Instructional Command Teaching Methods
When using these commands remember to use a soft yet strong tone not shouting but saying it calmly yet assertively.
The “sit” Command
Use your dogs name in an enthusiastic voice in order to get their attention.
Hold a treat just above their head so they can smell it and are aware it is there. Now slowly take it up and back, as your dogs head comes up this is when their bottom should go down to the floor. Don’t set the treat too high as they dog may then have no option but to jump up
As your dogs bottom goes down give the command “sit”
Praise your dog in the sit position and reward with the treat.
You may then choose to ease your dog from the position with a command for them to finish or plainly encourage them to get back up.
It is vital to keep in mind the below points.
Only give your dog a command once you have your dogs attention.
Try to only say the command once and don’t repeat yourself.
Try to be consistent in your commands both verbal and non-verbal.
Try to avoid ambiguous commands such as adding additional words at the end. This can make the command line too long and harder for them to understand, stick with the same word for this command also.
If your dog is not responding don’t presume that they are being difficult. It may take a few times for them to understand what you are asking of them.
When you ask your dog to sit, make sure you are in a position to gently enforce it i.e. don’t command your dog as they is running around the garden or doing something that makes it harder for you to get their attention.
Be reasonable about how long you expect your dog to sit for. Puppies and large dogs may find sitting for any length of time uncomfortable.
The “down” Command
Use your dogs name in an enthusiastic voice in order to get their attention and get them interested.
Hold a treat just above their nose and slowly take it up and back to lure them into a sit position. Try and make sure that you do not use the sit command on this command as it can confuse the dog. Follow on by keeping the treat close to their nose so they are aware that it is there and maintains their interest. Lower it slowly to the floor between their front paws and take it slightly forward. A word of advice is that if the dog gets up you have taken the treat too far forward, withhold the treat until they do go into the down position.
As your dog’s stomach then touches the ground give your chosen command for the down.
Praise your dog straight away as soon as they have slipped into the down position and reward with the treat.
You may then choose to ease your dog from the position with a command for them to finish or plainly encourage them to get back up.
Try to avoid ambiguous commands, if you say “down” to your dog for jumping up etc then use another command to mean lay down (flat, drop, rest or dead are all good substitutes).
When you ask your dog to down, make sure you are in a position to gently enforce it i.e. don’t command your dog as he is running around the garden.
The “leave” Command
Feed your dog a small treat to get his interest.
Put another treat on the flat of your hand and hold it a few inches in front of your dog’s nose, as they go to take it close your hand and snatch it away quickly with the command “leave”.
Immediately offer the treat again and repeat as above.
Once your dog makes no attempt to take the treat whilst it is available to him, tell him “Good boy/girl, good leave” whilst keeping the treat in your open hand.
After about 20 seconds of your dog ignoring the treat, tell them “Take it” and feed them the treat.
Remember to only let the dog have the treat after you have given the “Take it” command.
You don’t need to shout or use a firm voice; it won’t make the dog understand any better.
Repeat with different treats and with toys and gradually extend the period of time you can get your dog to leave for.
The “settle” Command
There are times we want our dogs to be well behaved and sit or lay down quietly beside us. If we give them a specific command such as “sit”, it is likely that after a few minutes they will either get up or lay down. The average puppy will find it uncomfortable to stay in one position for any length of time and with larger breeds it could even be damaging to force them to stay in a sit for long periods.
With the “settle” we are only insisting the dog is quiet, calm and relaxed.
To best practise the settle your dog needs to have a lead or house line attached. To start with it is easiest if you sit comfortably in a chair.
The lead should be passed under the soles of your feet and the end then kept in the hand. The lead should be comfortably long enough to allow the dog to stand, sit or lie down but not long enough for the dog to move away from you and not to jump up.
A good supply of small tasty treats need to be at hand. Now you can simply ignore your dog until they offer us calm “settled” behaviour, this may happen straight away or may take several minutes. As soon as the behaviour is offered, immediately reward the dog with a treat and the verbal reinforcement of “Good boy/girl settle”. If the dog instantly gets up then simply ignore again until another “settled” behaviour occurs, once it does then reward again. If the dog remains “settled” then you need to keep the rewards coming, don’t be mean as you want to teach the dog that staying in this position is indeed a very rewarding thing to do. As the dog starts to get the idea, you can start to leave gradually increasing gaps between rewards.
If done regularly you should soon have a dog that can remain “settled” for 20 to 30 minutes easily. Remember not to nag the dog, you can simply ignore them if they get up, you are then teaching them the best way to get our attention is to “settle”.
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Copywrite© 2007 Sharon Bartlett