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. |