Teaching “down” is a very important step in dog training. Not only is this useful in preventing undesired behaviors like door stepping, it is also a great method for increasing settled, calm behavior in your dog. With a properly trained down dog leash, you’ll be able to more easily enjoy Sitting outside a coffee shop while they are settled comfortably next to you. If your dog is still misbehaving even after mastering this important step, you may need to work on other aspects of your training.
Many dogs misbehave when they are relaxed and not working. They tend to pull on leads or jump on people. Dogs should always be on a lead at all times and it is important to practice luring your dog by having them sit or stand up. You can have treats ready for when they sit or stand but you shouldn’t hold them too long. This can cause them to lose focus and become uncooperative.
One of the most important points of training treats is that they must be small enough to fit into their mouths. Small dog training treats are usually called “working treats”. You should only use these for training. When your dog starts misbehaving, don’t use the large, expensive treats. You should only use these for “luring” or calming down your dog, because they won’t have any training left.
A dog should always know where it is allowed to sit, lie down, or jump. You will need to introduce these behaviors early in your training sessions. This will give your dog the right cues to know when it is appropriate to do one or another. It can also help prevent your dog from jumping out of control. Never rely on your dog’s instincts alone when training.
The best way to get confused with the dog is to use positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement simply means rewarding your dog with something he likes when he behaves in a certain way. One way to give treats to your dog that works very well is by having him sit down first and then giving him his treat. As soon as he gets his treat praise him. This will confuse him because he will think that he already got something because he sat down.
Another positive reinforcement technique that many trainers use is to have your dog stand next to a treat and wait for it to be given. Praise your dog verbally when he complies. This teaches your dog that if he gets rewarded he gets praise and his attention and he learns that when he obeys you he gets rewarded. I highly recommend that you never try to force your dog to obey you, this only teaches them to fear you and their owner, which will make training treats and other training methods much more difficult.
You can start to reinforce your dog’s obedience through other ways such as treats or simply by playing with him on a regular basis. This will gradually teach him that whenever you call him over to sit he has to sit down no matter what. You can do this simply by having him sit down next to a dog bed or some other elevated surface. Then call him over to your side and lead him to the spot where you want him to sit. When he complies simply say “sit” and reward him with praise or a treat.
A very nice way of reinforcing your dog’s obedience is by letting him know that he is doing the right thing by simply giving him a smelly treat. Have him sit down next to a smelly treat, then pick him up in your arms or carry him into the room where you want him to sit. Praise him and give him lots of praise and a dog treat. The smelly treat serves to remind him that he is doing the right thing. Soon your dog will begin to associate performing the right behavior with getting a treat.