We’re going to shift gears for week nine of Fenrir’s 12 Week Plan. This week we’re going to step away from your dog’s health to talk about training! It’s another very important aspect of you and your dog’s relationship. It’s a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding. You’ll have a great companion and your dog will be happier for it.
You’ll want to consider the commands you want to teach your dog. It’s always fun and exciting to see dogs do elaborate tricks, but before they can master those, your dog needs to master the basics. You need to consider basic manners, boundaries, and simple obedience like sit and heel.
It’s also important to keep the training sessions fun and engaging. Your dog gets bored just like you do and may lose interest in training if it doesn’t remain exciting for them. Make it into a game and keep rewards interesting. Whether it’s treats, toys, or praise you’ll need to find a reward that drives your dog.
So, let’s get into it and take a look at what it takes to train your dog.
Training Structure
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Manage Yourself
When you hear the word “structure” you most likely think about having a routine. We have structured work schedules. Some of us have a lot of structure to our lives. We eat at the same time every day. We go to bed at the same time every night. Structure isn’t just routine though. It’s also the rules you conduct yourself by.
Your dog also benefits from routine and rules. It can help lower anxiety, because they know what to expect and when it’s going to happen. More importantly, by setting rules, they know what to expect from you. Remember, your dog looks to you for guidance. Being consistent in all aspects of training is going to be very important.
This is especially important when you have more than one person in your household. Everyone needs to know and needs to stick to the training structure. For example, if you’re trying to teach your dog not to jump up on people, everyone has to enforce that rule so that your dog knows it isn’t okay to jump up. Otherwise, it can be very confusing for them that sometimes the behaviour is okay and at other times it isn’t.
This is why it’s so important to come up with a game plan if multiple people are going to be involved in the training process. Most likely, one person is going to do the majority of the actual training, but everyone needs to be ready and willing to correct unwanted behaviours and praise good behaviour when it happens. This will help your dog learn and understand your rules.
The Schedule
Your training schedule is going to be affected by multiple factors. What does your daily schedule look like? Your work schedule? How much time do you have to put in everyday? How much training can your dog handle before they get frustrated and need a break? These are just some of the questions you will need to ask yourself.
It can be easy to get excited and get ahead of yourself. You want to get right into training and have your dog doing all sorts of cool tricks. You need to remember though: training is a learning process. Your dog most likely will not be perfect on the first or even fifth try. This can be frustrating for some dogs.
This is why shorter training sessions, multiple times a day, are better than one or two very long sessions. They’ll also be easier to fit into a busy schedule. Most of us don’t have a full hour to devote to something extra before work, but do you have just ten minutes? You can use that to get in a short session.
Though you will want to try and keep training at the same time every day. Whether it’s one session before work and then another in the afternoon or evenings, two or three twenty minute sessions a day may prove more effective than one hour long session. It will keep training fun and engaging for your dog and they’ll know at what time during the day they’re expected to work.
Managing Behaviours During the Training Process
You’ve set your ground rules, the family is on board, you have a schedule and you’ve started training. That’s everything, right? Unfortunately not. This part of the training process is often overlooked and can cause major setbacks for you and your dog.
You won’t be home every second of every day. You may have work and errands to run. The kids have school and activities. This means you can’t constantly be home to correct behaviours. So, what do you do when you aren’t home to catch your dog misbehaving?
You’ll have to find ways to manage that behaviour while you aren’t home. Oftentimes this means implementing something like crating. (We’ll take a look at that in the next section!) Say you have a dog who likes to chew on things they shouldn’t. When you are home, you may tell them “No,” or to “Leave it,” and then direct them to a chew toy. You can’t do that if you won’t be home.
By crate training them, you’ll be able to leave them in their crate while you’re gone for extended periods of time. This entirely removes the issue until you are home again to continue working on it. The same can be said for any other behaviour you are trying to manage or stop. For example: if your dog likes to dig in the yard, they shouldn’t be left outside unsupervised while the behaviour is being corrected.
The key to this will be figuring out what works for you and your dog. There may not be a one size fits all solution, but there are a lot of tried and true options out there.
Training Basics
We often think of training as teaching our dog tricks like “roll over” or “shake”. While those are fun, there are some important training and obedience basics to go over. Your dog needs to be taught manners just like anyone else. You don’t have an intuitive understanding of how to behave when you’re young. You have to be taught and so does your dog.
Below is a list of basic commands to work on with your dog. We’ll go over the most common training techniques for each, but this is by no means the only way to train your dog.
Things you will need to begin any sort of training are small treats, a quiet area free of distractions, and patience. Your dog won’t get it on the first try and repeating a command can be very confusing to them. Say the command clearly and firmly. They will learn to associate the word with the action.
Sit
Sit is one of the fundamental commands needed for good behaviour. This command is simple to learn and difficult to master. Start with your dog in a standing position. Hold a treat in front of their snout and slowly arch it over their head. As they tilt their head back to follow the treat, their bum should naturally touch the floor. As soon as their bum touches the floor, tell them “Sit,” and reward them with the treat. Do not wait for them to maintain contact with the ground. The goal at first is to just get them to understand the command. The better they get at sitting and responding to being told to sit, the more challenging you can make it. They will also learn to sit for longer periods of time the more you work on it with them.
