Do-it-yourself dog training. Basic rules for training puppies at home. How to train an adult dog

At what age can you train a puppy?
A puppy is capable of learning from birth, but while he is blind and deaf, it is very difficult to find suitable reinforcement for him. At the age of about 2 weeks, the puppy’s eyes open and he begins to leave his “den” - the place where a happy mother and offspring live. Leaving the house, he gets acquainted with the world around him. At this time, it is already easier to train him, but training can cause severe anxiety in his mother, and this is unsafe - both for the mother dog and for the puppies, and sometimes for people.
At four weeks of age, the puppy is active, cheerful and trusting. He begins a period of socialization, when he learns to communicate with his relatives, people and the world around him. From 3 to 16-20 weeks (this depends on the characteristics of the breed), the puppy should get acquainted with as many big amount types of people, dogs and situations. At this time, he needs to learn the language of his species, otherwise he will not be able to communicate with his relatives, will not become interested in the opposite sex, and will not be able to take care of his own offspring. If a puppy of this age communicates only with adults, he will not understand that small children are people too, and may even begin to hunt them. It is extremely important that the puppy is well socialized, so from 3 to 16 weeks– this is a critical age that determines the entire subsequent life of your pet.
Naturally this is also best age to start training because:
1) Training is not only and not so much about teaching a skill. When you train a dog, you give it the key to understanding man. She begins to distinguish praise from blame, learns your gestures, becomes better attached to her owner, and learns to understand where your attention is directed.
2) Training is the path to soft, friendly communication with your dog. Almost every prohibition command, like “ugh!” or “you can’t!” can be replaced with the command “come to me” or “sit.” If the puppy grabs a slipper or leans on you with his front paws, punishment will only direct his attention to what he is doing. And although he may begin to fear punishment (or the owner himself), he will no longer forget about the slippers or his paws on the owner’s coat. The command tells the dog not what it should not do, but what it should do in this situation. The puppy's attention is directed to the execution of commands, they are reinforced, and unwanted behavior disappears from his memory.
3) Training is a way to enrich your puppy's life, which means it’s better to socialize him. By working with your dog and not letting its development take its course, you will feel for yourself what exactly your puppy is afraid of and what else you need to introduce him to. And during classes, he will constantly cope with new tasks for him and develop his intelligence.
4) Around 3 to 12 weeks of age in a puppy play behavior develops. If you skip this period, it will be much more difficult to play tricks on the dog, and he will prefer to follow commands for a treat; he will be less interested in toys.
It doesn't matter if we're talking about O pet, but canine athletes know how valuable a dog’s love of games is when preparing for performances in obedience, agility, freestyle courses, as well as protective service – good job on the sleeve depends on how much and correctly the dog was played in childhood.

However, there are two very serious reasons why dogs start training later than 16 weeks:
1) Vaccinations. Unfortunately, in big cities The likelihood of a puppy catching a fatal infection is very high, so you have to be careful about vaccinations and observe quarantine. However, while quarantine is in progress, the puppy misses the socialization period. The owner needs to remember that 15 years with a “crazy psycho” in the apartment will not give him any pleasure, even if this tailed madman is physically healthy. Therefore, as soon as the quarantine is over, you need to socialize the dog without wasting a minute. Usually, owners have only 2-4 weeks to fill the gaps in their pet's development.
2) Training methods. It has been experimentally proven that training based on the so-called “mechanics” (when you put pressure on the dog with your hands, trying to form its posture) leads to the fact that the dog is getting stupid. She stops taking initiative and does not try to solve the problem on her own. Such training does not help the puppy develop, but, on the contrary, spoils it.
Around 16 weeks is still a very strong memory age. In addition, for many dogs (this depends on the breed of your pet), 3-4 months is the beginning of the “age of fear”, when the puppy learns to distinguish between dangerous and safe. All events that happen to the puppy and the people and dogs around him are literally “imprinted” in the baby’s memory. If you physically punish your puppy, or if someone harshly punishes their dog in front of your pet, this will have an impact. irreversible consequences: Later they will manifest themselves in a fear of all people or people with some special appearance, perhaps in a fear of dogs or special situations. Let's say, if in front of your puppy someone on the training ground severely punished their dog, so that it tucked its tail or even squealed, your puppy will remember that dogs experience pain on training grounds. This will affect both group classes and sports performances.
The only punishment applicable at this age is a “time out”, ignoring the dog for several minutes. Even raising your voice to a puppy needs to be done carefully - one dog will react to this calmly, another – nervously. Remember:
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DOG TRAINING IS NOT RELATED TO PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT.
The only important thing is at what moment and how you influence the dog. If you do everything at the right moment, you will achieve results without tugging or spanking the dog. If you have to physically punish your dog, it means you are not aware of the situation, you are late or in a hurry, or you are simply giving vent to irritation. All this leads to negative result in training.
Training a puppy around 16 weeks of age to benefit both dog and owner should involve only two methods.

