A minimum of 15 minutes each day of practicing dog commands will improve your dog’s reliability and behavior
By Laura Pakis, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Cynologist
Everyone wants to have a healthy, well-groomed, cute, and Instagrammable dog. But very few dog owners understand the need for incorporating commands into their everyday lives.
Regular training will help you create a sociable, energetic, and disciplined dog. Here’s how:
Every Day
- A minimum of 15 minutes throughout the day of practicing each command. Please vary the time of day and also where you practice the commands. Include at least two practices a week outside in your yard.
- Incorporate the commands into your daily routine. Use the commands to make your life easier with your dog, not harder.
- Increase the time in the “Place Mat” Command by 15 minutes until he is placing for 2 hours.
- Limit excessive attention for the first week; make him work for it.
- If you need to, keep a training collar and dragline on for the first few weeks to reinforce the commands.
Twice a Week
- Go on a short field trip and work on commands in locations such as a pet store or front of a library. This trip can also be an errand run with two people, one working on commands outside the door while the other person runs the errand inside the store.
- Do handling/restraining exercises with your dog, so he gets more comfortable with being restrained and having hands all over his body.
Once a Week (Weekend Event)
- Go on a long field trip such as an outdoor patio restaurant, dog event, or festival where there will be various stimuli.