Stay
This one is going to require some extra patience on your part. It can be difficult for your dog at first, but they’ll get it if you keep trying! You’ll also want to have a pretty good ‘sit’ as well. It will make this process a little easier. Start by having your dog sit. Then tell them to stay. You can also use a hand signal like holding your hand up as if to say ‘stop.’ Hold it for between 2-5 seconds and then reward them. At this point, you want to clearly break the stay so that they know it’s over. Reward them and pet them. Tell them to come here. Just so they know the command is over. You want to work up to about a 30 second stay before you start distance training. At this point it’s the same basic concept. Have them sit. Tell them to stay. Then take a step back from them. As they get better at it, you can increase the distance. The key to ‘stay’ is making sure they don’t break the command more than once. So, if your dog can’t handle it just yet, shorten the duration or the distance to something they can manage. This will keep the command engaging and ensure progress.
Come
Most dogs are at least somewhat familiar with this command. You call them for meal time. You call them for play or get them ready to go on a walk. This isn’t really training though. You’re teaching them to associate the command with different things. What you want them to do, is respond no matter what like a proper obedience behaviour and to have them come sit at your feet. Having a perfect recall is for safety as much as it is discipline.
Having a good sit as well as a good stay will be very helpful for learning this. While learning the recall command, you’ll also want a very long lead. Remember, your dog is nowhere near an expert yet. You may think the best way to teach this is to have them off their lead, but that’s not always the case. If you’re in a safe, secure location such as your backyard, yes you can work off the lead, but if you’re out and about when you need to fit in some training, the lead will keep your dog safe while they’re learning the command.
But, you may be getting ahead of yourself in training recall outside immediately. If you have a puppy or a dog that has no recall, indoors is your best friend. It’s relatively distraction free so they’ll have an easier time paying attention. This training can also be easier with two people at first as you can call your dog back and forth. If you don’t have two people, that’s okay. A good sit and stay while you take a few steps back works as well.
Call for them and offer out a treat. Find what works for your dog. Energetic dogs may respond well to excitement while more reserved ones may be deterred. So you may need a more gentle command. When they come to you, give them the treat and make sure you praise them. Pet them, tell them they’re good. Make it an experience. Come is not an easy command for most dogs. They need to be reinforced. And, just like with stay, you’ll want to slowly increase the distance. If your dog only makes it halfway to you, it is okay to shorten the distance they need to come. This is not a bad thing. Adjusting your training is part of success.
Once they have a good indoor recall, you can move out to your yard where there are more distractions. Let them run around and play before calling them. The point of recall is that they come no matter what else is going on, so you need to practise breaking them away from distractions and getting them to come to you fully.
Down
Most trainers will tell you to have your dog sit and then work them into a down position. This can and does work for some, but what happens more often than not is the dog will crawl forward while following the command. To get a nice, natural down, you will want to start with your dog standing.
This is much like teaching sit. Have your dog start in a standing position and hold the treat in front of their snout. Slowly lower it to the ground and your dog should follow. As soon as they are laying down fully, reward them and give the command. Much like with ‘sit’ you aren’t looking for them to hold at first. You just need them to do the wanted behaviour and you can ramp it up from there.
Leave It
This command is important for safety and to keep your dog away from things they shouldn’t be messing with. A good ‘leave it’ is essential. You’ll want a slip lead for correction and some treats as not only a reward, but the item to be left. Your dog most likely already loosely knows this command and that will be helpful here.
Have your dog on their lead before starting and be ready. You’re going to have to be quick for this one since your dog might go for the piece of food they’re supposed to leave. Get your first treat and make sure they see it. Place it on the ground and give a very clear “leave it.” If they go after the treat, use your slip lead and a verbal cue to correct and make sure they do not get the treat. When they look to you for more direction instead of going after the treat, reward them.
The important part of the process is to make sure you reward them with a different piece of food. Do not let them have the one that you set down for them to leave. You don’t want to accidentally train your dog that ‘leave it’ means to leave the item alone, but once you break the command they’re allowed to have it. So, reward your dog with a separate treat and then pick up the other one while they’re busy.
Off
For this one, make sure you have a leash and some treats. The point of the leash is not to pull your dog off of the couch while working on this command. It is to gently guide them. Just as there is gentle pressure on a leash while out for a walk that helps direct your dog to follow you, that’s what you will use to teach this command.
Have your dog on the couch and let them settle for a moment. Tell them ‘off’ and apply gentle pressure. If they start to pull back, match their pressure, but do not tug or yank. Issue the command again and they should start to follow. The moment their paws hit the floor, reward them. The more you do this, the easier it will get for them. You want to get to the point where you don’t need any pressure on the lead. Once you reach this point, you can remove the lead and practice without it.
No
You’ve most likely been teaching this command unknowingly. We don’t often think of ‘no’ as a command, but it is. The point of no is to stop your dog from unwanted behaviour. This means it is very important to stop your dog before they start doing the unwanted thing.
