A puppy learns fastest in short, clear, repeatable sessions. These five commands build the communication system every other skill depends on.
Start With Attention
Before a puppy can follow a cue, it has to know the cue is meant for it. Mark and reward eye contact for two or three days before adding anything else.
The Five Foundation Cues
Teach one cue per session, five minutes at a time, twice per day.
- Name recognition: the dog turns toward you every single time.
- Sit: the default position for greetings, doors, and meals.
- Down: builds duration and calm under distraction.
- Come: never punished, always paid, practiced on a long line.
- Place: a settled station that ends most household chaos.
Reward Timing
The reward marks the behavior that happened within the previous half second. Late payment teaches the wrong thing, so mark first, deliver second.
Key takeaway
Five clean cues, practiced ten minutes a day, outperform an hour of unstructured drilling every week.