Puppy Obedience 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Training Sessions That Work

Here’s a simple beginner-level puppy training session plan for basic obedience. This session is aimed at helping your  puppy become familiar with essential commands and building trust and communication between you and your puppy. The session is around 20-30 minutes long and focuses on consistency and positive reinforcement.

---

Session Plan for Puppy Basic Obedience:

1. Introduction (3-5 minutes)

• Greeting and bonding: Start by greeting your puppy calmly, allowing the dog to sniff you. Spend a minute establishing trust and rapport.
• Use treats: Have high-value treats like small bits of cheese or dried liver ready to motivate the puppy  into action.
• Positive tone of voice: Use a calm, encouraging tone to set a positive, low-stress environment for your puppy.

2. “Sit” Command (5 minutes)

• Objective: Teach your puppy to sit on command.
• Step-by-Step:
  1. Hold a treat close to your puppy’s nose.
  2. Slowly move the treat up and over the puppy’s head, causing the dog to naturally sit as they follow the treat.
  3. As your puppy’s bum touches the ground, immediately say “Sit” and give the treat.
  4. Repeat 5-10 times, with pauses in between.
  5. Gradually fade the hand gesture so your puppy learns to follow the verbal cue.
  6. Take a break: Go outside and allow your puppy to go potty, sniff around the yard  and cuddle or play tug with you.

3. “Stay” Command (5 minutes)

• Objective: Introduce your puppy to staying in place.
• Step-by-Step:
  1. After your puppy is in a sitting position, give the “Stay” command while holding your hand out in front of the dog like a stop sign.
  2. Wait a few seconds (start with 1-2 seconds) and then reward the puppy with a treat for being successful.
  3. Gradually increase the duration of the “Stay,” rewarding at regular intervals.
  4. Repeat 3-5 times, then have your puppy come to you with a release cue like “Okay!” or “Release” before giving three or four treats for being a great puppy!
  5. Take a break: Go outside and allow your puppy to go potty, sniff around the yard and cuddle or play tug with you.

4. “Come” Command (5-7 minutes)

• Objective: Teach your puppy to come to you when called.
• Step-by-Step:
  1. Start by sitting a short distance away from your puppy.
  2. Call them by name, then use the “Come” command. Lure your puppy towards you by putting a treat in front of their nose, drawing them to step forward.
  3. When the puppy comes towards you, reward them with praise and a treat.
  4. Practice 3-5 times, increasing the distance slightly as the dog gets better.
  5. Ensure you’re using a happy, energetic tone so the dog is excited to come.
  6. Take a break: Go outside and allow your puppy to go potty, sniff around the yard and cuddle or play tug with you.

5. Short Leash Walk and “Loose Leash Walking” (5-7 minutes)

• Objective: Teach your puppy not to pull on the leash.
• Step-by-Step:
  1. Start walking with your puppy on a leash inside the house, keeping the leash loose (not tight).
  2. If your puppy pulls ahead, stop walking and wait for them to look at you.
  3. Lure your puppy with a treat back into the heel position so they’re standing beside you.
  4. Repeat walking a few steps at a time, praising your puppy verbally and giving treats for walking without pulling.
  5. Consistently reinforce good walking behavior in the house before you graduate to outdoor walking.
  6. Take a break: Go outside and allow your puppy to go potty, sniff around the yard and cuddle or play tug with you.

6. Cool-Down & Positive Reinforcement (3-5 minutes)

• Objective: Always end the training session on a positive note.
• Step-by-Step:
  1. Praise your puppy verbally for being an awesome dog, offering treats and affection.
  2. Allow your puppy to play or relax for a few minutes to relieve any training tension.
  3. Keep your mindset positive, emphasizing the puppy’s progress and your consistency.
     

     Puppy Parent Notes:

• Consistency: Use the same command words and gestures each time to avoid confusion.
• Pacing: Keep sessions short and positive. If your puppy isn’t interested or seems frustrated, try again later.
• Positive Reinforcement: Always reward your awesome puppy immediately after they follow a command, as this will reinforce the behavior, making it more likely to happen again next time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      This plan is designed to be adaptable, so you can adjust based on your puppy’s reliability. If needed, you can repeat the session in shorter increments across multiple days to build a solid foundation.

---

If you need a helping hand with this or any other aspect of your puppy’s training, our expert trainers are here to help! Have a life long, obedient companion without spending hours training everyday!