HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOG?

Having a dog is a wonderful gift. But it can also turn into a burden if your fur friend is not well trained. I once heard my dog trainer say that dogs are happier when they have a routine and they know their place. And I totally agree with it. 

Taco is now 20 months and Roma just turned 14 months and they are two happy pups. They are constantly reminded of their routines and obligations as our pets, and they love it. Since an early age, they have travel the world with us and learned how to behave in front of bog crowds. Granted they some times forget things, but like humans; dogs also need to be reinforced those commands and routines that were learned as babies. 

Today I want to try and help you with some of the most common puppy related questions you guys tend to ask me. These are things Robert and I either did a lot of research on, or we were trained to do by dog trainers, and also some of the things that either we learned through our own good or bad experiences. 

How to actually train your dog?

Training a dog is not an easy task. Like everything in life, it requires a lot of sacrifice from you and your partner. It is teamwork! Both of you have to be in sync for this to work the right way. Like raising a child, both parents need to be tough when needed to be and both parents need to make time to play with them and feed them. Otherwise, dogs can pick favorites! 

Also, it is important to note that not all dogs are easily trainable. Some dogs, especially adopted dogs, have suffered a lot either growing up or in their mommy’s belly, so they come with trust issues that need to be treated ASAP. The same can happen with dogs with pedigree, certain breeds are harder to train than others. Because some dogs like humans are smarter than others. Sorry but it's true. 

First tricks

There are three commands that need to make the top of the list: sit, stay and name-calling.

1. Learning to respond to their name: this is a priority. Your puppy needs to look at you when you call their name. This must be their first call of action. Taco and Roma turn their heads every time we call their names, as well as when we say the command MIRA which is LOOK in spanish. It is very important they look at you so they can acknowledge you. 

HOW TO DO IT? 

- When they are puppies, I won’t recommend using treats to train them. If you do, make sure they are organic and do not have a lot of calorie intake. Otherwise, you will have a puppy that prefers treats to their food, or if you pappy likes to eat, he or she will be eating double portion (calorie intake of their regular meals, plus treats). 

- The best way to have your puppy learn their name is to train name-calling during feeding times. So, instead of using treats, you will be using dog food! Feeding times are when dogs learn more efficiently because they are hungry and energized.

- This trick is best done along with your partner. Because each of you will be standing in opposite corners of the house and calling your pet. The moment the dog responds to the name-calling, you have to give their prize: a pet, a pitchy voice, and their kibble. It is important to keep changing spots in the house because dogs operate with routines. After two or three times, the dog will come to you even before you call them. And we don’t want that. 

- Because they are still puppies, any training must be done progressively. Make sure you start with 5 minutes a day and keep increasing little by little. Progress is also important when thinking about how demanding the trick is. A puppy gives up if the demand is drastically too high. You can’t go from 0 to a 100. Make sure the tasks you imply are challenging but never impossible. 

2.Sit: The sitting command is the easiest if you ask me. But its very important! It shows them how to be cordially patient and respectful. Your dog must sit and wait for you to place food on the floor and your dog must sit to wait for your command or instruction.

HOW TO DO IT?

- Taco and Roma already came with the sit command from stock I think. But we learned how to reinforce it by grabbing a kibble and slowly raising it over their noses. The dog may step backward at first, and then they will bend their neck backward. But they soon will realize, that by sitting and lifting their noses they can easily get it. 

- If your dog still doesn’t get it, make sure to guide them with the other hand by gently tapping and pushing their behinds to the floor. 

- Make sure you are doing it on your knees so that the kibble is not high enough for them to think you want them to jump and get it. 

- Another important lesson to teach them is to sit when they are being fuzzy. Scenario: You have a hungry puppy that gets very excited during meal times. You CANNOT feed your dog with that level of excitement. To calm them down, you are not to scream or yell at them. All you have to do is stand there, with the food plate in your hand and wait. You wait and wait, and react negatively when they jump or bark. Use the phrase AH AH AH, NO! And keep waiting. Eventually, the dog will give up and sit and stare back at you. Only then, is when you bend down and lay the food on the floor and say the word OK. 

3. Stay: This is another pillar of strength. A dog that learns how to stay is a milestone in a healthy dog-owner relationship. 

HOW TO DO IT? 

- For this command, you need to truly exert your patience. Because it needs to be done little by little. 

- Train this during mealtime and with dog kibble. 

- Use the command STAY with a hand gesture. We use our fist, but you can use your palm facing them if you prefer. Make sure whatever you choose, you use all the time. 

- Start by using the command and giving a step back. Initially, dogs will try to chase behind you. But step back slowly. The second you see they hesitate to follow you, say GOOD BOY/GIRL, and give them their prize. Repeat this 3-5 times and slowly try two steps. Do this every day for 5 minutes. If you see your dog being active and not losing their focus, add 1 minute each time. Your goal is to use the command STAY and lose sight of your dog. If your dog losses sight of you when in STAY, you know you have done something right! 

The trick for training your dog is lots and lots of repetition. Dogs are routine-oriented, so the second they do something good, celebrate it! The success comes when you appraise your dog right away when do they things right. Appraisals are not always food-related, that’s why when you celebrate with your dogs you must give them the treat, pet them and say GOOD BOY/GIRL in a punchy voice. They love to see you and hear you excited!