home Endocrinology When to train a puppy. How to train your pet correctly: secrets of successful dog training. Rules on and off the training ground

When to train a puppy. How to train your pet correctly: secrets of successful dog training. Rules on and off the training ground

For most people this is a serious problem. All because the owners did not bother to study the pet’s character and establish contact with it. Before you can train dogs, you need to make friends with them and ensure the animals' trust and respect. It is not so difficult.

You should know that each breed has its own nuances that must be taken into account. You can study a dog's character in practice by observing it. This helps the owner understand that the animal is also a person who must be taken into account.

Education is the basis of training

Have you thought about how to properly train a dog? First of all, the animal must be educated. There are no trifles in this matter. Don't let your pet sleep on your bed - he will get used to it very quickly and begin to chase you away. If you're sitting at the dinner table and your dog is hovering around, don't throw the kibble. The animal must have its own food.

Get used to eating a portion at a time; to do this, remove the bowl immediately after finishing the meal. If the dog doesn’t finish eating, next time add a smaller portion (of course, taking into account the characteristics of the breed).

The dog owner must understand the difference between education and training. To educate is to teach a pet the most important rules of behavior, to build relationships with it according to the principle of hierarchy. Without proper training, the dog will be uncontrollable. This is to teach you to perform the necessary actions after a certain command.

Let's move on to training

When contact with your pet is established, you can begin teaching the first commands. At first, try not to raise your voice, otherwise the dog will not perceive a calm intonation.

Before you train dogs, they need to be taught to know their own names. When choosing a name, remember that the best name is short and sonorous, which contains the sound “r”. At the next stage, teach the dog to eat only at home and under no circumstances take food from strangers on the street. In addition, the dog must master a collar, muzzle, and leash - mandatory attributes for any walk.

Outdoor exercises should be started only after walking the dog, when it has rested and played with other animals. In each individual case, intuition will help you.

Theory or practice?

Many dog owners try to learn how to properly train a dog from books or the Internet. But, as a rule, the literature provides only general information about the behavior of animals and the characteristics of each breed. In reality, it is impossible to train a dog using books. The practical part includes the development of movement and coordination skills, and this applies to both the pet itself and its owner.

At the same time, you should know that most colorful illustrated foreign publications, especially American ones, are not suitable for working in Russian conditions. Training methods in the USA are completely different.

How to train a dog correctly? The entire training process consists of teaching the dog to understand commands and providing the right motivation, that is, the dog must not only understand what the owner wants from it, but also strive to fulfill his command, and for this it needs a stimulus that must be skillfully selected.

Carrot or stick?

At the initial stage, the dog should receive a treat for completing a command. Training should be based on the animal’s emotions: if it is happy to play and follow your commands, receiving a reward, the training process itself will be easy and enjoyable for both parties. Seeing your rewards and receiving tidbits, the dog will easily and willingly obey your commands.

If you build a system for remembering commands based on negative emotions, it will be very difficult to regain the animal’s trust. The biggest mistake novice trainers make is trying to inflict violence (physical or psychological). If you yell at the dog, much less hit it, the result will be exactly the opposite of what you expected. She will either become nervous and aggressive, or downtrodden, which is also of no use to you.

At the same time, you can’t be too soft with a dog. Don't let her pamper or play while training. Friendliness should be in moderation. Say the command only once. If the dog gets used to responding only after ten repetitions, be sure that you will never achieve immediate execution of the command.

Other nuances

The commands “no” and “fu” should sound a little stricter. The dog must understand that the owner is dissatisfied with its actions.

The most important thing in training is systematic repetition. Each exercise must be repeated several times to consolidate it. But don't be overly zealous in this matter, give the animal a break.

Of course, you need to take into account the characteristics of the breed. If you have a large dog, such as a German Shepherd, handling it will not be easy for a physically untrained person. The owner himself must be strong and resilient. Sometimes professionals are hired to train such dogs, but it is much better when the dog gets used to obeying only the owner.

Training methods

Now let's talk about specific methods. How and where is the best place to train a dog? Most often, there are three options - independent training of the animal at a training site, individual lessons with a dog handler (including at home), training with overexposure without the presence of the owner.

