Dog Training Commands
Make your dog training commands harder – a little at a time
When you’re practicing your dog training commands, bear in mind that it’s one thing for your dog to sit on cue in the kitchen, when there’s nobody else around and he knows you have a treat in your hand. But you may need your dog to respond to cues like "sit" and "down" in other situations, too. So it’s a good idea to work on these dog training commands and behaviors under more difficult conditions.
For example, most dogs are more distracted outside than inside. So work on having your dog sit in your yard, or during walks. You may also work on these dog training commands when there are other people or animals around. If your dog becomes excited by doorbells or telephones ringing, for example, use these events to add a little more challenge to your training.
At the same time, don’t set your expectations too high. It’s far better to take baby steps than ask too much of your dog, too quickly.
Suppose your dog responds well to all his dog training commands, and sits reliably, on cue, in the house. A logical next step would be to work on sitting in a quiet yard. If you take your dog to a busy city street and ask for a sit, he may be too overwhelmed by all that’s going on around him to respond. But if you focus on a reliable sit in your backyard for a few weeks, tackling sitting on a busy city sidewalk is more likely to succeed.
And of course, every dog is different! Some dogs get distracted more easily than others. So make sure you’re paying attention to how quickly your dog catches on when you add distractions – including how easy or hard it is to get his attention. Then adjust the speed of your training program to your dog, and introduce more dog training commands as he builds confidence.
