Basic puppy cues

When it comes to teaching your new four-legging friend puppy commands, there is no starting too early. From teaching your new fur baby basic puppy training commands like how to sit and stay to lie down and fetch, there is a lot to take in for the little one.  

To help you figure out your dog’s training and get your puppy obedience training off to a flying start, we’ve put together this useful article with lots of fantastic dog commands, tips and more!

1. How to teach a puppy to come when called

Get started on the right paw with one of the most important puppy commands of all. Not only is it a great feeling when you call your pup and they come bouncing back, it also helps keep your dog safe, especially if they’re a little houdini and enjoy running off from time to time! 

The foundation of puppy obedience training should always be based on positive reinforcement, which results in an enjoyable process for the two of you. 

1. The first thing you need to consider when it comes to this command is what incentive you’re going to use. Is your dog food orientated? Or do they love toys? Whether it’s a tasty morsel or their favorite squeaky, you’ll need an incentive to get them to come back to you. Show your dog the toy or food.  
2. Run away a couple of paces then call your dog’s name and say firmly and clearly ‘come’. Position yourself down low to encourage them to come back. 
3. As they come to you, reward them with the treat or let them play with their toy for a minute or so.
4. Continue with this process and gradually increase the distance between you and your pup, until you can successfully call them further and further away. Remember to praise them repeatedly throughout the training.
5. Once your dog is consistently coming back to you when called around the house and backyard you can try going further afield down safe outside spaces such as down a road that isn’t busy, park or beach.

Top tip: for extra security, a long training lead is excellent for working on their recall skills, giving them some freedom without the risk of them running off.

2. How to teach a puppy to sit

Teaching your pup to sit is a basic command that can be a lot of fun to teach your fur baby. Here’s one of the easiest ways you can approach the trick: 

1. Holding a treat, come down to your puppies eye level and slowly lift the food above their head.
2. Keep repeating this with the word ‘sit’ until your puppy puts their bum to the floor. 
3. Reward them with the treat and plenty of praise and continue using the food lure with the same rewards.
4. Once they’ve mastered the trick using the treat, simply remove the food and just use your empty hand and continue to use plenty of praise to keep them engaged.

3. How to teach a puppy to lie down

Once your dog has mastered 'sit', teaching them ‘lie down’ is a natural progression. It’s a useful one to master as it can encourage them to settle down when you’re home or out and about. Teach them in three simple steps: 

1. Get your pup in a seated position with a treat or toy in your hand (whichever they prefer). Move your hand from the pup’s nose down slowly towards the floor and repeat the word ‘down’.
2. Your dog should follow the treat into a lying down position. It may take a few goes until they make the connection so be patient and try the trick a few times. Once they lie down, praise and reward them with the treat immediately.
3. Encourage your dog to spend longer in the ‘lie down’ pose by giving in a few more treats as he stays in the position. 

4. How to teach a puppy to stay or wait

Teaching your new pup to stay is a valuable trick to learn, and can help keep them safe, for example asking them to wait at the door while you get their leash secured. 

1. Ask your dog to lay down and give them a hand signal. Many people use a simple stop sign with the palm of their hand facing your dog.
2. Once your pup is laying down, calmly but firmly say ‘stay’ and then reward them with the treat. The crucial element here is to reward your dog while they are still in the ‘down’ position and not if they return to a ‘sit’.
3. Practice this repeatedly during regular training sessions, gradually increasing the length of time your dog stays laying down. If your pup tends to get bored easily, remember to break up the sessions. 
4. Once they’ve mastered the ‘down’ and ‘stay’ position, you can start to increase the distance between you and your dog. Start by only taking one step back before rewarding them with the treat and work on gradually increasing the distance. 
5. Once you’re confident they’ve got the trick down, you can start to practice in different places to get them used to potential distractions. This can be done in other places around the house, in the backyard, at a neighbours and your local park.

5. How to get your puppy’s attention

Puppies have short attention spans, so it’s important to keep your training brief and entertaining, but regular. The easiest way to get your puppy’s attention is by training them to do a ‘’watch me’’ cue. The following steps will help catch your puppy’s attention:

1. Start by holding a treat in front of your dog’s nose.
2. Slowly bring the treat up between your eyes where your pup can focus on the food. 
3. When they respond, praise them or if you prefer, a clicker, and then give them the treat. 
4. Repeat these steps but this time with an empty hand and make a signal, making sure you still reward your dog with a treat when they make eye contact. 
5. When your dog is reliably following the hand signal, start saying your verbal cue like “look” or “over here” and their name before you move your hand.
6. Start to practice in places where there are more distractions. Build up slowly by taking your pup to your local dog park on a quiet day and practice getting their attention.  

6. How to teach your puppy 'no'

Teaching your pup to respond to ‘no’ is important because it can stop them getting into things they shouldn’t, eating forbidden foods, and generally just helping them stay out of trouble as much as possible. 

1. First things first, get your pups favorite treats and have them come to you for a ‘sit’ command, or really any command you like to grab their attention. 
2. Set your distraction object. Create a diversion that your fur baby is going to likely want to investigate. A piece of chicken on the floor, or a toy that they can’t resist. 
3. Take your dog near to the food or other distraction and as they show interest, firmly say “no” and offer the treat as a reward for avoiding the distraction.
4. Practice this exercise and make it more challenging for your dog by changing the distraction and location. Remember to praise them regularly. 

Now that you’ve read about our useful puppy commands, it might help you to also take a look at our puppy training tips to learn more about your puppies behaviour and the milestones you should be aiming for as they grow. You could also have a look here to see where to find puppy training classes in your area to help your pup learn more basic dog commands and get them socialised with some new fur pals.