Councils for the training of dogs. What is the correct education and socialization of a dog? The most common mistakes when raising a dog

11.04.2019

Have you got a pet? Little, helpless, touching puppy? Or did you pick up a stray dog on the street? Now the question arises: how to raise him so that he gives you joy, not problems? You can often see a picture: a dog runs away from its owner, he calls him, the pet playfully waves his tail, but does not approach the owner, or: the owner takes away the dirty bone from the dog, which she picked up from the ground, and she not only does not give it back, but still and snarls, or: the dog drags an obedient master on a leash. By purchasing a puppy, you will have less time for your favorite activities. List similar problems can be very long.

In this article, I will not tell you how to teach a dog various commands, describe training techniques - all this is easy to find on the Internet. Type in any search engine the phrase “how to train a dog”, in response you will receive addresses of a huge number of excellent benefits on this topic. We will talk about what drives a dog, what are the motives of dog behavior. Having understood the pet, you will learn how to manage it.

The most big mistake, which beginner dog breeders do - they transfer their human experience of communication to relationships with a dog. But a dog is a different biological species, it has a completely different perception of the world around it, other motives for behavior.

A dog, like a pack animal, considers the family in which it lives to be a pack. And the flock is organized according to its own laws. First of all, it is a hierarchy. The puppy is at the very bottom of the hierarchical ladder, and all his life the pack animal will instinctively strive to take a higher place. Therefore, the first thing to learn: a man is the leader of the pack. Every member of your family, regardless of age, is higher in the hierarchy than a dog. It is necessary not only once to point the dog to a place in the pack, but every day, throughout the entire dog life to be its leader. When a dog disobeys you, it is not because he is stupid, but because he is trying to defend his right to disobey you. You can, of course, scold her. But the best option will show that obedience is part of the status and properly motivate the pet to obedience.

So how to convey that the leader, the leader is you? Only by their behavior. It is useless to hang a sign on the chest “I am a leader”, it is useless to swear and pointlessly pull the leash, and even more useless (even criminal) to punish the dog physically. It is necessary to send signs to the dog that are understandable to her and control her instincts.

One of the most remarkable illustrations for this is the Mowgli cartoon. Remember where the leader sits on the council of the pack? Actually high place. Each member of the pack also has its own place. No one can take the place of the leader. Therefore, when you invite your dog to sit next to you on the couch, you send him a signal that his status is rising and approaching yours. I assure you, after sitting on the couch once next to you, the dog will try to sit not just on the couch, but in your place. My dog gets cold in the winter and is allowed to sleep on the couch, but that comes at the cost of more training sessions.

I can give a few more examples that often occur in life.

Imagine a typical dinner scene in a family that has a dog. Food is prepared for everyone, including your beloved dog. The hostess puts a bowl of food for the dog (so as not to be distracted later), and then invites the family to the table, and everyone has dinner. But in nature, the leaders of the pack always eat first! The dog will decipher your actions as follows: I eat first, my status rises! Therefore, first eat yourself, and only then feed the dog. If you are so uncomfortable, then eat at least a piece first, demonstrate who is the leader.

The dog lies in the middle of the corridor, interfering with the passage of people, and family members go around him, afraid to disturb the pet. We decipher: the dog demonstrates the behavior of a leader (in nature, the leader controls the paths of movement), and people demonstrate subordinate behavior.

The owner goes for a walk with the dog, they go out the door. Ahead is a dog, and a humble owner squeezes in behind. Once again, man and beast have reversed roles. In nature first comes leader.

This is how the dog receives conflicting signals. On the one hand, she understands that the person is the eldest, he feeds her, takes her for a walk, makes her execute commands, and on the other hand, the person sends signals that can be deciphered as a subordinate position of a person. The dog does not understand its status. She doesn't know how to behave. This is the strongest stress for the animal. Hence disobedience and nervousness. If your dog growls at you, it is not that he is so angry, it is you who have established the relationship incorrectly. If a dog barks at a child, it is the parents who did not help the child to confirm their more high status. If the owner was bitten when he was taking away a bone that the dog picked up somewhere, this is a consequence of the wrong behavior of the person, but not the dog. The owner could not build a hierarchy in his small flock, could not become a leader. In the same way, one cannot allow something today and prohibit the same thing tomorrow. A true leader always follows the established rules.

