30-day home training plan for your dog: 3 minutes a day

This 30-day plan breaks basic training into short, reward-based sessions that fit around a busy day ¹. Each week builds on the last — name and sit, then down and recall, then loose-lead walking and leave it, then stay and settling on a mat — taught with treats and praise, never force ¹². Leading animal welfare groups say punishment tools such as choke, prong and shock collars cause pain and distress and train no faster than rewards do, so this plan uses none of them ⁸.

How long: Short but regular sessions suit a dog better than one long one¹
Method: All training should be reward based: treats, a toy or praise for the behaviour you want, never force¹
End cue: Give an 'okay' cue to mark when a training session has ended²
Recall rule: Never call your dog to you to tell him off; it teaches him that coming back is a bad idea⁴
Avoid: Prong and shock collars are described as painful and unethical; reward-based training works without them⁸
Settle on a mat: Reward him for stepping onto the mat, then lying down, then staying there as you add distance⁹

Prints on one A4 sheet, without the notes and sources.

How to use this plan

Keep sessions short — a few minutes, a few times a day, works better than one long session ¹. All training here is reward based: treats, a favourite toy or praise for the behaviour you want, never force ¹².

Practise somewhere quiet first, then add distractions and new places once he's reliable. End every session on a cue word like 'okay' so he knows it's over ².

Week 1 — his name, and sit

Say his name in a happy voice; the instant he looks at you, praise and reward, with the same split-second timing used for sit and recall below. Repeat in short, regular bursts until he checks in on his name alone ¹⁴.
For sit: hold a treat near his nose, then move your hand up and back over his head — his bottom drops as his head tips back. The instant he sits, praise and treat, then add the word 'sit' as he moves into position ².

Week 2 — down, and come when called

For down: from a sit, move the treat from his nose down to the floor and towards his chest; he should follow it into a lying position. Reward the instant he lies down, then add the word 'down' ³.
For recall: show a treat or toy, step back a pace and call his name then 'come' in a happy voice, crouching low. The moment he arrives, hold his collar gently and reward. Never call him to you to tell him off ⁴.

Week 3 — loose-lead walking, and leave it

For loose-lead walking: stand still and quiet until he pays attention to you, then move off, rewarding him for staying close. If the lead goes tight, stop and wait for his attention again before moving on ⁵.
For leave it: close a treat in your fist and say 'leave it'; wait him out without talking. The second he backs off or looks away, open your hand and reward from the other one ⁶.

Week 4 — stay, and settle on a mat

For stay: ask for a sit or down, give a flat-palm hand signal, wait a few seconds, then reward before he moves. Add distance and time in tiny steps, and practise in a few different rooms ⁷.
For settle: put down a mat and reward him for stepping onto it, then for lying down on it, then for staying as you take a step away. This becomes his 'off-duty' spot ⁹.

No punishment, ever

Choke chains, prong collars and shock (e-)collars have no place in this plan: welfare groups call them painful and unnecessary, and reward-based training works as well without them ⁸.
If he gets something wrong, go back a step and make it easier, rather than correcting him physically.
A frustrated or tired dog has had enough for one day — stop there and try again later ⁹.

Get the 30-day tick grid (PDF)

One A4 page: a box to tick for every day of all four weeks, so the whole family can see what's been practised. Leave your Play Store Gmail and mobile number below and the download starts right away.

Not fully clear yet

Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.

RSPCA describes sessions as 'short but regular' without giving an exact length; this page uses 3 minutes as a practical length for a busy family, not a figure stated by any source ¹.
The 'settle on a mat' steps come from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home's 'bed' command guide, not from RSPCA directly; we found no RSPCA page on mat settling specifically ⁹.

Last checked 5 Oct 2026. Facts checked against the official sources below by Thapki. Written with AI help from the sources below and checked against them line by line; the Thapki team reads and approves each page before it goes live.

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Sources

How to Train Your Dog & Top Training Tips · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Learn How To Train Your Dog To Sit · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Train Your Dog To Lie Down · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Train Your Dog To Come When Called · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Train Your Dog to Stop Pulling On The Lead · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
How To Train Your Dog To Leave Something Alone · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
How to Train Your Dog To Stay · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Prong Collars · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Teach your dog a 'bed' command · Battersea Dogs & Cats Home · seen 5 Oct 2026

From thapki.app/guides/training/30-day-plan/ · facts last checked 5 Oct 2026. Guides share public information; they are not a substitute for your vet's advice.