Bringing home a new dog into your house is an exciting moment for the entire family. But how do you teach a dog the “down” command ensuring your new pup lays down calmly when someone walks into the room? The key to positive reinforcement training is tasty dog treats. Here are some tips on how to incorporate pet treats with dog training.
Teach the “Down” Command with Pet Treats
The best way to do this is to hold a treat up in front of your dog’s nose, move your hand towards the ground past the nose, and say the word “down.” Repeat doing this until your dog actually lies down on the ground. On the moment when the dog accomplishes this task, provide the dog with lots of praise and a delicious dog treat. Eventually, your dog understands the physical act of laying down correlates with the word “down.” It is a matter of repetition and positive reinforcement.
Teach the “Come” Command with Treats
Another command to teach your dog with treats is the “come” command. This is an essential command to teach to your pup. You do not want a dog to run in the opposite direction as you. Alternatively, you do not want your dog to run into oncoming traffic. Thus, use treats to coax your dog to come. After repeatedly executing this training, your dog will come when called to regardless of a treat in hand or not.
Dog treats can be used to train dogs in various scenarios. It helps teach a new pup how to sit, lay down or come when called to. In addition, if you adopt a grown dog then use treats to teach what desirable behavior is acceptable in your household. It is important to remember to use treats as positive rewards. It makes training much more fun for all parties involved.