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Join Expert Dog Trainer Kathy Santo as she goes through the basics of puppy obedience training. She’ll show you how to train your puppy to follow three basic commands: “sit”, “lie down”, and “stay. Then she’ll discuss how proper nutrition plays an important role in the overall training process.
Hi, I'm Kathy Santo with IAMS, and today we're going to discuss basic puppy obedience training. Obedience training is one of the best things you can do for you and your puppy. So this video will focus on the three basic commands: sit, lie down, and stay. A puppy can learn a great deal, even as early as seven weeks of age, if learning is fun and presented in the form of play. To establish a positive rapport with your puppy and prevent many future problems, start training a few days after your puppy settles in. A relationship based on friendship and trust will ensure that he tries hard to win you praise and approval. Before giving a word command to your puppy, speak his name to get his attention. Then speak a one word command, such as stay, sit, come, or heel. Your puppy won't respond to commands until he knows his name. Don't get impatient. The quickest way to teach your puppy his name is to reward him every time he looks at you. Always train when your puppy is hungry, lonely, or bored. When all his needs are met, he won't be as motivated to do as you say. For example, training right before meals will help him associate his meal with a reward for the training, and also make him more interested in the treat you use in your training session. Also, remember to use motivation, not negative reinforcement. Reinforce desired behaviors by offering toys, food, and praise, so the puppy wants to obey. Different dogs value different rewards. Some may think a tennis ball is the best thing in the world, while another puppy may find a tennis ball meaningless, but would do nearly anything for the chance to have a treat. Never use physical punishment on a young puppy, as you may scar him both mentally and physically. Also, refrain from calling your dog to come to you for punishment, because this will teach your dog not to come on command. Dogs can feel human emotions, so stay relaxed, firm, and confident. Be sure to keep any frustration out of the tone of your voice. And if you feel yourself becoming frustrated, take a break. Your dog can sense this, and will start to associate training with your unhappiness. Most puppies, like young children, enjoy learning, but have short attention spans. Training sessions should be frequent and short to prevent your dog from becoming bored. 10 to 15 minute sessions, two or three times a day, is ideal. The first command I'm going to show you is sit. Your puppy's on the leash, and you're sitting on the ground with a leash under your legs, so he can't take a field trip away from you. Hold your hand high over his head with the reward in it. Your dog will look up at the reward. Use your other hand to gently guide your dog into a sitting position, and say in a clear, firm, tone, 'sit,' while still holding the reward in the air above the dog's head. When your dog sits, give them the treat, and verbally praise him. The second command I like to teach is lie down. Have your dog sit. Let him know you have the treat, but don't give it to him. Slowly lower your hand with the treat to the floor to bring your pup's nose close to the ground. When he starts to follow it, say 'lie down.' Once he's fully on the floor, you can give him the treat. Repeat saying lie down and rewarding correct behavior. Now for stay. Have your dog sit. Let him know you have the treat, but don't give it to him. Go in front of your puppy, raise your open hand, and say 'stay' firmly, so your puppy can associate your open hand with what he's learning. Start to move away from your puppy while occasionally repeating the stay command. Start with only a few seconds of staying at a time, and then move to slightly longer amounts. Always come back and reward your puppy if he follows instructions. The last thing I'd like to talk about is nutrition, and its implications on puppy training. Good nutrition leads to a healthy dog with higher quality of poop, and more predictable and balanced behavior, so he's easier to train. Make sure your puppy is getting the well balanced diet he needs for optimal development. For more information on puppy nutrition, watch the video 'What is the best puppy food for your puppy?' I'm Kathy Santo with IAMS, and I hope that you found this helpful as you welcome your new addition into your family.
Low-cost food might be better for your wallet, but it can be a raw deal for your dog, because he may not get the nutrition he needs. Premium foods, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Original , make sense both nutritionally (because of consistent, high-quality ingredients) and economically because they provide:
The investment in a premium food might initially cost more per bag, but because these high-quality formulas are high in nutrient density, your dog may need less food, which can offset the higher cost per unit of weight. On a cost-per-feeding basis, look at how much you feed each day as opposed to how much the bag costs, because nutrient and energy density will generally be lower for a low-cost food compared with premium foods.
With budget-priced formulas, the emphasis is on production and ingredient costs. Two bags of the same least-cost formulated food can have different ingredients and/or levels of ingredients. Plus, those ingredients may vary significantly in digestibility. This means, simply, that you may need to feed more just to equal the nutrition offered by a smaller amount of a premium dog food formula.
High-quality, complete, and balanced premium dog foods such as the IAMS brands are specifically designed to provide your dog with a food that has:
To determine how much food to give your dog, check the daily feeding recommendations set by the pet food manufacturer and read the label. To calculate portion sizes, divide the total daily recommended amount by the number of times (usually two for adult dogs) you plan to feed your dog.
To tell if your dog is at a healthy weight, move your hands along his sides. If you can feel his ribs, he's about right. Or, look down at him when you're directly above him. You should be able to see a waistline.
If he's gaining or losing a lot of weight, slightly decrease or increase his daily intake and weigh him in another week. If you have specific concerns about your dog's weight, talk to your veterinarian. He or she can assess your dog's needs and make a feeding recommendation.
Once you've decided on a premium formula, you have another choice to make: dry or moist. And what about biscuits?
Premium dry dog food gives you the best value and convenience, while fortifying your dog with high-quality nutrition. Premium dry foods come in a number of bag sizes and formulas suited to size, life stage, and activity level. Dry food also helps keep teeth clean, and it stays fresh for a long time if you store it properly.
Wet foods from IAMS provide 100% complete nutrition. IAMS ProActive Health Puppy Biscuits make great treats and rewards and can add taste variety to your new dog's diet.