Techniques by which you can confirm your leadership can be varied. Example from personal experience. A puppy in our house for up to 5 months actively fought for leadership with her husband - with barking he tried to attack him. The usual tricks didn't help. And one day, during the next escapade of a puppy, the husband suddenly got on all fours and with a roar went on the attack. The puppy was frightened, jumped back - and that's it, the status of the leader has been unshakable since then! That's what a leader in a wild pack would do.

One article does not cover everything you need to know when raising dogs. We have only talked about one aspect of the human-dog relationship: the establishment of a hierarchy. But in an animal great amount other needs (for example, hunting, watchdog, sexual instincts), which a person should also be aware of. The owner must know how to motivate the execution of commands. After all, for one dog the strongest motive is food encouragement, for another - a toy. Education is a continuous process. When my stubborn dachshund arrives from his dacha, where he leads a free life, it takes time to remind who is in charge in the family.

It is very important to understand that by raising a dog, a person must change himself.

There are situations when self-training of dogs does not bring the long-awaited result. The owner is trying, spending a lot of time, and the dog does not want to learn even the simplest commands. In this case, you need to switch attention from the pet to yourself, think, are you doing everything right? After all, dog training at home is always work on the mistakes that even an experienced dog handler sometimes makes. Below is a list of the most common missteps that prevent a pet from developing the necessary skills.

Wrong teaching methodology

Overestimation of a dog's talents

Often you can hear a similar phrase from a dog breeder: “My Shaggy knows and knows everything, he does not obey just out of harm!”. The owner sincerely believes that the dog understands what is required of her, but from some of her own convictions, she is in no hurry to obey. In fact, such cases are extremely rare (if they exist at all). The reason for disobedience is the dog's lack of the skill that is necessary to execute the command (or insufficient development of the acquired skill). Shaggy does not take revenge and does not harm, he just does not know what they want from him. The owner retorts, “But look at his guilty look! He understands why I scold him, but he’s just stubborn!”. In fact, the dog only looks guilty, but does not feel this feeling, since the level of its rational activity is not so great.

This is interesting: In support of the above, we propose an experiment. Does your dog often throw garbage out of the bucket? Try to spread the trash yourself, then call your pet and start scolding him. Provided that you are convincing enough, the result will follow immediately - the dog will look guilty and will try to make amends (or run away, if he usually does). If the dog pees at home, you can pour water on the floor. Steals clothes - take a pair of socks to the sunbed, etc. If a dog reasoned on a par with a man, it would not take on a guilty look, but would be sincerely indignant in response to an undeserved scolding. By the way, the guilty look is just a demonstration of submission, coupled with a bit of cunning: four-legged pets quickly learn that a person forgives faster if you make sad eyes and cling to the floor.

The owner humanizes the pet, attributing to it our emotions and the intended reactions of a person, forgetting that it is an animal in front of him. So that self-training of the dog does not drag on for long years, evaluate adequately the ability of your pet. If the dog constantly refuses to follow the commands, start the training over again, after having soberly analyzed your actions.

Underestimation of the dog's abilities

If some people consider dogs to be very smart, then others, on the contrary, are convinced of the stupidity of their pet. Sometimes you can hear from the owner: “I know how to bring up perfect dog, but Shaggy is absolutely clueless! It is impossible to teach even the simplest command. Probably, this is hereditary or we slipped a defective puppy ... ". Unfortunately, only a small part of people who have reached a dead end in the process of training dogs at home turn to professionals. The majority, being convinced of the correctness of their actions during training, stop any attempts at education. Indeed, sometimes it is so difficult to admit one's own wrong, it is much easier to convince oneself that the reason is in a four-legged friend. But completely incapable dogs simply do not exist. Yes, some make progress quite quickly, while others take a lot of time to educate. However, you can teach basic commands to any pet. Even the behavior of animals that have experienced stress or suffer mental illness, is correctable. Does not work? Look for a different approach, change your behavior, study the psychology of your dog. Start with yourself.

Overtraining

Adequate load during training has great value! Some owners believe that if their dogs can run for hours in the park, then they have enough energy to train for 3-5 hours. Sometimes this schedule is just convenient for dog breeders - there is no time for a pet on weekdays, but on weekends we will catch up! However, one must not forget that positive result training directly depends on the interest of the dog. And what kind of dog likes to perform the same actions for several hours in a row? Be reasonable, do not overload the pet. One lesson with an adult animal should last a maximum of two hours (with rest breaks). With a small puppy, you can do it for only 5-10 minutes (if desired, 2-3 times a day).

