Your daughter is anticipating her favorite playmate coming over to play. So when the doorbell rings, she runs to the door and flings it open, and Shilo, your 14-month-old Golden Retriever wild child, bolts out the front door into the neighborhood. Your heart is in your throat. You live on a street with many distracted teenagers speeding up and down the lane. And no amount of yelling brings Shilo back.
This scenario is all too common and experienced by most dog owners. You can prevent this through some thoughtful work to help you develop a solid partnership with your pup.
How do you prevent these situations and have a “good dog” at home?
People who have dogs that can follow the basic commands of come, sit, and heal protect their dogs, greatly reduce their worry for their pup’s safety, and enjoy their pets more.
My background is training hunting dogs—retrievers and pointers–but I have helped dozens of other families develop good dogs around the house. Good dogs are a joy to be around. They are easy to walk in the neighborhood and are great family members.
I spent three months visiting with the best bird dog trainers in the country on sabbatical from my other passion, running schools. (That experience inspired my wife Laurie and me to start K9 Resorts.) These trainers see hundreds of dogs each season. Universally, they explained to me that dogs need structure. They need you to be the boss, to set boundaries, and to set a schedule. If not, they will fill the vacuum and take charge.
Animal behaviorists disagree on whether dogs need an “alpha dog” or not. But whatever the evolutionary reason and based on my visits with thousands of dogs, the happiest dogs have a leader or leaders at home. Dogs are happiest with boundaries and direction—a place to sleep, a place to go when stressed (a kennel or sleeping pad), a regular time to eat, and a place to run every day.
It takes 10 minutes a day to build a great partner!
Ten minutes a day will help you build a strong bond with your pup and make you both happier and safer! So what is the curriculum? Come, sit, and heel.
- Come means they will return to you every time you call.
- Sit means they will sit on command and, with practice, stay until released.
- Heel means they will walk at your side with or without a leash and will not leave until given the “free” command.
When to train?
I am a morning person, so I prefer taking my dogs out at first light for 10 minutes before work and before my stress levels are high. There are fewer distractions at that hour. I let the dogs do their business in the yard, and then it’s fun time. Train before feeding them in the morning or afternoon, so they associate the training with their mealtime. We practice our three key skills—come, sit, and heel. I usually focus most of our time on one skill a day, but I am very flexible. If we are not moving forward, then I change the skill. It must be engaging or don’t do it!
How to motivate your dog?
Motivating your dog to follow along is a key aspect of this process because so many pups are distracted and frankly not cooperative. I am a big believer in using both positive training methods (like snacks and praise) and correction. If you only use food incentives, dogs may lose focus when the food is not present. Little training treats are excellent ways to help the dog become attuned to what you want, but ultimately they need to do it for your approval and because they see you as the boss. The next blog will get into the nitty gritty—how to teach come, sit, and heal. I want to help you make your Shilo into a great family dog!
About Our Guest Bloggers
Lindsey and Laurie Gilbert are proud pup parents of two mannerly and generally obedient French Brittany Spaniels—Tex and Chaco. They own and run K9 Resorts, a luxury dog resort in Albuquerque, which has recently been named the Reader’s Choice Doggy Daycare and Boarding Facility in ABQ by the Albuquerque Journal.
