Safety commands for dogs

The amazing dog we have right now was brought to us by my friend and neighbor Lynn. Lynn is also a dog trainer, and I cannot tell you what a benefit that has been as we train Bandit. Lynn has taught me things that I never knew before about dogs, and one of the training points she keeps stressing to me is I have to train Bandit to be safe. I would love to share the safety training she has taught me as well as a few I made up myself.

Waiting to leave the crate

This is my first time using a crate with a dog, but I now see all the benefits. Teach your dog to wait for the command to leave the crate. Don’t let him leave the minute you open it. You are doing this to teach him not to leave a crate or a car without your permission. We take Bandit to a park where the parking is near a busy road, so it’s important for him not to jump out right away.

To teach this, open the crate door a little, and as the dog starts to leave, close it again. Keep doing it until the dog doesn’t try to leave then pick your command. Lynn says break and I say come.

Leave it

You want to teach the dog to only take food that is offered to him, so if medication or something else harmful to him, he won’t eat it. It is also good if you have other animals, you can keep him from eating their food.