As the puppies leave for their forever homes this week, I thought I'd post a little on what you can teach your puppy at this age. Puppies at 8 weeks can start to learn to sit on command. By taking a yummy treat (I use pieces of Natural Balance Rolled Dog Food), gently push down on their back end with one hand, hold the other hand over and behind their head slightly so you lure the puppy into a sitting position using the treat. While you are doing this, say the word, "sit". You will repeat this over and over and over. But eventually the word "sit" will sink in and the puppy will begin to do it on it's own to get the treat. If you practice this a couple times a day for VERY short periods of time, your puppy will pick up on it very quickly.
I expect my dogs to sit calmly in front of me to receive any food or treats. They are not allowed to jump up on me, or do anything else besides sit (unless I tell them to do something else. For example, sometimes I ask for more than a sit, like a shake paw, a down, or a roll over to get a treat). So for puppies, they can start learning sit right away. Don't put their food dishes down unless they sit. Do not give them treats unless they sit. Sitting is a sign of respect to you. And you should expect your dog to give you the respect you deserve.
But at 8 weeks, respect is the furthest thing from the puppy's mind. Even so, this is an excellent time to start the habit of "you need to work to get what you want" by gently teaching the puppy to sit to receive a treat or their dinner. You may have to gently remind them what "sit" is each time, but by the time they are 3 months, they should know what sit is.
As soon as the puppy has a grasp on sit, it is time to teach the puppy to stand upon request. For puppies going into the conformation ring, this is a must. For pets, this is just a smart command to teach the puppy if you ever need the puppy to stand. For example, when you take the puppy to the vet and the vet is doing an examination, it is easier for the vet to examine the dog while standing than it is laying down or sitting. Not to mention that it's easier for you to groom your dog if it is standing and not wiggling all over the place.
To teach your puppy to stand, go from a sit, pull the treat forward, and with the hand that pushed the puppy's behind into a sit, you now lift up slightly from under the front of it's back leg from the side. I use one finger, just to give the puppy the idea. With the other hand, pull the treat out in front of the puppy. You don't want the puppy to move it's back legs at all so don't pull the treat too far in front of the puppy. Once the puppy is standing, reinforce it with the word, "stand" and give them their treat.
I've had many show people complain to me that I teach both the sit and the stand at such a young age. But as far as I'm concerned, the puppy has 6 months before entering the show ring to figure out the difference between the two commands. And if the puppy gets them confused at 6 months, it's because you haven't put the time into the puppy to give them the solid foundation to understand the difference between the two. So who's fault is that really? LOL-I wouldn't blame the dog on that one. I firmly believe that sit and stand are two foundation commands that EVERY dog should learn at a very young age. And the time is right to begin the training.
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