Sit, Stay, Lie Down: Tips to Make Teaching Your Pup Basic Commands Much Simpler and More Fun!

Have you ever seen a puppy so well-behaved that you wished your own pup would stop and take some notes on how to act? Every dog parent wants their pup to be sweet, fun, and obedient, especially if you live with a dog that seldom bows to authority. But don’t give up yet, because we’ve got just the right tips to help you train your puppy!

First things first: remember that good behavior does not naturally come to a puppy. From the moment they are born, they’re acting on strong instinctual urges that are hard for them to resist. We can’t expect them to read our minds, or even to learn our commands right away, no matter how much we may want that. So, it is up to us, as the beloved pup parents, to train these little pups in good manners. 

It can feel intimidating and overwhelming when you’re training your puppy for the first time. But gaining a better understanding of your puppy’s behavior can really help you get the hang of it. 

What factors can affect your puppy’s training?

Virtually all puppies, both young and old, respond very well to reward-based training. When your pup learns to associate certain actions with desirable rewards, they are more motivated to repeat those actions. This is also called positive reinforcement, and it’s a very powerful training tool.

All puppies are not created equal. How your puppy responds to their training depends on factors like:

• Personality
• Intelligence 
• Early nurturing 

Read on to learn more about how each of these factors affect your pup’s training!

Personality

Some pups are naturally inclined to obey their owners. Dogs with obedient personalities love to please their master and will work very hard to get whatever command they are taught right. On the other hand, some dogs have stubborn personalities and want to do whatever they want whenever they please. Personality is sometimes affiliated with a dog’s breed. For example, German Shepherds tend to want to obey, while Beagles are known to be a more stubborn breed. However, every dog is different, and many dogs do not have the stereotypical personalities of their breed! It’s important as a dog parent to understand your dog’s personality, how they learn, and what motivates them (hint: it’s likely to be something like food or praise from you). Try to observe these things as you train them, and adjust your training based on how they respond.

Intelligence  

Although all dogs tend to be pretty intelligent, some puppies are more intelligent than others. For example, poodles have generally high intelligence and may grasp commands faster, while Bloodhounds have a bit lower intelligence and may take a longer time to train. But don’t fret if your dog doesn’t seem to grasp commands right away… different levels of intelligence are completely normal, and some dogs just need a bit more practice than others in order to master their training.

Early nurturing

A puppy that has been properly socialized with their mother or siblings will often have fewer behavioral issues. Puppies who have spent lots of time with their parents, siblings, or humans while young are often easier to train compared to puppies that were weaned off their mothers early or who spent their early days alone. Shelter pups can sometimes be harder to train because of the difficult or intense background they come from.

The bottom line is to be patient while training your puppy and remember that every puppy learns differently. Also, keeping lots of dog treats on hand makes puppy training much easier and more fun for your pup! Be sure that the treats you use to train your dog are specifically meant for training. They need to be small enough that you can feed your pup lots of them during training without making your puppy too full.

Potty Training/Housebreaking

One of the most important things to do when you first bring your puppy home is to potty train them. Remember that potty training is a process; they are likely to have accidents along the way! It’s certainly annoying to find little puddles around the house for the first few days, but with some good housebreaking training sessions, your puppy will soon learn great potty manners!

How to Potty Train a Puppy: Step by Step 

One of the most important things when it comes to potty training is anticipating when your puppy needs to go out. Common times include:

• Right before they go to sleep and immediately when they wake up
• Before they eat and right after they eat
• Before they play and right after playing 
• Before exercising and right after they exercise 

The time that your puppy can hold their bladder without peeing depends on how old they are. Usually, puppies hold their bladder according to their age in months. For example, a one-month-old puppy can usually hold its bladder for around an hour, while a three-month-old puppy can hold its bladder for around three hours. It’s essential to remember this and adjust the time period between potty breaks based on your dog’s age and how they seem to be doing.

Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to potty train a puppy:

Create a routine

Puppies thrive on routine. Puppies need to learn when it is time to eat, exercise, and go out for a potty break. It’s important to establish this routine quickly and follow it religiously. For example, always take your dog outside to potty soon after they eat, and let them go out for a potty break before they sleep.

Find a specific spot for them to potty

Puppies scent mark everything that is within their turf. Once they have a potty break on one spot, many puppies tend to repeatedly go to that spot when it’s time to potty. It is up to you to choose a safe spot for your puppy, but a section of your backyard is usually the best option! Whenever your puppy needs to go, take them out and direct them to that exact spot. This helps them become comfortable and makes potty time more predictable.

Reward your pup’s efforts

Always reward your puppy every time they have a successful potty break outside. This teaches them that handling their business away from your house has a pleasant reward in the end. Rewards can be in the form of praises or puppy treats. Want faster results? Use both rewards to motivate your puppy!

If your puppy forgets and relieves themselves where they are not supposed to, do not scold them or punish them, but don’t give them a reward either. Try to interrupt them and take them outside immediately so that they continue associating relieving themselves with going outside.

 

Control your puppy’s meals

Put away your pup’s feeding and drinking bowls immediately after they finish eating and drinking. Too much water or food may increase the likelihood of your pup having an accident. Feed your puppy two to three times a day (according to your vet’s advice) and take away any leftovers when they are done eating.

Try to watch your puppy as much as possible

Remain vigilant until your furbaby learns the ropes. It’s a good idea to keep them in one area so that you can watch their activities. This is a great time to crate-train your puppy as well, meaning that when you are away, they remain in the crate until you come back.

Although it certainly does happen to some pups, dogs are less likely to defecate or pee where they sleep and eat. Your puppy is less likely to make a mess in their cage. But remember that they cannot hold their bladder for long, so do not keep them in the cage for more than two hours.

Impulse Control 

Puppies are like children in that they are controlled by their urges, which is why they need impulse control training. Impulse control is like self-control for puppies, helping them remain calm even in exciting situations. 

Impulse control for puppies comes in handy in several situations:

• If your puppy gets excited and causes a commotion when you walk through the door
• If your puppy goes crazy whenever you pull out their bag of treats
• If your puppy has a hard time staying calm when it’s time to eat
• If your puppy gets too excited and jumps on guests or new people

There are countless situations when your puppy will need impulse control training. As with potty training, reward-based training works best here.

Impulse Control Training for Puppies: Step by Step

Door Training 

This type of training helps calm a pup that gets too excited each time the door is opened.

Step by Step Door Training:

• Walk towards the door. When your pup comes running, do not open it.
• Ignore their whining and scratching the door. They will likely settle down eventually.
• When your pup settles, use a command like ‘Sit’ to keep them grounded. Give them a training treat when they sit.
• Now try opening the door slightly. If your pup gets overly excited again, close the door immediately.
• Repeat the previous command, ‘Sit’, to keep your puppy grounded.
• Open the door slightly again. If your puppy maintains a sitting position, feed them a treat.
• Now open the door fully. Is your pup still sitting calmly? Feed them another treat. If not, try again!

You may have to do this repeatedly until your puppy begins to understand. Remember, always reward good behavior and ignore disobedience. But try not to scold your puppy. Negative reinforcement is not nearly as effective as positive reinforcement.

Treat Training 

This one will test your puppy’s impulse control to the fullest! Many puppies tend to want to grab treats right away from your hand, but it’s important to teach them to be gentle and to be able to wait to accept a treat.

Step by Step Treat Training:

• Take a treat, hold it in your fist, and let your puppy smell it. They will likely start to try to get the treat from your hands.
• Do not let them have the treats right away. Ignore their attempts to get the treat from your hand.
• When your puppy gives up and settles, reward them with the treat.
• Now your puppy knows that waiting for you to feed them a treat, as opposed to mugging it off your hand, will earn them a reward.  
• Offer them your hand with another treat again. When your puppy gets jumpy, ignore their efforts. When they settle and ignore that hand, reward them with the treat.

