# What do you think is the most important...



## LadyLuckandGemini (Jun 9, 2013)

...thing to train at first? A couple friends and I had a group socializing session today, and we got talking about what first to teach a new dog/puppy. We all agreed, of course, that training should start right away and be constant. 

However, we all had different ideas for what we should teach first. A few of them said recall, another one said leash manners and heeling, and another said stay. 

What do you guys think? 

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong spot!


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## kjdreyer (Feb 7, 2013)

Recall! IMO, this trumps all, because it can save your dog's life.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

While I think most teach sit, which is pretty easy,, RECALL is definitely the most important command of all..

good trick for teaching since you have some friends to help...two of you,,sit aways apart,,each with treats, call the puppy back and forth, back and forth, always treat and have a party))


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

My vote also goes to the RECALL!!!


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

If socialization is a form of 'training', I always pick that first! A well-rounded shepherd is a good citizen, a great foundation, and a happy pet.

IMO, the first thing to do is load your Training Gun; clicker or marker association! The first command I teach my pups is "touch" (touching their nose to my palm when presented with a flat hand and/or a verbal command); it functions as a focus tool and an unofficial recall, plus it's fun and easy.

In the end, it doesn't so much matter WHAT you train... the important part is that the dog learns how to learn. The process of how to process instruction and translate it into a retrievable command is learned and improved over time. It takes more time to learn the first command than the second, and by the twentieth it's a piece of cake.

Good on ya for going to a socialization class! Great start.


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

For me the first thing to teach is focus, without focus everything becomes very difficult.


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## JanaeUlva (Feb 5, 2011)

You can work on more than one thing at a time so a recall is important but focus exercises are such a basic foundation. Also like free-shaping exercises to instigate thinking.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I think that recall is important, but I don't think you will get that without some kind of focus. I also think leave it is a very strong command, it can be a life saver for dogs that like to pick stuff up and eat it. I kinda roll the focus and recall into one, because both are needed..they kinda feed off each other. My male GSD has had no formal training as of yet, but he's got pretty good recall, that is probably because I'm always yelling for him because who knows what he's getting into


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

We still do restrained recalls on the older dogs to speed them up on 'go outs' and 'to the handler' exercises. Recalls are IMO the most important thing, but don't over do them. We do focus work, perch work(rear end awareness) and positions.

End the session with a restrained recall or two and put the pup up in a crate for some processing time. That crate time is just as important as the training session when a dog is learning something. Goes for the tracking phase as well.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

A lot of people have already given great advice! 

I am assuming you have a puppy. I have very little puppy experience. The dogs I have fostered or adopted have typically been between the ages of 7 months to 6 years – although I have fostered 6 week old orphans and 9+ year old seniors too.

With that said, I believe the single most important thing you need to work on before anything else is positive engagement with the dog (no matter the age). As others have said, building focus is an important piece of that, but make it fun… be the most positive and interesting thing in your dog’s life… learn what motivates and encourages your dog. In so doing, you will find that your dog will also start to learn what motivates you... lol! 

Once you have established a positive relationship with the dog, the rest comes a lot easier. So, in my opinion, the focus of early training should be on building a foundation of mutual understanding and trust.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

In terms of importance after a rock-solid recall, I think "leave it" is also a potential life saver (and possibly a life saver for your neighbor's cat, a tiny yappy dog off leash charging at you, etc. if your much dog's prey drive can be kept under control with that command). I'll take some sloppy leash work in exchange for a reliable recall and reliable "leave it" any day, if I had to choose.

I tend to agree with LifeofRiley that in terms of _order_ I think it's vital to start with the relationship. Build the dog's self-confidence and build trust between dog and person, then use that foundation to build skills.


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

+1 for focus/attention. Hard to do anything else until you have that. 

I actually don't start by training a formal recall, although I agree with everyone else that it's one of the very small handful of commands that every dog really NEEDS to have down. But I don't train it formally until relatively late in the game. For me, the first focus is to build up relationship so the dog wants to be with me and is interested in me and whatever I'm doing.

Yeah, I dunno, the more I think about it, the harder it is to separate out any one thing. All my training overlaps and blurs and builds on itself. Games are meant to be training exercises, and training exercises are taught as games. Not many clear lines of demarcation.

So I'll go with "focus" as my answer.


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## rgrey (Jul 30, 2013)

Recall...closely followed by Halt (all four feet stop moving that second). Not sure if others teach Halt or something similar. I also really like Leave It-but that's because it saves my shoes from the land sharks, lol!


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

I don't think you work on just one command first. "watch me" command is a good focus command and is also an subtle submission command also. Starting out, sit and down commands along with the watch me command. They can master those pretty quick, but I think the recall and leave it command are equally important and are most important. Socialising along with puppy messages are important at a young age too. Puppy messaging gets them used to being touched, feet, ears, tail ect. It helps later on when taking vet visits, if you have your dog groomed or if you do it yourself. 

Soon after or along with them, I like to introduce the wait command too. Making them wait to walk through doors after you go through first, when feeding by puting food in the bowl nd setting it down while they are in a sit and wait then releasing them to the bowl ect. It comes in handy. As they grow, they love to blow through doors ahead of you or the same time your tryiing to walk through. Not a good thing. You can intriduce the stay command along with the wait command but you have to teach them differently. A trainer can show you the difference. It's not complex, but it is easy to confuse the dog between the two if you don't teach it correctly. 

