Over the years I have had many dogs, all of which I have trained on my own. I’ve been often asked “Your dog listens so well, how did you get him to do that?” Teaching a puppy a few basic commands really isn’t as hard as some might think. As long as you can have the patience and the time to dedicate to properly training them, you can have a wonderfully well-behaved puppy yourself! I am a firm believer of the “click-training” method when it comes to training dogs. Having something to audibly stimulate them in order to receive the desired action in return tends to work better than just verbal commands on their own. In this “how-to”, I’ll illustrate to you how to get started with click-training and the basics you will need to know.
If you plan on using the click training method, you’ll need to get a few things to start. First you will need to get a clicker (about $2.00 at Petco). You’ll then want to get some small treats that your puppy likes (my puppy likes a combination of his puppy kibble and “Crazy Pet Train-Me Reward Dog Treats” — about $5.00 at Petco — the train-me treats work well because they are chewy and moist, easy for a puppy to eat). You might also want to have something to carry the treats in, like a nylon bag that you can sling around your waist, or you can just keep them in your pocket.
Once you have everything you need, you can start to associate your puppy with the clicker. To do this, click the clicker and then give the puppy a treat. Go to another part of the room, click the clicker, and give the puppy a treat. Repeat this step over a few times in different parts of the house. Your puppy will start to associate the clicking noise with getting a treat, thanks Pavlov! When you are convinced that your puppy understands that the clicking sound means they will receive a treat, then you are ready to move on with the training.
Before you begin to teach the puppy even the most basic commands such as “sit” and “stay”, you need to work with your puppy on getting their attention. Doing this is actually quite simple. While in the room with your puppy, say their name. When they stop what they are doing and look at you, click your clicker and give them a treat. Repeat this step a few times in different parts of the home. You will notice that your puppy will catch on very quickly! You will want to repeat the name-association exercise a few minutes each day to ensure that they understand, but make sure that you do not over-do it. Puppies have a short attention span, and get tired and restless quickly. Make sure you keep all training sessions to about 10-15 minutes daily.
Once you are confident that you can get your puppy’s attention quickly and easily, you can then move on in the training process.