1) Taste-enhancing. The dog is taught to follow a piece of treat or toy. Then the treat is introduced in such a way that the puppy has to sit, lie down, stand up, or do something else to get the reward.
2) Operant. The owner calmly watches the dog and, as soon as it accidentally makes some necessary movement, gives it a treat. At first, the dog makes the desired movement very rarely, but gradually it begins to understand that there is some kind of connection between its behavior and reward. Having mastered several commands in this way, the dog begins to invent and suggest this or that movement to the owner - the person can only choose what to reward the pet for.

Already exist training grounds, where instructors use the two methods described when training all dogs: both puppies and adults. This kind of training safe for the psyche dogs any age, besides, it allows you to achieve much more high results in training and helps to establish understanding between dog and owner. Therefore, you can start training in educational training groups at such sites immediately after the end of quarantine or 2 weeks after the puppy arrives in your home. Best age puppy to start training – 3.5-4 months.

A dog is not born smart. What makes it so special is the attention, patience and endurance of the owner. The way he raises her is the way she will be. No wonder they say that a dog takes after its owner.

It is better to take up education from a very early age. Adult dogs are less trainable. It will be even more difficult to retrain it if the dog is used to behaving one way and not another.

You can start training your baby from the first month. Commands at this age are learned to be the simplest, but very important. Character is formed at this time future dog. It will take a little time to learn. Basically the puppy will run and play a lot. There is no need to be very demanding and try to train the puppy difficult commands. He is still just a “child” and is more busy with pranks than with unquestioning obedience.

What to teach your dog in the first months

In the first three months, the baby must learn a lot. The very first and simplest thing is that he must respond to his nickname. To achieve this, you should call the four-legged dog by name as often as possible: during meals or to give a treat or toy. When the puppy comes running, you need to pet him and repeat his name several times. It’s good if all family members call the puppy. Then he will listen not only to his master, but to everyone at home.

Like every family member, the dog should have its own sleeping place in the house. It is important to arrange it in such a way that he likes it. It should be quiet and calm, cozy, away from drafts. When introducing your dog to its “nest” for the first time, you can put your favorite puppy toys and treats there. The dog must know where its place is and go there at the first request.

By the age of 3, the puppy should recognize and execute important commands:

• "ugh";
• "to me";
• "near";
• "fetch".

At first, all training sessions will take place in a relaxed manner, during games at home or on a walk. For example, the baby will become familiar with the “come to me” command if the owner wants to play with the puppy or give him something tasty. If the dog suddenly starts chewing furniture or biting, he will hear the command “fu”. You need to ensure that the puppy follows all commands the first time, without waiting for a second request. He will behave in a similar way in the future.

First acquaintance with the "fu" team

This is a very important command. It will not only protect your house shoes and things from the dog’s teeth, but can also solve problems with the bad behavior of an inexperienced animal. In the future smart and obedient dog You won’t have to say “ugh” so often: she will already know perfectly well what is allowed to do and what is not.

