There’s no denying it, being a pawrent can be challenging and some days it can feel like you’re making mistake after mistake. However, that doesn’t mean that your relationship with your furbaby can’t improve and change for the better. One thing that can help is knowing which cues and commands you should teach your pet. After all, just like kids, dogs don’t know right from wrong until you show them.
To help with that, we spoke to New York dog behaviorist Gia Savocchi of Thinking Canine , who has 185k followers on Instagram. She tells Parade what the one command is that all dog owners should immediately teach their pet . While you may be wondering what it could be, don’t worry, it’s actually something pretty simple. Can you guess what it is?
Keep reading to find out the answer! You may be shocked to learn that she says most dog parents actually forget to teach their pup this as soon as they bring them home and just assume they know it. See what it is, below.
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The One Command a Pet Behaviorist Is Begging Dog Owners to Start Using
Believe it or not, the one command Savocchi says pet owners forget to teach their dogs, but wishes they would start doing, is telling them what they are going to be referred to. Instead, most pet owners assume their furbaby will just know it or figure it out with time. “You have to make sure your dog knows their name!” she exclaims.
Savocchi adds that it’s incredibly important to make sure your furry family member knows what they’re being called, because it’s how they’ll pick up that they are being spoken to and not someone else. “If your dog doesn’t know that you are talking to them, they won’t listen when you tell them to sit, come or anything else,” she explains. “People often don’t realize that they need to get their dog’s attention first by using their name before asking them to do other things. When a dog knows their name, they should know it means ‘Hey, I’m talking to you.’ It’s a way to get your dog’s focus and should literally be the first thing dog owners teach their puppy, which can start as soon as they are 5-6 weeks of age.”
She goes on to say that teaching your dog this simple command is what creates a common understanding between you and your fur child. “Pets don’t naturally understand English, so if you don’t develop a common language with your pet through cues, you have no way to communicate with them, or ask them to do what you want,” Savocchi tells Parade . “Cues are an important way to control your dog and guide them through the world.”
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Tips for Teaching Your Pet a Command
When it comes to teaching your pet a command, sometimes it can be tricky. However, Savocchi says there are a few ways you can make the experience easier. Check out her top tricks, below.
- Focus on what you want to teach them and then reward your dog for good behavior when he/she does it.
- Be clear and on the same page. You should have one word and hand signal per command to avoid confusion.
- Break it down into smaller steps instead of overwhelming your dog with a bunch of instructions at once.
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3 Other Top Commands to Teach
1. “Sit”
“Teaching your dog how to sit before you pet them, or to sit before they go out the door, is an important way to use natural rewards (like petting them or letting them play outside) as reinforcement for desired behavior. Sitting is also great for them to learn because it’s an alternative to them jumping up or running around,” Savocchi reveals.
2. “Watch Me”
“This cue is crucial to teach because if your dog is taught to focus on you and watch you, they will be less likely distracted by the world around them, or frustrated that they can’t get to another dog or other thing in the environment,” Savocchi states. “Learning to focus is also very calming.”
3. “Place”
“Teaching your dog to go to their bed and stay there is a way to develop calm behavior,” Savocchi explains. “You can use the cue ‘place’ when people come over so your dog knows what to do and isn’t running all over the place, or you can use it when you just need a calm break.”
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2 Things You Should Never Do When Teaching Commands/Cues
1. Ask Your Dog to Do Something Without Having a Reward Available
“When first teaching cues, and for a long time after, it’s very important to reward your dog with a treat or toy they like after they do what you ask,” Savocchi recommends. “If you do not reward your dog, they learn that they don’t need to listen and that listening isn’t rewarding.”
2. Don’t Accidentally Punish Your Dog After They Listen to You
If you instruct your pup to do something and they do it, they should be praised and rewarded to reassure them that their behavior was good, so they’ll keep it up.
If you end up reacting with a negative behavior instead, it will make your pet associate listening to you with something bad.
“For example, if you call them to come and then lock them in the crate and go to work, they’ll learn that you punish them when they come when called,” Savocchi says. That’s why she says your actions are important to remember when teaching your pet things.
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