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Bonnie the staff puppy, submitted by Charlotte and Alice
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Basic Dog Commands
There are some basic commands that all dogs should be able to respond to, and they should be used constantly throughout the dog's life. One day the commands could be used to save the dogs life, if it happens to be involved in a potentially dangerous situation. For example you could be walking the dog home down the road, and the dog collar buckle could snap. The dog might then suddenly decide to bolt off home, or across the road to greet another dog. Obviously this can be a very dangerous accident, but if your dog is obedient and trained to obey some of these simple commands then it should be okay.
The sit command should be one of the first things that your dog learns, preferably when it is still a puppy. The dog should be able to sit down and wait patiently, upon hearing the word sit. This should be used every time the dog is about to be fed or given a treat, and any other time where necessary. This will help to create a well mannered and obedient dog, and it is a vital command that all dogs should understand. To train the dog to be able to sit when commanded, you must ask the dog to sit. If it does, you should praise it highly and show that you are happy with it, perhaps give it a treat too. If it doesn't sit, try using a hand symbol instead - show the palm of your hand to the dog, at a slight angle. Keep repeating these steps until the dog does finally sit when commanded. This is probably the easiest command for the dog to learn, and it shouldn't take long to master it. If the dog doesn't sit, remember to be patient and not to punish the dog at all. Be consistent with your training, but not exhaustive. Allow breaks in-between training where the dog can play or rest if required.
The stay command is another useful command for the dog to learn. The dog should be able to sit down, and then stay. This is to keep the dog waiting, improving the obedience of the dog. When feeding the dog you should make it sit and then stay, even if the food is already in front of the dog in its bowl. This will improve the dog's patience too, as well as letting it know that you are in charge. To make the dog stay you should simply stay the word stay, and make the dog wait a certain length of time. Say go play, or off you go, as a sign that the dog can now stop waiting. Again, you should praise or reward the dog when it obeys the command.
The heal command is another command that all dogs should know. If a dog is walking too fast, pulling on the lead or if you want it to wait whilst you catch up, you should be able to tell it to heal and it should slow down to your pace. This is very useful when the dog is pulling on its lead, as it can be very uncomfortable for the owner otherwise. Again, you should practise saying the word heal when the dog is walking with you, and reward it when it obeys you.