Toy Training 

Just like their treats, your puppy will likely be ecstatic about their toys too. This serves as another opportunity to further hone their self-control skills.

Step by Step Toy Training:

• Hold the toy they love in one hand. Make sure it’s the toy that excites the puppy the most - tug rope, squeaky toy, etc.
• When they try to reach out for the toy, move your hand away. Some puppy breeds may try to scale their way up your leg or jump to get to the toy.
• No matter how much they fight for the toy, do not let them have it. 
• When they settle down, reward them with a treat.
• Repeat the process until your puppy learns to wait for the toy to be handed to them.

Waiting for Food 

Puppies love to eat, and waiting for their meal is not on their vocabulary before extensive training. Even before you put the bowl of food down, many puppies are all over your legs trying to get a bite.

Even if this does not bother you, it may not be cool to other people, especially if you ever leave your puppy at a pet boarding facility or with a pet sitter. 

Teaching your puppy to remain calm while food is being served is very important.

Step by Step Food Training:

• Start with a ‘Sit’ or ‘Stay’ command. Only start placing the bowl on the ground when your puppy calms down.
• Slowly start placing the bowl on the ground. If your puppy gets up to come eat, take away the bowl and command the puppy to sit back down.
• When the puppy calms down, place the bowl back on the ground. If the puppy remains seated and calm, reward them with praise or with a small treat. 
• Now start moving the bowl closer to the puppy. Cover the bowl with your hand in case the puppy gets excited and tries to reach for food.
• Once your puppy settles down and sits again, move the bowl closer. Again, cover the bowl if your puppy tries to reach for food. 
• When your puppy calms down and waits, let them have the bowl of food as a reward.

 

Asserting Yourself as the Boss/Alpha

If you notice your puppy beginning to exhibit dominant behavior, it’s important to establish authority early. Some puppy breeds like the Doberman, German Shepherd, and the Siberian Husky are more likely to try to show dominance.

Pups with dominant behavior easily take charge where they feel authority is lacking. Dominant puppies need to know that you say what you mean and mean what you say. Here is how to teach your puppy that you’re in charge.

Step by Step Dominance Training: 

1. It’s important to remain calm at all times.  Signs of uneasiness, fear, or anxiety may cue your puppy to try to take charge. Also, try not to yell at your puppy or show anger. This will only aggravate them, which you’re trying to avoid.
2. Maintain eye contact while training your puppy. Looking away is a sign of weakness and your dominant puppy may try to take advantage of that. 
3. Teach commands that establish you as the leader. Great commands to start with include “Sit”, “Drop it”, “Heel”, and “Come”.
4. Always stay consistent with your instructions. If you get wishy-washy with corrections or how you behave, your puppy will find it harder to listen and obey.
5. Use food to establish dominance. In a pack, the dominant dog eats first. Teach your puppy not to come anywhere near the table when the family is eating. Also, using food as a reward for good behavior helps establish authority. Only let the puppy eat when they are calm enough to let you finish serving their food.
6. Also, establishing house rules as part of the training process can help you show your authority. Teach your puppy to stay back from the door when someone knocks. Or, teach your puppy that they can only access certain rooms in the house when you permit it.

Your puppy is likely to test your resolve when they reach teenagehood. Generally, the teenage phase begins 6 to 8 months after they are born. This is the time to establish authority and teach your puppy to trust in your leadership.

“Drop It”

The “Drop it” command is ideal for a puppy that loves to gobble up anything they find in their path. This command is taught in tandem with the “Take it” command. For this training, you will need two things your puppy cherishes the most, like their favorite toy or even a treat, if their self-control is good enough.

Teaching the “Drop it” Command Step by Step:

• Start by letting your puppy have their favorite toy. Say the word “Take it” when giving your puppy the toy. When they take the toy, feed them a treat for listening to directions.
• While they play with the first toy, bring out one of their favorite treats. Get the puppy’s attention with the treat.
• When they drop the toy to get the treat, say the word “Drop it” out loud. 
• After they’ve eaten their treat, hand them their favorite toy again and say “Take it”.
• Repeat this process of using the treat to tell them to “Drop it” and returning the toy to tell them to “Take it”.

