TRAINING a dog is not restricted to the age of the dog, although the earlier you start training the better. There are five basic commands and actions which will form the basis to training any dog and help to establish a reasonable degree of control – sit, down, stay, come and walking on the lead.

Sit

Use a treat when you are teaching your dog how to sit. Start by making sure they know you have a treat, then move your hand slowly over your dog’s head and towards his tail as you say the command “sit”. As he sits you should praise him and give him the treat. Be very clear with you command, always use the word “sit” rather than “sit down” to make it as simple as possible.

Lie down

Once you have taught your dog to sit then you can teach them to lie down. Get your dog to sit and then, with a treat in your hand, move your hand slowly towards the ground in front his feet, saying the “command”. He should follow your hand with his nose and lie down. Give him the treat and praise him.

Stay

Getting your dog to stay can be a more difficult command to teach. Start with a lead on your dog for extra control, get him to sit or lie down, step away from him while saying the command “stay”. Silently count to five and if he has not moved return to him, give him a treat and praise. If your dog gets up get him to sit or lie down again and repeat the exercise.

Come

Being able to trust that your dog will come back to you is essential and will make trips outside of home a lot more enjoyable. The first thing to get right when you are teaching your dog to come back to you is that coming back to you is a good thing. Every time you call your dog over to you make sure he is rewarded. Never try training your dog when he his hungry, he’ll most likely get frustrated and hungry. Always use a very clear command such as “come” or “here” so your dog knows what you are asking.

Once you have established that your dog will come when you call him in a small space where he can see you, then you can progress to using the command when your dog can’t see you and in bigger spaces. Choose wisely when you are trying this for the first time in a large outdoor space, choose somewhere with as few distractions as possible.

Walking on a lead

Once again it is very important that you are very clear with what you want when you are teaching your dog how to walk nicely on a lead. Pick which side you would like your dog to walk on and then stick to it. Hold the lead loosely in the opposite hand and have a treat in your other hand closest to your dog.

Show your dog the treat and walk forwards, he should follow your hand and you can say the command “heel” and reward with a small treat. Continue walking and repeating this. If your dog stop following your direction or pulls away, encourage him back to you and praise and reward him when he is beside you again.

General pointers

Practice everything at home before you venture out into public spaces. Keep your expectations in check, don’t expect too much too soon, and set achievable goals.

Classes can be an ideal way for you to learn more and to meet other dog owners, as well as helping your dog to socialise. Don’t confuse your dog by trying to teach a number of different commands in one session, focus on one at a time. Always be very clear with what commands you are using, trying to avoid changing commands and make sure they are short and clear.

Think about when and where you train your dog. Don’t train them when they are very tired or hungry. Try to train them in a calm environment with a little distractions as possible.

These points are guidelines, if you are having difficulties controlling your dog please seek professional advice.