10 Basic Commands Every Dog Needs to Know.

Your lifestyle dictates the commands most important for you and your dog, and you may not need all of them I include in this post. Nor does the order in which I list them necessarily reflect their relative importance to you.

1. Sit - The safety command

Permitting Buddy to barge uncontrollably through doorways isn't a good idea - you may get mowed down in the process. Get into the habit of making Buddy sit before you open a door. After he sits, it doesn't matter weather you release him to go through first, or weather you go first and then release him, so long as he sits until you tell him it's OK to move.

Similarly, make him wait before you go down the stairs, or get in and out of the car.

2. Sit - The convenience command

The "sit" command lets you control buddy during periods of excitement, such as the happy greeting when you return home, when visitors arrive, and when you're about to take him out for a walk and want to put his collar and leash on. "sit" is also the easiest way to stop buddy from jumping on people.

One question I frequently get asked is, "he doesn't jump on me any more, but how do I get him to stop jumping on visitors?" My advice is to enlist the help of friends and neighbours to train Buddy. Show the visitor how to induce buddy into a sit with a treat and the command, and then reward him with a treat. Ask as many people as you can to help you. It won't take Buddy long before he'll sit on his own in front of a visitor in expectation of his treat. At that point, you no longer need to give him a treat every time he responds correctly. A "good dog" with a scratch under the chin will suffice.

3. Stay

You use the "stay" command when you want Buddy to remain in one position - sit, stand or down - until you tell him he can move again. Generally, the length of time you want him to stay in position is relatively short, no more than 5 to 10 minutes. The key to it's value is that he has to learn to stay until you release him. After he gets into the habit of releasing himself, the command has lost its usefulness. One example of when to use this command is when you feed your dog. Before putting his bowl down, tell him to "sit" and "stay". Put his bowl down, count to five, and then release him with "Okay".

4. Go lie down

Telling your dog to "go lie down" is another command of convenience. During mealtimes, you don't want buddy hanging out by the table. The "go lie down" command tells him to chill out in his favorite spot until you're done, or when you have guests and he insists on making a nuisance of himself.

5. Come

"Come" is as much a command of convenience as of safety. You need this command anytime you want Buddy to come to you for whatever reason - after he has enjoyed a nice romp in the park or when he is chasing a cat. Unless he responds reliably to the "come" command, you need to keep him on a leash in situations where he might be a danger to others or himself.

6. Easy

We use the "easy" command when we don't want Buddy to pull on the leash. This command is useful for anyone who walks, jogs or bicycles with his dog as a form of exercise. Use the same technique for pulling on the leash. Say "easy" before you make your turn and continue walking. You can also use "easy" to teach your dog to take treats from your hand without the alligator intimidation.

7. Give

The "give" command is useful for taking something out of Buddy's mouth that you don't want him to have and that he doesn't want to give up. The object can be anything, from one of your favorite possessions, to the piece of meat he has just stolen off the counter.

My favourite way of getting buddy to give up whatever he has in his mouth is to trade - offer him a treat in exchange for what he has in his mouth. If he has food, you may have to offer him something of equal value, such as a frozen chicken wing. It is a good idea to keep these in your freezer at all times and use them as special treats. Of course, sometimes you don't have a treat handy, in which case you just have to open his mouth and remove the object.

8. Off

"Off" is a commonly used command for getting the dog off the furniture. The command is also frequently used to stop dogs from jumping on people, although "sit" is a better choice because it's more specific.

Whether you allow your dog on the furniture is a matter of personal preference. You can certainly train him to stay on the floor, at least as long as you're in his presence. Chances are, however, that when you're gone, he'll settle on his favorite couch only to quietly slide off when he hears you coming home.

If you are adamant about keeping your dog off the furniture, you have several options.

* Don't give him the run of the house.

* Place a broomstick on Buddy's favorite chair or couch while you're gone. The broomstick works well with most dogs, although I know of instances where the dog removed the stick.

* Invest in one or more Scat Mats. Scat Mats come in different sizes and are designed to keep dogs and cats off the furniture by giving the animal an electric shock when he steps on it. The intensity of the shock can be regulated.

Scat Mats are also used to restrict access to a room or part of the house. Again, the device isn't foolproof, because some dogs figure out they can jump over the mat.

9. Leave it

" leave it" is another command that tells the dog to ignore whatever interests him at the time. The object of his interest can be a cat, another dog, a person, or something on the ground.

10. No "NO" Command

My least favorite command is "No". I prefer to tell a dog exactly what it is I want him to do with an action command, such as "come," "sit," or "down." When the dog responds, you can then praise him and tell him how good he is.

"No" is nebulous, negative, and overused, and most of the time doesn't give the dog any specific instruction or directive. Worse yet, "No" doesn't generally lend itself to being followed by praise. For example, Buddy wants to jump on you, you yell "No", and he stops. Can you now praise him? No, because he may still be thinking about jumping on you and praising him encourages him to try again, not the message you want to give.

All in all, eliminate the word from your communications with Buddy. Of course, in an emergency, you do what you have to.

This site contains the information you need to train Buddy to respond to these commands.