Raising dogs is great fun. They can be really close with their owners and offer a lot of emotional support. However, if not trained properly, dogs can be troublesome.
In order to be able to introduce them to other people, he/she must have good manners and know basic commands. He/she must also know to obey his/her owner at all times.
There are many different commands a dog can learn, depending on his/her role in society. Police dogs have to learn more things.
But if your dog is just the usual stay-at-home pet, here are 7 commands he should learn, according to Canidae.com.
Sit
Perhaps one of the easiest command to teach, teaching a dog to sit also helps him/her learn how to respond to training. It is also useful in keeping your dog under control. Once he/she is able to follow this command at all times, teaching other stuff will not be as difficult.
Down (Lay down)
This is another practical command for dogs, especially large ones. When your dog learns to be comfortable lying down, you can easily take him/her to a park or sidewalk café. A relaxed dog in public is not threatening to other people.
Stay
To complete training a dog to ‘sit’ and ‘down’, you’d want to teach him to stay. It is hard for dogs to stay on a spot for a long time, especially when a cat suddenly runs past or if you place food in front of him. With practice, a dog can stay up to a half hour or more when commanded.
Come
This command is essential for every dog owner because it could save his/her life. There are times when dogs rush outside or slip out of his/her leash. Telling them to ‘come’ will protect him from traffic, neighbors, and other dogs.
Off
This command is different from ‘down’. ‘Off’ is used when commanding them to get off people or stop them from climbing on furniture. This is very useful especially when you’re entertaining guests.
Don’t touch
Dogs are generally curious creatures and are easily enticed by new objects. This command is useful for when your dog finds something that is not meant for them to chew or play with, like your jewels.
Heel
When walking your dog, it will be difficult to match his pace if he goes all out. Teaching them to control their walking teaches them to match your pace instead.