Repeat this command until your puppy understands it. This will come in handy whenever you want them to let go of something you do not want them biting and destroying.

“Come”

The “Come” command is ideal when you want to teach your dog to come to your side and even to protect them from uncertain situations. You will need a leash and a bag of treats for this command.

Teaching the “Come” Command Step by Step:

• With your puppy leashed, pull gently on the leash so they come towards you
• When they start walking in your direction, say the word “Come”.
• Reward your pup with a treat when they reach your feet.
• Walk in the opposite direction and repeat the command while tugging gently on the leash.
• Repeat this, giving them a treat each time they succeed in following you.
• When your puppy passes this first training session, you can move to the next. 
• Next, walk ahead of your puppy as you repeat the word “Come”.
• Change directions and tug gently so your puppy comes towards you as you walk.
• Remember to reward your dog with a treat each time they make it towards you.
• Now, take off the leash and try calling your dog to “Come”.
• If they walk towards you, reward them with treats and praises. They did well!

Repeat this command to test your dog’s obedience in different situations. Train the same command in a dog park or areas with high human traffic (but do not remove the leash for these situations. This can be dangerous). When your dog obeys you, reward them with a treat.

“Heel”

The “Heel” command teaches your dog to stay beside you as you walk with them. A well-trained dog should never walk ahead of or behind you, but maintain the same pace as you. If you stop for a break, your dog should stop as well. 

The “Heel” command is perfect for when you want your dog to walk at your pace rather than having to run behind them while holding the leash. This is also an obedience training command that helps you to gently establish dominance with your dog.

Note that this command works best if your dog is already trained to sit, lay down, come, and stay. You will need a leash and lots of doggy treats for this training!

Teaching the “Heel” Command Step by Step:

• Start with your dog in a sitting position.
• Walk forward slowly and signal your dog to come.
• As they follow you, have them walk only on one side.
• If the dog is walking to your right, hold their favorite treat in your right hand to maintain their focus. If they are walking to your left, do the same thing in your left hand.
• Come to a stop and use the commands “Sit” or “Down” to prompt your dog to stop as well.
• Start walking forward again with your dog on the same side.
• Do this several times until your puppy has an idea of the routine.
• The second phase is to walk with your dog while switching them to the opposite side. 
• If you started with the right, switch them over to the left while still walking.
• Hold out a treat in your other hand to motivate your puppy to go in the other direction.
• Repeat this process until you are confident your dog can walk on either side, keep your pace, and stop whenever prompted.
• Remember to reward your puppy for every command they get right.
• Now try the “Heel” command without the leash on. If your puppy maintains your pace, stops with you, and switches sides when you tell them, they now know the heel command. Reward your puppy with a treat because they did well!

“Place”

The "Place" command teaches your dog to go to a specific spot, such as a bed, mat, or designated area, and stay there until released. This command is particularly useful for managing your dog's behavior when you have guests, during mealtimes, or whenever you need your dog to settle in one spot. Before starting, it's beneficial if your dog knows the "Sit" or "Down" commands, as these can help guide them to the desired position.

Teaching the “Place” Command Step by Step

• Select a specific spot for your dog to go to, such as a dog bed, mat, or a particular area in a room.
• Lead your dog to the spot and use a cue word like "Place" while pointing to the area. You can use a leash initially to guide them if needed.
• Once your dog is on the designated spot, ask them to sit or lie down. Reward them with a treat and praise when they comply.
• Gradually increase the amount of time your dog stays on the "Place." Start with a few seconds and slowly build up to several minutes. Always reward them for staying put.
• Introduce a release command, like "Okay" or "Free," to signal to your dog that they can leave the spot. This helps them understand that they should stay on the "Place" until given the release cue.
• Once your dog is comfortable staying on the spot, begin to practice the "Place" command from different distances. Walk a few steps away, then call them to the spot using the "Place" command. Reward them when they comply.
• Gradually introduce distractions while your dog is on the "Place." This could include having someone walk by, making noise, or placing a toy nearby. Reward your dog for staying on the spot despite the distractions.
• Practice in Various Settings: Ensure your dog can perform the "Place" command in different environments and situations, reinforcing the command's consistency and reliability.