Insufficient loads

A very common gaffe: “I know exactly how to raise the perfect dog and see that everything works out. There is no need for manic concentration, there will be time - we will work out. The owner proved to himself that he can, and the dog wants, and calmed down on this. Meanwhile, the pet begins to forget everything he was taught, and you have to start over. Training should be regular, even if the owner is sure that his dog has learned all the necessary commands. At first, practice the acquired skills should be at least three times a week. Let it be small "lessons" for 15-20 minutes, but they should be! After a year or two, you can relax and repeat the “material” once a week.

Training at the wrong time

“Since we want to raise a dog as quickly as possible, we will practice every day, in any weather, no matter what!”. Commendable zeal. But we must not forget that the four-legged "student" - Living being. Estrus in bitches, slight malaise, stress, a heavy meal are factors that affect the effectiveness of training, and they should hardly be underestimated. The dog must be ready for training, both physically and emotionally, otherwise practicing skills will be a waste of time.

Underestimating distractions

Most small dogs, regardless of breed or lack thereof, are unable to long time focus only on the owner. And even more so, it is extremely difficult for them to concentrate if something interferes or distracts. First, in dogs small sizes a more labile nervous system than that of large servicemen. Secondly, breeders do not select producers for working qualities (after all, we are talking about companion dogs). But some owners, having studied the literature on how to raise an ideal dog, take the concepts of "leader", "obedience", "submission" and so on too literally. Do not forget that this is a friend in front of you, not a workhorse who will have to look for drugs or catch criminals. If the dog wants to go to the toilet or feels strong excitement from the proximity of a huge mongrel, if it is too hungry or cold, you should not tyrannize the pet. End the training with a simple command that the dog will accurately follow, praise the baby and take a break. And most importantly - never give a command if you see that the dog is unlikely to fulfill it due to lack of concentration.

Example: A dog is afraid of the sound of passing cars. A car drives by, the pet starts to get nervous, and the owner at this moment gives the command “Sit!”. Most likely, the dog will not react, since all his thoughts are occupied with a frightening sound. And the owner will not scold her for disobedience, as she will understand that the command was not executed due to the fact that the pet is frightened. Thus, the owner himself teaches the dog not to obey. Of course, when the execution of the command is vital, this rule can be waived (if there is no way to stop the actions of the pet in another way).

Important: at the first stage, it is preferable to train dogs at home, then in a quiet deserted place, and only then - in an everyday environment, where many distractions cannot bring down an already experienced dog.

Non-observance of the order of development of skills

Pay attention to the wording: "non-compliance with the order workings skills." Development is the process of forming a reflex to a stimulus (command/reward/punishment). The sequence is from simple to complex: first, the trainer teaches the dog the easiest commands for her, and only then adds more complex ones. Usually dogs will easily learn the following commands: come to me, stand, sit, walk, spit, give a paw. A little more difficult with the commands fu, lie down, you can’t, next to you. In addition, the phased development of skills is important: we work out the “come to me” command, then add “walk”. At the next stage, we work out these commands one by one. When both skills are mastered "excellent", we add one more command and practice three skills in turn, and so on. Do not confuse the dog and teach it all commands at once. And here working out skills does not need a strict sequence (working out - repeating the lesson, consolidating the material). On the contrary, alternate the already learned commands in different sequences so that the dog, at the first call, does not begin to demonstrate all the skills at once. Example: favorite link to me / sit / give paw / give another. The dog gets used to the sequence, at the command "Come to me" runs up to the owner and begins the usual cycle. This is not true! The pet must distinguish between commands, understand what is required of him at one time or another.

Frequent command repetition

One of the most common mistakes made when training dogs at home is repeating a command over and over again. The pet did not fulfill the desire of the owner the first time, and he tries to get obedience from the dog, behaving like a broken record: “Sit, I said sit, sit!”. The result of such actions is the opposite of what is desired - the dog develops an incorrect reflex to the command. The pet either stops responding to the owner altogether (loss of authority), or agrees to fulfill his requirements from the umpteenth time. If the pet does not follow the command, there are two ways to resolve the problem:

stand for some time without changing position, without talking and staring at the dog until it completes the command (1-3 minutes). If the command is completed, be sure to praise the dog (because in the end you achieved your goal);
approach the pet and punish him: “Bad!!!”. The sequence is observed - the command is not executed, the dog is punished. Physical punishments (flick on the nose, hold by the scruff of the neck, etc.) are permissible if the dog has learned the command long ago and did not fulfill it, being in acceptable conditions (ie, when nothing prevented it from executing the command).

