Tag Archives: dog commands

Behavior, Dog Care

4 Things to Teach Your Dog

February is Dog Training Education Month! All dogs should know basic obedience commands. This is important for both petiquette and safety reasons. Read on as a local Roanoke, VA vet lists some that things your canine companion should know.

Basic Doggy Obedience

All of our canine buddies should obey basic commands. The five most important ones are Sit, Stay, Come, Heel, and Lay Down. It’s usually best to start with Sit, as it’s the easiest for dogs to pick up. Teach Fido one of these at a time. Make sure your pooch has each one down before moving on. Dogs don’t have very long attention spans except when bacon is involved. Keep classes short and sweet. We recommend working with your pup every day, for about 15 minutes at a time.

Crate Training

Even if you don’t plan to crate your dog every day, you should make sure that he is familiar and comfortable with being crated. After all, Fido will need to be crated sooner or later, either for travel or when visiting his vet or groomer. The key is to make the crate comfortable for your furry friend. Put some toys and soft bedding inside it, and give him treats and praise in and near it.

At Least One Trick

Many dogs like learning new things. Once Fido has the basics down, why not show him a cute trick? Classic dog tricks, like Roll Over, Beg, and Shake Paw, are always adorable. You can also teach your pup to Gimme Five, Smile, Hide Your Eyes, or Play Dead.

You Are Loved

Last but not least, make sure that your furry pal knows he is loved and cared for. Training is a great way to spend time with Fido, and keep that tail wagging! Man’s Best Friend strives to please his humans, and loves being called a good boy!

Tips

When training dogs, patience and consistency are key. It’s also important to make the experience fun for Fido. How do you do that? Incorporate some of his favorite things: treats, praise, and ear scritches. For treats, you’ll want to choose small portions, so you don’t overfeed your pooch. Cut up hot dogs are good options. Pieces of kibble also work well.

Please reach out to us, your Roanoke, VA vet clinic, for all of your pup’s veterinary care needs. We’re here to help!

Behavior, Dog Care, General Care

Puppy Training Tips

Have you recently welcomed a puppy into your home? If so, the next few months are going to be filled with adorable moments! You’ve also got quite a bit of pet parenting ahead of you. Little Fido has lots to learn! In addition to housebreaking and crate training, Here, a Roanoke, VA vet offers some puppy training tips.

Furriculum

Start by teaching your pet basic doggy obedience commands, such as Sit, Stay, Come, Heel, and Lay Down. Work on one command at a time, and don’t move on until your furry pal has mastered each one. These commands can be taught along with housebreaking and crate training. Once little Fido has these mastered, you can show him some cute tricks, or move on to more advanced training.

Pawsitive Thoughts

Never punish your puppy for not picking things up quickly enough. Instead, keep things cheerful by rewarding your canine buddy with treats and praise for doing well. Also, be sure to only work with your pooch when you’re in a good mood. Man’s Best Friend is very intuitive, and can pick up our moods very quickly. If you’re grumpy or stressed, little Fido may sense it, and could form a bad association with training. You definitely don’t want that!

Timing

Dogs don’t have very long attention spans, especially when they are young. Long classes will likely bore your four-legged student. Try to work with Fido for a few minutes every day. This will keep things fun and fresh for your furry friend. If you don’t have much time for training, consider enrolling the little guy in doggy daycare. Many of these programs offer training.

Consistency

Consistency is very important when training dogs. Be sure to use the same phrases every time when teaching your furry buddy vocal commands. If you say ‘Come’ one day and ‘Fido, get over here now!’ the next, you’re probably going to confuse your pet.

Rewards

Giving little Fido a gold star probably won’t impress him very much. Instead, you’ll want to offer your pup something more tangible, like food. Use small snacks, like bits of kibble or piece of hot dogs. If your adorable student gets too full, he probably will be more focused on napping than learning!

Does your puppy need an exam, microchipping, or parasite control? Please contact us, your Roanoke, VA pet clinic, for all your puppy’s veterinary care needs.