How to Train Your Puppy: 7 Essential Tricks and Commands

Though it’s never too late to start training your pup, experts agree that the best time for doing so is when the dog is around 8 weeks old. Until then, a pup should stay with his canine family. His mother and his little cousins, or litter-mates, should teach him the essential tricks like potty training, bite inhibition, basic communication, and play.  

Some owners and dog training books will try to convince you to wait until the pup is 6 months old, but don’t let this confuse you. This rule dates back to the time when dogs were trained with heavy collar corrections, and was set this way because the physical aversives from the old school approach were simply too harsh for a young pup to endure.

Think of your furry mate as if he were a little child. The moment you take him away from his litter and his mom, he’ll start to think of you as his pack leader, his parent and his best friend. His trust in you is unconditional, so never betray it. You can expect him to be impulsive and self-centred, just like a child would be, but it’s very important that you don’t lose your patience.

Start with the following 7 dog training tricks, and keep them around 1 to 3 minutes long. Remember, your pup has learning capabilities and the attention span of a very young child, which is why it’s necessary to keep these sessions short, to repeat them often, and to practise them in different environments.

Be gentle and forgiving, but persistent.

1. Sitting on Command

In order to build a vocabulary, a young child starts not with words, but with letters. The same applies to little dogs, to whom a simple “sit” command is the equivalent of the alphabet. Your pup has to learn to show obedience when he hears your voice, and this exercise makes an ideal first stepping stone.

Take the reward technique approach, and hold a treat very close to his snout. Then move your arm up very slowly, so that he can follow it with his body movements. His bottom will gradually lower to the ground until he’s finally in the sitting position. Say “Sit”, give him the treat, and show him your love.

2. Staying Put

The second practice is “stay”, and it can be taught only after your pup has learned to sit on command. It requires a reward technique too, but teaches “table manners” and obedience when your pup isn’t allowed to touch your food. Together, “sit” and “stay” are fundamental behavioural training tricks.

First, say “Sit” and show him the treat on the palm of your hand. Then, say “Stay” and take a few steps back. Repeat this until he learns not to follow the treat, but move a bit further from him each time. When he’s figured out what you want him to do, reward him and let him know that he’s a good boy.

3. Potty Training

In case your pup was younger than 8 weeks when you got him, there’s a chance you’ll have to potty train him yourself. Dogs typically learn this from their mothers and littermates, but you cannot blame him if for some reason he didn’t have the same opportunity as most of the other dogs usually do.

Pick a spot in the corner of your yard, or somewhere in the house if he’s still too young to go out. Don’t wait for him to become nervous because he needs to go potty, but take him there and start repeating a cue word until he eventually does. Give him a treat, and keep practicing for a few days.

4. Coming Right Back

The “come” command will be very important later on, as your pup starts to interact with other people and animals. You’ll want him to return to you without second-guessing his choices, especially if the two of you are someplace unfamiliar where potential dangers lurk around every corner.

At first, you’ll have to teach him this command by gently pulling his leash and saying “Come”. Once he’s learned what that means and how to respond, remove the leash and continue the exercise without it. Do it indoors until he’s mastered it, then practice the same somewhere outside, but safe.

5. Laying Down

To get your pup to lay down calmly is not exactly the same as to make him sit. These commands may seem similar to us, but to dogs they are fundamentally different. In the canine world (and throughout the animal universe in general), the lying position indicates yielding, and is a very submissive one.

Because of that, avoid it until the pup trusts you completely and never use force when you start teaching it. You’ll use a treat with this one as well, but you’ll let him sniff it before you slide your arm along the ground in front of him. When he finally lays down, say the command and give him the treat.  

6. Ignoring Forbidden Objects

Though making your pup stay put may help you in situations when he becomes obsessed with something suspicious on the ground, the “leave it” command is much more effective when you need him to ignore potentially dangerous objects. For this one, you’ll need to use two of his favourite treats.

Place each in one palm of your hand, but show him just one of the treats before you close your fists. If he cannot resist it, allow him to sniff and lick your hand. Say “Leave it” and repeat the command until he eventually stops trying. Then, reveal the treat from the other fist, and reward him with it.

7. Staying Off the Bed

Nearly every pup enjoys sleeping in bed with his master, but that’s certainly not a key to a good night’s sleep for your dog or for yourself. If you want your bed and your furniture to be pup free, you’ll need to start establishing this rule very early on, or otherwise he might get too used to it.

The first time he tries to climb up will be overwhelmingly sweet, but you’ll need to resist the temptation to let him. If you do catch him in the act, immediately approach him and take hold of his collar. Say “Off” while gently pulling him off the bed, and do this every time until he gets the idea.

These are only the essentials, but you can hardly teach your pup to stop biting, barking or pulling his leash until you’ve taught him these fundamental rules. Stay patient and kind, but firm and unrelenting. They say happiness is a dog’s wagging tail, so make sure to give your pup all the love he deserves.