The last point looks very tempting and theoretically saves the owner from hassle - you give the dog, pay money, get a trained, disciplined animal. But in practice everything is not so simple. Don't forget that a dog is a living creature, and not a computer that can be configured to work. She has a personal relationship with her owner, which is an important part of the success of the training process.

Thus, the presence of the owner in classes is almost always necessary - in order to monitor the formation of skills in the dog and independently correct the process. One way or another, you still have to spend your own time and effort on training.

Training on the site

Let's look at how this happens on a special training site. Here dogs are trained independently under the supervision and guidance of a professional dog trainer for a reasonable fee. The advantage is the low cost of the lesson and the opportunity to take the exam with the dog to receive a diploma (if needed) at a familiar site.

The disadvantage of this method is the platform effect. The dog follows commands only where it was trained. Another disadvantage is the inability to solve your pet's individual problems.

Lessons with an instructor

It is even possible to train dogs at home with a dog handler, which will allow you to save time on transporting your pet to the place of training. You can choose a time convenient for yourself. There is no platform effect, the dog is trained to respond to commands in any environment.

The downside is the relatively high price of such training and sometimes the impossibility of finding a good dog handler.

Choosing a specialist

How to choose a dog handler? If the person offering his services previously served in the army or police, and is now trying to organize dog training courses or simply work for hire, then this is not the best option. As a rule, he had only one dog at his disposal during his service. These people are often unable to take into account the characteristics of different breeds; such a specialist can easily spoil another dog (especially a puppy).

If the dog handler is not related to the army or police, ask what breeds he specializes in. It is desirable that the trainer can find an approach to a dog of any breed. The most complex of them are Spitz, wolfhounds, Shar-Pei, and also decorative dogs. It is not easy to find a specialist for these breeds. If there is one, this means that he is able to cope with a representative of almost any breed.

It is highly desirable that a professional trainer undergo training and obtain a license at the courses of the Russian Canine Federation. If he does not have such a diploma, it is worth considering.

About training methods

The closest attention should be paid to the methods of working with the dog. There are, as a rule, three professional ones - food motivation (reward in the form of treats), play motivation (throwing your favorite toy) and a mechanical-defensive method using harsh techniques.

A very serious mistake is to use only one method out of three. The carrot and the stick alone will not work; you need to combine them. In addition, a professional should be able to explain to you, as the owner, the basics of training. Thus, trust your pet only to a competent specialist.

How to train a dog with commands?

If the dog is not going to participate in shows, there is no need to teach a huge number of commands. Any dog should know and be able to perform the most basic of them.

On the command “near”, the animal must understand that at the moment it is forbidden to jump or play and should stay near the owner. A similar command is “to me.” In this case, the dog should not only run up to you, but also stay close to you until you let him go.

The command “fu” means “don’t touch”, “impossible”. It is used not only in cases of attempts to sniff and grab food or garbage on the street, but also in possible harassment of strangers.

Useful reflexes must be developed from puppyhood. Here the most successful tactics will be play and imitation. Conditioned stimuli, which are called signal ones, are generally accepted commands in all service dog breeding clubs.

The conditioned reflex to any command is first reinforced by mechanical action with a hand or a leash, then execution is encouraged with a tasty piece. In order for the dog to strive to get a treat, training should be carried out before feeding.

We organize classes

How to train dogs while walking? The duration of each lesson should not be more than two hours. Until old skills are consolidated, new ones should not be started. It is necessary to use breaks to rest and walk the dog. It is important to be able to use long and short leashes correctly, then you should move on to the stage of control without a leash.

For successful training, the owner must stock up on a set of necessary equipment - regular and strict collars, short and long leashes, a muzzle, various items that the dog will fetch, a bag for all this, a bag for food.

You need to have pieces of sausage or any other food with you. At the sports training site, special sleeves, training suits, starting pistols and other devices are usually used. As a rule, there is an obstacle course there. To exercise with a dog, you will definitely need special clothing, comfortable and durable.

Don't let your dog lick your face, and wash your hands well with soap and water after each training session. At the initial stage, places for training should be chosen away from roads and crowds of people.

