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PETS | Behaviour and training
in distractions. Get your
dog to stay on a walk in
multiple diff erent spots.
“You may also want to
have some fun by getting
your dog to stay while you
do some push-ups, for
example,” Jamie says.Training tips
There’s no time like the
present to start teaching
these commands.
Regardless of whether
you’ve got an eight-week-
old pup or an eight-year-
old dog, start as soon as
you can.
However, it’s crucial
that you remain patient throughout the training
process. “If you ever feel frustrated, end the
session right away and come back later when
you are fresh,” Jamie advises. “It is also important
to note that you only need to do short sessions
of 10–15 minutes. You want to keep the training
sessions short and fun to keep your dog
engaged. If you did multiple short sessions each
day, you would have a nice sit, stay and stand
within a few days.”
Remember also that you then have to train
your dog to execute these behaviours in all
environments and scenarios, which takes
time. An easy way to do this is to stop multiple
times on your daily walk and practise all your
behaviours. The benefi t here is that your dog
is always practising in diff erent environments,
ensuring he generalises these behaviours and
will learn how to perform them anywhere.
Again, remember to keep it fun and to end
each session on a high. “This increases the
reliability of the behaviour later because when
you ask your dog to perform them, it’s not a
chore,” Jamie explains.
There you have it. Regardless of whether
you have a young pup, you’ve just adopted a
new pet or you simply have a dog that needs
to brush up on her skills, you now have all the
basics you need to start teaching these key
commands. Good luck!slowly relax the lure until you are only using
a hand signal.- You can then use the same process as above
to introduce the “drop” verbal cue.
Stay
Staying on command is a crucial skill for any
dog, helping him remain calm and stay safe in
any potentially dangerous situation.
“Technically, you don’t really need to put in
a ‘stay’ cue as, if the dog has been taught to
sit no matter what, that is eff ectively a stay.
However, I like to add in some clarity when
I am moving away from the dog,” Jamie says.- Ask your dog to sit and ensure she is nice
and focused. - Say “stay” and use a hand signal. Now put
your arms back to your sides. - Take one small step backwards (a very tiny
step), then return to your dog. Use your marker
word, “yes”, and give your dog a tasty treat. Your
pet is now released from the stay cue. - “Keep repeating, altering duration and
distance and keeping it unpredictable. Don’t
always release your dog at the same position or
same time,” Jamie says. “Always start extremely
small — you don’t want the dog breaking the
stay too often as it means you are going too
fast. Make it easier!”
5.Once you are confi dent, you can start adding
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Lying down is a great second skill to teach your pup.