Dexy Does... Sit!

Woof!

Hello! An exciting start today of Dexy Does... blog biscuits. In these I shall explain the simple wonders of training pups all the important tricks! So for my début Dexy Does... I am going to teach you lovely people the art of sitting!

First of all choose your command word and stick to it, obviously 'sit' is the most practical, but you can choose any word you like, just make sure it is a clear, concise syllable sound that cannot be confused with another command word. Once you have the command word set, you can also try using hand gestures to convey a trick, but that is advance puppy training! So let's just stick with a word for now.

Ok, now you know the command word you're going to use, add one puppy, preferably a calm one, too much hyperactivity and I'm not going to learn anything! Right, so you have your word, your puppy, and now the magic ingredient- a yummy treat! Incentive to do something is crucial for a puppy, we are fickle, simple creatures really, so find a treat that works for your pooch and use this specific treat solely for the use of training, so no sneaky nom noms just because I'm cute!

Lets go then, first of all, come down to my level and hold the treat just above my little wet nose, not too low so I can just snap it away and munch, but not too high causing me to jump like a flea. Make sure I am concentrating on the treat, and slowly move it over my head towards my tail, and as you do say my name and then the command word, say nothing else but these two things, always in that order. You may need to try many, many times before I do actually park my tushy down, so every time I fail the trick, restart from the beginning, do not give in, or give me the treat until I have completed it. Then suddenly you will have that magical moment when I do actually sit, and timing on your part is the key, the second I move to sit, say just the command word (with glee!) and reward my treat to me, praise me with strokes, and then try again!

I'm not saying training is an instant thing, and my owner has spent weeks training me, but the important thing to remember is to be patient, reward my good behaviour, make sure your tone of voice is friendly but firm, and practice makes perfect! Once you have established the treat reward method, start only rewarding me with strokes, and once you have reinforced the command word, you can try using hand gestures, my owner has started this by saying my command word with her index finger on her left hand up. But make sure the basics are in place before moving on to advance training.

So there you are, the first Dexy Does... for you, next time I shall look at walking techniques, I'm still perfecting it all so I'll get back to you with that blog biscuit. Until then I'll keep you all updated with my puppy antics and pooch psychology as much as I can. And ooo! Look out for my 'Dr. Dexy' blog biscuits that will be coming soon about illnesses and diseases us pooches can get.

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x sit x sit x