Pet Advice
Dog Training Tips
At Puppy Preschool we train the puppies by lure and reward and ignore and reward training techniques. This means that we train the pups by luring them to do the commands we ask with a treat and then reward them with that treat when they do as we ask. Another helpful tip is to try to ignore the pup’s bad behaviour and make a very, very big deal of the puppy when he/she behaves in the correct manner. For example if the pup is quiet, lying down or perhaps sitting quietly beside you, give him/her a pat and a treat to reward the pup for this type of behaviour. Dogs do react to the attention you give them. So try to remember to reward them with positive praise when they are good. How to teach your Pup to sit on command This is the puppy’s way of saying please and teaching your puppy to sit is a good start to his/her good manners. Place a small piece of food (treat) in front of his nose to get his attention, then slowly move it up and back over his head. His head will follow up and back, and his bottom automatically sits. Use the “SIT” command as soon as his bottom hits the ground, and reward him immediately with a piece of food and lots of praise. Note at no stage is your puppy actually forced or pushed into the sit position. Try to train your puppy to sit before he gets anything he wants – food, play, walks etc. Even when you walk through a door with your pup, make him/her sit first and then you go through the door first before the pup. This helps to assert you as the dominant one, and teaches the puppy to earn everything he gets by saying “please”.