Training begins by deciding to do it

Dear Old Trainer: We thought Digby, our 2-year-old golden, was too wild to train until we tried that “hold” command you recommended and he learned it so fast he inspired us to start working with him. You said that is the fourth command you teach. What are the other three and where do we begin?

A: You begin by deciding to do it. The Romans had a saying, Initium est dimidium facti, which translates to “The beginning is half the deed.”

Woody Allen put it another way, “Ninety percent of success is just showing up.” Two different ways of saying the same thing – the most important step in any endeavor is making the commitment to try.

You made up you mind to try so the rest will be easy.

I begin with the same three commands on every dog I train. First is the “sit” command. It’s easy to teach and is the foundation from which future commands will flow.

Stand in front of Digby, give the command “sit,” and use a hand signal as part of the command. I point at my dog with my index finger and move it toward the ground. Give Digby a few seconds to think about things, then press down with one hand where his tail meets his body and lift his chin with the other. As soon as he sits, pet him and praise him.

Keep training sessions short – no more than 10 minutes – but hold several a day. It won’t take long until Digby sits as soon as he hears the command. That’s when you add the next two commands.

While he is sitting, take a step back and give the command “stay.” Again, use a hand signal as part of the command. I hold up my hand, palm outward, same as a traffic cop holding traffic. Digby will want to move toward you, but hold him back with one hand to let him know he has to stay in the sit position.

If he stays for even two seconds, pet him and praise him. He knows the command at that point, but keep working to teach him he has to stay until you tell him to move.

The “stay” command will become easier to teach as you add the third step, “come,” while still working on “stay.” When Digby stays for even a few seconds, and while you are only a few feet away, say “come” while you hold your hand out, palm up, and motion him forward with your fingers.

When he comes to you, love on him and brag on him. Work on those three commands at the same time, as part of the same process. He will become proficient at all three in a few days.

If Digby loses focus or misbehaves at any time during the training, go back to “sit” and start over.

Have fun with the training and make sure Digby does, too. Play with him a little between repetitions and love on him each time he does it right.

You now have verbal control over Digby, and he has learned training is fun. Work with him every day and keep having fun.

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 8:56 PM with the headline "Training begins by deciding to do it."