The command “fu” must be pronounced with all severity. The desired effect will add a menacing, piercing look to the dog's eyes. The puppy will definitely sense dissatisfaction in the owner’s voice and feel guilty.

It is not recommended to punish a puppy in the first three months. It is better to indicate your dissatisfaction with a threatening intonation. Sometimes you can spank him with your hand, but only on the butt. It is better not to use items for this. Having received a slipper in the back seat, the puppy may begin to take revenge on his offender, and all the slippers will be in danger. But the dog is unlikely to get angry at the owner’s hand: among other things, it also feeds, caresses and plays.

If you punish your pet, then you need to do it during the “crime”, otherwise the puppy simply will not understand why he is being scolded.

Learning the command “come to me”

Hearing the command “come to me,” the pet must rush to this call with all its paws. The team will protect the puppy from many troubles that await him on the street. The baby will not run away to a dangerous distance, will not get hit by a car, will not bump into adults and aggressive dogs. To make the puppy run to the call with pleasure, you can interest the baby with a treat or toy. The main thing is that the approach should evoke positive associations in the puppy.

When a dog is unable to follow a command, help will come long leash-roulette. To do this, you need to say “to me” again and pull the pet in your direction. Another trick: when the puppy does not respond to the call, you can run away from him. He will get scared and run after you. At this time, it will be useful to comment on his action several times with the command “come to me.”


If the dog is very interested in something, and everything suggests that it will not suit, it is better not to give the command. Training should take place in a calm and comfortable conditions. If the training lasts a long time, it may be that the puppy is simply tired and needs a break.

Video

How to teach your pet to run next to you

In the first months of growing up, you should not demand from him strict execution of the command “nearby”. It is unlikely that the puppy will be able to go toe-to-toe with the owner. He will periodically run away in his own direction, pulling on the leash. But from the age of 3 months, the baby must be taught to fulfill this request.

You may need a strict collar with links in the shape of spikes at the beginning of training. To begin with, it is important to wean your dog from pulling on the leash. On the command “near”, the puppy must run strictly next to the owner’s left leg, not lag behind and not run ahead.

In order for your puppy to quickly learn this, you need to:

• stop and start moving more often;
• turn and make turns;
• speed up and slow down.

A command must be given every time there is a change in movement. If the puppy is walking properly, you must remember to praise him, and if he does not follow the command or is confused, guide him with a leash. The hardest part will be making a U-turn. The main thing: the movements should be smooth so that the baby has time to readjust.

We teach the command “Fetch, baby”

The “fetch” command is not pampering at all. Thanks to her, the puppy will develop energetic and physically healthy. In addition, having splashed out all the energy on a walk, the baby will be calm and obedient at home.

This command is fully trained from the age of five months. But it is necessary to introduce a four-legged baby to it much earlier. For now, this command will be processed in game form and not so strictly observed.

The main condition without which no dog will become active in this process is the owner’s genuine interest in the game. Children cope better with this task.

If the dog does not express a desire to run after the thrown object, you can “revive” it. If it's a stick, kick it with your feet. Surely this will interest the puppy. When he grabs it in his teeth, you can fight with the baby, taking away his prey. As a result, the whole process will turn into an exciting game. All you have to do is remember to say “fetch” from time to time.

Methods proper training Puppy training in practice turns out to be not so difficult. The main thing is that it brings pleasure to both the puppy and its owner. Then there is every chance that soon the little fool will turn into an adult, smart and well-mannered dog and will become a source of pride.

When to start training

Training is intertwined with education with a thin thread. You need to start this from the very first days it appeared in your home.

Opinions often differ. Some say no earlier than six months, others suggest starting at one year of age. As you know, 1 year of a dog is equivalent to 7 years of a person.

