# Commands - what first?



## Alfie_Sherry (May 15, 2011)

So training my cockapoo - where to start?

Last night we tried the 'sit' command using ham and the clicker - it worked well. He seemed to pick it up quickly (although treats obviously helped).

I'm not sure what I should be trying. Should we master one command before moving on? 

What should we be doing?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

sit, dow and stat are the first to start with, then come, fetch (paw will probably happen after sit and down, they often learn thay one themseves lol)


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

We've taught Lolly sit, lie down, stay and come. Working on drop/give but it's not an easy one!


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

One of my priorities would be to retrieve a ball.

Once they will retrieve it is very easy to give your dog a good work out without moving much (arghh that sounds terrible but I often stand by the patio door with coffee in hand of a morning while Flo runs backwards and forwards fetching - kind of the Andy Pipkin approach to exercising a dog )

The ball retrieve has also proved invaluable at agility as I can throw the ball as she comes over jumps, out of tunnels , through weaves etc to speed her up and she'll also come straight back with the ball afterwards.

Her fetch is almost instinctive as I started her so young - if I throw a ball she will go for t and bring it back without hesitation.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

I've got so lazy with Rosie. She knows Sit, Down, Stay, Bring it, Drop it, Shake hands and Roll over. But she learned all those quite a while ago. I must teach her some new stuff. I've been watching Victoria Stilwell on the telly this week and I think I am going to teach her Watch Me next. Sometimes she just totally ignores me when I ask her to sit so I need something to get her attention. 

I taught her Sit and Down first (oh, and to come when her name is called). Then Stay was a work in progress for a while and, at the same time, necessity meant I taught her Bring It (she kept running off with my slippers, so I made it into something good by rewarding her for bringing them to me) and Drop It (whenever she got anything she shouldn't have - see previous post about knickers and poo bags!). Shake hands and Roll over were ones I intentionally taught her a bit later on (I set time aside with the aim of teaching them).

Basically, I got hold of a training book and went through it, marking up the ones I was interested in and then made myself a list. I obviously need to dig that list out again soon!


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

weez74 said:


> Then Stay was a work in progress for a while and, at the same time, necessity meant I taught her Bring It (she kept running off with my slippers, so I made it into something good by rewarding her for bringing them to me) and Drop It (whenever she got anything she shouldn't have - see previous post about knickers and poo bags!).


Visions of a knicker-carrying cockapoo...priceless! Reminds me of a time when I visited a friend's parents house for a New Years Eve party and their dog nicked one of my bras and proudly paraded it around the house at breakfast time in front of a large set of people I'd only just met the night before...so embarrassing! 

Back to commands. We're struggling with Stay (don't have a book or anything) so any advice would be great. We've got Sit, Down, Come but with Stay he just starts to play stalk and pounce!


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Not got a book with me, but for Stay, I said Stay (someone might correct me, but I think with stay, you say the word straight away, rather than waiting till they've got the hang of it like you're supposed to with most of the other commands - I guess because they are already doing it, really, even if only for a microsecond!) while stepping one foot away from her and then back, then treated. Then after she got used to that, I did a proper step to the side of her and back, then treated. And gradually extended the time/distance until she got it. 

Tbh, she only really got it when I started making her stay in a sit at dinner time while I was putting her bowl on the floor. And it is still ongoing. She's not good at it in many other situations (she doesn't stay in her bed when I ask her to, for example).

I feel your pain re the bra incident! Very embarassing. I bet your friend's parents were mortified too!


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Alfie_Sherry said:


> So training my cockapoo - where to start?
> 
> Last night we tried the 'sit' command using ham and the clicker - it worked well. He seemed to pick it up quickly (although treats obviously helped).
> 
> ...


You have the right idea treats are the answer to all training, 
"sit" "stand" and "down" can be taught together, hold the treat in front of dog in the "sit" move the treat forward the dog will "stand" now move your hand to the floor "down" now move your hand up and back "sit". It does work and in the end you will be able to get them to do it just on your hand movements.


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Our clicker came with a little training pamphlet thing that gave ways of training different commands. 
Lolly picked up Stay really quickly. I just got her to sit and then held my hand up (palm facing her) and said stay whilst taking a step backwards. Then clicked if she didn't move and returned straight away witht he treat. I then increased how many steps away I took each time. I can now go to the other side of the garden and stand still for a while all the while chanting "stay" over and over again before clicking.


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

flounder_1 said:


> We've taught Lolly sit, lie down, stay and come. Working on drop/give but it's not an easy one!


Keep it up . Teddy is still not that great at drop it, especially if it is a sock, lol, and he is 14 months now! Getting a bit better though.
Lolly is still a baby, and she seems to be doing pretty well for her age. Well done!


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