Also, try to teach them while using hand signaled commands for sit and down. Hand flat palm up for a sit, and flat with palm down for down. Try using those after they get the verbal with hand signals without the verbal.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I think recall is the most important thing to teach your dog, then focus and leave it.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Discipline is the best thing to teach any dog. Everything else the dog can do on it's own.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

The meaning of the word " no".


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> For me the first thing to teach is focus, without focus everything becomes very difficult.


Absolutely 100% this ^^!! Along with creating a strong relationship..


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

Sport people and pet people usually have different perspectives on this.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I always say socialization first. If your pup is a nervous wreck with the environment you'll never be able to teach anything.

But then it's all about engagement and attitude!!!

Great link is ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...191183-top-training-expectations-puppies.html


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> Sport people and pet people usually have different perspectives on this.


So true... 

I see it week after week after week in our basic ob classes.. The dogs have no clue or could care less that their owners are on the other end of the leash, heck for that matter that their even in the building..


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## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

Most important is for the dog to learn that training is fun. I just have to say, "Who wants to play games!" and everybody wants to train with me. I end up with 3 dogs on heel position trying to get the closest to me. 

I train all the time. Stay and come are the most important. When we go for walks in the parks, I always make 1 or 2 stops for "stay" practice. I like bringing an older dog with a younger one to lead by example. It's been really helpful when I train. 

Plus, you don't need to train one thing at a time. Wait a few minutes after training one thing and then work on something new.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Packen said:


> For me the first thing to teach is focus, without focus everything becomes very difficult.


This!!!



G-burg said:


> ... The dogs have no clue or could care less that their owners are on the other end of the leash, heck for that matter that their even in the building..


No doubt! That's how I figured out I had a problem. Unless a prong collar was on Jax she couldn't have cared less that I was at the other end of the leash.

Relationship...focus....more relationship...more focus!


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## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

cliffson1 said:


> The meaning of the word " no".


"NO" is not a command, and is meaningless to a dog. Instead of tell the dog "no", they should be telling the dog what they want the dog to do. 

Dog is digging? "Come!", and then play with your dog. He's obviously bored. 

Anyway, this is the philosphy that I learned early in my doggie training experience, and it's taught at my obedience club. (I don't remember if that's where I learned it.)


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> "NO" is not a command, and is meaningless to a dog.


I think dogs do understand and it can be used as a marker word.. for when the dog is incorrect or makes a mistake..


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

cliffson1 said:


> The meaning of the word " no".


Some dogs think their name is NO, they hear it so often


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Engagement. You can teach anything if the dog knows how to pay attention.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

FlyAway said:


> "NO" is not a command, and is meaningless to a dog.


Any word used properly has meaning. Dogs only understand the English we teach them. 

I use "no" and "oops" as a reset. I gave the command. The dog does not comply or does something different. "No" or "Oops".

It is absolutely not meaningless to Jax. If she does the wrong thing because her brain is not engaged and I say that, she will usually bark at me. If I say that when she's partially engaged, she will correct herself.

"No" is as much a marker as "Yes" is. They both have meaning. "No" means stop and think cuz you got it wrong. "Yes" means you got it right and here's your party.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

"No" to my dogs is a command.... it means whatever you are doing, STOP. 
LOL!
I see the point of telling the dog what TO do, but while I am a very positive trainer, I have no problem telling my dog what not to do on occasion.


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## rgrey (Jul 30, 2013)

^ I agree.

I use Ah! (with varying degrees of intensity/harshness) to indicate they aren't doing something right. I've used it with every dog I've had (and with the horses), from border collies to GSDs and with each one you could see them stop and rethink. 

No means stop what you are doing this instant. 

Any command given constantly becomes background noise, whether its to fur babies or to skin babies (or heck, husbands  ).


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Packen said:


> For me the first thing to teach is focus, without focus everything becomes very difficult.


Defiantly "look" is very important to me unless you have focus everything else is much more difficult


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

I dunno if trust would fit into this at all. I work on the dog's level of trust first and foremost, I figure if the mutt trusts me implicitly he/she will be more likely to pick up commands. I also work on my trust of the dog, they read body language and since we primates are such vocal creatures we often let our bodies say something completely different than what our vocal cords are saying.

Once I have the trust thing hammered out, I go for recall and down. A good solid down is a lifesaver, Banjo went down so hard it looked like he fell. It stops anything they are doing, be it good or bad.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

Some people get what I mean/do.....the First thing I teach new pups is No, which means stop doing what you are doing. This applies to any of the behaviors that I want to shape/eliminate, I don't have command for each so no serves as marker to stop. The tone of no connotes my seriousness, and it allows me to quickly eliminate ( with additional add on commands/training) nuisance behaviors all pups demonstrate. It also teaches to focus/redirect back to me. It's not about what the word is, it is about what the word connotes to the dog and sets the table for. For many novices, they have to get control of nuisance behaviors before they make progress on the sits,come, stay, focus, whatever, because the nuisance behaviors are often more enjoyable to new pup than what you are proposing....so the owners get stuck in these behaviors continuing until 3,4,5 months while trying what they read and often it gets messy. For people here who handle dogs whether sport, obedience, or positive, you know what you are doing, but I have found for many with new dogs, they can't get out of eliminating nuisance behaviors.....just my take


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## MilesNY (Aug 12, 2010)

Engagement and markers (no, yes, clicker). Recalls, emergency stop, etc take a good bit of time before it becomes solid, and the foundation for all of it is a puppy wanting to work with you and knowing how. 

Engagement also helps with most other issues. If they are engaged with you they can not be dragging you down the street, barking at other puppies, etc.


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