Teaching a puppy their first cues: sit, down, come and stay

Puppies can begin structured training from the day they arrive home — typically at eight weeks. Their brains are primed for learning associations during the socialisation window, and short training sessions double as mental enrichment during this period. The AKC and ASPCA both recommend starting basic cue training as soon as a puppy arrives, in sessions of no more than three to five minutes, several times a day.

The four cues in this guide — sit, down, come, and stay — are the foundation of everything else you will teach. They are not arbitrary starting points. Sit establishes the habit of attending to and responding to your signal. Down builds body control. Come (recall) is the most important safety skill a dog can have. Stay develops impulse control. Together, they give you a puppy who is safe, focused, and able to learn progressively more complex behaviours.

Work in a quiet, low-distraction room initially. Use high-value, pea-sized soft treats — something the puppy will work for enthusiastically. Use a verbal marker ("yes!") or a clicker to mark the exact moment the correct behaviour occurs, then deliver the treat. End every session before the puppy loses interest, always on a success.

Teaching sit

Hold a treat between your fingers close to the puppy's nose. Slowly move the treat up and slightly back over their head. As the treat rises, the puppy's rear will naturally lower toward the floor. The instant their bottom touches the ground: say "yes" and deliver the treat. Keep the treat close to the nose — if held too high, the puppy will jump rather than sit. Do not push the puppy's rear down; lure the movement, never force it. Once the puppy is sitting reliably on the lure (5–10 repetitions), start using an empty hand in the same upward motion and deliver the treat from the other hand after marking. Add the word "sit" only once the hand signal is producing a consistent sit.

Teaching down

Start from a sit. Hold a treat at the puppy's nose and slowly move it straight down to the floor, then along the floor away from the puppy. Most puppies will fold their elbows to follow the treat down. Mark and reward the instant both elbows and the chest touch the floor. Some puppies find down harder than sit — if the puppy crawls forward rather than lying down, try luring under your slightly raised knee (the "knee arch" method). Mark any downward movement as progress, then gradually raise your criterion to a full down. Add the word "down" only once the physical behaviour is fluent.

Teaching come (recall)

Recall starts in the most distraction-free environment possible. Call your puppy's name, then your recall cue — "come!" — in a warm, inviting tone. Crouch down, open your arms, and make yourself as welcoming as possible. The moment they reach you, mark arrival with "yes!" and deliver several small treats in a row — three to five pieces, one after another, over 10–15 seconds. Jackpotting arrival (delivering multiple treats sequentially) communicates that coming to you is the best possible outcome. Never call your puppy to do something they dislike without immediately following up with high-value reward. The recall cue must always predict good things.

Teaching stay

Stay is built on three variables: duration (how long), distance (how far you move), and distraction. The key is to work only one variable at a time. Start with duration only: ask for a sit, wait one second, mark and reward before the puppy moves. Build to three seconds, then five, then ten — always marking before the dog breaks the stay. Add a release word ("OK" or "free") so the puppy learns that stay ends when you say so, not when they feel like it. Only once you have ten seconds of reliable stay do you add one step of distance. Then build distance incrementally. Distraction comes last.

• Say the cue once clearly — do not repeat it if the puppy does not respond
• Mark the exact moment the correct position is achieved — timing matters
• Short sessions: 3–5 minutes maximum; puppies have short attention spans
• Add the word only after the physical behaviour is fluent — not before
• Never end a session on a failure — make the last request something easy
• Between sessions, the puppy should have time to play and rest