The command is spoken once. For inexperienced dogs, one repetition in a demanding, more insistent tone than the first time is acceptable.

Incorrect or insufficient emotional coloring of speech

Reading about how to properly raise a dog, many owners miss important point Our pets are unable to understand the meaning of words. human speech for them - a set of sounds. And for a better perception, these sounds must have an emotional coloring. Therefore, develop your acting talent. You should not talk to the dog in the monotonous voice of a falling asleep student - such a presentation of information makes the training process difficult. And do not forget about facial expressions, this is extremely important: praising the dog, rejoice with your whole face, scolding - frown your eyebrows.

Fixing commands (sit, stand, lie down, place, next to) are pronounced in a confident voice in an imperative intonation. Forbidding commands (fu, you can’t, spit) - in a demanding, sometimes even threatening tone. You can’t go on shouting - a strong leader never falls into hysterics. Crying in a dog causes either fear (loss of trust) or doubts about the superiority of the owner (loss of authority). In both cases, the result will not be long in coming - the pet will refuse to follow the commands.

Inconsistency when issuing commands using gestures

Many owners reinforce the voice command with gestures. And this is the right approach - dogs in the learning process react not only to intonation, but also to the posture of a person. If you decide that gesticulation is exactly what you need, try to remember from the very beginning exactly how you hold your hand, which hand gives the command, etc. Be sure to use the same gesture for the selected command in an unchanged form. If you use different gestures for the same command, the dog will most likely stop understanding you.

Using different voice commands to practice the same skill

You can’t use the command “Lie down!” Today, tomorrow - “Lie down!”, And a week later - “Lie down!”. An inexperienced dog is sure to get confused. You can choose any word (irritant) to which the dog should react in a certain way. Like "Come to Mom"? Let it be so - let's forget the army "Come to me". But then let's forget it forever!

Excess food reward

A piece that is given to a pet as a reward for obedience is a reward, not food! The piece should be small, even tiny, otherwise the dog will quickly lose interest in the treat, as it will simply overeat. Training should be done at a time when the dog is not experiencing strong feeling hunger, but not on a full stomach. A dog that is too hungry or has just finished eating will not be able to concentrate on following commands.

The dog receives pieces that are used during training, just like that.

You can often hear from owners: “Well, how to raise a dog when she is always begging for a treat? Jumping and jumping around, what kind of training is there, does not hear anything! She knows that I have her favorite crackers in my pocket. Well, how not to treat? It is really difficult to resist - a beloved dog, a begging glance, jumps so funny ... And the owner gives the kid a coveted piece, the smallest one. Another one tomorrow. And further. Thus, a person forms an unnecessary reflex in a pet: “I will jump around and get something tasty.” The next time the dog will be even more insistent on begging, because the last time he was praised for it. But at the time of practicing the skills, the pet will refuse to follow the commands: “Why? I'd rather ask, they'll give me anyway." To avoid similar situation Never give your dog food that is meant to be rewarded during training. If you can’t resist, give the simplest command and praise the dog. In this case, the formed reflex will be correct - the dog received a treat for executing the command, and not for jumping around the owner.

Advice: To speed up the skill building process, choose a food your dog loves and only give it to him during training. Store the treat in a special bag, from which you can get a piece only after the command is completed. In this way, you additionally motivate the dog - the pet will know that he will get the cheese only from this bag, only for obedience, and only during training.

Punishment takes precedence over reward

When the dog has already mastered the commands, some owners lose interest in raising a pet. Obedience is now taken for granted: “Why praise a dog for sitting on command if it has been doing this for three years already?” But the punishment is becoming more and more severe: “Yes, she has known the “Sit” command for three years and suddenly does not obey?!!”. The delight of the dog following the command has passed. And disobedience causes indignation and a storm of indignation. The dog loses interest in following commands (after all, the reward has disappeared), obeys less and less, the owner scolds more and more often, trust disappears. To avoid this situation, always praise your dog for correct solution, even if she executed a rudimentary command. Let it be a simple “Well done”, but you can’t forget about the encouragement completely. The same goes for training initial stage- if you forget to praise the dog, but remember the punishments (and what, I'm the leader!), The dog will quickly lose interest in training, and after him the tightness will also disappear. emotional connection between pet and human.

