What is the most important thing to teach?

[cavalicious]

Hi Everyone

I've been practising tricks with Ollie ever since his come home and this is what he has mastered, in order:

Sit
Down
Roll Over
Shake/Hi 5
Other hand ---- shake with your other paw
Take a nap

He gets a little confused with take a nap and roll over because sometimes when he 'takes a nap' he keeps rolling and actually does roll over! He also gets excited when he knows we're about to do a 'training session' and will sometimes do all his tricks straight away and look hopeful for a treat! I don't reward him because I haven't actually told him any commands.

Anyway, I was wondering what you find has been the most important thing to teach? I know most of what I've taught is just for show

So.. what's it been? Sit, stay, heel or something completely different?

Thanks!

Emily

[Caraline]

The commands that save lives are the ones that whatever you call them, cause your dog to...
stop, sit & stay.

Then there are the ones that make life easy...
up - especially important for large dogs (getting up on vets scales)
stand - for grooming
roll over - for grooming & vet examination
open up - for examining teeth
foot - for cutting nails or trimming feet
be still - for not wriggling

I probably don't use the correct obedience class terms, but they work for me.

[Alison_Leighfield]

I have always found "off" very usefull to have your dog understand......

"off" the chair,
"off" the stinky left behind poo in the park!
"off" from anything dropped and broken on the floor,
"off" from anything on the gound outside,

there are loads of them

Alison.

[cavalicious]

Off, Be still and Open up sound really useful! Any advice on how to teach them?

[Caraline]

Off, Be still and Open up sound really useful! Any advice on how to teach them?

Alison's "off" command is more complex than mine (& useful too). Off in our household is usually for when one of the dogs jumps up on a chair we don't want them on. In that case I gently tip the chair and say "off" as they are sliding to the floor.

"Be still" is said when the puppy is struggling and when he stops wriggling I just give a treat. They get to know what it means.

"Open up" is really easy. As you are opening the dogs mouth to insepct their teeth etc you just say the command. They never open for me of their own accord, but they do not resist me as I look into their mouths.

The "be still" and "open up" commands are just part of the handling that I do with a puppy when he is very young, so that they can be handled & inspected with ease.

[Barbara Nixon]

I think the most valuable command is 'stay' or 'wait', preferably performed on the move after the static position is mastered. Should your dog be off lead, or have a lead/collar break , you will be able to prevent him or her from running into danger.

At class, we would put the dog in a sit and then recall. Between us and the dog would be a line ('The road') and we had to be able to 'down stay ' the dog before the line was reached.

I've twice found this useful. I fell and dropped the lead while out with Monty, years ago and, once, Teddy escaped when the clasp on his collar came undone , as I was getting him out of the car.

[Karlin]

Most important: come

[molly]

Emily, you're doing a fabulous job with Ollie. You are a good trainer! I agree that a solid recall ("come") and halt are critical. We work on those all the time to keep the dogs fresh. We train them with hand signals too so they will do it from afar when they might not hear our voice. Our dog got loose one time and was about to run across the street to us right into traffic. When we gave the hand signal for halt/stop, he immediately halted! He would not have heard us over the noise. Keep up the good work with Ollie.

[WoodHaven]

I agree with what has already been said--- recall-- "come" is extremely important. "LEAVE IT" is very useful. But that being said-- I have a tone of voice that I use only vary rarely. The dogs seem to realize that IF I use that tone of voice-- they almost always obey. NOW that I am housetraining puppies-- I have found that the pups can ignore the "alpha is p*ss*d" tone and so I am trying to only use positive reinforcement.

[arasara]

NOW that I am housetraining puppies-- I have found that the pups can ignore the "alpha is p*ss*d" tone and so I am trying to only use positive reinforcement.

Are you sure you don't steal Faith while I'm working during the day? You describe her to a T!

Drop it means "swallow it"
Come here means "run.. run away .. as fast as you can!"

And if I use "that" tone of voice it means immediately! hehe

I think one of the most important commands is stay - it can really make clean up easy for you. (: I make Kosmo stay on the rug after his feet are all wet and dirty after a walk.

Speak really saved my butt when Avi locked me out of the house and took off in -30 degree weather I could see Kosmo through the window in the door and I made him speak like crazy.. he of course thought something was wrong and was running back and forth speaking like a maniac looking at me. Thank God he knew that command that day because Avi was just about to hop in the shower.