--- title: "Teaching Your Pup to Answer Commands: Tips on Training Your Dog" id: "202831" type: "post" slug: "teaching-your-pup-to-answer-commands-tips-on-training-your-dog" published_at: "2021-07-20T13:04:18+00:00" modified_at: "2021-07-20T13:04:18+00:00" url: "https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/2021/07/20/teaching-your-pup-to-answer-commands-tips-on-training-your-dog/" markdown_url: "https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/2021/07/20/teaching-your-pup-to-answer-commands-tips-on-training-your-dog.md" excerpt: "Since you absolutely adore your bundle of fluff, you would want to keep her safe by ensuring she learns basic obedience to commands.Dogs easily fall prey to distractions. One moment Betsy is chewing on her favorite toy in the park,..." taxonomy_category: - "Community" --- [Home](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/) / [Blog](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/blog/) / [Community](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/category/petland/) / **Teaching Your Pup to Answer Commands: Tips on Training Your Dog** [Community](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/category/petland/) # Teaching Your Pup to Answer Commands: Tips on Training Your Dog July 20, 2021 · 3 min read · [Carley Kuehner](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/author/cosmick/) [Stay connected via Google News Follow us for the latest pet updates and guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=petlandsanantonio.com) Since you absolutely adore your bundle of fluff, you would want to keep her safe by ensuring she learns basic obedience to commands.Dogs easily fall prey to distractions. One moment Betsy is chewing on her favorite toy in the park, the next, she’s running fast ahead, chasing a butterfly. Teaching your Betsy basic commands will prove useful to keep her away from potential danger and of course, skunk attack! Another upside is the fact that you can take the leash off of her and have a successful outing. To help you make that dream come true, here are basic tips on how to teach your pup to answer commands: 1. **Get All Your Materials Ready** To start on the right note (or nose!), you need to get the necessary tools that are required for successful training. You will need a leash, a proper collar, and, of course, a large supply of treats for positive reinforcement. Having something to eat motivates every dog. Enjoying this read? You'll love our puppies. Adorable, vet-checked pups looking for their forever homes — available now. [Meet our puppies](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/puppies-for-sale/) 1. **Speak In Clear Tones** When uttering commands to your little pup, you need to speak in a normal, rational tone—that inspires trust and confidence. Yelling passes the message that you’re upset and it could stress her out, making her more anxious. It could even risk damaging the precious bond with your puppy. Use an excited voice when you want to praise your dog for following commands. When you want to deliver a correction, employ a growly tone. But when you want to issue commands that speak with more authority and less correction, use a flat, low-pitched tone. 1. **Use Concise Commands** Choose commands that are not just clear, but easy to remember for consistency. This will prevent your dog from being confused. Some common commands include: - Sit - Stay - Heel (to keep her walking at your side) - Down (to lie down) - Stand - Come 1. **Have Brief Training Sessions** Dogs have a short attention span, therefore, it’s advisable to have brief training sessions that span around 10-15 minutes. Introduce the commands bit by bit. Recall that these commands are habits that your dog needs to pick up. And like all habits, repetition strengthens them. Do 5-20 repetitions of one command before moving to the next one. Still reading? Our puppies are waiting. Healthy, happy pups ready to meet their families — see who's available today. [Meet our puppies](https://www.petlandsanantonio.com/puppies-for-sale/) 1. **Practice Outdoors** Practicing indoors with your little buddy helps her build behaviors without distractions. However, you need to certify that your dog can listen to commands in an unfamiliar environment. Hence, outdoor pieces of training are necessary. Here, your dog will understand that commands you issue inside or in your backyard, means the same in all situations. 1. **Reinforce Good Behavior** Positive reinforcements are meant to reward your dog and help her understand when she performs well. Reward her with treats, but ensure to keep it small; since you’ll be using them many times. Also, avoid treats she would need to actively break apart—it would only lead to distractions. In addition, mix verbal rewards with food rewards; eventually cutting down on the frequency of treats. [Stay connected via Google News Follow us for the latest pet updates and guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=petlandsanantonio.com) Available Now## If you loved this, you'll *love our puppies* Meet the happy, healthy pups ready to join your family today — browse the whole litter below. 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My dad got my Malti-poo from this store 6yrs ago when I was a teen. We bought him at 3mo old! He was a happy puppy. My family requested to play with him in the little cubicles and we were delighted. He was a little pricey, but he had his papers, proper shots/vaccines, and had an underbite that made him adorable. He’s doing well even today! Never gotten injured or sick. He’s expected to live the normal expectancy of a malti-poo. I don’t remember much about the store or any changes since then, but I remember that the lady helping us was nice! Here is Marshmallow! Posted on Google Charles B Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lots of dogs for adoption, well taken care of. Also have some birds, rabbits and a few sleepy ferrits. I stopped in for some feeder fish. Very nice staff. Posted on Google Joshua B Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Loved the exotic birds Posted on Google Melinda R Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was my 2nd time back. My daughter has been wanting another set of guinea pigs. I saw the most beautiful lionhead rabbit 🐇 about 7 weeks. LORENZO educated me on their demeanor, foods etc... I was there a good while, he showed no signs of rushing me, or pushing a sale. Answered all my questions and even educated me on ferrets as i asked lol he loves his job & wish all associates were like this everywhere! I was very pleased 😀 didn't grab the rabbit as my daughter took forever to answer me, but we're leaving for vacation and would not be cool to leave him alone . We will be back! And I will only ask for him! Thank you for the great customer service! ```