important basic commands

[Charlie_Boy2011]

Hi everyone! I have a 14 week old yorkie (born October 10th) and am wanting to teach him basic obedience training. Unfortunately the next available class isn't offered until June and it's for 10wk-6mnth old puppies. At the same time a more advanced adult class is offered. He will be over 6mnths by then and want to start him early.

I've taught him basically just sit, down or laydown is challenging. He knows watch out too because I use a wheelchair and when I say that he quickly gets out of the way. I have books and the web, but want more help.

Speaking w/ the instructor, they are willing to start one on one training with me although it will probably be pricier than the class. What commands should I start with? I feel overwhelmed looking through the training books. I want him to obey sit, stay, lay down, and definitely come. And leash walking. I'm likely paying per session so where is best to start. I don't want to set him up for something so hard at first we struggle. I think him being well trained is so important since I can't just hop up and grab him like I did with my older yorkie before my disability. I want to be able to take him places w/ me and he be polite! I know he will miss the puppy socialization but have a friend getting a yorkie pup he can play with too. I hope we can get the basics down then do the adult class in the summer at the college with others.

Thanx in advance! I'll post some pics once I can see any of my programs will resize. [I think I have a profile one up. It's tiny though so hard to see. He wasn't even 8weeks yet, we were just having a "visitation" session before he was ready to be taken from his puppy dog family. hehe

[SophieandZiggy]

Your local library may have books and dvd's.

[navillusc]

To me, about the most important and first command is "sit" because it will work in so many different circumstances if the dog executes it pretty reliably on command. I also like the hand signal for sit to be ingrained in the dog. With "sit" accomplished, you can stop a running or chasing dog, a dog about to walk into traffic, or buy time to get to the dog to retrieve him even if he won't "come" when you call. You can also stop him from gobbling his food or snatching food from a toddler's hand...or even just get his attention. I have used it in all of these examples even though my dogs knew and responded well to other, more appropiate commands. "Sit" is also easy to 'belt out' in an urgent situation....even at the start of an attack. Later, "sit"...followed by "watch me" or "stay" or "come" or "no" or "leave it" or "give it" or just about anything else. I could never make the promise that it will work for every dog in every situation, but, to me, it is the ultimate all-purpose command.

To illustrate, Brody was 14 months old but not trained at all when we first got him and I am still working on training him and Mia. But, the first command I started with was the "sit" command. Since we had not had him long, and he was not bonded well at the time, he would take off running and no way could we catch him. He knew no commands except had gotten pretty good with the "sit" we were working on, so when he would start to do something he shouldn't...like play the "catch me if you can 'cuz I'm the Gingerbread Man" game, I would give him a "sit" command to alter the course of his behavior until I could make him 'safe' again. He would sit and I would slowly walk over and pick him up...giving a "stay" hand signal. DH, on the other hand, would just run around behind him playing Gingerbread...to Brody's great delight! I recommended to DH that he not give chase...just issue a firm "sit" command, wait until he sat down, give it a second to show the game is over, then do whatever he needed/wanted to do. We rarely play Gingerbread outside anymore...unless someone forgets to 'holler' SIT.

I want all my dogs to have proper training, but with an adult dog, you definitely have to start somewhere and one command at a time is as good a way to start as any. With a pup, "sit" is always my first lesson. In Brody's case, first, he needed to learn what learning was. "Sit" and a few cubes of cheese taught him not only to sit on command but that learning 'tricks' was fun...and he has been excited to learn ever since.

Good luck with your endeavor. I am sure you will figure out what works best for you. These are just my experiences and opinions!

[Charlie_Boy2011]

Hi! Funny I actually did pick up 3 books at the library tonight and have a 4th on order through another library. There are two yorkie books I've bought that cover many topics, but the training isn't very much even with dvds included. One book I did check out tonight that was very detailed in the training was "The Puppy Whisperer" and I should be getting a clicker from Amazon tomorrow.

So far he knows sit, lay down, and shake. He needs to see the hand signal for lay down still. I'm going to work on look, stay, and come much much more. I need to be able to get him to come to me and allow me to pick him up always not dash away when I reach for him! And leave it needs taught when things are dropped.

I'm hoping the clicker makes training so much easier. I brushed the idea off for awhile but I don't know why...I know how well operant learning works.

We are working on crawl too. I think a big probably is I was introducing the word right away with the action instead of letting him learn the action and signal first then throwing in the word cue. Another issue is he will only do these if I'm near him. If I say sit and he is across the room he wouldn't sit but perhaps it's bc he I don't have his attn.

[SweetLifetime]

Even if you can't get him to an obedience class right away, puppy socialization doesn't have to be lost. You should be able to find some group classes in your area for puppies that focus more on socialization than anything. While commands are definitely extremely important, socialization shouldn't be skipped at this age either.

