sit, down, stay

Question
Hello

How do I teach my dog the sit, down and stay? and how long does it take before she can do them with just hand signals?


Answer
I need more information first.
Has your dog been leash trained?
I don't mean, just a leash put on him, and he walks nicely, without running away. I mean taught when and how to start, go faster, slow down. do you know the proper signals for these ctions?
Do you know how to signal the dog when you are goping to turn, and which way?
These are all part of basic obedience,actually, the first steps in obedience training.
You must know how properly, to handle the dog on a leash.
As with everything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about the training.If yo go about it the wrong way, you will frustrate yourself and your dog.
Your best bet is to get into a class, where a qualified trainer teaches a group class to handle their dogs.
In my basic obedience classes, I start with working on a leash with. Heel, stop and sit. stop and stand. Sit, stay (stillon a leash), come, and lie down.
When the dog has these down right, then we start on a long sit and stay,(off leash),heel, with the leash over my shoulder.
By the end of the basic class, they know how to do all these things on spoken commands, on and off leash.
Your dog sgould know, if he/she should bolt,to chase an animal etc, to stop and return to you, when you command it.
Your dog is a well behaved, obedient dog.
If you want to go into advanced obedience, and agility etc training, your dog is aquainted with how to obey commands and learn in class. A good student. so he/she will do well in training whether you are in a group class, one on one, or just the two of you in the back yard.
Petsmart and Pewtco stores have these classes on weekends. Some Humane society chapters have them too, as do some YMCAs.
check into these clases. they will be faster to get results, and easier for you to follow than following printed instructions.They do not cost that much, and the benefits of actually seeing an instructor handle the dog, and show you exactly how to do it, are worth the cost.

I prefer to teach the along owner with the dog, so the  the owher/handler is actually giving the commands.
A lot of the training involves the dog feeling body movements and voice inflections of the handler to know what he is supposed to do.
I use a slip chain collar because the dog can better feel what you are wanting him/her to do, without the pain a leather or other standard collar. standard collars rub a place raw, or can cut into the neck area.
The place you put the dog, where he is supposed to stop, in relation to your body, when he is supposed to stop and sit, or stop and stand. how he is supposed to be lined up with your body on commands, are all very important. you need a live training situation, so you can learn it all the right way.
sometimes it is much harder to un-teach then to teach it right in the first place.
Once you learn how to do this basic obedience taining, you can begin teaching any other dogs you might get, as soon as you get them.
Really litle puppies are too immature t go into basic obedience training, but you will know what things to do with the puppy, so that when it is old enough to start serious training, the learning will go very fast.
These weekend classes are also some of the best fun you are ever going to have, and it forms a closer bond to the dog and master.
There may be some good Video tapes on dog training. I haven't looked around for any.Seeing is better than reading how.
I like hands on or at the very least a visual. Reading how to, isn't letting you see how to actually tug a leash, rather that pull on it and choke the dog. So much that is just too hard to explain without actually showing.
I hope this has helped get you started in the right direction.
If you feel I can help in any other way, please feel free to write any time.
Charlotte