As always, use positive reinforcement to encourage your dog's progress, and be patient as they learn. The "Place" command can be incredibly effective for managing your dog's behavior and helping them learn to settle calmly in a designated spot.

“Sit”

Probably the most basic command to teach a pup, the “Sit” command is a good one for establishing dominance and teaching your puppy good behavior. If you want your pup to behave politely and sweetly in front of guests, this is the command to teach. 

Teaching the “Sit” Command Step by Step:

• Hold a treat in your hand and let your puppy sniff it.
• When they show interest, hold your hand up high.
• This will force your puppy to look up. Most puppies will take a sitting position so they can look up better.
• When your puppy sits, say the word “Sit” and reward them with the treat.
• Repeat the process, saying the word “Sit” each time your puppy sits on their hind legs
• Now repeat the command “Sit” without holding your hand out. 
• If your puppy voluntarily seats, reward them with a treat. If not, repeat the process over and over until they learn the command.

In some cases, you may have to motivate the dog to sit. Do this by gently pressing the dog’s back down until they sit. Some dogs may get too excited and jump on you to try to reach the treat. Ignore this behavior until the puppy sits down and remains calm.

“Stay”

The "Stay" command is essential for ensuring your dog remains in one spot until you give them the cue to move. This command is incredibly useful for various situations, such as preventing your pup from dashing out the door, keeping them calm in high-traffic areas, or helping them learn patience and self-control. Before teaching "Stay," it's helpful if your dog already knows the "Sit" command, as this provides a stable starting point.

Teaching the “Stay” Command Step by Step:

• Have your dog sit in a quiet, distraction-free environment. Ensure they are calm and focused on you.
• Stand in front of your dog, hold your hand out with your palm facing them (like a stop signal), and say "Stay" in a firm, clear voice.
• Take one step back while keeping eye contact with your dog. If they stay in place, immediately reward them with a treat and praise.
• Gradually increase the distance you step back. Always return to your dog to give the treat, reinforcing that staying in place brings a reward.
• Once your dog is comfortable staying while you take a few steps back, begin to increase the duration of the "Stay" command. Count slowly to three, then five, and so on, rewarding them if they remain in place.
• As your dog masters the basic "Stay" command, introduce mild distractions to test their focus. Reward them for maintaining the "Stay" despite the distractions.
• Practice the "Stay" command in various environments and with different levels of distractions to ensure your dog understands the command in all situations.

Remember, patience and consistency are key. Always use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior and gradually increase the difficulty as your dog becomes more confident with the "Stay" command.

“Lay Down” 

The “Lay down” command is perfect for teaching submission to a strong-willed puppy. It is also a handy command for calming your puppy in a too-excited or even aggressive situation, like when you bump into strays or other pets at the park or when your puppy is meeting a new person.

Teaching the “Lay down” Command Step by Step:

• Hold your puppy’s favorite treat in your hand.
• Close your hand and let your puppy sniff your fist. This will make sure your puppy is engaged and excited.
• Bring the hand to the floor, guiding your puppy so that they follow your hand and begin to lay.
• Keep your hand on the ground as you repeat the word ‘down’.
• Continue moving your hand until your puppy’s body is fully on the ground. When he does this, let them have the treat. 
• Repeat this command until your puppy finally grasps it.

Conclusion

Learning how to train your puppy can seem difficult at first, but it can be made a lot easier if you understand canine behavior. Remember, reward-based training is the best strategy and all dogs have different learning abilities. Keep your dog’s unique learning style in mind and be patient with your dog as you practice until they begin to understand your commands!