Training Tips — Be clear on the things you want the dog to know and do.

One of the first things I suggest when training a dog is to be really clear on the things you want the dog to know and do. So I always have my clients write down their commands and what they mean to the human. Many times dogs live in households with several people who use words very differently which can be confusing to the dog.
                                            
So make a list of your commands, then beside them, write what that word means, what it looks like to you.

One of the words that gets used in different ways is "DOWN." Some people mean "down off of couch," "off of them." Others mean the dog should "lay its body down". This can be difficult for the dog to learn and be consistent in, if it means different things to people who are telling it what to do. It's best to get everyone who lives and will be interacting with the dog to sit down, make a list and agree on the words and what they mean.

Each dog will have different commands as the family’s need to communicate with the dog comes into play. You will find if everyone agrees, the dogs learning curve will be faster and clearer.

Note that I do not teach a STAY command. I want and expect my dog to remain sitting/downing until released.

Examples

Links

www.jimlempner.com
www.placercountyschutzhundclub.com/
www.germanshepherdfamilydogs.com/
www.fullgripgear.com/index.html
www.carda.org/