Any dog owner wants to see in his pet an obedient and loyal friend. But the dogs themselves will not cope with their behavior, they need to be instructed on the "true path." Experienced dog trainers, as teachers for us, will help to cope with the problems of behavior on the street and at home. Having passed the OKD at puppyhood, an adult dog will not behave on the street in such a way that the owner will be ashamed or scared for her and for her safety during a walk. For this, there is OKD - to teach people to understand their animals and confidently manage them.
What is OKD?
General Course of Training (GCA) is a system of exercises for dogs aimed at developing certain conditioned reflexes. Dogs with their owners pass the OKD, and the trainer is a kind of teacher for both of them.
OKD should be passed not only for large service dogs, but also for medium and small breeds of dogs. From a well-mannered and obedient dog, the owner will receive much more pleasure on a walk than from those about whom they say “what has grown, has grown”. It is necessary to start training a dog at the age of three months, and to go through OKD - from 7-8 months.
These courses can be taken not only with a puppy, but also with an adult dog, which requires basic good behavior skills. The sooner you and your dog start this training course, the more nerves you will save on walks.
What do you need for OKD?
To complete the course well, you will need some ammunition:
- Collar. It is desirable that it be soft, wide and the size of the dog's neck.
- Leash up to 2 meters long, 2 cm wide. Fashionable leashes (tape measure, chains and laces) are not suitable.
- A muzzle, an item for aport, a rug. This is all you need for exercise.
- Treats that are in a separate bag. A treat cannot be the same food that a dog eats every day. Pick something tasty for your dog that he doesn't eat every day (pieces of dried meat, stomachs, lungs).
What will be taught at OKD?
Through training, your dog will learn the general commands it will need in its life. Several commands are critical to her safety.
So what is taught in training courses?
- show the bite at the command "teeth";
- put on and take off the muzzle and not be afraid of it;
- understand the command "fu" if there is a favorite delicacy in front of it;
- bring an object thrown at a distance to the owner at the command "fetch" and give it to the hands at the command "give";
- to walk freely after the command "walk"; in this case, the dog is allowed to take a break from exercise and get acquainted with other dogs;
- move alongside, if the command is given "near". During this exercise, the dog should keep pace with the owner, and if he stopped - sit down next to him without a command.
- sit, lie, crawl;
- go to your mat on the command "place";
- run up to the owner on the command "to me", without being distracted by anything;
- to overcome obstacles in the form of fences or ditches at the command "barrier". In this exercise, the owner must show with his hand what exactly needs to be jumped.
- do not be afraid of loud sounds. To do this, trainers use a starting pistol, starting to shoot from it for 15 meters and eventually approaching the dog.
How do OKDs go?
OKD classes last no more than 2 hours. First, new exercises are always performed, and then, after a short walk, the already learned ones are repeated.
The amount of exercise increases gradually. The dog should not get tired, he should be interested in training.
For adult dogs that have not been trained as puppies, classes are conducted more intensively, and the requirements for their implementation are overestimated.
Classes on OKD are most often held in a group. This helps the trainer to use external stimuli (strangers dogs, people, smells) for each dog. In the company of others, the dog learns to behave correctly, and the owner - to control the behavior of the pet in busy places.
There are often cases when a training course does not help solve the problem of animal behavior. Successful passage depends on many factors: the connection between the dog and the owner, their relationship, the duration of the exercises and their repetitions, external stimuli. In such difficult cases, the trainer can schedule individual sessions with the dog and the owner.
There are practically no contraindications for OKD. But if your pet has problems with joints, ligaments or heart, then it is worth discussing some exercises with the trainer. Perhaps he will suggest removing barriers or others.
