BASIC OBEDIENCE

Here are a few basic obedience commands that your dog should be taught. Set aside about fifteen minutes twice a day to train him. Start where there are very few distractions progressing to busier places.
One family member should be responsible for the bulk of the training, but all family members should be involved with the training as the dog progresses. An important point to mention here is that all family members are familiar with the 'one word commands' that you use. If the dog is taught to lie on the command of 'down' and another member of the family is telling him 'down' as a means of getting him off the furniture it will only serve to confuse and stress him.
Obedience training is meant to be fun for both you and your dog, therefore punishment plays no part in it. Reward him for getting things right. Ignore him when he gets things wrong or misbehaves, return to a lower level in his training, you may be going too fast for him.

To teach your dog to sit hold a titbit above his head, the dog will naturally start go into a sit position, as he does so command 'sit' and reward him. He will very soon become accustomed to doing this on command. You can then use this command on numerous occasions such as before putting his food bowl on the floor, before going through a doorway or before putting his lead on to go for a walk.

Down
To get your dog into a down position firstly get him to 'sit', then hold a titbit on the floor just in front of him. He will go into the down or lie position to retrieve it, as he does so command 'down' and reward him. The 'sit' and 'down' are perfectly natural positions for a dog and will be easily learned.

Stay
When you have your dog in the down position command him to 'stay', take two paces backwards, return to him and reward him. Now you can take three paces backwards and then four, continue in this way until you can turn and walk away, then progress to going out of sight into another room. If at any stage your dog gets up to follow you, you are going to fast for him, go back a couple of stages in your training and start again. This command will take patience, but you will be rewarded in the end.

Come
To progress from the 'stay' command your dog must learn to come to you when called. To start it is best to watch your dog around the house and when you see he is about to come over to you, raise a titbit and command 'come', hold the titbit in position until the dog has naturally gone into a sit position, reward and praise him. You can then progress to saying the 'come' command to him when he is not looking, or when he is in another room, he will soon learn to 'come' on command.

This is a very necessary command to teach him, especially if you are intending to let him off the lead on his walks. To start with use a long piece of rope or an extending lead. Give your dog permission to run loose with a command such as 'go play', when he gets a few yards in front of you call him back with 'come' and reward him. Gradually increase the distance he is allowed from you to the desirable level. When you feel that you have sufficient control over him allow him off the rope. Again at this stage I would suggest that you only let him short distances in front of you, gradually increasing. If at any stage your dog does not return, lets say it is because he has seen another dog, it is pointless continuously shouting him or worse still chasing him, as this will only serve to excite him more. I would advise that you maybe let out a loud shriek and run off in the opposite direction, most dogs will then follow for fear of being left behind. Alternatives would be to lie on the floor or wave your arms about, most dogs will respond to this peculiar behaviour being shown by their owner. When you dog does return however, do not punish him, he must be praised and rewarded for returning, perhaps a little more training on the rope is then needed.

Heel
A dog that is taught to 'heel', will be a pleasure to go walking with. Firstly it is important to say that choke chains or any other devices that are designed to cause the dog pain should pay no part in this training. Head collars, or body harnesses are quite acceptable.
After putting on his lead call the dog to your side with the 'come' command, when he is at your side tell him 'heel' and reward him. You are then ready to begin your walk. If at any time your dog tries to rush on ahead, about turn, and walk in the direction that you have just come from, when your dog is back at your side command 'heel' reward him, turn and proceed with your walk. He will soon learn that pulling and trying to rush ahead get him nowhere. This exercise will require lots of patience, especially if your dog has dominated your walks for a long time. You will probably find that the first few outings only take you to the end of the drive, then to the end of the road and so on. Be patient, you will get there and you will both enjoy your walks much more as a result.