Ignoring disobedience

In some cases, dog training at home, without the help of an experienced dog handler, drags on for long time for a reason too strong love owner to a four-legged friend: “Well, the kid didn’t want to spit out the shoe on command, it’s okay. I will upset my beloved dog because of a shoe. The pet has formed a reflex: "I can not follow the commands." A small step up the hierarchical ladder. Then the bully decides to tear the linoleum. “Well, let it be, we still want to lay a laminate.” One more step. Then the robber will growl at the owner when he wants to remove the bowl during feeding, or maybe he will bite his hand. One more step. Now the man decides to take the dog seriously, but no such luck! The pet has already decided that he is in charge, why obey? To avoid this situation, always remember about the punishment (which should correspond to the misconduct). If the dog refused to sit down on command, look at it menacingly and say “Bad!”, And if the pet showed aggression, physical punishment should follow (press it to the floor, grab it by the scruff of the neck). Always remember that ignoring disobedience leads to even greater swagger in behavior, and this is no longer love, but negligence! A naughty dog can run away for a walk, get hit by a car, or in any other way harm itself.

Using commands to fix the dog before unpleasant manipulations

The owner finds it convenient to give the dog the "Sit" command before brushing his teeth. However, an undesirable reflex is formed in the dog: “Sat down - climbed into the mouth with a nasty brush.” The next time the command is not related to the care of the dog, the pet may refuse to comply with it for fear of undergoing an unpleasant procedure. Command execution should be encouraged, and nothing else! If you need to brush your dog's teeth (cut its nails, etc.), put it in desired pose hands, without the use of common commands.

Breaking the link command-execution-reward (punishment)

And finally - about the most important thing: in no case should you break the command-execution-reward link! A command for a dog is a mechanism that triggers a reflex (a practiced or developed skill). If any element is “squeezed” between the command and the execution (for example, the owner is distracted from the dog), the connection will be broken, and everything will have to start over. Upon completion, rewards immediately follow. You need to praise the dog as soon as it has completed the command, gradually increasing the time between the reaction to the stimulus (the dog sat down on command) and the praise. This time interval is called exposure, and when it total absence desired effect will not be reached. Example: the owner gives the command “Stand”, the dog freezes and immediately runs on. Lack of endurance renders the command useless.

Any encouragement should be timely - it is necessary to praise the dog at the moment when it executes the command. The correct sequence is: “Sit!”, the dog sat down, the dog sits, does not change position, the owner gives her a piece and praises “Well done”. Then either the next command is given, or the dog is released with the “Walk” command (a signal that the training is over). But often inexperienced dog breeders praise the pet when he has already jumped up (or the dog jumps up immediately when he sees a treat). In this case, the dog is rewarded not for following the command, but for jumping up and begging. Of course, production required skill moves away in time, and sometimes the dog does not fully understand what is required of it, executing commands partially or “once again”.

Have you decided to get a dog? This is a wonderful solution. The dog will meet you from work, joyfully wagging his tail. And forced hiking improve your health. And let's face it, we all love fluffies!

However, in reality, it turns out that the decision to get a dog is not so successful. Beloved Bug destroyed half of the apartment, ate a neighbor's cat, runs away for a walk and does not come to us when we call her.

I often see so-called dog owners on the street who can hardly keep up with their dog, because she pulls them by the leash. In parks, you can often hear screams addressed to the furry bastard, and see other joys of dog lovers.

For some reason, dog owners rarely think about the fact that a puppy, like a child, needs to be raised. So I decided to talk to a professional trainer and learn "first hand" the golden rules for raising dogs.

Malkov Mikhail

Professional trainer, instructor-figurant. Engaged in professional training since 1995. He studied at the Rostov School of Service Dog Breeding of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until 2003, he worked as a cynologist inspector at the Center Canine Service Ministry of Internal Affairs for the search for explosives, narcotic substances with special purpose dogs.

Since 2009 - a helper-instructor (RKF certificate No. 2759). Since 2007, 4-time winner of the Russian Championships among GNK cynologists, multiple winner in the obedience sections (OBIDIENS 3) and in the protection section of the competition.
The last result - 2nd place at the Russian Championship in Krasnodar in 2010. The main activity is dog education, behavior correction, sports training in obedience and protection sections.

