Subtopics: Getting Started | Basic Skills | Advanced Skills | Canine Good Citizen | Tricks
Dog Training: An Overview
Old dogs do love to learn new tricks. And of course young ones too. Training is a practical and necessary part of helping a dog be successful in a people’s world. The basics – such as sit, stay, down, come – are constantly useful in pretty much every situation.
Not only is training practical, it is such a gift for the dog to connect with us. It really doesn’t matter what you teach. Break it into pieces and teach each piece, building up until you reach your goal. Your dog can enjoy working with you on each step.
Training is also leadership. For those who struggle with “being the boss” (or whatever you want to call it), training is an easy way to demonstrate leadership to your dog. Just teach your dog something! The teacher is always the leader.
Getting Started
Training your dog starts with you. When you know “how to be” with your dog, your day-to-day life together will go more smoothly, and training will progress more quickly.
- Be the Pack Leader
- Control Yourself, Control Your Dog
- Teach Yes, Not No
- Give Good Rewards
- Clicker = Training Magic
- Read (and Use) Your Dog’s Signals
- Appropriate Barking
- Use Consistent Commands
- Training Your Dog, Kindergarten to College
- Stop Bad Behavior
- Socialize Your Dog
- Targeting: An Essential Building Block for Many Skills
- Teach a Place
Teaching Basic Skills
No tricks, nothing fancy, just the basic skills every dog-human pair needs to be able to live together in peace. This section comes after Getting Started, so go there now if you haven’t already.
- Housetraining
- Leave It (and Take It)
- No Jumping! aka Four Paws on the Floor
- Walk on a Loose Leash
- Equipment for Training Loose-Lead Walking
- Naked Dogs!
- Come When Called (Recall)
- Teaching Sit
- Down
- Stand
- Stay (and Free)
- Establish a Sequence of Communication
- Training Dogs to Love Their Crates
- A Basic Dog Walk
Teaching Advanced Skills
Dog Momma’s motto is Always Be Training. Keep on training your dog to continue building the bond between you. Learning advanced skills also can help you and your dog cope with potentially stressful situations.
Canine Good Citizen
Dog Momma’s Logan is a certified Canine Good Citizen. We sure learned a lot in our CGC classes! Learn from our experience, and then decide if CGC certification is right for you and your dog.
- Training to be a Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #1: Stay, Tricks and… “The Connection”
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #2: Sit Facing Forward
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #3: Meeting Strangers
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #4: Calming Signals
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #5: Reaction to Another Dog
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #6: Good Vibes Are Important
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test
Tricks
Astonish your friends and give your special canine a chance to shine! Tricks like “roll over” or “hide and seek” sure are fun—and teaching them strengthens the bond between you and your dog.
