How to Establish Dog Obedience
Article written by Nancy Settecasi 
Dog obedience is quite simple to achieve if it is addressed at an early stage. Everyone loves a well-behaved dog, so you, as a dog owner, need to set the rules for your dog as soon as he steps foot in your home. Do not allow him too much freedom because then he will come to show YOU who’s boss. Below you will find useful information on how to train for dog obedience.
General Tips
- Always reward him for good behavior either with praise, a belly rub or a bite-sized treat.
- Always reprimand him for bad behavior when you’ve caught him in the act. Use a firm tone of voice. Don’t yell or scream.
- Never reprimand after the fact. It is pointless and it does more harm than good.
- Never yell at a barking dog. He will not listen and you are just teaching him to disobey. This is key in achieving dog obedience.
- Never hit your dog. Hitting him will only make him lose trust in you.
- Consistency is key. When you discipline your dog, do it consistently.
- Don’t pick and choose when you will discipline him and when you won’t. You will never have an obedient dog without constant reinforcement.
- Always enforce a command. If you’re not serious about a command, don’t give it.
- Don’t give a command which you know he cannot or will not obey. For instance, if he is not close enough to you to hear the “Come” command, then don’t give the order.
- Start discipline immediately. Don’t wait until he outgrows his cuteness. Dog obedience should be dealt with from the start.
- Socialize him with other dogs as early as possible. This will reduce aggression towards other dogs when he’s older.
- If he shows aggression towards other dogs, arrange play dates with a friend’s dog and teach him the “heal” command (see below) every time he comes in contact with a another dog. An obedient dog should be able to get along with other dogs.
- Always train your dog in the environment in which he is expected to behave in. For example, if you want to teach him not to bark in the car, then he must be brought into the car to be trained. He needs to be placed in the respective environment.
- Your dog should acknowledge training as a fun and rewarding experience. This will make dog obedience training easier for both of you.
Dog Obedience: Teaching the basic commands
Teaching your dog basic commands is key in achieving dog obedience.
- Sit
Dog obedience starts with the "Sit" command. The "Sit" command is the easiest command to teach your dog. Start by putting him on a leash and holding it taut. Then place a treat over your dog's nose and gently press on his rear end while telling him to sit. Do not give him the treat unless he sits, then offer tons of praise ("Good Dog" and a back scratch should do the trick.) - Heal
When teaching the "Heal" command, first thing to do is put the leash on your dog. Keep the leash short so that your dog will be forced to stand up against you by your side. As you start walking with your dog, if he tries to tug ahead, pull him back and say "Heal." Praise and reward him with a snack when he is walking properly along side you without pulling. Once he's gotten used to the idea that he's not allowed to pull, you can allow him more slack on his leash. - Stay
It is best to use the "Sit" command in unison with the "Stay" command. Once your dog is engaged in the "Sit" position, you move right into the "Stay" command. Grab a treat and place it over his nose and begin to say "Stay." Do not allow him to have the treat. If he lunges forward to grab it, put it behind your back and have him sit again. Always remove the treat if he disobeys. Once he starts to understand that he must stay in order to get the treat, you can start moving further and further away from him while holding the treat continuously reminding him to stay. When first attempting this technique, don't make him wait more than 10 seconds for his treat. They get very impatient. Always remember to praise him once he has followed directions. As he gets the hang of it, then you can make him wait longer periods of time for his treat. Eventually, you can remove the treat altogether. - Down
The "Down" command should be taught following the "Sit" command. Once you've commanded your dog to sit, say "down" as you gently push down on his shoulders.You can guide his nose down to the floor with a treat. Once he has moved into the lying down position, praise and give him a treat (Good dog!). - Come
The "Come" command should be taught following the "Sit" or "Stay" command. Once your've commanded your dog to "Sit" or "Stay," you will begin to back away slowly reinforcing the "Stay" command. When you are about 10 feet away, say "Come" with your arms open wide as if to welcome him in. If he gets stubborn, you may have to whip out a treat. No dog can resist a treat.
Establishing dominance towards dog obedience
- Never show your dog that you’re afraid of him. If he senses this, it will make training him much more difficult. In order to have an obedient dog, he needs to know who calls the shots. This is an important factor in achieving dog obedience. Of course, if you feel threatened by your dog, you should consult a trainer.
- Playtime should be on your terms, not his. If he approaches you wanting to play, don’t submit to him. Wait until he walks away and then call him to play. This may sound cruel but you will only do this in the beginning stages of training. It is a way to show him who’s boss.
- If he ignores you when you call him in, don’t yell at him; just shut the door and ignore him for a few minutes. If he decided to whine, bark or scratch at the door, don’t let him in. Allow him to enter only after he quiets down. Dogs don't like to be left out, therefore this is one of the easier techniques to use towards achieving dog obedience.
- If he growls and becomes possessive over an object, such as his food, remove the food bowl when he is not around. Then fill the bowl with food and place it up high where he can’t reach it even if he jumps up. Now bring him back into the room and show him that you are taking morsels of food out of his dish and feed them to him. After you’ve fed him a few pieces, hold the bowl in your hands and continue to feed him. Let him see that you have control of his food. Then hold a morsel up and don’t allow him to have it until he sits. Let him wait a few seconds and then say “O.K.” and give it to him. After following this procedure for a week or so, his aggression should die down. Keep in mind that this technique should be performed when your dog is still a pup. If you have a disobedient, medium to large-breed adult dog, use your discretion. If this technique is not effective in this case, it would be a good idea to call in a professional trainer.
- Teach him to come to you by calling him with a treat in your hand. This is an instant reward. Don’t give it to him right away, make him wait a few seconds before being allowed to take it. This, again, shows him that you are the boss.
It is not difficult to achieve dog obedience if you approach it at any early stage. This is why I believe that a dog owner should attempt it on his/her own before spending a lot of money on a trainer. Of course, when ALL else fails, you should always turn to a professional trainer.
One final note: Some of these techniques may seem a bit harsh, but keep in mind that once you’ve established an obedient dog, these techniques will no longer be required. Tough love has its rewards.