Use your pup’s name before every command to attract her attention. She then knows that the commands are meant for her.
If she doesn’t obey, consider why not:
- Have you got her attention? Do not shout. Try clapping, making a different noise or changing the tone of your voice. You must be more exciting than the distraction.
- Has the training session been too long? Pups have short attention spans. It is better to stop and start again later than to persist with a tired pup.
- Does she understand the command and what you expect of her?
Training should be a positive experience. Use rewards all the time to start with.[singlepic id=531 w=320 h=240 float=right] Once you know that she understands the command vary the frequency and the size of the rewards. Work on the poker machine principle “if she never knows how much the reward will be, or when it will come she will keep trying to win a reward.”
Train your puppy in lots of different places and at different times. You don’t want a dog who only comes and sits at 6pm – before dinner!
Make training part of every day’s routine.