First steps

The most common mistakes when choosing a dog

When choosing a dog, it is important to choose a breed that would suit the personal qualities of the handler. If you are an extremely calm person, phlegmatic and have chosen a Malinois, of course, there will be problems. If you are an athlete and have chosen a St. Bernard, there will be a problem. It is important that there is a match between the chosen dog and the lifestyle of the owner.

The most common mistakes when raising a dog

Humanizing the dog is a major mistake. Ignorance of physiology, ignorance of the basic principles of education and training. Permissiveness regarding the actions of dogs.

Problems arise from this. A dog can do whatever it wants. The dog can go wherever he wants. The dog can bark at whoever you want. You can not execute commands.
We all love our dogs, but love and permissiveness are different things.

How to properly feed your dog

Many owners feed their pet before a walk. However, doing so is wrong and even harms your pet. The dog is a predator. From the point of view of physiology, a predator must first receive a load, catch its prey, and only then eat it. After eating, predators rest, and the dog should also rest after walking and feeding.

If you feed a dog before a walk, then when it actively moves, plays, runs, the likelihood of intestinal volvulus or stomach volvulus increases.

In addition, if a walk is combined with a lesson with a dog, then with a satisfied food motivation, the effectiveness of classes drops significantly (if the dog shows a desire to do something at all).

It is enough to feed an adult dog of medium and large sizes in the evening, that is, once a day. Small dogs need to be fed twice a day. If the dog is intensively trained or trained, then the dog is fed based on the level of exercise and energy costs organism.

How to train a dog to go to the toilet on the street, and not in the house

A small puppy will still go to the toilet at home. There is no escape from this. Everyone experienced it. Try to get outside more often. When performing natural needs on the street, do not forget to praise the dog. At home, in no case should you punish, let alone apply physical punishment. You can express your dissatisfaction angrily. Be patient, you will often have to clean up after him and treat these places with some kind of antiseptic.

Do not use diapers. If a puppy is taught to go to the toilet in the same place in the house, we will form specific model behavior, and then it will be very difficult to teach him to go to the toilet on the street. A stereotype is developed: a diaper or a corner is a toilet. This behavior is formed and reinforced by the owner. We praise when the dog went to the diaper, how then to explain to the dog that she has grown up and does not need to walk in the apartment, and the toilet has moved to the street. Of course, you can retrain a dog, but we create a problem for ourselves, which then will need to be solved.

When left alone at home, she starts to bark. Barks when he hears someone walking through the door

First, you need to find out the cause of the anxiety. She barks at extraneous sounds, from longing or just like that.

You need to teach her to stay at home so that she behaves calmly. Reinforce the calm behavior of the dog when we leave the dog for a short period of time. You don't have to come in when she's barking. Otherwise, we will reinforce precisely the barking of the dog.

Before leaving, increase the physical load and stress on the nervous system so that the dog comes from classes, eats, rests and goes to bed.

Some dogs are afraid of loud noises, such as thunder or firecrackers.

There can be many reasons for this behavior. It's a weak nervous system, it's negative life experience, these are negative associations with loud sounds, pain, which coincided with loud sounds. Basically, dogs that live in the city have a weak nervous system.

You can fix this during class. It is necessary to lay in the dog positive associations that are associated with loud sounds. It will be like a signal. An explosion of firecrackers - a lot of delicious food. Firecracker Explosion is a big intense and highly anticipated game. Over time, the dog will perceive loud sounds like a call to play. It is important to remember here that every fear, like every dog, requires an individual approach.

Behavior on the street

How to teach an active breed dog to behave calmly

You have got a dog of an active breed, therefore, you must provide the dog with an adequate load for its temperament. Physical exercise and stress on the nervous system, playing sports that are suitable for dogs of this breed. Show the way to meet her needs, which are characteristic of the breed.

In parallel, you need to accustom the dog to the cage so that it can easily remain alone in the cage. Of course, the dog cannot be in it all the time. You can be “locked up” for no more than 4 hours, provided that the dog is provided with activity during the day. The cage should be large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around freely.

If the dog is in a cage, then you can take two short walks (15-20 minutes a day) and add one intensive walk to this.

How to teach your dog to walk quietly next to you, not to pull on the leash

Whoever leads whom on a walk leads the way. The main thesis should be like this - you are going for a walk with me, and not I am walking with you. It is multifaceted to consider the attitude of the dog to the handler and vice versa, i.e. these are, first of all, the issues of raising a dog and questions of the dog's relationship to a person - to a guide.

