@sayitoncedogtraining: It’s important to not repeat your commands, but it’s just as important to get away from luring your dog or needing a hand signal every single time you ask them to do something. When you first teach a command, most dogs go through three phases. First, you lure them into position with food. Then, you use the same hand motion without food in your hand to help guide them. Eventually, the goal is to simply say the command and give your dog time to process what you’re asking. This is where a lot of owners get stuck. They say “down,” but their hand is still doing all the work. The dog is not really listening to the verbal command yet, they are following the picture your body is creating. That is fine in the beginning, but it should not be where you live forever. Say the command, stay quiet, and let your dog think. When you go through this process correctly, you will start to see your dog get faster and faster at responding to only your verbal command. Also, notice she does not pay the dog when they pop up from the down. That is huge. Reward the behavior you want, not the mistake that happens after it. Need dog training in Pittsburgh, DC, Cincinnati or Boston? We are here to help!

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Tuesday 16 June 2026 12:34:01 GMT