Basic dog training

Training is not a set of tricks: it is the language you share with your dog so that living together is easy. Five commands, ten minutes a day and a lot of consistency cover almost everything.

The five commands that change everything

• Its name: say it and give a treat when it looks at you. It is the base of everything else.
• Sit: with a treat above the nose and moving it back; the dog sits on its own and then you add the word.
• Come: always with a happy voice, never to scold it. Start at home with nothing distracting, then in the park with a long lead.
• Leave it / drop it: essential for safety. Exchange what it has in its mouth for something better.
• Walk by your side: reward the position, not the pull. If the lead goes tight, stop; when it comes back, walk on.

How to teach in ten minutes

Short, always ending on a success, and always in the same place at first. Treat within a second and a half of what you want to reward, or the dog will connect it with something else. Three sessions of five minutes teach more than one of twenty.

The mistakes that slow everything down

• Repeating the word: «sit, sit, sit» only teaches it that the word does not mean anything. Say it once and help it with your hand.
• Punishing when it comes: if you scold it after calling, next time it will think twice about coming back.
• Everyone using different words: agree at home on one word and one gesture for each command.
• Only training in easy situations: a command is learned at home and confirmed in the street, in short and increasing doses.

Pulling on the lead

The dog pulls because pulling works: it advances. Change the rule: the lead stays loose and, when it pulls, you stop. It only takes a few walks for it to realise that walking beside you is what moves the walk forward. A front-clip harness or a head collar helps while you teach it, but they are not a solution by themselves.