If you want to look into some solid puppy socialization, your local SPCA, your vet, or even a place like Petsmart should have some good recommendations and/or classes.

[gracielove]

Sit is usually the first command taught. Stay is next. You put him in his sit and then say "stay" and move a short distance away. When he starts to follow you or move away you correct him, put him back in the sit and say, "stay" again. I give a hand signal at the same time as I say "stay." The hand signal is to put the palm of your hand in front of the nose. You do this with a 6' lead on him. When you get him to the point where he will stay until you get to the end of the lead you then start teaching him to come. As he sits in his stay position you say, "come!" Many dogs will come right to you but others may need a tug or two on the lead. Always highly praise him whenever he gets it right or at least tries to get it right. Some people used treats but I generally don't with Gracie. She reacts well to praise and petting.

Make sure you get him pretty solid on the sit and stay before you go to the come. It shouldn't take very long.
I really think it's important to get him socialized with other dogs and to get him out and around people. If you want to be able to take him places he needs to be comfortable with unusual circumstances. Having him in a class with other dogs will help to to learn to ignore distractions and obey his commands. Any dog has to practice at home what he learns in class but being out around other people and dogs is a good challenge to the attention span. Learning the basic commands at home will give him a head start when he does get into a class.

[R_Z]

Actually the 1st command we worked on with Bailey was stay. He's pretty good about it, but still being a terrier has his own mind. We're working on sit etc, but are in no rush on those type things. We just enjoy his company.

[Charlie_Boy2011]

Thanks everyone. I have been taking him to my family's to visit. Friends and fam come here too. He has one other puppy (a westie) he plays with. My bf's dog is a 40 something lb beagle so I let them meet, but won't put Charlie down. The beagle just is too excited and it scares me bc Charlie is small. I'll look for more people and classes. There are socialization and puppy obed. classes in June. I live in a smaller town so not a lot offered besides what I found at the college.

[navillusc]

Don't let the smaller town and lack of classes slow you down with training Charlie. You do not need formal classes at all or anybody else to train your dog...even if your command words and hand signals are not like everybody else's words and signals.

I trained my first dog when I was a young teen in a tiny town with no obedience classes or trainers. I first trained to various whistles, then learned that idea was a bad one when a guy walking down the road whistling a tune was suddenly controlling my Yorkie-Poo! I retrained...immediately...with a lot more careful thought !!!! lol

There are somewhat 'standardized' commands and signals, but you are not obligated to use them. Only use them if you want others to be able to control your dog. If you want sole control of your dog, choose other words and signals...or other languages.

K-9 dogs for law enforcement are trained in German, for example, which makes it more difficult for the general public to control police dogs at work. So are the handlers trained so that the words and signals become 'natural' for them. Imagine how difficult it would be for the K-9 handler if everyone walking by could control his dog: "Attack, Butch...Hold!"..."ooo, come to mummy, baby waby Butchy boy...sit pwetty sweetie...itchy sqwatchy lovey dovey, kissy kissy baby waby...ooo!!!!" lol

It all depends on what you want, but the basic principle is the same. It's the 'Helen Keller principle' basically...you do not as much "train" the dog as "define" it's actions for it while it is doing them..the dog associates what it did, and got a treat or praise for doing, with the action it performed. When you say "sit" just as the dog's booty is about to touch the ground, you are telling the dog what he is doing...in your language...then, when you praise and reward him for doing what he was going to anyway...over and over...he begins to associate the action with the words and gestures you consistently use...and begins to understand that YOU LIKE what he did. He does it again for you because he loves you...and maybe for the treat or praise..but he does it again WHEN HE WAS NOT ALREADY PLANNING TO DO IT...because he is 'trained' by that time. lol

Consistency is the key!!! All you have to do is watch the dog and tell him everything you like that he is doing as he is doing it! lol

There is really, IMHO, no magic to it and you are under no obligaton to conform.

Tricks, to my way of thinking, are 'un-natural actions' the dog takes...catching a frisbee, scuba diving, etc. I had a dog that would not only catch a ball, would "throw it back" as well. Catching the ball was somewhat natural for a Shep/Lab...throwing the ball back was something she did 'for me'...but the benefit to her was a second opportunity to catch the ball again. I used regular English for that training, and she would do it even for 'strange' neighborhood children...which was really cool...and why I used plain English! lol Fetch is the same basic game. lol

Have fun with your Charlie! You can 'train' your darling Charlie any way you want! He is like no other...nor should you necessarily need to be!

That said, I do feel that it is important that dogs be exposed to all sorts of animals, people and situations. Only when you have learned what is required to control Charlie in a large number of circumstances can you begin to believe you have 'trained' him...otherwise, just know that he might have other ideas!!! lol

These are, of course, my own opinions based on my own experiences, and not meant to harm, offend, or contradict anyone else on YT who might have other experiences or opinions. lol

Good luck!