Basic Training Every Dog Should Learn
📝 Summary
Core commands — sit, shake, stay, come, and potty training — build good behavior and safety. Dogs learn by conditioned response: pair the cue with the action and reward right away. Potty training protects your home; recall keeps them safe outdoors.
1 Basic Dog Training Commands
A well-behaved dog is the result of training and good guidance. Here are the basics every owner should teach.
1. Sit. Dogs don’t understand words; they form conditioned responses. Say ‘sit’ while gently pressing the rear down until it sits, then reward immediately. After a few rounds it links the act to the reward. 2. Shake. Once ‘sit’ is solid, say ‘shake’ and lift a paw onto your hand; repeat until it responds. 3. Stay. Teach ‘wait’/’no’ to stop bad behavior — place food down, say ‘wait’ to forbid eating, then ‘okay’ to release; practice at meals over several days. Also use ‘no’ to halt misbehavior. 4. Come. Reward and keep it near when it comes to your call; if it ignores you, don’t chase or hit — it loves freedom and just doesn’t understand yet. Repeat until it stays by your side. 5. Potty. Pick a fixed spot with a pad or litter; when it looks ready, take it there, and praise and reward on success so the habit sticks.
Basic training helps dogs fit into home life and bond with you — and makes ownership better for you too.
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