To train a dog or not is a personal matter of the owner. But there are basic commands, without which it will be quite difficult for a person and his pet to live. These commands are necessary for a dog of any breed, from York to Alabai. So what is the first thing to start teaching your puppy?
You can start training a puppy from the age of 1, 5 months. Teaching teams can be done with the help of a dog handler or independently. Before starting training, you need to prepare a treat: hard cheese, boiled meat, dog sausages, dried offal, an apple, etc. If the treat was purchased at a pet store, it is important that it is appropriate for the puppy's age. It is also worth paying attention to the size of the pieces: a puppy that is too large will quickly get satiated and lose interest in training, and too small ones will fall out of the mouth. It will be optimal to prepare a pea-sized treat.
The command "to me"
It is recommended to start training at home or in a quiet place on the street, away from people, vehicles and places where other dogs are walking. The algorithm for teaching a team looks something like this:
- Let the puppy go free-range or loosen a long leash (it is desirable that the leash length is 5 meters or more);
- Attract the puppy's attention (call out, clap your hands, wave your hands, sit down or start running away);
- As soon as the puppy ran to the owner, say the command “to me” (you can replace it with “here”, “come here” or any other word);
- Praise the puppy generously: give a treat.
Thus, the puppy must understand that every time he approaches the owner on command, he receives a reward and pleasure. Therefore, in no case should you scold the dog and punish it physically if it does not fit on command. Such measures will lead to the exact opposite effect. The dog will avoid the owner, knowing that if he catches it, he will punish it.
Place command
If the owner does not want the puppy to sit in the kitchen during the meal and beg, or get in the way during cleaning, or climb on the upholstered furniture, then he should teach the kid the command "place". Algorithm for teaching a team:
- Take the puppy by the collar or leash;
- Put a treat on the mat so that the puppy can see it, but cannot reach it;
- Tell the puppy "place" and let him go. As soon as he grabs the treat, praise generously;
- Repeat point 3, gradually retreating one step.
If the puppy knows the command to "lie down", then you can complicate the "place". In this case, when the puppy learns to go to the litter at a distance of 10-12 steps, he will receive a second piece of treats for lying on it. The algorithm is as follows:
- Take the puppy by the collar or leash;
- Put a treat on the mat;
- Move 10-12 steps away from the litter, command “place” and release the puppy;
- Praise when he took a piece, command to “lie down”, wait for the puppy to settle down on the bedding, treat him with a treat again.
And so repeat until the baby learns the command.
The "fu" command
Ideally, the owner should prevent the puppy from displaying unwanted behavior. But if, nevertheless, there are cases when the puppy behaves "not according to the rules", for example, starts playing with the owner's shoe, tries to steal food from the table or tries cat food from someone else's bowl. In such situations, the "fu" command will help.
Classic training courses suggest the use of physical punishment to train this command. This teaching method is not effective. For example, a puppy saw a bone in the grass and decided to eat it. The owner, noticing this, swings to hit the puppy. Will the puppy roll a bone? No, he will try to swallow it as soon as possible, for which he will receive a soft bottom. Will he stop picking after receiving the punishment? No, he will either do it more imperceptibly, or each time even faster. The fact is that the moment he chews and swallows the bone is a powerful reinforcement of this behavior.
Therefore, it is so important to prevent the manifestation of unwanted behavior by the puppy. For example, if a puppy tries to take a piece from the floor, then the learning algorithm for the "fu" command will be as follows:
- As soon as the puppy reaches for the piece, block his path;
- Wait until the puppy starts to retreat;
- At the moment of retreat, command "fu" and give a treat that is more valuable than the piece on the floor.
Thus, the puppy understands that by giving up a piece, he gets a more valuable "prize".
During training, it is important for the owner of the puppy to be patient and consistent, and most importantly, not to break down in any way. In order for the puppy to start mastering commands as quickly as possible, training should be a fun and exciting game for him.
