Basic Training Cues Your Dog Will Love!

Brought to you by the AKC GoodDog! Helpline – the AKC’s 7-day-a-week training support service
By: Hilarie Erb

A good relationship with your puppy doesn’t just happen overnight, but it’s easy to build one with simple cues and positive reinforcement training! This way, your pup can become a true family member who is a pleasure to have around.

Training Basics

All dogs should have some basic cues in their repertoire: come, sit, down, stay, and walking nicely on leash are the most important. These are also foundation skills that can lead to more advanced training. With good manners, your dog will be welcome in more places and a wonderful companion to live with. For instructions on teaching these skills, click here.

Training Must be Fun and Rewarding

Nobody wants to work for free, including your dog. Figure out what motivates your dog by experimenting with rewards, like certain foods and toys, that only come out when you are training together.

Consider adding different levels to the treats and their value depending on the training. For example, reward your dog with a store-bought treat for a training he knows very well. Occasionally surprise them with a high-value treat for these basic training cues to help keep your dog eager to impress while reinforcing something awesome might come along. Training treats should be soft so that they can be eaten quickly. Training momentum will be interrupted if you must wait five minutes for your pup to chew a crunchy snack! For high value treats, consider foods like meat, chicken, cheese – things that you might eat often, but your pet doesn’t. Be sure to only give these in tiny amounts and only for larger training elements. The more difficult the training challenge is, the more valuable the reward should be!

When training for cues, consider using a unique marker. This could be a special word, or the sound of a clicker, that tells the dog right away that something was done right and that their reward is coming.

Click here to see training videos that show you how to teach tricks! AKC TV is a good place to find videos on teaching basic dog cues, and you can also find an AKC club in your area where you can train with likeminded owners and maybe even try a dog sport.

Training Takes Time

Take your puppy’s age into account. Don’t expect that a puppy of 10 weeks should know what to do. Even though puppies often act like ferocious alligators, they are still babies and need thoughtful introduction to new things. Understand that to the puppy, your home is a brand new world and feeling comfortable in it will take time.

Training is part of responsible dog ownership, too. Whether your goal is puppy socialization and/or participating in dog sports, it’s the key to making your dog more confident and comfortable in a variety of situations. It’s also a lot of fun for both people and dogs!

For more tips and advice on training your dog, join the AKC GoodDog! Helpline, a seven-day-a-week telephone support service staffed by experienced dog trainers: www.akcgooddoghelpline.org.