Best things to teach your dog? Advice/Suggestions please

Hey everyone just looking on suggestions of what i could teach my beautiful girl Betty?

So far ive got her to sit.. stay.. and lay down... shes only 14 months atm so that should still be good to teach her new things right? Is there anything i could teach her off lead in my back yard that would help on walks? as shes quite the puller right now. Although over the last few weeks she has been seeming to settle down with it or it could just be me getting used to it.. Ideally id like to be able to take her to the beach/dog parks and not be worried that she will just bolt off.. because we all know they run like a 2yr old on red cordial haha

Thanks in advance guys and girls

Here's a few links to help you out

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/training_a_puppy_to_walk_on_a_lead

Re recall:- A long training lead, practise, practise, practise. The lead will give you confidence and still be in control while betty can have a great time exploring and learning. A harness may be a better idea with the training lead so the neck is not put under too much strain.

Hope this helps xx

'watch me' is an essential one treat when they make full eye contact with you on command, works for getting attention

Any recall has to be happy bright you have to be more interesting than another dog etc my word is 'byeeee' it devastates Ledger to think he is being left behind

Also useful at anytime is to have a release word to release from sit, wait etc ours is 'ok' and use it when I put his food down, when I get him to sit in the park until I get a view that it's clear around the corner

Thanks for the prompt replies !! much appreciated. I have got her to sit for her food each night and working on making her sit longer and longer with her bowl on the ground before she touches it i also use the work okay for this.

Im finding it hard atm to get attention from her when shes outside.. im not sure if its the temperature or just over excited but she is constantly panting and drooling so much infact when she gets home she likes to put half her head under the water to drink / cool down..

I dont think she got too much outside socialisation with her previous owner although he said he used to take his pack (which she was a part of) down to the beach once a week so no daily outside exercise/socialisation. Could this mean that when she does go out shes just too over excited ? Any suggestions in how i can try to kerb this to regain some control?

thanks again guys and girls

Leave is always a very useful command to teach too, along with Here or This Way for when the dog is off the lead and loose.

She is probably just so excited to get outside and see what is out there if she wasn't walked daily
We use a training lead while at the park for Bane's recall, and at home are teaching him "come" by making him sit and stay and then calling him into another room, treating when he gets to us. We also practice "heel" inside. He does similar to "watch me" but "eye-contact". "Drop" and "leave" are great for when you are out as they do like to grab food and other bits they probably shouldn't have. He does all of these perfect at home, but is still learning to listen outside. I think recall is one of the best things to teach your dog but can take a lot of work Bane's is still rubbish and we have been trying for months now! We also make him "sit" when we cross roads.

You can also teach them lots of fun things like "high five", "paw", "other paw", "roll-over", "play dead" (We pretend to shoot Bane and say "Bang" and he rolls over and puts his paw over his face) "speak" and "twirl"...there are lots

Recall, leave, and watch me are essentials

All the above - plus Where Is It? (i.e. hide his supper somewhere while he waits and then challenge him to sniff it out). And hide and seek (where you hide behind a tree or in the house somewhere while you make him wait). Both these games are fun for your dog, very bonding and (I found) helps you on the way to really good recall and good communication.

I wish most of all that, right from the start, I had trained my dog to walk nicely on lead and not jump up to greet people - these two things are very boring to train but are essential.