What are helpful things to teach a puppy?
Posted by voiceofreason4166@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 57 comments
Just got an 11 week old Aussie Sheppard farmyard mystery mix. Seems to be pretty smart and learns quickly. Not sure how large he will get but likely med to large. I want to make sure he is well trained and stimulated so wondering what helpful things you have taught your dogs that would be helpful for Tuesday or doomsday. My previous dog I trained to come to me for a treat whenever the fire alarm went off. Thinking of doing some tracking type training to “find mom” or “find dad”. What else would be helpful?
Fluffy_Job7367@reddit
Stop. Slightly diff than stay , where you dont want them to move in the first place. Could save your dog from a dangerous person, car, or predator. Leave it, is also good for suspicious food, porcupines skunks and snakes.
D-Ray1469@reddit
Taxes and corporate profit and loss rates.
HillTower160@reddit
Formal dining and banquet etiquette.
Kevfaemcfarland@reddit
Scream the dogs name in your “angry” voice once a month. They should come running full pelt and rewarded with high value treats, ham, chicken or whatever. So when your dogs sniffing on the road off leash or whatever and you scream it’s name at top of your voice because a cars coming, then it’s gonna drop what it’s doing and come bolting to you, and not cower because you’re using your angry/panicked voice.
Agreeable-Ad-5235@reddit
We got a deaf american bulldog through a local rescue in 2020. Let me tell you, she was (and is) a pain in my everloing behind. With her being deaf, when we were training her we taught her a couple of signs (come, sit, paw, etc). we had to get her an e-collar (zap collar) early on but we only use it on vibrate to get her attention, then a low buzz (not much more than a vibrate) to warn her to get away from the counter etc. We'd never zap her unless she was a danger to someone. Puppies are ruff. (Sorry, couldn't help myself)
Mission_Credible@reddit
Wait. Patience is the first thing I teach a dog. Not sit, not come here. Patience. Treat on your nose? You will get it eventually, so wait. Want to cross the road? Wait till I tell you its safe. Want to go sniff that new person? Lets find out if they like dogs first. I see you but I'm doing something right now, so chill out.
Gentle. Don't scare the chickens/baby/new kitten.
Get your ass over here. AKA off leash recall especially when they don't want to. Goddamnit people, teach your dog to come when called.
Stay. You should be able to leave the dog outside in a particular spot. Go inside, use the bathroom, and the dog is still in the same spot.
Back up. That is a snake, that cat doesn't want to be friends, get out of the kitchen so you trip Grandma on Christmas.
Leave it. Don't eat the pizza you found in the bush at the park.
Drop it. Put down the park pizza.
Hold still. Let the vet stick a thermometer up your ass and trim your nails. I know it sucks, tolerate it.
Mine. Just because I dropped it doesn't mean its yours.
Ok fine, go do what you want. Eat the park pizza, chase the squirrel.
Academic_Win6060@reddit
Don't forget to leash train even if you're not in town. Many dogs are awesome with verbal commands off leash but then feel aggressive/protective/defensive and are more reactive when leashed.
I had a dog that would stop sit and wait at any crossroad/driveway. I walked her on one of those extention leashes when we moved to the city and she caught on real quick to stop and wait for my hand signal to cross. And on that note, make sure to use hand/body signals while training so the dog will respond in a situ that requires silence or when you don't want to give away your intention to others. If you just start doing it with basic obedience training, the dog knows to watch for your queues and is more responsive to new ones down the road, and just generally becomes more attuned and attentive to it's master/masters.
If you've got kids, include them in the training. And teach them to never tease or bait a dog or the dog will lose respect and not respond to them consistently but instead develop "selective hearing".
handsometilapia@reddit
As a backpacker some of the best things I taught my dog to do is to walk behind or in front of me on command. Super useful and the same as training a dog to heel.
Novel-Obligation9569@reddit
What command did you use for this?
Skwonkie_@reddit
As long as you train the dog it can be whatever you want. Something simple like “front” or “back” or some crazy shit like “butt” and “front butt”.
Novel-Obligation9569@reddit
Got it 😂 My brain wouldn't think of something short enough to turn into a "command".
handsometilapia@reddit
Just front and behind, she had those down that she would often move to where I would have directed her as we approached something. Like narrow footbridges was good to have her behind me or a steep up hill I wanted her in front. Some other useful thing was training her to stop at steep downhills (including staircase) and to go around trees the same direction as me.
Novel-Obligation9569@reddit
Thank you, my brain couldn't think of something simple enough to be a command. I appreciate it!
snazzynewshoes@reddit
'Phooey' is a good 1. German for leave it/nasty/don't roll in that dead squirrel/etc
LakeAdventurous7161@reddit
Tha's a very useful one :) First I had a hard time recognizing it as a native speaker, but indeed, "Pfui!" sounds similar to what "Phooey" would sound to native speakers.
Indeed, "Pfui!" is used a lot for "leave that immediately alone" in situations like you describe.
_thefutureisdead_@reddit
I can tell you as someone who got an Aussie in 2020 as my potential apocalypse dog, they are extremely vocal.
Extremely.
