First Day of 6 Days Mini Dogy Traning — Part 2

Teaching your dog to lie down

This is an ideal position for the dog to be in while you examine him or administer first aid. A dog which is lying down is less reactive to what is going on around him and is far more likely to stay in position should he need to be left for a few moments.  An instant down from a distance can be a life saver if the dog is heading for danger such as an approaching train when he is running close to a railway line, a horse galloping down a bridleway etc.

Start with the puppy paying attention to you in the sit position. Using his favourite titbit, hold the titbit level with the dog’ s nose and slowly lower the titbit down in front of your dog.  On reaching the floor, drag the titbit towards you.  Your dog’ s head should follow the titbit and he will slide into the down position.

Praise your dog and give him the reward at the moment that he assumes the correct position.  It may take a few attempts before your dog catches on and understands what is required of him before he earns the reward.  Some dogs, particularly of the smaller breeds, do not lie down properly using this method. If this is happening, try sitting next to the dog and using your legs as a “bridge” to draw the titbit under. The dog will follow the titbit under the “bridge” and will be encouraged to lie down.  Make sure he received his reward at the exact moment when he lies down.  Don’t use the command until you are sure your dog understands what you want from him.

Teaching your dog to come when called

Very young puppies tend to follow their people around, and it is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security that this will continue forever! Sooner or later you will take your puppy for walks somewhere with many interesting distractions and for the safety and sanity of all concerned it helps if you are confident your puppy will come back.  Many dogs are never allowed to run free as their owners are afraid they will not come back when called. This is very frustrating for the dog and makes it difficult for them to express normal canine behaviours. Your dog will be eager to return to you if you make sure that you are the most exciting thing around! This is very easy in the house with no major distractions but can be a little more difficult in the dog park where there are other dogs to play with.

Remember that your dog’ s line of focus is very low to the ground, so don’t be afraid to get down to his level – bend or kneel down and tap the floor, shake a toy or clap your hands.  As with any training exercise, always gain your dog’s attention before issuing any commands. Have his interest focused on you and, once you are sure he is coming towards you call his name and the word “come”. Lots of praise is needed every time the puppy comes to you, even when you have not called him. If the puppy becomes distracted before he reaches you, back away from him, making lots of exciting noises to attract his attention.

Do not be tempted to go after him – this will turn into a terrific chasing game and he will probably win!  Always praise the dog when he comes to you, no matter how long it takes.  Have the dog come close enough to you that you can touch his collar (this will be helpful in the future when you need him to come back and have his lead put on), and offer the food reward.

Especially while your dog is young, he will probably stay fairly close to you on walks and will return to you regularly for reassurance.  Take advantage of this, and encourage him to turn this into a habit for life.  Whenever you see your dog coming towards you of his own free will, call his name and “come” and reward him with praise, and a game or food treat when he reaches you.  Let him go away again, saying”good boy, go play” or similar, to continue the game – it’s no fun coming back if you just get put straight on the lead every time

“Knowing his name”, “sit”, ” lie down”, “come”, these four actions are the basic for dog training. For the first day, you should start from them. And please remember the policy I mentioned in post “Is it hard to train a dog” : It is better to has 3-5 lessons per day and 5-10 minutes per lesson. During every break between 2 lessons, release your dog for a while, and then start fresh tricks.