At what age are dogs trained? Will it be possible to train an adult dog? A dog of almost any age can be trained, including those older than eight years, but the process of training an adult animal will take a little longer. Before training an adult dog, let it get comfortable. She may take a little longer to learn movement commands.

What do the commands mean?

On the command “come”, the dog must approach the owner from the right side and allow the leash to be attached to the collar. “Nearby” is an order to be near the owner’s left leg when walking or standing still. “Walk” can be commanded to a dog off the leash, in the absence of strangers.

The “face” command gives vent to aggression and points to the object of influence. “Fu” is the opposite of many others; it cancels any actions, including aggressive ones. On the “fetch” command, the pet must bring the thrown object (a stick or a ball). It is very important to teach it to a hunting dog that will carry game.

On the command “sit” or “lie down,” the animal must sit or lie down in its place or on the ground, respectively. In this case, all orders are supported by the appropriate gesture of the right hand.

Do not forget that the dog is a descendant of wolves, which are adapted to life in a pack. For successful training, she must recognize your family as her pack, and you, her owner, as the leader.

The desire to caress, pamper and simply love a little puppy is quite natural and more pleasant than the desire to educate it. Why? Because at first this little living and so defenseless lump is simply pitiful. It is not clear how and what can be taught to him at such a tender age. He'll grow up...

The biggest mistake new owners make is waiting for the puppy to grow up. This will happen much faster than you think, and by that time the grown-up puppy will begin to train you. The age of a dog is not comparable to the age of a person, so we must know how our puppy grows and develops.

A 2-3 month old puppy is quite ready to absorb information at the level of a 4-5 year old child. Training a puppy is a process that is necessary from the first days of being in the house. Let these be the simplest commands: “Place”, “Lie down”, “No”, “Ugh”, “Come to me”. By 6 months, the puppy will have already mastered them, and during a walk you will only have to consolidate the results obtained.

A 6 month old puppy is approximately the same age as a 10 year old child. Active exploration of the surrounding world continues. The puppy is already more confident in himself, and he is capable of more complex tasks - the commands “Sit”, “Stand” and “Near”. Perseverance is still not enough, but everything is remembered quite quickly. Gradually, you can teach your puppy to fetch. And, of course, all classes should be carried out in the form of a game, making sure to take breaks and not overtire the puppy. After all, at such a young age, his nervous system is extremely mobile.

Classes should be alternated with playing with other dogs, communicating with people and walking in different places unfamiliar to the puppy. This allows him to be socialized and accustoms him to obedience in different conditions and unfamiliar places.

The biggest mistake new owners make is waiting for the puppy to grow up. This will happen much faster than you think, and by that time the grown-up puppy will begin to train you.

From 6 to 10 months, the puppy turns into a young dog. His teeth have already changed. He is physically stronger, and puberty forces him to decide on his status in his own pack - your family. This is where what you painstakingly put into his young head from the first days of his life in your house will come in handy.

The main task is to explain to the young dog that you, the owner, are the leader of the pack. That all family members, including the youngest and the oldest, have unquestioned authority. And that from now on the dog will be treated with respect, but not equal. If the owner was able to set priorities correctly, without humiliating the dog or treating it rudely, then the dog will grow up obedient, even if it has not undergone special training courses.

It is important to remember that a dog, like a person, values justice. She will humbly accept punishment if it is on time and for the cause. Will gladly accept praise. He will appreciate the owner's respect and will not forgive lies.

Instructions

The first thing you should learn is his nickname. The dog must know its name. Until she begins to respond to him, you should not teach her anything.

Training should begin with the command “Come to me.” She is the most important. An approach to the owner should always be perceived only with positive feelings. The “Come to me” command is very easy to teach a puppy. When you call your puppy to you, say this command, for example: “Jack, come to me!” To make the puppy come faster, attract his attention, for this you can clap your hands or knock on the floor.

A puppy should be accustomed to and taken for walks after a course of all necessary vaccinations. Choose a soft leather collar, its width should be 2-2.5 cm. A long leash made of leather is better. First, put a collar on the puppy and leave it until the evening. Then you can fasten the leash and go for a walk. Go in the direction the puppy wants, not you. Never tug or pull on the leash, as this may cause negative perception of the collar and leash and may result in injury. Over time, the pet will get used to the leash and will perceive it as a signal to go for a walk.