This is a lot like the leave it command. Make sure you have treats in your hand. Your dog is probably going to immediately try and get the treats from your hand or go after them when you set them down. Tell them ‘no’ and move the treats out of sight. Your dog should look at you for guidance.
Now, in this instance, you do not want to reward them with the treats you were holding. Rewarding them without treats will work best on this occasion. You don’t want them to think that they get rewarded with food for leaving food alone. Praise, petting, and toys will be the way to go. It will distract them from the thing they were told not to do.
This command is a lot more difficult to teach in a formal setting. So, it’s important to be diligent and use it as much as you can. If your dog is thinking about jumping up on the sofa and you don’t want them to, tell them ‘no’ and prevent them from getting up with some gentle pressure if necessary. You can do this with any unwanted behaviour. And then distract them with something else. Teaching them no, is teaching them to stop what they’re doing and go do something else.
Heel
One of the most important leash commands is ‘heel.’ This is the command that keeps your dog from pulling on the lead or trying to drag you along. You’ll need to get out your Fenrir Slip Lead for this one.
Whenever your dog starts to pull on the lead, give a gentle correction. You’re going to ‘pop’ the slip lead. That is a quick, firm tug upwards that says “Hey, pay attention to me!” You give the command and then turn around so that the dog follows you and stops tugging. The goal of heel is to get your dog to stop and focus on you for direction.
Once they turn to follow you, you can reward them with a treat. This may take some time and you’ll probably feel like you’re walking in circles at first, but all of that hard work will pay off. Your dog will quickly learn that if they pull on the lead, they get directed away from the thing they’re so keen to go see.
Don’t forget to reinforce good behaviour as well as correct unwanted behaviour. Whenever your dog is doing a good job and walking nicely for you, make sure to offer up some treats.
Training Improves Life
Training not only improves your relationship with your dog, it improves life in general. Many of us picture living in harmony with our furry friends, but that doesn’t come without putting in the work. You need to teach your dog commands and then you need to learn to use them to guide your dog through certain situations and behaviours. We’ll take a look at some common situations below and see how training improves them.
Meal Times
Who’s dog isn’t excited for a good meal? They come running at breakfast time and sometimes make a mess whether they mean it or not. Imagine feeding your dog and they always stick their head in their dish before you’ve even finished pouring the kibble in. It makes a mess. It’s probably annoying. It’s certainly not good manners. What can you do?
Your ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ commands come into play here. Have your dog sit and stay by their food bowl while you fill it. Once it’s filled and you’re out of the way, break the stay and reward them with their meal. It’s less messy, they won’t accidentally trip you, and eventually they’ll learn they need to wait instead of diving in while you’re trying to feed them.
Guests Coming Over
There’s a knock on the door and your dog goes running to see who it is. They’re loud and excited. Maybe you haven’t perfected the no command or taught them not to jump up just yet. Your visitor can’t get in the door.
You could teach your dog that when guests come over they go to their ‘place.’ It could be a dog bed, a spot next to the couch or their crate. The possibilities are endless. The key is to make sure that they understand that when there are guests, they need to be calm and let them in the door.
Going to Work
We talked about this a little bit earlier. You need ways to prevent unwanted behaviours during the training process. But, your dog should also have a place such as a crate that is theirs and only theirs to go to. This is especially important if your dog has separation anxiety. No one wants to come home from work and see that their house is torn to shreds. Even worse, no one wants to come home to an injured animal.
By taking the time to crate train, you’re teaching your dog that you leaving the house isn’t a bad thing. They get to stay in their safe place and they get rewarded for doing so. It will help to reduce anxiety overall for them and you don’t have to fret over what’s going on at home. Though, if you do need to crate for an extended period of time, you should make sure you come home on your lunch break to let your dog out to do their business and make sure to reward them.
Dog Parks
Just because your dog is well trained does not mean every dog is well trained. Not only that, but even the most well trained dogs can and do have off days. There’s a lot of unpredictability at the dog park. They might get too excited during play. Something might spook them. Another dog might become aggressive.
A good recall can make all the difference. Imagine another dog is getting too excited and you can see the fight coming before it starts. You can recall your dog and get them out of there before they accidentally get mixed up in it.
Maybe they found something interesting that they shouldn’t have. A good ‘leave it’ will do the trick. Training makes the possibilities in life endless. The better trained your dog is, the safer they will be out in public.
Training is Up to You!
Training can be as light or as intense as you want. Not all of us are looking for a perfect working dog or a dog to enter into competitions. Some of us are just looking for a companion and that’s okay! You can customise your training to fit your needs.
We’ve provided you with a helpful PDF to work on and stay on track for teaching tricks. Just remember: keep training fun and engaging. Your dog probably won’t get it on the first try and that’s okay.
Conclusion
We know this week was another long one for you and your dog. There’s a lot that goes into training, so there’s a lot for you to learn. You might not get it right the first time and that’s okay. It’s just as much a learning process for you as it is for your dog. Make sure you have fun with it and use it as a chance to bond with your dog. Take it seriously, but not too seriously.
Do you have any training tips and tricks you would like to share? Do you have questions about training? Hop over to social media and let us know. We always look forward to hearing from you!