Topics covered on this page:

Benefits of Training

Taking Puppy Classes

Basic Commands

Crate Training - coming soon

Potty Training - coming soon

Leash Training - coming soon

Benefits of Training:

Many people are satisfied if their dog doesn’t mess in the house. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if your dog was well behaved {like the ones we see and secretly envy}. Well, all it takes is patience and commitment.

Does your dog: beg when you are eating, jump on anyone, pull at the leash, dash outside every time you open the door, come every time you call, chew up things he shouldn’t, ignore you?

All of these things and more can be resolved with proper training.

There are a few things I want you to remember:

Puppy Classes

First I would like to note, if you have never obedience trained a puppy; ie, this is your first dog, or you have always had adult dogs before. It is a good idea to sign up for Puppy Classes, that way an experienced person can help you with any issues you have during training. Many people are impatient, because they are unsure as to why their puppy is behaving as it does (usually the pup is just being a pup), and with a good trainer, you can address these issues. Puppies/Dogs, will pick up on your frustration, and that can create more problems. Since you want the best for your pup, after all this pup will be with you for many years, a few $$ spent now will be much appreciated for the rest of you and your pups life.

Now PLEASE NOTE: not all trainers are equal, get feedback from previous clients. Preferably ones with Great Pyrenees. GP are very sensitive. I started with a trainer with my first Pyr, who was our pet and companion. The trainer was insensitive and either cruel, or very stupid. She took a pinch collar and forced my 3 month old pup to lay down ~ which I told her I had not practiced, (she took the lead attached to a pinch collar {small links}, then she put the lead under her foot and pulled him down, with the pinch! He started panicking and she wouldn’t stop. I never took him back, but from that day on all he had to do was see a chain collar to be terrified. Knowing what I know now I would have pushed that fool off of my pup, but I was young and foolish. So make sure you find a good trainer.

Basic Commands

Remember when training: Treats, lots of praise, smiles and petting. Just little bites for treats, just enough to taste, not chew and chew. Then eventually you will wean them off treats. A trainer once told me, when you say their name and the automatic reaction is to lick their lips you know you have used treats enough.

Only give the command one time. If you repeat the command over and over, then you teach your dog that he doesn’t have to listen the first time.

You need to make a list of voice commands and make sure everyone who is involved in training uses the same commands, so the dog learns correctly.

For example; if you say down ( and mean lie down) and someone else uses down, to mean ‘off’ the furniture’ it will take your dog longer to learn the commands.

Here are the commands I use:

Name: You want your dog to look at you when you say its name. Not ‘come’. They learn their name so you can get their attention. For example: your dog, Champ, has run across a busy street (which hopefully won’t happen), But there he is. So you call “Champ” if he thinks “Champ means come” and darts back across the street.. Disaster will follow. But he knows “Champ” means ’look at me” and he turns and looks. Now you can give the command “Down” - “Stay” - or even “ Come”.

NAME: Teaching your dog his name is rather simple get a treat and say his name once when he makes eye contact (watch carefully they don’t stare– that is a dominance sign) As soon as you see them glance at you reward them with praise as well with a treat.

Down: Take a lead and attach it to a belt collar, stand on the lead and as you say ‘Down’ pull the dog down. Praise when the down is completed. Soon they will understand and go down when told, remember tiny bits of treat and much praise!

Sit: Pull up on the lead (attached to the belt collar) as you say sit. & / or Take the treat and as you say Sit, move the treat backwards over the dogs head, this will cause him to sit. When he sits treat and praise.

Okay: This means the dog is released from, sit stay, or any training sometimes we say ‘go play’

Heel: You want them to walk between your front stride and hip. Take the leash in the opposite hand as to the side the dog is heeling on, and say heel and step forward at the same time. When the dog tries to go ahead pull on the leash (with the opposite hand) and say NO. Heel.

Pulling: to teach a dog that pulls, play ’ditch the dog’ Put on a lead (can be a long one) and go for a walk, or to play, when the dog starts ahead of you, turn and run, walk quickly the opposite way, so that the lead jerks the dog, a few times and they will start watching where YOU are going, and follow YOU.

Stay: This means to stay in one place. Whether they are across the street or in the living room. If it is a "Sit, Stay" start with a couple of minutes, and increase to 15 minutes {no longer than 15 minutes in a SIT ~ otherwise it is hard on their hips} "Down, stay" same thing. I use the lead and belt collar, until they get the idea. They can stay in a Down stay for hours if needed. We use the word PLACE when we want them to get out of our hair, they usually have a rug or blanket, or pillow that is their “place” that way the “place” can come with us in the car, on vacation, ect.

Come: Means to come to you now. Get someone and stand at opposite sides of the yard, room with treats and call Name: COME. When the dog comes give a treat. They catch on quick : ) so sometimes the dog will run to the opposite person as soon as he has the first treat. Don’t give him the treat UNLESS you have said COME.

Off: We use the command to mean, Off if they jump up, off the couch, or bed (yes we do let our pets on the furniture)

Speak: We teach them to sit and “SPEAK”, bark. Once they get this one, we teach them Quiet.

Quiet: We teach them to sit and “QUIET”. We feel by teaching to Speak and Quiet, when barking in the back yard, they understand “Quiet” better.

Load: We use this command to get in/ out of the car, kennel, or to tell them to go anywhere we want them to get.

Unload: Of course this is the Opposite of Load :)

One more word of advice, if you want your dog to be accepting of strangers then you need to take it out often and introduce it to new situations and people from the start. The more socialization your pup gets the more confident in new situations and around a variety of people it will feel. Do remember though, sometimes dogs will take being introduced to a new place/person several times before they feel comfortable, BUT dogs are very intelligent and if your dog insists it doesn’t like someone, there may be a reason you are unaware of.

We hope this helps with understanding your dog. If you have any questions feel free to contact us.