Now start learning the “Nearby” command. It is very difficult to accustom it, especially for inexperienced dog owners. On a walk, when the puppy runs around, take him by the leash. Lead him to your left. In your right hand, hold a treat or his favorite toy. Start the movement, while holding the treat at the level at which the puppy should walk, and repeat the command “Nearby”. Do not pull the leash under any circumstances; the pet must walk on its own. If the dog walks at least a few meters correctly, then praise him and give him a treat. Trying not to overtire the puppy, repeat everything from the beginning. After a few days, start going without the treat. Don't forget to praise him if he does everything right. Never get angry or scold your pet if it doesn’t work out. After a few days of training, he will learn.

After the puppy has completely mastered the “Near” command, proceed to teaching the “Sit” command. After you give your pet the “Near” command, walk a few meters and stop. Show the puppy a treat and hold it above your head so that it sits, while saying the command “Sit”. As soon as he sits, praise him and give him a treat. Repeat these steps 3-4 more times. During the next lessons, do without treats. After mastering this command while walking, start practicing it without the “Near” command. To do this, call the puppy to you and say the command “Sit”. Perhaps the dog will sit down right away, if this does not happen, help him by raising the treat above his head. Repeat several times with a treat, and then without it. Over time, the pet will learn this command and will carry it out in any case.

To teach your puppy the “Lie Down” command, take a treat in your right hand, place your left hand on your pet’s shoulder blades, and release the treat down so that the puppy lies down, while saying the “Lie Down” command. The dog should be on your left. Do not put pressure on your puppy's back or force him to lie down. When your pet lies down, hold him in this position for a few seconds without unclenching your hand with the treat. Then give the treat and praise the puppy. To consolidate the result, repeat these steps several times.

When teaching the "Stay" command, the puppy should be in a lying or sitting position to your left. Take the treat in your right hand, and place your left hand under your pet’s belly. Bring a treat to the dog's nose, say the command "Stay" and lift the treat up and forward so that the puppy stands up. Repeat these steps until you achieve results.

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Some commands need to be taught from the first days of arrival in the house. As a rule, these are everyday commands, such as “Place” or “Toilet”. There is also a very important word “No”. Other commands are not so important for your comfortable living together, but are also desirable. Necessary for the commands “Place” with the designation of the place by an object, “Near” and “Sit”. All these commands are best taught at approximately 4 years of age. Remember that when teaching your puppy commands, a systematic approach is important, that is, you must practice regularly, perhaps several times a day.

Consider the condition of the puppy.
Before teaching your puppy commands, let him get some sleep. A lethargic and sleepy animal will poorly understand your speech and be confused in its actions. Puppies, like small children, cannot concentrate on the same thing for long. In addition, the puppy should not be very hungry, otherwise he will run around and be distracted by every smell. But he shouldn’t be too full either. Otherwise, there will be no incentive to work and carry out your orders for treats.

How to teach a puppy to commands.
Command "Sit" Repeat this word loudly in a commanding tone every time the puppy sits spontaneously. Then give the command and lightly press your hand on his pelvis so that he understands that he needs to lower himself to the ground. When the puppy sits down, reinforce the command again with your voice, and then praise him and give him a treat.
The command to sit is basic, after it is reinforced, and from a sitting position the dog learns the commands “Lie down”, “Roll over” and “Crawl” in the same way; with a treat it is necessary to draw the dog’s trajectory in the air. The command “Near” should be taught with the help of a leash. Do not pull or pull it too much, to the distance that is permissible for you, while repeating the command loudly enough. If the dog moves away from you, pull the leash, if it is walking next to you, give it a treat, gradually try to let it off the leash, when the animal tries to move away, hold it by the collar. Don’t forget about treats. The “Place” command should be taught to the puppy from the first days of conscious life. Carry it to the place in your arms. Constantly saying the command. Occupy the puppy with a toy in his place, praise him if he remains there and does not follow you. Afterwards, replace carrying in your arms with a leash; if the dog copes and does not resist, then send it to its place with your voice.