Imagine that the child is not limited in absolutely anything, he is allowed everything and is not taught anything until he is 3.5 or even 7 years old. Will it be easy to catch up later? Therefore, we repeat: take care of the puppy from the first days of his appearance in your home.

If you don’t set your own rules, the dog will try to set them himself, and this is fraught with big conflicts with the owners.

How to train a husky

The Siberian Husky is a very smart breed. These are confident, balanced dogs with nerves of steel. Huskies are completely unsuitable for protection; they have always acted as sled dogs in distant Siberia.

If you active person who loves to travel and spends a lot of time outdoors, this is the breed for you. Huskies are highly trainable, but they are leaders by nature and can show their own character.

Even if you want a professional to train your dog, remember that you will have to train him too. Due to their good endurance, huskies can be trained in any weather conditions; take time for long walks on fresh air, morning jogging.

Labrador training

The Labrador is a companion dog and is perfect for families with children. In order for you to have a wonderful friend, you need to have basic knowledge of how to train a Labrador. The puppy can be taught all the necessary commands at home.

Dogs of this breed completely trust a person, they do not expect any nasty things from the trainer, so they can exercise for a long time and with great pleasure. They love human interaction, so they will happily accept a stroke or a kind word as praise instead of a treat.

The Labrador is a very peaceful dog; he will be less distracted during training with other animals, unlike fighting breeds. These dogs have a temperament - they cannot be called lethargic, but they are not impulsive, moderately active, with a healthy motor activity– just what is needed for successful training.

Dog owner experience

From personal experience: you should not start training if you have Bad mood, dogs are excellent psychologists, and your depression can rub off on them. Both puppies and adults copy the owner in everything, loving dog will try to be with you always and everywhere.

A new arrival has appeared in your house - a small charming puppy. He immediately won the love of household members who wanted to hold him in their arms, caress him or just stroke him. When should you start training a puppy so that over time it does not turn into a spoiled and disobedient household tyrant?

If by “training” we mean teaching a puppy obedience, rules of behavior in the house, the formation of a “dog’s” character, maximum disclosure of the qualities genetically inherent in a given breed, then you should purposefully start training a dog from the age of two to three months.

Raising a puppy from one and a half to two to three months of age

This is the most important period for raising puppies. They already manage without their mother; their owners take care of them. At this age, puppies easily acquire “positive” skills. They quickly remember the commands “place”, “come to me”, “walk”. But it is still difficult for them to get used to following the forced commands “no”, “sit”, “lie down”.

The owner of the puppy needs to be patient so that the animal, without harsh violence, learns to obey the owner and accepts the owner as a leader. It is important not to overload the puppy, not to develop the habit of obeying him only through punishment or pain.

At this age, the puppy gets used to its place of lying down and eating, to the tray. He develops the habit of asking “out of need.” It should be remembered that the dog’s lying area, its food and drinking utensils are the “private property” of your four-legged friend.

Be respectful of this, and do not allow children and other members of your family to make your dog feel like an encroachment on its property. It is necessary to eradicate the desire of a young dog to scuff slippers, chew furniture, and beg for food when the household members are dining. The puppy must remember the norms of his behavior in the house.

The main period of raising a puppy

People often ask: at what age should a puppy be trained? Experts recommend starting training at the age of three to six to seven months. At this age, the dog develops individual characteristics nervous system. This best period to educate a puppy in the ability to independently manage processes nervous excitement and inhibition, control the mutual balance of these processes, and, at the owner’s command, move from one mental state to another.

This period is the main one for the formation of your dog’s character. Achieve a calm puppy reaction to the appearance strangers and foreign animals - dogs and cats. It is normal for the puppy to show a natural curiosity about them, to watch them carefully - this is a sign of a healthy passive-defensive reaction. Teach your young dog to behave with restraint and dignity, stop attempts to chase strangers and bark at them.

It happens that people get older dogs when the foundations of a young dog’s character have already been formed. Don’t torment yourself with the question of what age to train a puppy. Be patient and train your newly acquired dog at any age, as training is even more late dates much better than an untrained and uncontrollable dog.

