Commands to Learn

I’m a new puppy mom, so there are often times that I wonder if I am teaching Willie what well-trained dogs should know. 

In this sense, it’s been really helpful to have a group of experienced dog owners to consult at the dog park. So far, Willie knows:

  • Go Potty
  • Sit
  • Wait
  • What’s in your mouth?
  • Give

I can’t say that he does these accurately 100% of the time, but he does really well for a 5 month old. As I listen and watch at the dog park, I realize that we also need to work on:

  • Leave it
  • Come

Leave it is especially useful when there is a dog or toy somewhere that you don’t want him to play with or mess with. Although this command is close to Wait, there is a sense that Leave It means don’t just wait to get it, forget about it. Thinking through how you want your puppy to interact with people and other dogs is really important to shape and guide your training. 

Do you any other suggestions for need to learn commands?