Walking your Dog without a Leash

Outdoor exercises are very gratifying when your dog walks conveniently by your side it is almost always very easy to teach puppies to walk without a leash because they are more than willing to follow you. Most puppies will also follow the smell of treats, so it is convenient to have some at hand and even show them to the dogs so as to motivate them.

With your puppy on your left, grab him by the collar with your left hand while you show him a treat with your right hand. Draw his attention by calling him by his name.

While you walk in a straight line with the puppy following his prize, give the dog the "next to me" order. Keep your left hand low, ready to grab the puppy's collar. Order him to "wait" and kneel down next to his right side, holding the treat low enough so the puppy won't jump. Place your left hand, with the palm facing down, under the puppy's body; this will keep your dog from moving.

Bending your knees and keeping the food near the puppy's snout, turn right while you repeat the order "next to me". The puppy should quickly turn around you.When you turn left, guide the dog by holding the collar with your left hand while you give him the order to "go on". Keep the food low in your right hand, moving it to the left. The puppy should follow it.

Teaching your Dog to "Sit"
When your puppy has learned to come when you call, you can teach him to sit and lay down. In order to do this exercise well, the puppy must be attached to a leash so that he is controlled. As soon as you practice this routine successfully, your puppy will be able to follow a sequence of orders for the first time.

Standing in front of your dog, move away from him with the leash in your right hand and some food in the left one. Show the puppy the food when you order him to come to you. When the puppy reaches you, slowly push your right hand forward to the upper part of the puppy's head. The puppy will instinctively sit to see the food, when you see the puppy starts to bend his rear paws, hurry up and give him the "sit" order.

You should give this order first in front of the puppy and then on his side. Reduce the food rewards little by little, at the end just with the words it will be enough.

If your dog doesn't want to sit; get on your knees next to the animal and, grabbing him firmly with the right hand by the collar, bend his four paws with your right hand while you give him the "sit" order. Finally, reward him with food.

Teaching your Dog to "Lie Down"
Have the dog sit, kneel down next to his right side and grab his collar with your left hand. Holding a candy in your right hand, put your hand on the dog's snout and lower it slowly to the floor. When the puppy's snout follows the candy, move it towards the front of his body. As soon as the puppy starts to lie down, give him the "lie down" order. Keep on moving the candy until the dog lies down completely. Congratulate him and give him the food you have in your hand. Repeat this exercise until your puppy responds to your words.

If your dog doesn't want to lie down, kneel down next to your dog's left side. Place both your hands between the dog's forearms and lift his body up to where it seems the dog is begging. From this position, lower him while you move him forward to the lying down position and reward him with a candy or treat.

If your dog stands up before finishing the exercise, hold him slightly making pressure on the cross. After a couple of seconds, let him go by saying -- in a masterful tone -- "good" or "ok".