Overview
These obedience dog training drills were taken from the Dog Training Planner. There are three obedience drills that you should be doing every single day with your dog (lie down, sit and stay).
The 3 Obedience Training Drills
If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see that I’ve written out all the steps from the video for you. I know. I know. I really am that nice (lol).
Videos are great if you’re a visual learner! Most people learn dog training drills best by first watching a video tutorial, and then having the written steps available during the training session, so they don’t get confused (Hey, if you want to completely avoid confusion, you might like to get your paws on my Dog Training Planner).
To make this blog post a more visual experience for you, I’ve snuck in some dog art that I created, in Quentin Blake’s style (if you’re curious, you can take a look at all my dog art here).
Obedience Training Drill 1: Lie Down
Step 1: Lure
Start with a treat in your hand and put it close to your dog’s nose.
Lower your hand toward the floor as a lure. Your dog will not lie down immediately but give the treat and praise as soon as your dog makes any movement downward.
Repeat the lure, lowering your hand closer to the floor each time.
Do this until your dog is completely lying down.
Step 2: Fade out the lure and replace it with a hand signal
The hand signal should be an open hand with the palm down to the floor.
Lower your hand signal (as you did for the lure). When your dog is lying down, reward it with a treat from your other hand.
Gradually reduce your hand signal, until your dog reacts to just a slightly downward motion.
Repeat until your dog is consistent.
Step 3: Fade out the hand signal and replace it with a verbal command
Do this by giving the command ‘down’ before you give a hand signal. Repeat this until your dog responds to the verbal command alone.
Practice these steps regularly to ensure your dog is confident to carry out the command.
Obedience Training Drill 2: Sit
Step 1: Lure
Have a treat in your hand and put it close to the dog’s nose.
As they sniff at it, raise your hand just above their head. Dogs naturally sit when their heads are lured upward. Reward your dog when they sit, do this by giving them the treat and with lots of verbal praise.
Step 2: Fade out the lure and replace it with a hand signal
You will need both hands for this step.
Keep a treat in one hand, but use your empty hand to give your dog the hand signal to sit. To give the signal, hold out your hand with your palm face up, and raise it as you did with the lure. When your dog sits, reward them with the treat from your other hand and give lots of verbal praise.
Repeat this until your dog is sitting consistently.
Step 3: Fade out the hand signal for a verbal command.
Just before you give your dog the hand signal, give the command ‘sit’ in a firm tone.
When your dog sits, give them the treat and praise verbally. Repeat this step until your dog sits on the verbal command, and then you can fade out the hand signal.
Obedience Training Drill 3: Stay
Basic Command: Stay (For Distance)
Step 1: Give Command
Command your dog to “Stay” and then walk away.
Step 2: Anticipate
If you think your dog will break its stay, click just before that happens, come back to your dog and give a food treat.
Step 3: Increase Distance
Gradually increase the distance you move away from your dog.
Step 4: Release
Give a release command (e.g. “Go”) to allow your dog a short break.
Step 5: End Session
End the session with a release command (e.g. “OK”) and give your dog its favourite toy as a reward.
Basic Command: Stay (For Duration)
Step 1: Distance
Maintain a small distance between yourself and the dog.
Step 2: Eye Contact
Give a reward & click each time you say, “Stay” and they give you eye contact.
Step 3: Space Out Rewards
Start to add more time between rewards.
Step 4: Talk to Your Dog
Connect with your dog verbally (e.g. “Good boy“). Release every “Stay” command.
Step 5: Increase Duration
Build up to one-minute-long stays. Once you’ve done that, build up to 2, 3, and 4-minute stays. With plenty of practice, your dog will learn this basic command to stay.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
