A healthy relationship with your dog relies on good training. To communicate with him, first you need to teach him what you need from him in different situations and show him how to do as you say.
There are many commands you can teach your furry friend, but here are a few basic ones that every dog should know.
- Sit. The most common and arguably most important command, “Sit!” will help curb a variety of unwanted behaviors. If your dog is jumping up on guests or otherwise getting too rambunctious, “Sit!” will tell him to stop what he’s doing and sit quietly instead.
- Stay. Once your dog sits, what’s to stop him from immediately getting up and returning to what he was doing? “Stay!” will tell him to remain in place, rather than running off. Likewise, if he gets loose from his leash, “Stay!” will keep him nearby, rather than potentially running into danger.
- Come. Your canine companion needs to come when he’s called. If he’s anywhere without his leash – whether he’s roaming free at the dog park, or he slipped out of it during a walk – “Come!” will tell him to go straight to you, without your having to chase him down.
- Drop It. Is there something in your dog’s mouth he shouldn’t have? Is he chewing up a family heirloom? Not letting go of the ball you just threw him? Bringing you a “special present”? “Drop it!” will tell him to let fall whatever’s in his mouth, so you can save it, examine it, or simply remove it.
- Leave it. This command is particularly handy on walks, when your furry friend is investigating something he shouldn’t. It might be something icky that you don’t want to have to clean off of him later, like a pile of trash. Or it might be something potentially dangerous, like an unidentified plant or an unfriendly animal. “Leave it!” will tell him to leave off his investigation and come back to safety.