You have become the proud owner of a charming little puppy. It's like a stuffed toy and fits in the palm of your hand. You want to pamper him and indulge all his desires. But you must remember that any dog, even if it belongs to a “decorative” breed, requires training.

The scientific definition of this process is: “Training is teaching a dog certain skills based on an external stimulus.”

The result of training a puppy is that it performs specific actions on your command. The purpose of training is the socialization of the animal, its desired behavior with people and its relatives, building relationships between the owner and the dog, where the “leader of the pack” is a person.

When to start training

Before adopting a puppy, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the breed. This information will give you an understanding of what your pet is inclined to do and whether your personalities will get along. But each dog is an individual and has its own preferences and habits.

By working with your puppy, you can develop “positive” behavior, eliminate “negative” behavior, and begin to trust each other.

At what age should you train a puppy? This question worries people who have purchased their first dog in their life. Answer: “As soon as the puppy was brought into the house.”

To the question “from how many months can a puppy be trained?”, we can answer that training can begin as early as a month and a half, but it is better to practice OKD from three months of age.

How dogs react

Training methods

There are two of them: reward and punishment.

Promotion

How to give treats to a dog

The main method of training. It allows you to interest your baby and turn classes into a pleasant pastime. Promotes the emergence of trust and understanding between the owner and the pet.

Any correct actions of the dog and its execution of commands should be encouraged.

Incentives may include:

Delicacy.
Stroking, patting.
Praise, approval.
A game.

Punishment

Used in the educational process (during training - limited). You must immediately decide for yourself what will be allowed for your pet and what will be prohibited. Has the puppy done something wrong? Take it by the scruff of the neck and shake it. Address him in a stern voice and scold him. Place it on the floor.

If the puppy has taken a pose of submission, everything is in order, the lesson has been learned. If he tries to growl or show his teeth, the punishment should be repeated. You need to punish immediately after the “Skoda”. Then the puppy will understand what exactly caused the owner’s dissatisfaction. If you punish half an hour or an hour after the offense, the puppy will not be able to “connect” these events, will be afraid of the owner, and will grow up nervous and aggressive.

Yours? We will teach you how to train a puppy to go to the toilet outside.

Everything about Shih Tzu breed - about these cute little ones!

Basics of training at home

Each breed has its own role: there are service dogs, guide dogs, and rescue dogs. Toy breeds are companion dogs. Their job is to be a friend.

Your “companion” must learn to follow commands aimed at comfortable coexistence with a person. To do this, it is not necessary to train the puppy with a canine instructor; you can train the pet yourself.

How to train a puppy at home?

Dog Training Basics

Basic rules of training: engage with your pet only in a good mood;
A lesson for children should last 5-10 minutes (in the future, the lesson time will increase);
Find out what your dog's treats are. The treat should be “one bite” so that the puppy
He didn’t chew or pick up crumbs from the floor for a long time;
Exercise your puppy before feeding;
Commands should be short and specific;
Give commands in a cheerful, cheerful voice;
Exercise several times during the day;
When things don't work out, stop the lesson. Do not allow anger and irritation to arise;
Try to make each lesson effective;
Start practicing a new command only when the previous one has been mastered.

Practicing commands

1. The puppy must learn its name.

Communicate with the puppy like a child, commenting on your actions and calling the puppy by name. Put a bowl of food, call: “Charlie, eat.” They picked up the leash: “Charlie, go for a walk.” Briefly, without further ado. Dogs very quickly remember their “favorite” words (walk, sausage, eat, play) and their nickname. It is learned if the puppy turns its head to its name, pronounced by you in a calm voice, or runs when you call.

2. Accustoming to a harness and leash.

Leash training

For dogs of decorative breeds, a harness is used rather than a collar. Be prepared for the fact that a fearful reaction may follow when wearing a harness for the first time. It is best to distract your baby with a game. Let him play in the harness for a while, then remove the harness and give your pet a treat. When the puppy understands that you are putting a harness on him before a walk, he will bring it himself and ask to be walked with him. Nobody pays attention to the leash: there are so many interesting things on the street, what kind of leash is there. Simply attach it to the harness and take your dog out.

3. Basic prohibition.

Team "Ugh!"

Your pet faces many dangers in the human world, so one of the first skills you should teach your puppy is the “Fu” command.

