Training guide
Puppy Basic Obedience
How to teach a puppy the foundational behaviors, such as name, sit, down, stay, come, leave it and drop it, with rewards and short practice, and when to ask a professional for help. A practical guide for new puppy owners.
Short answer
Basic obedience for a puppy means teaching a few foundational behaviors, such as responding to their name, sit, down, stay, come and leave it, with rewards and short, calm practice that gets harder only as your puppy succeeds.[1][2][3] It takes patience over weeks and months, and punishment is not part of it.[4][5]
This guide fits you if you have a new puppy and want a simple, reward-based way to teach the first everyday cues.
What basic obedience means for a puppy
A puppy is born knowing how to be a dog, so living in the human world means being taught what is acceptable.[1] Sit, down, stay, come and leave it are commonly named as the essential starting behaviors, and more advanced skills can follow.[1]
Treats are the strongest rewards, and praise and toys can add to them.[3] AVSAB recommends using only reward-based methods for all dog training.[5] Young puppies need plenty of guidance and grace, and consistency, so they can trust and learn.[2] Reliable responses build gradually: one veterinary source describes teaching a puppy to come as something that takes many weeks or months.[4]
Leash walking, socialization, separation and house training are separate topics.
A simple training loop
Every behavior in this guide follows the same loop. Use it each time, and have everyone in the household use it too.
Choose a calm place and get small rewards ready
Begin in a quiet area, with tiny treats at hand.[3]
Show your puppy the behavior before naming it
Lure with a treat, or wait for the behavior and reward it. Add the cue word only when you can predict with great certainty that your puppy is about to do the behavior.[3]
Example Your puppy’s bottom is about to touch the floor, so you say “sit” at that moment.
Mark the moment and reward right away
A marker, such as a clicker or a short word like “yes”, tells your puppy a reward is coming. Keep it brief, and give the reward immediately.[2]
Say the cue once, then wait
Say the cue once in a pleasant tone and wait patiently instead of repeating it. If your puppy seems unsure, go back to showing the behavior with a lure, and practice before using the cue again.[3]
Make it harder one step at a time
Once your puppy responds consistently, practice in another room, then add distractions. Raise the difficulty only when your puppy succeeds at the current level, and if a distraction is too irresistible, move further away.[3]
The foundational behaviors
Name and attention
Reward any pause or head movement when your puppy hears their name, then gradually ask for a turn and a step toward you before you mark and reward.[2] A dog that knows their name and makes eye contact when they hear it is also better prepared for learning to come.[8]
Sit
Hold a tiny treat at your puppy’s nose and slowly move it up and back over their head. As the nose rises, they tend to sit to keep their balance, so reward right away. Once your puppy sits easily when they see the treat, say the cue just as their bottom heads toward the ground.[3]
Down
From a sit, move the treat down between the front paws and slightly back under the chest, and reward when your puppy lies down. A marker is optional but can help pinpoint the exact position.[3]
Stay
Stay is built by gradually delaying the reward. Start with an immediate reward once your puppy understands the position, then add small delays, saying a word of confirmation while they wait, and mix quick and delayed rewards so they learn patience.[3]
Come
One veterinary source starts by hiding treats while walking with your puppy: when they look away, move a few steps, wait for them to come to you, and reward without a cue. Once they come consistently, say the cue once in a very cheerful voice as they move toward you.[4] A veterinary school handout, written by students, instead has a helper hold your puppy while you walk away, then you call their name followed by the cue, in a light, happy voice with your body lowered, keeping treats out of sight so you are not bribing them.[8]
Both sources are clear that coming must never be punished, even if your puppy was slow or had misbehaved just before.[4][8] Never call your puppy and then scold them, and do not call them to end playtime.[4] One source also suggests avoiding putting the leash back on directly afterward if possible, because it can feel like a punishment.[8] Use the cue only when you are fairly confident your puppy will respond.[8]
Leave it
Leave it teaches a puppy to ignore items such as food on the ground. The goal is a puppy who leaves things alone without being asked, because you will not always see a hazard before your puppy does.[9]
Start with a treat in your closed fist. When your puppy stops trying to get it, mark, then reward from your other hand with a different, preferably better, treat. Next, place a treat on the floor under your hand and reward the same way. Add the cue only once your puppy ignores the food automatically, then work up through more treats, outdoor places, non-food objects and distractions, using a leash so they cannot grab food you miss or kick away.[9] Do not use the cue if you know your puppy will not respond, so they do not practice ignoring you.[9]
Drop it
Drop it asks a puppy to let go of something already in their mouth. Use trading, not chasing: chasing a dog or grabbing an item can trigger an aggressive response in some dogs.[10] Start with a low-value toy your puppy readily trades, and say the cue as they release it. Later, say the cue before offering a high-value treat.[10] If your puppy does not release things readily, restart with items they value less and use shorter sessions.[10]
What not to do
Do not use punishment. AVSAB lists methods such as shouting, alpha rolls and leash jerks as aversive and says they can cause stress and damage both welfare and the bond with your dog.[5] Waiting until a puppy does something unwanted and then punishing it can lead to avoidance, fear and confusion.[2]
Do not expect adult reliability. A puppy that responds in the kitchen may not respond in the garden, so go back a step when the setting gets harder.[3]
When it is not working
- Your puppy ignores the cue
Check Whether the place is too distracting, your puppy is distressed or overexcited, or the cue came before the behavior was well established.[3]
Try Say the cue once, show the behavior with a lure, practice several times before using the cue again, and move further from a distraction.[3]
- Your puppy will not come when called
Check Whether you have called them to end play or to scold them, or called when they were unlikely to respond.[4][8]
Try Reward every successful recall, practice in a safe fenced area or with a long line as backup, and build distance and distractions over weeks or months.[4]
- Your puppy keeps grabbing the item during leave it
Check Whether you moved too quickly from the closed fist to the floor, and whether the reward in your other hand is better than the item.[9]
Try Go back to the earlier step, keep a better reward ready, and use a leash so they cannot grab what you miss.[9]
Basic training cannot treat behavior problems, and this guide cannot assess your individual puppy. Ask a veterinarian first if your puppy seems unwell or in pain, or their behavior changes suddenly, because medical problems can affect behavior.[7] If your puppy guards food, toys or other items, you are worried they might bite someone, they seem very fearful or anxious, or you cannot manage a situation safely, ask a veterinarian, who may refer you to a veterinary behaviorist or a certified applied animal behaviorist.[6][7] Choose a professional who uses only reward-based methods, and do not punish guarding.[5][6]
Sources
- Basic Obedience Training For Puppies: Where to Start (opens another site)
- Puppy Behavior and Training: Training Basics (opens another site)
- Puppy Behavior and Training: Sit, Down, Stand and Stay (opens another site)
- Training Your Puppy to Come, Wait, and Follow (opens another site)
- Why You Need To Reward Your Dog in Training, According to the Experts (opens another site)
- Resource guarding in dogs (opens another site)
- Selecting a Behavior Consultant (opens another site)
- Recall Training in Dogs (opens another site)
- ‘Leave It’ Command: Training Your Dog to Ignore Food and Other Items (opens another site)
- Teaching Your Dog to Drop an Object (opens another site)