5 important cues to teach your new puppy
A puppy is a great addition to any family, but raising it is a big responsibility. You need to train it from scratch to ensure that it adapts to life at home. The process can be as challenging as teaching basic skills to a young child, but the right cues can set you on track for this incredible journey. Fortunately, puppy training isn’t as daunting as you may think, provided that you use the right cues for helping the animal understand your expectations. Here are the key cues to teach your puppy.
“Come” for obedience
Your pet must know that it has to obey you at all times, and the “come” command makes it clear to the animal. When you ask it to come, it has to be right there at your first call. Obedience ensures safety for the puppy and people around, including kids and visitors. If the pet is obedient enough, you need not have the leash on at all times.
“Sit” for discipline
If you want a disciplined puppy that stays the same even as it grows up, ensure that it understands the “sit” cue. It gives you control as an owner and helps you cultivate good manners in the animal. Teach it to sit to greet people, stay away from strangers, or wait as you throw a ball. You can also use the cue to prevent the animal from licking someone or something it shouldn’t.
“Stay” for patience
“Stay” is an equally vital clue because it teaches the virtue of patience to your puppy. It must learn to wait on command when greeting guests and at mealtimes. After all, you will not want the pet to pounce on visitors and scare them away. Being patient with eating habits helps them derive the best nutrition. Also, pick the healthiest food options like raw beef dog food for the puppy. The “stay” cue will help it stay healthy and happy, so make sure that you don’t miss out on it as a part of puppy training.
“Wait” for safety
The “wait” cue conveys to the animal that it shouldn’t move forward without your permission. The command is useful at doors because you will not want the pet to run out in traffic or take a visitor by surprise. It also covers the risk when you take the pet out for toilet training and off-leash walks. But being extra firm with this cue will keep the puppy safe now and through the grown-up years.
“Watch” for attention
Another cue that you must include in the puppy training schedule is “watch”. The command lets you get the attention of the pet when you want to teach it something new. You can also use it to distract the animal in a critical situation, such as when another dog is around or a troublesome kid is pestering your pet. The puppy will ignore everything else and have its eyes only on you.
Cues to teach your puppy
Now that you know these key cues, training your puppy will be a tad easier. Ensure that you are consistent with the commands to make the pet understand them better and adapt them for a lifetime.