Some dog owners are confident that there is no need to engage in targeted education and training of dogs, that the dog will learn everything on its own. A categorically incorrect judgment, leading to the subsequent retraining of such dogs, correction and adjustment of their behavior. This implies a significant stressful effect on the animal’s psyche, which in most cases does not pass without serious complications.

After reading this article, you learned at what age to start training a puppy. You may have the idea that by training and training your dog, you gain complete control over your four-legged friend. This is not entirely true. Dogs are very smart animals. While learning and obeying its owner, the dog simultaneously studies the owner, finds weak spots in his character, thereby gaining the opportunity to influence and manipulate his master.

Don't let your dog abuse this influence.

Treat your dog with strict kindness and he will respond with loyalty and obedience.

If you decide to get a dog, then you need to think about training. Any dog ​​should know basic commands in order to communicate with it comfortably. The pet must know the command “come to me” so that during a walk it can be released from the leash and called if necessary.

There are also several other commands that will be useful when communicating with your pet. Moreover, you can do the training yourself, the main thing is to know general rules and be patient.

What commands should a dog know?

First you need to figure out what is included in without a coach. You yourself need to choose a few basic commands and start learning from them. Over time, you can gradually add the necessary skills and make the training more complex. The general training course includes the following tasks:

It is also necessary to remember that for quick training you need train your dog to be patient. She should train from a very short time and gradually reach a long period.

Choosing a place and time for classes

First you need to figure out at what age you can start training your pet. The first training lessons can be carried out with a puppy who is 3 months old. In more early age the pet simply will not understand what is required of him, and it will simply be a waste of time.

Where to conduct training. Workout start at home, the dog should already get used to this place and feel comfortable. When training, it is necessary to create a calm environment so that the pet is not distracted by anything.

And only after mastering some commands can you gradually move on to busier areas, such as the street. It is imperative to conduct training in different places, otherwise the pet will get used to one environment and will not obey the owner in other territories.

Raising a dog from start to finish depends on the owner’s endurance and patience. For training, it is necessary to provide a treat that will be given as a reward when the dog completes the task correctly.

Duration of classes

Before training your dog, you need to find out time intervals that will not stress your pet too much, but will be enough to absorb the material.

The first workouts should be done for a duration 35−45 minutes, longer sessions will take too much energy from the puppy, and in the end the dog will not absorb the information. Gradually the time increases to 1−1.5 hours.

Self-training can be done at least 3 times a week, for example, every other day or on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If it is not possible to devote that much time to training, then you can choose two days a week. But the pet must undergo two training sessions during the week.

Training Guide

Any training has its own characteristics, and, of course, when working with a pet, you also need to know the basic elements of training. They will greatly help simplify training and make it more effective and comfortable for both the owner and the pet.

Training rules:

1. Walk before training. During the walk, the dog will get a little tired and will not be distracted by various little things. By following this simple rule, you can increase the effectiveness of your training by 3-4 times.
2. Don't give commands too often. After each command, you need to give about 10 seconds of rest, and only then can you proceed to the next training. In this case, the pet will be more attentive and collected.
3. The command is spoken only once. The dog is given a command and it must carry it out, this is how training should take place. If you repeat a command several times, the dog will not carry it out the first time.
4. Commands are always given in random order. The pet will quickly remember which command follows the previous one and will not carry them out one at a time. Always change the sequence of commands.
5. You need to remember that the dog can get tired. If your pet refuses training, then perhaps you shouldn’t insist; it’s better to start training after a while.
6. If the dog is scared, then perhaps the owner was too strict. In such a situation, for each command executed, it is necessary to give the pet 3-4 times more reward than usual.
7. First, teach your pet 3-4 commands, and only after complete mastery can you move on to more complex and new activities. A gradual approach is the main secret of proper and effective dog training.
8. One owner must train the dog, but the pet must follow commands even when asked by another family member.

