The dog training tips presented here outline the exact methods which the average dog owner can use to teach his dog the five basic obedience commands which every housedog should know and obey.

Diligent application of these step-by-step instructions will result not only in a well-trained dog, but also in a happier, more satisfying relationship between dog and master.

This material was compiled by Pet Food Institute with the assistance of Willy Necker, famous trainer of thousands of dogs. Mr. Necker was head of War Dog Training for the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, and also trained many U.S. Army men and dogs.

General Dog Training Suggestions
1—Conduct short, business-like training sessions, twice a day, if possible.
2—Give the dog exercise before each lesson begins, with ample opportunity to relieve himself.
3—Begin each lesson with a review of one or more previous lessons so that the dog can earn praise right from the start, putting you both in a good mood.
4—Make all commands definite and clear. Be firm.
5—Never let yourself become impatient N with your dog. One quality you must exercise is patience.
6—Never let your dog disregard even one of your commands. From the first lesson on, once you give an order, see that it is obeyed. Stick with it. If you let a dog disobey you once, ignore one single command, he will feel that he can do it again. Your goal is to see that your dog never even suspects that he can do anything other than mind you. Your command must be law to him.
7—Always end each lesson with some improvement. If you are working on one of harder subjects, you may ease up a little if necessary in order to let the dog be successful. The dog must always succeed; if he fails to merit praise, keep on with it until he does accomplish his goal, even though slowly and clumsily. Quitting on a note of success, and meriting profuse praise, does wonders for the dog's morale.
8—If at all possible, conduct the lessons in strict privacy, without distractions. You should be able to obtain the dog's complete attention.
9—If any particular lesson is not going well, and relations between you and your pupil are becoming a bit strained, it is a good idea to switch to a review lesson for a few minutes to give you an excuse to praise and pet the dog, before resuming the tougher task. You will both feel a lot better for the interlude.

Heel
When a dog is commanded to Heel, he walks without force or urging, at his handler's side with his right shoulder about even with the handler's left knee. If on leash, the leash hangs loose. If off leash, the dog walks equally well in the same position.

How to hold the leash: Snap the short leash on the collar with your dog at your left, pass the leash through a circle formed by your thumb and first and second fingers of your left hand. The end of the leash is held in your right hand. Hold your left hand and arm at your side in your usual walking position. Your dog can walk comfortably with a slack leash, and you can easily check him quickly if you hold him in this manner. Get the dog on your left side, give the command "HEEL" and walk forward. For the first lesson, don't pay much attention to the manner in which he goes —it is enough that he goes with you. Use the word "HEEL" often. During succeeding lessons keep him fairly well in the correct position. When he gets ahead of you, bring him back, commanding "HEEL" and at the same time make him mind by giving him quick, sharp jerks on the leash. DO NOT BRING HIM TO YOU BY SUSTAINED PULLING ON THE LEASH. Give him a little slack in the leash when he is heeling as he should. Then, if he drops behind or forges ahead, correct him with the vocal command and jerking on the leash. Keep at this, lesson after lesson, until your dog heels in the correct position without tugging at the leash. The dog must adapt himself to your changes of pace and direction. When you step backward or sideward, walk fast or slow, the dog must instantly do the same. As you make right or left turns, your dog must maintain his position at your left side, speeding his gait when you turn to the right or slowing it when you make a left turn. When you turn to walk in the opposite direction, it will make it easier for the dog to understand if you will hesitate a moment or step backward one step before reversing your direction.

Down
When a dog is commanded DOWN, he must immediately drop to a lying position. He must do this whether, at the moment of command, he is heeling, sitting, standing, running or walking.

Have the dog SIT at your left side. Drop to your left knee. With your left hand gripping the leash close to his collar, give it short, sharp jerks downward. Say "DOWN" "DOWN" "DOWN." Repeat this procedure again and again.

Some dogs will fight this lesson, and the trainer must persevere, with a great many repetitions. If your dog is stubborn, refusing to go down, use your right hand to pull his forefeet out from under him while giving him the verbal command and jerking downwards on the leash.
It helps to give the verbal command repeatedly, even during the time the dog actually is DOWN! He can't hear it too often while he is learning.

With this command, as well as with the command SIT, unless you order him to STAY, he must instantly get up and HEEL when you start to walk away.

This exercise has a depressing effect on most dogs, so it is well not to keep at it very long at a time. Be sure to give your pet plenty of praise and encouragement when he does a good job of it—not, however, when he is in the DOWN position. Then he should not be petted by anyone. If you do, he'll want to get right back up.

In teaching this command, vary your routine and don't always give various commands in the same order. As soon as he knows DOWN, give him the command at times other than when he is heeling. You want this command to be obeyed instantly no matter where the dog is or what he is doing.

Sit
When commanded to Sit, the dog must promptly assume the sitting posture, squarely on both hips. He must SIT at once, whether, at the moment of command, he is heeling, running or lying down.

