Chloe's 10 Steps to Training Your Puppy

Before you start training your dog, you will need these things...

Treats - You should choose a type of food that your dog enjoys. This will help you because your dog will do what she has to do to get the food.

Leash - Choose a leash that is suitable for your dog. Depending on the size of your dog you will need to hold the leash tight, not too tight, but so she can still breath.

Time - You should only train your dog for ten minutes a day, otherwise she will get bored with what he is doing and stop paying attention.

Patience - Patience is very important because if you get angry at your dog when she does something wrong, she won't enjoy being trained and won't listen.

A Dog - You will need a dog otherwise there will be nothing to train!

Step 1

First, you must get your dog to face you by getting her attention with food (or her favourite toy). Put the leash on your dog so you can have control of her (When you've first started training always put the leash on your dog so she can't get away.)

The first thing that you will need to teach your dog is how to 'Sit' on command. Either teach you dog to sit in front, or next to you.

If you want her to sit next to you, hold the leash firmly towards the end of it.

Hold your dog in the position next to you and give the command 'Sit' whilst gently pushing down her hindquarters until she sits. As soon as she does reward her with a treat.

You can also hold the food in front of her, but hold it upwards pushing her back and downwards to a sitting position.

To get your dog to sit in front of you, hold the leash loosely and steer her so he is standing in front of you.

Give the command 'Sit' and either push your dogs hindquarters down until the dog sits, or hold the treat in an upwards position and push it backwards, towards your dog until she sits.

Step 2

The second most important thing you need to teach your dog is 'Stay'.

You will need to leash your dog again and put her in your preferred sitting position.

Stand in front of your dog and give the command 'Stay' as you take 1 or 2 steps backwards.

Hold your hand vertically in front of her as you walk. Put your hand down when you let your dog go.

If she stays, wait a couple of seconds and say okay as you hold food out to your dog. But if she doesn't stay do it again until she does.

If she successfully stays the first time, do it again and take 3 or 4 steps backwards. Each time going a couple of steps further backwards until your dog can do it every time, over any distance.

Step 3

'Come' is another important command. If you dog won't come back when you call her, she could get injured if she runs out onto the road in front of a car or gets in a fight with another animal.

Put your dog in a sitting position and make her stay as you walk backwards. Wait a couple of seconds again and then instead of saying okay, say 'Come'.

When your dog has successfully come to you give her a treat and a pat.

Continue doing this until your dog will come to you whenever you say 'Come'.

Step 4

You will also need to know how to get your dog to walk on the leash. You need to teach her that because then you will have more control over her.

To teach her this, you will need to use the two commands 'Come' and 'Heel'.

First, sit your dog and have food in your hand. When you are ready start walking and give the command 'Come' as you do.

If your dog is pulling then use the word 'Heel' as you gently pull the leash towards you.

If your dog still pulls, sit her and try this again.

When she walks on the leash she will be able to walk at your side and not pull.

Keep using to word heel and gently pull the leash backwards if your dog pulls.

Step 5

Once you've taught your dog sit, stay and come you can teach her other tricks like 'Down'. This trick teaches your dog to lay down.

You'll need to put her in your preferred sitting position.

Hold a treat in your hand near the dogs face so she can see it and bring it downwards to the ground.

Your dog should follow it otherwise gently push down on her shoulders until he does it.

Then treat her and pat her. You can also say 'Good Boy/Girl' as a reward.

Keep practicing this until she does it on command.

Step 6

Here is a great trick that is good to show people. It's shake.

Get your dog in your preferred sitting position. Though you'll have to face your dog for this trick.

Kneel down in front of your dog with a treat in your hand.

Grab the dogs paw and shake it up and down like your shaking someone's hand.

Whilst you do this give the command 'Shake', then release the dogs paw and give her a treat and a pat.

Repeat this until your dog can do this on your command and you don't have to pick her paw up.

Step 7

Rollover is another great trick that visitors will love. Your dog will roll from a down position over to another down position.

Make your dog lay down and have food in your hand ready. Crouch down with her and show her the food.

With the food, guide her over her back so that she rolls to get the food.

As your dog is rolling give the command 'Rollover' or 'Over'.

If your dog has leant this but still has a bit of trouble with it, you can always use the food to show her what to do.

Step 8

Here is a fun game to play with your dog, 'Fetch'. You throw the toy and your dog goes to get it and bring it back.

Get your dogs favourite toy and get their attention.

Once she is looking, throw the toy and your dog should go get it.

If she doesn't, say 'Fetch' and point to it and encourage her to get it.

When she brings it back reward her with pats and food.

Then, you and your dog can play together. Have fun!

Step 9

A nice thing to do is wave. To make your dog wave you have to start by putting your dog in your preferred sitting position.

Give the command 'Shake' whilst you pick up her paw. Wave it up and down twice like you are waving to somebody.

Say the word 'Wave' as you do this. Once you have done this a few times, try it without holding onto your dog's paw but putting your hand out.

If you dog reaches to your hand, reward her and do it again, putting your hand higher each time.

Your dog has learned to wave when she does two full rotations of her paw on command.

Step 10

If your dog does something naughty, the word you should say is 'No'.

Say she chews something she is not supposed to, then you have to say the word 'No' to her.

When your dog is naughty, show her what she did wrong and say 'No' in a stern voice, pointing to the thing she did wrong.

Chloe's Tip: Start with the first tip and work your way down the list in order after each thing is tort and learnt.

For information on how to take care of your dog see Sasha's guide.

Chloe Tapscott

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