If this is going to be a dog you want to stay alive in a TEOTWAWKI situation, work on teaching him not to bark or at least listen to you when you need him to be quiet.
I didn’t and it’s a massive liability. However, they weren’t bred to be silent, they were bred to herd animals with their voices and physicality.
snazzynewshoes@reddit
'down', with a hand-command. It's a continuation of 'sit' and 'stay'. A friend called his dog, 'come' and it came, right into the path of a truck.
sauravsolo@reddit
Show him this video.
alterigor@reddit
"Leave it." You don't want them biting down on or nuzzling whatever sparks their curiosity.
HajjiBalls@reddit
Teach him how to fetch a beer from the fridge.
ConnectionRound3141@reddit
Start with basic manners- leave it/out, sit, down/stay, heel, place, no jumping, no begging/stealing steak off the bbq, etc. If he doesn’t have manners, all the cool tricks and training won’t change the fact your dog is a cute fluffy asshole. Plus Ina m emergency you need your dog to do exactly what you say when you say it. All of these commands will be important.
Then move on to basic scent work.
alaffinglady@reddit
I heard that in my mother's voice haha
barchael@reddit
That point about emergency recall is fucking on point. I use “come here now!” As an exaggeration of the polite “come here”. It work like using someone’s middle name when they are in trouble. I ONLY say it when it’s an urgent situation, or when training that phrase is urgent. And my tone has to mean business
kentuckyfortune@reddit
Bark only on command
shadowsipp@reddit
Have you succeeded with such an endeavor?
kentuckyfortune@reddit
Yes. My dog is food motivates so she knows when she barks on our signaled command she gets a treat. Otherwise she rarely barks unless another dog is being aggressive to us on walks or a stranger knocks on the door.
PhilosophyKingPK@reddit
For a dog that is going to be used for security purposes I actually like letting them bark as they see fit but having a command for them to stop barking. Basically, coyote on property, dog will probably know before I do. I want them to be able to alert as they see fit and then stop once I’ve called off.
Eeyor-90@reddit
I desensitize my pups to vet exams by getting them used to people touching their paws, lifting their lips, checking ears, etc. I will tell them what I’m doing before I do it: example—“let me see your foot”, or “give me your face (dog will put his head in my hand), “show me your teeth”, “toes (the dreaded nail clipping)”.
If I say what I’m doing, every time, eventually the dogs learn the phrase and will cooperate (except “toes” isn’t received well). When scratching ears, I make sure to comment something about ears, when pulling a thorn out of a paw, it’s usually “let me see your foot”. It’s very useful at the vet when I can tell my dog to “give him your face. Let him see your teeth. Ears. Feet. Tail.” and the dog will place his head in the vet’s hand, submit to a tooth exam, turn their head for ear exams, pick up feet for leg exams, and not flinch away too much or start to nip when their temperature is taken and shots are administered.
jnyquest@reddit
Start the obedience training for you and your family as well as the pup.
IntoTheCommonestAsh@reddit
If you live somewhere prone to tornadoes, train your dog to go in the basement when the test siren goes off and you won't have to wrangle a scared animal when a real one happens.
Sharp_Ad_9431@reddit
I trained my cats to crate up for sirens.
Downside, they are complete brats if I'm not there to dish out reward treats.
Kiss_of_Cultural@reddit
Same for fire alarms.
I was super surprised my dogs self-trained to come to me when any alarm went off. They come straight to me and stay close, and are more obedient than usual while i get their harnesses on to get them outside.
StucklnAWell@reddit
Got natural gas at home? Train him to react to the scent.
Soff10@reddit
Sitting. Staying still either seated or standing. Return from a distance when called.
Potential-Load9313@reddit
should definitely be able to sit/stay/come... don't want him running off somewhere in an emergency
should be able to bark or stay quiet on command
voiceofreason4166@reddit (OP)
I’m going to do all the standard obedience for sure. Crate training. Socialize… just wondering what else
slinkimalinki@reddit
"Leave" can be a lifesaver. Stops your dog from chasing after animals, but it can also stop your dog from running into a dangerous situation (like chasing a ball across the road without looking).
gadget767@reddit
I used “Whoa!” for that purpose, which means “stop in your tracks”. It’s a critically important command, can keep your dog from being hit by a car. That’s ok for short range, but a whistle equivalent is needed for hunting or other outdoor use. I used one whistle blast for both “sit” and “whoa”.
Potential-Load9313@reddit
tracking stuff is definitely a good idea but that might be pretty involved to maintain that training
having him being comfortable carrying a pack or pulling a small cart might be helpful
mushroom hunting could be useful too
reincarnateme@reddit
Groom regularly. Touch his paws. clip nails. No jumping up.
