Teaching the
Basics
Sit
Commands
The first basic command to teach your dog is to sit. You are asking your dog to wait and be calm so this a great one to start with. Your dog will be much easier to control than other dogs that are bouncing around with excitement. It will also put your dog on the right path to learning other commands that are more demanding later on, like stay or even recall.
Here’s how to teach your dog to sit.
Grab yourself some treats.
Hold the treat close to your dog’s nose getting their attention.
Draw your hand up slowly, allowing their head to raise and follow the treat and causing their rear to lower.
Once they are in the sitting position, say the word 'Sit,' and give them the treat.
Repeat this a few times a day until your dog has conquered it. Then ask your dog to sit before feeding, before leaving for a walk and other situations where you would like calm behaviour.
Come
My philosophy is, being that dogs are natural followers, and if you have presented yourself in the role as the one to follow correctly, a dog will always follow you. Therefore coming back becomes a natural process as part of the following instinct. But for a puppy, a little extra encouragement in their early development is a good idea. The most important word next to their name is the command to 'come,' This command can be extremely important and is easy to teach, keeping your dog out of trouble in those distracting moments.
Put a lead on your pup.
Crouch down to their level and say the word, 'Come,' while gently pulling the lead.
When they understand you, reward them with great enthusiasm, affection, or a treat.
Once you have both mastered this, you can remove the lead and continue to practice the command in an enclosed safe area. If you so choose for a quick means to get your puppy back on track if they get distracted you can leave the lead on and trailing.
Stay
This command stay can be helpful in many situations such as times when you don’t want your dog overwhelming friends or guests at the front door.
But before attempting 'Stay,' you must master 'Sit.' If they haven't mastered Sit, then return to this first command and practice before moving on.
First, ask your dog to 'Sit.'
Face the palm of your hand in front of you toward your dog, and say 'Stay.'
Take a few steps backward. Your dog's instinct is to follow so don't go back too far. Reward them with a treat and affection if they stay. This is also great to do around your main entrance, your front door. Your dog can then learn to be calm around the gateway to the outside world, to stay, and not want to bolt when the door is opened.
Gradually increase the space between you before rewarding with a treat.
Always reward your puppy for staying, no matter how short the time. Remember at this age their concentration can be very short so don't wait too long.
You must exercise patience when you go through these exercises as this is a lesson in self-control for your dog, so don’t lose heart if it takes a while to master it. Particularly with high energy dogs.