” and repeating the sequence for one minute, three times per training session. Exceptional puppies may learn the verbal “Down” command in a week. With an average of twenty repetitions per day, most puppies will down 50 percent of the time after one month.

record your progress

Use the following space to record your dog's progress with learning the “Down” command.

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Heel

The “Heel” command teaches the puppy to walk on your left side — regardless of your pace or direction — and to sit when you stop. As the puppy learns to heel and you learn how to teach him to move precisely, a deeper learning takes place for both of you. To remain in position, the puppy's awareness, watchfulness, and willingness grow.

Your goal is to teach your puppy to maintain heel position, on your left side, with his shoulder aligned with yours, and his body three inches from your leg. The position is the same whether you're moving forward, turning, or standing still. When you stop, your puppy should sit automatically.

To begin, hold the leash in your right hand with your right thumb through the loop and four fingers holding the slack. Say, “Buster, heel” as you begin walking. Prepare to stop by grabbing the collar with your right hand and using your left to place his rear end into a sitting position so his right front foot is alongside your left ankle.

As you walk along preparing to halt, control your puppy's position using the fold-over maneuver. Grab the leash with your left hand and hold it taut over puppy's head, then use your right to grip the braiding or stitching of the leash just above the snap. Next, take your left hand off the leash and use it to place puppy in a sit in perfect heel position as you halt.

If your puppy forges ahead, drop the slack of the leash, grip the handle, hold your hands at your waistline, and run away. As the puppy returns to your side, return to the original leash grip, holding the slack, as you continue walking.

If your puppy lags behind, say, “Good puppy!” as you spring ahead by taking a puddle jump with your left leg first. As you do this, your left thigh will pull the leash, and your puppy, back to the heel position. The jump ahead will also prevent the puppy from crossing behind you to the right side.

going from heel to sit

Before you begin this, your puppy should reliably sit 80 percent of the time when you ask him. He shouldn't need to be touched or retold. What you want him to do is stop heeling and go into the sit position. Here's what to do.

1. Say, “Buster, heel,” and move off on your left foot.

2. Prepare to stop by gathering the leash in both hands.

3. As you finish your last step, pull up on the leash, and say, “Sit.” You'll need to practice this over and over. Don't wear yourself or your puppy out. If he doesn't get it the first time, try once more and, if you're successful, end on a positive note. If he doesn't get it the second time, go on to something else and start again later:

learning to heel with turns

You'll need to practice turning while you're heeling. This helps stop tendencies to heel too far from or too close to you and to correct slight forging and sniffing of the ground. You want to practice turning sharply.

Use the “Jackie Gleason left turn” to stop slight forging, crowding, and sniffing of the ground: Turn ninety degrees to the left, then step perpendicularly into your puppy so your left foot and leg slide or step behind his front legs. Shuffle into him until he becomes attentive and moves back to the left side. Practice slowing your pace abruptly, then turn left immediately if your puppy's shoulder is even one inch ahead of yours. If your puppy attempts to cross in front of you to the right side, tighten the leash with your left hand as you continue to step into him.

To stop wideness, sniffing, or lagging, use puddle jump following a right turn. Pivot ninety degrees to your right on your left foot, take a large step in your new direction with the right foot and leap forward with your left leg as if you were jumping over a puddle. As you jump the puddle you should feel the leash against your left thigh, pulling the puppy forward. Steady your leash by holding your right hand against your right hip as you leap.

Jump and praise simultaneously to motivate your puppy. Hold the leash in your right hand so the slack will remain in front of your thighs as you jump.

record your progress

Use the following space to record your dog's progress with learning the “Heel” command.

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Come

You want your puppy to learn that when he comes to you when you call him, he will be made to feel like the world's best dog. Coming to you should always be a positive experience. Reward your pup with exuberant praise, tasty treats, a game of fetch, or more time on your walk — whatever it takes to let him know that he did the right thing.

To start, leash your puppy and take him for a walk. If he begins sniffing something, gazing around, or meandering off, call “Buster, come!” Immediately back up quickly as you reel the leash, praising enthusiastically. Kneel down when puppy arrives, heaping him with verbal praise and occasionally slipping him a super-tasty treat. Release with “Okay!” and continue practicing the sequence.

Some puppies will come toward you but stay out of reach or dart right past you. Some owners, without realizing it, encourage the puppy to cut his approach and stay further away by attempting to cradle, caress, or hug the puppy. Petting the puppy as he arrives can create or worsen these recall problems because extending your arms makes it appear you are protecting the space in front of you. Instead, use verbal praise to acknowledge, encourage, and congratulate the puppy's arrival and keep your hands to yourself until he's right with you.

After practicing your reeling recalls twenty or so times, your puppy is probably running toward you faster than you can reel. Now see if he'll leave distractions when you stand still and call, “Come.” If he doesn't respond promptly, use a sharp, fast, horizontal jerk toward you as you praise and back up. If he does respond to your command, praise and continue to back up, praising as he nears you.

The goal you want to reach next is to teach your puppy to stop and come when called even if he's running away or you're following him. Here's what to do. Three times this week, create a situation that will cause your puppy to forget his training and pull toward a distraction. For example, ask a fellow puppy owner to go with you on a walk. Instruct him to walk his puppy about ten feet ahead of you. Your puppy is likely to want to catch up to them. As you are walking directly behind your puppy, ask him to come. If he responds, what a good boy! Praise and crouch down to reward him, then release with “Okay!” If he doesn't respond, tug on his leash, back up, call him again, and praise when he turns toward you. Then reel him in.

If your puppy stops when you call him but he doesn't come to you, stay put. Don't chase after him. Pull the leash to let him know you want him to come toward you, then ask again. He should do what you want.

record your progress

Use the following space to record your dog's progress with learning the “Come” command.

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Wait

A request that comes in very handy around the house is “Wait.” Use this to ask your puppy to wait at the door, go in or out of the door, or when you're out of sight.

The “Stay” command means freeze in the sit, down, or stand position and, therefore, is very restrictive. The “Wait” command, though, allows your puppy to move about, but only within certain areas. You can use it to keep your puppy in the car or out of the kitchen. The only thing “Wait” has in common with “Stay” is that both last until the next direction is given, twenty seconds or twenty minutes later.

Teach the “Wait” command at doorways first. Choose a lightweight door and estimate how wide your puppy's front end is. Open the door two inches more than that as you command “Wait.” Stand there with your hand on the knob of the partially open door, ready to bump the puppy's nose with it should he attempt to pass through the opening. Be sure never to shut the door while correcting. Instead, leave the door open with your hand on the door handle, ready to stop attempted departures with an abrupt and silent bump of the door. If necessary, butt him with a quick movement that makes it appear the door is snapping at him every time he tries to peer or charge out. Leash your puppy so if your attempts to deter him fail and he successfully skips across the border, you can step on the leash and prevent his escape.

Practice at familiar and unfamiliar doors as a helper tries to coerce your puppy to leave. Your helper can talk to the puppy and drop food, but your helper shouldn't call your puppy. As your helper remains on the opposite side of the door, engage in lively conversation to teach your puppy that even when you are preoccupied, the “Wait” command is enforced. When that lesson has been learned, you'll no longer need the leash.

record your progress

Use the following space to record your dog's progress with learning the “Wait” command.

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