So, you adopted a puppy? Congratulations on your new furry family member! Now it’s time to make sure you have all the necessary tools and knowledge to help nurture a well-behaved pup. Mastering these top 5 commands to teach your newly adopted puppy is an essential part of starting your furry friend off on the right paw!

Start Teaching Early

One of the most important things when it comes to looking after your pup is training them early on. The earlier you start, the better! Training your puppy helps create lifelong habits so that your adopted furry friend not only abides by the rules for a well-mannered dog but also enjoys being around both humans and other animals safely. Not only does this help create good behavior now, but also helps prevent behavioral or social issues from arising in the future. By starting the training process soon after adopting your puppy, you can have a long and healthy relationship with an even better-behaved dog!

 

 

The Fundamentals of Positive Reinforcement

To ensure success, let’s begin by going over the fundamentals of positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement has been proven to be one of the most effective techniques when training your new puppy. This type of reward-based training encourages good behaviors through the use of rewards. When a pup does something right, they are rewarded with treats or praises. This reinforces the behavior, making it more likely that your pup will repeat this positive behavior so they can get more rewards. Though it takes some patience and dedication from you, by using positive reinforcement regularly throughout their training, you can have a well-behaved puppy who responds to commands in no time!

 

Top 5 Commands to Teach Your Puppy

 

Sit

‘Sit’ is one of the simplest commands to teach your pup and perhaps that’s why it’s so popular! Start by holding a delicious treat directly in front of their nose; as they turn towards it, gradually move the snack back over their head. Your furry friend will follow with his/her gaze and snout – when you see them start to sit down, offer gentle guidance until they are seated securely. It’s time for some well-deserved recognition and treats now – look how far he or she has come already!

Down

Once your pup can reliably sit on command, it’s time to move on to teaching them “down.” This command can be tricky because many dogs don’t want to lie down on the ground for any reason other than sleep or playtime. To make this process easier for both you and your pup, start by having them sit in front of you then gently press down on their shoulders so that their hind legs slide out from underneath them until they are lying flat on the ground. Give lots of verbal praise when they do this correctly!

 

 

Stay

The “stay” command is an important one that will help keep your pup safe in potentially dangerous situations such as crossing roads or running away at parks. When training this command start small by having your pup stay in place for just a few moments at a time before releasing them with “okay!” (or your choice of release word). As they become more comfortable with staying put increase the amount of time that they are required to stay in place until eventually you can have them stay without needing any release word or signal at all!

Come

The “come” command is another great one that will help keep your pup safe when outside or off leash but also provide convenience when you need him/her close by quickly. To train this command start inside where there aren’t any distractions then use treats as lures while saying “come” each time until he/she has mastered it inside before taking it outdoors!

Leave It                                                                   

This final command is especially useful if you have a curious or food-motivated pup who loves to explore every nook and cranny while outside without any regard for what could be harmful (or really gross). To train leave it simply have treats in hand while saying “leave it” each time he/she goes near something undesirable such as food off the ground or sticks/rocks that could be choking hazards!

Teaching these 5 basic commands will help create an obedient pup who can respond reliably no matter what situation arises—not only making life easier for both you and him/her but also providing peace of mind knowing that he/she will listen no matter what! With patience and repetition, these commands can be mastered quickly allowing plenty of time for advanced obedience training down the line if desired! Good luck on your journey with training; we know you’ll do great things together!

In need of more assistance with your pup?

If so, the Behavior Department at Young-Williams Animal Center is here to provide the guidance and knowledge needed. Our team can help address any issues or concerns about training for all pups adopted through us. You can reach us via email or by giving us a call at 865.215.6676!

As an added bonus for our supporters, GoodPup offers adopters special discounts and generously donates to us for each individual that signs up for their training program. To take advantage of this special offer and get a free week of training from GoodPup, follow this link: GoodPup Training Help – Take Advantage Today!

 

 

About the Author:
Wyatt Baggett is the Content Marketing Specialist at Young-Williams Animal Center. With over five years of experience working with shelter pets and a passion for animal welfare, he enjoys creating informative content for pet parents. When he’s not working, Wyatt enjoys hanging out with his three rescue dogs, thrifting, and hunting down the best eats around Knoxville.

 

 

Sources:

https://humanepro.org/topics/surrender-prevention

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/

https://www.rover.com/blog/teaching-your-dog-a-super-strength-leave-it-command/

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g27611300/dog-commands/