With a dog it's never too late to start practicing: at three years old, and at five, and at eight years old.

How and where do dog training classes take place?

Where do the classes take place?

Training can take place in a group on the site, or individually at home. In any case, it is important that as a result of the training the dog owner clearly knows:

1. How a specific command is processed. In what ways, and according to what scheme;
2. In addition, it is important to know the general principles of learning, because you cannot write instructions for all situations. Understanding general patterns helps make decisions in a particular case;
3. In addition, the help of an instructor is sometimes necessary for the development of motor skills and coordination of the trainer (dog owner) himself.

Who trains the dog?

You train your dog under the strict guidance of an instructor. The instructor shows you how to practice each element on your dog, after which you move on to his unlearning. The instructor will correct your actions in accordance with their correct execution. This is necessary so that the Dog Owner understands how his pet is trained “from start to finish”, so that at any time, after the end of training, he can independently consolidate the learned material, and also so that the dog was trained to follow the commands of its owner, not the instructor.

As a result, we get a dog trained carry out your owner's commands the first time in any conditions.

Group or individual lessons?

Group classes are cheaper than individual classes. However, both options have their positive and negative sides. By working individually, you can achieve from a dog desired result noticeably faster, since the dog trainer will use exactly those training techniques that are best suited to your dog. But the skills acquired in this way may be of little use if your dog becomes disobedient in the presence of other animals.

Therefore, it would be optimal to start with individual lessons, and in the future use group classes so that the dog learns to fulfill the owner’s requirements in different conditions

Work independently or with an instructor?

Whatever you do, the main thing is your desire and perseverance. Even if you hire the most expensive instructor, most of The work will fall on you, since it is you who needs to build a relationship with your animal. The dog should obey you, not the dog handler.

But the work must be effective, and in this regard, an experienced dog handler will help you achieve the desired results in as soon as possible. If you want to get results and not throw money away, you need to work with the dog every day, for example, when you take the dog for a walk. You can work with a dog handler once a week to guide and correct your work with the animal.

How many dog ​​training classes do you need?

Number of classes depends on the desired result, as well as from breed characteristics Your dog.

On average this is:

1-5 lessons- correction of any dog ​​behavior.

Solved problems:

• Outdoor toilet training and litter box training;
• Disruptive behavior;
• Barking and howling of a dog in front of you or in your absence;
• Aggressive behavior towards family members, strangers or dogs;
• Dog's fears loud sounds, streets, collar, leash, people, dogs, etc.);

5-10 lessons— a basic course for studying obedience commands.

Skills to be practiced:

• The command “NEAR” with the dog sitting when the owner stops;
• Accustoming to freely wearing a muzzle, collar and leash;
• A set of commands “SIT”, “STAND”, “LIE”. Commands are given by voice and gesture at a distance of up to 10 meters;
• Holding the dog in place long time in a sitting, standing, lying position;
• Command "TO ME";
• Command "PLACE";
• Command “FU” - stop picking up various waste from the ground;
• The “NO” command is to stop any unwanted action.

10-20 lessons— an extended course of studying obedience commands.

Do instructors come to your home?

Yes.
Our instructors travel to all areas of Ivanovo and the Ivanovo Region.
Classes are held at a time convenient for you, without weekends or holidays.

What is needed for classes?

a) Hungry dog(do not feed in the morning before class; “cottage cheese”, “yogurt”, “well, I’m just a little bit” is also considered feeding and affects the quality of the lesson)

b) 100 - 300 grams of treats(depending on the size of the dog)
The treat can be anything except regular food dogs.
— Natural: cheese, sausage, sausages, boiled meat, chicken breast, liver, etc.
— Dry: dry lung, “sandwiches”, records, etc.
Not recommended for use as a treat dry food, dryers, crackers, that is, everything that the dog will chew and drop crumbs to the ground, except when active movements Dry treats may cause your dog to start coughing and he will not be able to train.