The Turkmen Alabai or Central Asian Shepherd Dog is a large, strong dog. He is a great friend and guard, his working qualities have been polished by hard work in the mountains for several thousand years. But so that the dog does not turn into an evil uncontrollable creature, its upbringing must be approached with all responsibility.
When a puppy appears in the house, it is always a great joy. I want to bother him, squeeze him, play with him, pamper him. All this is good, but with the last point you need to be careful. The caressed, pampered Alabai puppy will soon feel like a leader in the pack, that is, the main one in the house. The animal must immediately make it clear who will be its owner, and who will obey whom. To raise a grown dog, you can invite a cynologist, but a small puppy must be brought up at home.
How to start parenting
The upbringing of a puppy begins from the first days of his appearance in the house. Of course, the kid still cannot remember much, but the simplest commands are already able to master.
Nickname training
The puppy should be immediately given a beautiful sonorous nickname. He will grow up to be a big brave dog, so the name must match. Different "musik-pusiks" are not recommended for such a dog. The owner, playing with the puppy, attracts his attention, often repeating the name. Then he calls the dog from a distance and, when the puppy comes up, treats him with a treat. As a rule, the dog remembers his name for the third or fourth time and for life.
Accustoming to the place
It is best if the puppy chooses a comfortable place for himself (not a bed or an armchair, of course). This should be a secluded area on the floor or on some kind of elevation where the dog can rest peacefully. Be sure to put a bedding. Now the puppy should be watched, if he falls asleep somewhere on the floor, take him to the bed, lightly press his hand and repeat: "Place, place!" Soon the dog will remember this and will go to sleep on the bed itself. Gradually, you need to train the puppy to go to the place on command with the obligatory subsequent encouragement with a treat or praise.
The command "Come to me!"
The puppy should be taught to this command as early as possible. The better he remembers the command, the easier it will be for a walk. The owner moves away to some distance and calls the dog by name, repeating the words "Come to me!" As soon as the puppy runs up, he is immediately encouraged by a treat and praise. It is necessary to achieve fast and accurate command execution.
How to train an older puppy
When the dog reaches the age of five to six months, you can begin to accustom him to other commands of the general training course. It is most convenient to train the puppy for a walk, practicing more complex commands: "Sit!", "Lie!", "Next", "Aport!", "Fas!" One should constantly maintain the knowledge and execution of the command "Come to me!"
The time has come to teach the puppy to the muzzle, as in our country, unfortunately, sometimes you cannot do without this accessory. For example, it is necessary in transport or on crowded streets, because even the kindest and most intelligent dog can bite in the heat of the moment if someone steps on its paw.
To begin with, you need to muzzle the dog for a few minutes and not allow it to take off with his paws. Then remove and give a treat, praise. Later, put on the muzzle for a walk, gradually increasing the wearing time. When the dog is muzzled, be sure to reward it with affectionate words. Over time, the dog will get used to it.
A grown-up dog can be trained on special sites of OKD and ZKS. But some dog handlers and breeders argue that this is not necessary, since Alabai have such a high intelligence that they already understand the owner from a half-word, from a half-glance. Everyone will decide this question for himself.
