Teaching your dogs simple commands are as easy as putting on your shoes each day. Puppies as early as six weeks can start learning the “sit” command and is normally the first trick a dog learns. Start by saying “sit” while holding a treat a little higher than your dog’s head. Most dogs are forced to look upward with treat in mind, automatically sitting on their hind legs. If not, move the treat straight back over your dogs head. This will cause their nose to point upwards and their rear to drop. The instant their rear touches the floor, release the treat and praise them by saying “good sit”.

After your dogs have mastered the sit command, they should then be taught “stay”. Follow these instructions: Use the dog's lead, attached to her collar, and then tell your dog to sit. Praise and give her a little treat, then hold your hand out, palm facing your dog, and walk backwards one step, saying “stay” in a firm calm voice. If your dog stays where she is then reward her again. If she moves, then simply ignore this behavior and start again, taking her back to her starting place and telling her to sit.

Once she has successfully stayed when you take one step back, you can gradually increase this to two three and four steps. Take it slowly and be patient – it can be very confusing for your dog if you rush her or get frustrated with her. Repetition is the key to success, but make training sessions short and always make sure your dog is happy and having fun. They'll learn much more quickly that way!

Lastly is “Down”.  This vital command can help avert dangerous situations as unsafe road crossings. Start with your dog facing you, hold a treat to her nose and lower it slowly to the floor. If you’re lucky, your dog will follow the yummy treat and lie down, at which time you can release the treat and praise her. Only release the treat if she is in the correct “down” position.