He is prohibited:

To stop unwanted actions, the command “Fu” is given. It should be pronounced in a stern voice. If it happens on the street, the order is accompanied by a jerk of the leash. At home, you can flick your puppy on the nose or slap him on the butt with a newspaper. After completing the command, you can call your pet to you and praise it.

The commands “No”, “Spit”, “Drop” are non-standard, and are a variation of the “Fu” command. If it is more convenient for you to use one of them, please do so. The main thing is that the puppy completes them quickly and without hesitation. Often, this can save his life.

4. Command “Come to me”.

Team "Come to me"

Its training begins only after the puppy has learned its name.

Sequencing:

Say the puppy's name. He must react to it (look at you).
Show him the treat and quickly move away from the puppy so that he sees your hand with the treat, saying “Come to me.”
After the dog runs up to you, give it a treat, pet it, and praise it.

When the puppy learns to carry out this command well indoors, you can move on to training outdoors. There are many more distractions here. The order “come to me” is carried out using a leash, which must be twitched until the dog turns and starts moving in your direction. She came up, praised her, and gave her a treat.

Some owners, when their pet has misbehaved, call it, saying “Come to me” and punish it. This is strictly prohibited, otherwise the dog will stop listening to you altogether.

5. Teaching the command “Sit!”

Teaching the command “Sit!” by pressing on the animal's rump

The command “Sit!”

Call the dog with the order “Come to me.” When she approaches, press your palm on her croup, forcing her to sit down. At the same time, make a gesture with your other hand that will indicate the command “Sit” (showing the dog a vertical palm). Remove your hands, saying: “Sit, sit.” Give your puppy a treat if he does everything correctly. If you remove your hands and the dog stands up, say the marker “no” and repeat all over again.

6. Practicing the “Stand” command.

Command "Stand"

Teaching the “Stand” command by pressing on the animal’s croup

First stage practicing the command - force the puppy to take a “standing” position.

Put a leash on your dog.
Say: “Sit.”
By pulling the leash forward and up, force the puppy into a standing position. Make an open palm gesture from bottom to top and say the command “Stand.” Reward your dog for doing the right thing.

Second phase: teach your pet to stop if there is some kind of threat (crossing the road, fighting with another dog, etc.)

We practice it outside with a leash. We command “stand” and move away from the dog. If she stays in place, we give her a treat and praise her. If he starts moving after you, we say “no” to the marker, pull the leash and return to the starting position.

7. Team "Place".

Take the puppy to his bedding, lay him down, saying “Place”, and treat him to a treat. A few weeks later, when you come home after a walk, command “Place.” If the dog goes to his bedding, praise him and give him a treat.

Teach your dog to simply take an object in its mouth and give it back with the command “Give.” If your dog drops an object, say “no” to the marker and do not give the treat.
Place the item on the floor and say “Apport.” The dog must pick up the object and hold it in its mouth until you command “Give.”
Give the command “Stay”, move away from the dog, put the retrieval on the floor and walk away. "Apport" command. The dog must pick up the object and bring it to you.
Throw the object, holding the dog by the collar, give the command “Apport!” The dog brings an object.

At all stages you reward for the right actions.

Game in a dog's life

Small dogs love to play from early childhood until old age. A toy (and owners buy countless toys for their pets) is very important for the normal development of your pet. He also needs your games together. This is a great way to begin to understand your dog's language and build a friendly relationship with him.

Playing with your pet outside will save him from many troubles. A dog that has been running around during a walk and has had enough of playing with its owner will never “misbehave” at home; it simply does not have the strength or energy for this.

Many of the commands mentioned above can be practiced while playing with your favorite.

Playing is a good way to relax your dog after a stressful training session. The puppy will be more willing to exercise if he knows that at the end there will be a reward - a game with his adoring owner.

Video about training a puppy and overcoming the crisis of independence:

Take your puppy for its first walk only after you have given it all its vaccinations.
Dogs of decorative breeds must be dressed for walking in bad weather. Their attitude towards clothing is often negative. Training for clothes is carried out in the same way as for a harness and leash.
Be consistent in training your pet.
Love your dog and achieve its obedience using training methods. Be the "pack leader" she respects.