Put the dog's choke collar and short leash on him. Arrange the collar so that it is up rather close behind his ears. Walk with the dog at heel. Stop, grasp the leash about eight or ten inches from the collar with your right hand. Order "Sit." Jerk upward sharply on the leash and press down with your left hand on his hind quarters. All of this action takes place simultaneously: the command, the upward jerk on the leash, the downward push on the dog's back. Keep repeating the command, "sit."

Resume your walk, telling the dog to heel as you start out. Take a few steps and repeat the whole performance. Keep this up for about 15 minutes, long enough for the first few lessons.

While he is learning what is meant by the word SIT, you need not be very much concerned about how he sits. After he knows and obeys the command, however, you should always have him SIT in the proper position—facing in the same direction as his handler, his head even with or slightly ahead of his handler's knees and with about six inches separating them.

To teach him to sit in the proper position, help him each time it is necessary. As he assumes the sitting posture, swing his rear to the correct spot as he is going down. Use your left hand for this, holding his leash near the collar with your right. If he tries to sit too far ahead of you or behind you, jerk him with the leash to the correct spot.

When he has mastered this routine, he must assume the sitting position promptly whenever you give the command, whether he is walking or lying down. When the handler resumes his walk, the dog must, without further command, get up and resume heeling unless he has been commanded to stay.

As soon as he will obey this command without help, the same routine must be run through with a loose leash. When perfect results are obtained on a loose leash, the pupil graduates to working this command off leash entirely.

Stay
The command stay may be given while the dog is standing, sitting or lying down. At the command he should remain in the position he held when it was given.

Put your dog on his short leash. Command him to go down. Tell him to stay. Walk around him, keeping the end of the leash in hand, but do not tighten up on it. When he starts to get up, say "no, stay." back away from him; go sideways from him; step over him. Each time he starts to get up, repeat "no, stay." each time he tries to follow you when you walk away from him, you must command him to go down again-soon he will stay while you walk to the end of the short leash, while you walk around him, or even while you jump over him. You will have to try all of these if you want to make a good "stayer" out of him.

After he has made considerable progress, vary the routine by having him sit while you repeat the procedure. When you feel that he is proficient when worked on the short leash, start work with the long one. Put the dog down at your side. Wad up the surplus length of leash in your hand and throw it out away from you. Command him to stay, repeating the word several times. Turn and walk to the free end of the leash. If he rises, rush right back and make him go down again. Repeat the command stay and walk away once more. Your immediate objective is to be able to walk to the end of the long leash, pick it up, turn and face the dog for a few minutes, while he remains quietly in position until you call him to you. Work on this until he will stay in this way.

To have him stay while you are completely out of sight, pick a quiet room and put the dog down. Order him to stay and leave the room. Watch him, if possible, through a crack in the door and, if he shows signs of getting up, go to him and repeat the command. Don't hesitate to use the word stay again and again.

At first, leave him for only about one minute. Then, as he improves, gradually increase the time you stay away to around ten minutes. Each time that you come back and find that he has obeyed your order, have him sit and then praise and pet him. (praise the dog for good work in obeying the stay command only after he has been released from it.)

To continue these lessons, take him out of doors, put him on his long leash and fasten this to a tree or post, restraining him from wandering away. Tell him to stay, then go out of his sight and find a spot where you can observe his actions. Repeat the same procedure you used indoors. Take care that he does not chew the leash or otherwise misbehave while he is alone. If he does, it calls for a very sharp reprimand.

This exercise, making your dog obey you even though you are apparently not around to enforce your will upon him, is very important. The effect it has on the dog is to make him more obedient to all commands. He will get to feel that you know everything he does and that he must obey every order.

Come
When the dog is called, he must immediately come to you, running or trotting, and when he reaches you he must sit in front of and facing you, awaiting your further orders.

Have the dog on his long leash. Command him to down, stay. Toss the free end of the leash away, walk over to the end, pick it up, turn around and face your dog. Call him to you. Use his name in connection with the command "duke, come." the tone of your voice should be serious, commanding, not coaxing or wheedling. If he doesn't come, reel him in hand over hand. Practice the lesson until he begins to obey and shows that he understands the words. Then you can change the routine a little. Leave the long leash stretched along the ground but not actually attached to his collar. Call him as before. If he is slightly hesitant, go so far as to pull in the leash. Even though it isn't attached to the dog he will think it is.

Next step is to work without using the leash at all. If he continues to come the moment he is called, continue to work him off-leash. If, however, he ignores the command, get the leash out again for a little concentrated review.

When your dog reaches you, have him sit in front of you for a few seconds before you pet him. This obviates any tendency he might develop to jump on you. If he does not sit directly in front of you or close enough, seize the leash close to his collar and back away from him repeating the command, "come, come." after he has been sitting properly for a few seconds, command him to heel. Then you are free to, and should, praise and pet him.

Your dog should come to you without delay, head up, on the double when you call him. If he takes his time, pull and jerk him on the long leash.

Never punish or scold your dog after he has come to you even though he has not done it the way he should. If you punish him when he arrives in front of you, he will be confused, thinking the punishment was for coming to you, not for the manner in which he came.