SeashellInTheirHair@reddit
Don't forget to add being able to pull up and touch inside of ears for if ear drops need applied, or potentially being able to pull their mouth open safely if you need to give medication or need to clear an obstruction.
voiceofreason4166@reddit (OP)
Ya we are lucky so far. We got him yesterday and already we are able to hold his paws and stick out fingers in his mouth and he is chill. He grew up around other puppies and some bigger dogs so he seems well socialized. Also very friendly with strangers so far. Chases birds and stuff too so he should have a healthy but not overly active prey drive.
shadowsipp@reddit
A schedule. Walk that baby 5 times a day. Make his crate comfy, and the crate is their comfy space, their bed, a cozy spot. And puppy proof your house. Hide your shoes and all charging cables. Walk the dog atleast 5 spaced out times a day, don't be gone for more than 8 hours. And get a brush and brush your dog everyday. And buy dog clothes
TheRealBunkerJohn@reddit
Not taking treats from strangers (or on the ground) unless you allow it.
Too many stories of a disgruntled neighbor tossing poisoned food over a fence.
Genesis2001@reddit
Also if the dog's meant to guard/deter stranger access while you sleep, not taking food from strangers it's probably a good idea to train that out.
Dapper-Hamster69@reddit
In dog class with one of my dogs, 'leave it' was a command, as well as 'ok'. They learned not to take food until you say 'ok' in a high pitched way. Leave it is also good for getting them to stop. There is many times you dont want them to engage a stranger (like someone you invited over), stop barking, or just not to chase a car. Both of these have made things much better.
RelativelyRidiculous@reddit
To not bark and throw a hissy if you walk him past other dogs or people. Reactive dogs are a sign of poor pet parenting.
paratethys@reddit
Cooperative care skills would be huge if it ever needs medication or treatment for an injury.
If you're looking for fun tasks, it's probably bright enough to learn those speech buttons.
HudyD@reddit
I'd say focus on recall in all kinds of distractions. A rock-solid "come" is probably the single most useful command you'll ever have, and if you keep it fun and reward heavy, you'll end up with a dog that turns on a dime to get back to you no matter what's going on
slinkimalinki@reddit
We had a cat who was in the habit of bringing in prey so my mother taught one of the dogs the command "take it out!"
You start by teaching the dog to take a random object out of the house to a designated spot nice and far away. Then you work on getting them to do it as quickly as possible.
Even if you don't own a cat, if there's a mouse running around in your house, the dog now knows what it's supposed to do when you point at the mouse and say "take it out!"
bothtypesoffirefly@reddit
Take them on hikes and also let them hike with people that aren’t you. My 10 yo dog spent her formative years with my husband in a scout outpost during the summer. She knows the trails better than anyone and was the person to find a lost crew of hikers in the rain at dusk once when my husband told her to go find them. It was kids she had met once earlier in the week and once she and the staff member found them (they were off the main trail) they told her to go back to camp and they all followed her back. She got extra pets for that one. Half husky, and the other half is bloodhound, Rottweiler, lab, and “other”. Slowing down at 10.5 but still the goodest girl.
National_Craft6574@reddit
Teach your puppy to tolerate nail trims.
https://cattledogpublishing.com/blog/videos/training_a_dog_to_enjoy_toenail_trims/
Take a couple of weeks to do this.
HalcyonKnights@reddit
Outside of the normal behavioral stuff and commands needed to go off-leash safely, Id say Scent Tracking would probably be the most useful I can think of. In theory it could be useful for anything from finding people to food to Home, etc. Scent work is listed as one of the strengths of the Aussie Sheppard breed, and their smart enough to learn some fairly complet commands.
Alternatively, if you're willing to commit to the effort required, folks with smart breeds have had shocking success with those button boards for developing something closer to conversational interaction with a dog or cat. But it only works if you're willing to engage and answer the dog even when they initiate the conversation, you cant just enforce silence arbitrarily, so it can be more disruptive to the human's lifestyle than some folks initially expect.
Academic_Win6060@reddit
Perimeter patrol - first with you then on command by itself; to leave the livestock/poultry alone; to be silent on command; retrieval and water retrieval; to retrieve specific things ie. a specific bag you keep meds or defense items in; to pull and to carry a load with paniers or a harness; to stay and watch; to defend or attack if you have the skills to do it safely and appropriately.
Money_Ad1068@reddit
"Find mom or dad" is a great one. I taught my dog to sit and point when she sees or smells coyotes. How about "bring to mom or dad"? Our dog loved that one. "Whassat!?" and pointing made my dog go into high alert intimidating bark mode and run in the direction of my point. "Check" was to reporting to you immediately.
voiderest@reddit
You'd want to start with normal stuff to just have a well behaved dog in general. Maybe add other things after they're good with that.
You could start to train the tracking idea some by playing hide and seek with the dog. They will probably learn hiding places though.
The idea of being able to get them to be quite could be useful. I don't really like the idea of teaching them not to bark at all. I'd still want my dog to alert in some way.
Carrying something could be something to teach them. I try to teach my dog delayed gratification or self control some by getting her to stay, throwing a treat, then waiting a bit or even do a random trick before telling her to get it.
Dry_Barracuda2850@reddit
Everyday things - pee/poop on command, not to eat things it finds or others give (only you/family or with a command), a very strong freeze/down/stay and a very strong recall, to walk on a leash in a way that any toddler could hold the leash, and possibly to recall from great distance to a whistle for when you're voice can't carry far enough (less everyday depending where you live)