Effective puppy training requires consistency, patience, and the right techniques. Here’s a more structured way to teach your puppy basic commands:

– **Start with ‘Sit’:** This is usually the easiest command. Hold a treat close to your puppy’s nose, and slowly lift it above its head. As your puppy lifts its head to follow the treat, its bottom should naturally lower to the ground. Once in a sitting position, say ‘Sit’, give it the treat, and show affection. Repeat this several times a day until your puppy masters it.

– **Teaching ‘Stay’:** Begin only after your puppy has mastered the ‘sit’. Ask your puppy to sit, then open your hand in front of you, and say ‘Stay’. Take a few steps back. If it stays, reward it with a treat and affection. Gradually increase the number of steps you take before giving the treat. Always reward your puppy for staying even if it’s just for a few seconds.

– **Learning ‘Come’:** This command can potentially save your puppy’s life, so it’s crucial. Put a leash on your puppy. Squat down at its level and say ‘Come’ while gently pulling on the leash. When it comes towards you, reward it with a treat and affection. As it gets better at this, increase the distance and eventually practice without the leash in a secure area.

These techniques utilize positive reinforcement, which encourages your puppy to repeat good behavior because it’s associated with positive outcomes. Always keep training sessions short and enjoyable for your puppy to keep its attention focused.

I’ve trained a few dogs in my time, and I’ve got to say consistency is key! For ‘sit’, I always have treats handy. I show the treat to my pup and slowly move it back over their head; they naturally plop into a sit to keep eyes on the treat. Each time they do it right, I say ‘sit’ and give them the treat. For ‘stay’, it’s a bit trickier. Keep them in a sit, walk a step back, and say ‘stay’, hand out holding like a stop signal. Any small stay deserves a treat. And ‘come’ is fun; just step back, say ‘come’, and treat them when they arrive. Remember, lots of praises and keep those training bits short and sweet—pups have tiny attention spans but lots of energy!

I once watched my neighbor training their puppy. They started with simple commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’. The whole process seemed to revolve around repetition and reward. The puppy would sit, and they’d say ‘sit’, then give a treat. For staying, they started by having the puppy sit, use the command ‘stay’, and if the puppy remained seated, it received another treat. With the ‘come’ command, they’d have the puppy sit at a distance then call it while rewarding it upon arrival. Overall, they made sure the sessions were fun and not too long.