This section of the video shows the ‘wait’ command being used when the door is open and you don’t want your dog to rush through it. This is basically ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ where you’re only adding the door. Open the door and watch the dog. Correct the dog if he tries to come through. Don’t run out the door as it will make your dog chase you. Start moving slowly and calmly and then accelerate your body language to a regular walk. Don’t step back in the house as you want the dog to wait and follow you up to the door. Instead, wait for a few seconds before you give the ‘release’ command. You can gradually increase the distance you go away from the door as well as the time your dog is on the ‘wait’ command. Make sure to rotate the time to avoid patterning. Try to reinforce the command by adding your own distractions to deliberately make your dog try to step out so that you can correct him.

‘Settle’ command is used to make your puppy calm down during the play session. You should first teach your puppy ‘settle’ when he’s playing with you and not with other animals. To teach ‘settle’, get the puppy to lie on his side using treat prior to play. Don’t use any command. Praise and reward the dog when he relaxes. Once you give the treat, say ‘let’s play’. Hyperactive dogs may not settle down easily during play, so find ways to make them relax. If you’re trying to settle your puppy when he’s playing with another puppy, make sure that there is another trainer or owner to control the other puppy. When the puppies are playing, don’t discard the play until the play becomes too rough or fight between them. Once the puppies get excited with the play, break the behaviour by clapping your hands loudly and separate them. Be close to your puppy to get him down into ‘settle’ position.

Mastering dog heel training begins with the heel-sit. It’s a basic yet absolutely necessary command for your dog to learn.

This command basically maneuvers your dog into a heel at your left side and then has them calmly sit. It helps them stay out of the way when you’ve stopped on a walk at an intersection, chat with a friend, or pause so you can answer a text.

It’s also incredibly useful when you’re out and about in public. Your pup needs to know how to sit politely while you’re dining outdoors, shopping in an open-air market, or anywhere else that requires long or frequent stops.

The heel-sit is essential for your dog’s safety. It can keep them from getting hit by a car, stepped on, or otherwise injured if they’re running about. Plus, having a well-behaved dog means you don’t get in trouble with whomever or wherever you are.

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‘Off’ command is used when the dog jumps up on you or it’s on a chair or the couch or on a person. Make sure that you always use the ‘off’ command every time your dog goes on furniture and so does everyone else in the house. Don’t forget to follow through. If you say off’, make sure you get the dog off the furniture. Don’t plan on landing your puppy on furniture periodically during the first 6 months of his life. When you give the ‘off’ command, remove the dog gently. Don’t violently kick the dog or hurt your dog or take any forceful action as it will only make him anxious and aggressive and spoil the relationship with your dog. Don’t throw away or do any violent gestures. If the dog jumps up to somebody, put your knees on to the dog so that he naturally falls to the ground.

Teaching your dog the ‘drop it’ command is important for safety. Let your dog have the toy he enjoys playing with and put the bait in front of his nose so that he drops the toy to get the bait. Get more than one toy to keep him interested. Eventually your dog may start dropping things to please you. Be sure to have different items so that you’re not just patterning the dog. If your dog is running away from you so that it doesn’t have to drop an item, calmly walk up to the dog instead of chasing him. Be firm and consistent with the training. Don’t repeat the command again and again as the dog will start ignoring the command completely. When you see your dog chewing something, give the command in a firm tone. If your puppy doesn’t drop the item, use a good smelling bait to get him drop the item.

Teaching your dog ‘leave it’ is important when you’re walking with your dog because it’s very common for dogs to pick up the garbage on ground and eat it quickly before you have the chance to stop it. Make sure that your dog is on the lead so as to have good control. To train a puppy to leave a food on the ground, get someone to place the food for you and walk your dog close to the food. Don’t let him go straight up to the food. Keep switching the items so that the dog learns that it’s the command that you’re looking for, not a certain item. Use the command once. Don’t wait too long till you give your dog the reward. As the dog learns the command, you can increase that time. Eventually you can stop giving the reward and just praise him.

When you put your dog into any command such as ‘sit’ or ‘stay’, you want your dog to sit there or stay in that command until you give the ‘release’ command. Teaching your dog ‘release’ command is essential for establishing your dog’s understanding of when it’s time to work and when it’s time to play. Don’t treat your dog after giving the release command, just praise him. Your dog should learn that treats are only for when he’s actually working. If you find your dog having difficult time with the ‘release’ command, you can do several things. Make sure your tone is different. Be cheerful and upbeat while giving the ‘release’ command. However, keep your dog’s personality in mind. Tone down your excitement a bit if your dog is hyperactive. Take a step back while giving command to make the dog realize the transition from being in command and listening to release.

Watch command is important as it teaches your dog to pay attention to you. To teach your dog ‘watch’ command, don’t put him into ‘sit’ or give any other command.
While teaching ‘watch’, remember to stand properly to interact, as you need to train his eyes to focus on your eye level. Mix the command with other training commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’ so that the dog doesn’t just follow a pattern and actually learns the command you’re trying to train him. Place the bait near your chest to get his attention and give the command ‘watch’. If he’s already watching your face, don’t use any bait. Treat your dog occasionally to train him the command without the bait. It’s a good idea to have distractions while teaching ‘watch’. When the dog looks away, give your correction sounds to get his attention back.