A tight leash should mean to the dog that he is doing something wrong. At the slightest tension on the leash, it should at least stop. In addition, the dog must be sensitive to each jerk of the leash, which corresponds to the level of excitement. nervous system, size and breed of dog. Create discomfort for the dog when the leash is pulled, show her the way to come to a comfortable state. Comfortable - near the handler's leg, but this is not a "near" command.

The dog runs away and does not respond to his name

If you can't control your dog with commands, then don't let him off the leash. The dog is always learning. In this case, she learns not to listen directly to the guide and not to respond to his commands. Practice obedience commands on a leash until it becomes automatic.

How to wean a dog to "pick up" on the street

First, it is important to early age do not teach her to pick up from the ground. Show her that it's bad.

Secondly, the time for a walk is the time that we can devote to our dog (training with her and communicating). No need to spend it on the fact that the dog learned something bad and dangerous for himself. Walking is the joy of doing and learning something useful.

Thirdly, to show that picking up food from the ground carries a negative connotation for the dog.

You need to create positive associations with such an item of equipment as a muzzle so that the dog loves this muzzle. Most owners train their dogs incorrectly: put on a muzzle, tighten it and go outside. The dog doesn't like it, of course. In addition, the muzzle must be chosen correctly. You need a free muzzle so that the dog has the opportunity to open its mouth and breathe.
The optimal models are either plastic or metal (rubberized).

Elimination of aggression

The dog behaves aggressively towards the owners, towards family members or passers-by, towards other dogs

Basically, the dog behaves aggressively for two reasons. First, aggression could be born of fears. The dog is afraid of passers-by, because for her they may look somehow unusual. Accordingly, aggression is a defensive reaction: do not come near me, otherwise I will bite.

Secondly, banal self-affirmation, and this is a consequence wrong relationship owner and dog.

Aggression towards the owners can occur for a variety of reasons. Some dog does not like to cut his nails, because of this he snaps. The other dog doesn't like children. The third - does not let me go past the bowl when she eats. Accordingly, each of these cases must be dealt with separately. General recommendations cannot be here. Need individual approach in order to find the "source" of this behavior.

As a rule, a dog, anticipating something negative for itself, knows how to avoid it - to show aggression or attack. First of all, there are questions to the owners. What have you done to avoid such problems? Why didn't they pay attention to this earlier, but now, when the problem has reached such a level?

Aggression towards other dogs separate case. The dog itself can provoke aggression. She does not try to defend herself, but attacks first. It only means that the owner allowed it from the very beginning, incorrectly introduced it to other dogs in childhood or at a different age. Failed to correct in a timely manner early manifestation this aggression, taking into account the breed and individual characteristics dogs. Accordingly, and now does not work on the problem. Everything suits him.

Depending on the cause of aggression, a method for correcting behavior is selected. In any case, fix yourself aggressive behavior dogs are difficult. If you think this behavior is irreversible, then you are wrong. By and large, at right approach aggression is removed quickly enough.

Dog jumps on people

This behavior is quite common when a dog jumps on people upon meeting, regardless of whether they are acquaintances or just passers-by. Even when meeting the owner, the dog tends to rise higher to the owner.

The first thing to do is to show the dog that jumping is not beneficial for him. Of course, you don’t need to kneel or scold her. The dog jumps because it is such a welcome ritual. The dog is very happy that the owner has come, and the greeting ritual for dogs is to lick their face. Accordingly, you need to jump for this.

You need to change the greeting ritual to one that suits both the dog and the owner. Do you want me to pay attention to you? Do you want us to chat when I come? I'm glad to see you too, come to me and sit down. When the dog has taken the required posture, you need to reinforce this behavior. This is how the ritual of greeting changes. The dog understands that it is unprofitable for her to jump. This does not lead to the desired result.

How to behave in the event of a dog attack or a strange dog showing aggression towards yourself

It all depends on what kind of dog it is. Pariah dogs that live just next to a person do not attack people.

If these are mongrels, then it is enough to show that we are lifting some kind of stone from the ground. Dogs, having a lot of life experience, run away. You can try to tell them in a rough and confident voice to leave.

In the event of an attack by a service breed dog, one should try to give some command from obedience: “sit”, “lie down”, etc. This must be done in a confident commanding voice.

Dogs that are professionally trained will not attack people. The guides are very protective of them and do not allow such situations. The dogs themselves know that they can only attack a person on command. Just this category of dogs is the safest.

Large dogs (pickling breeds) such as Staffordshire Terriers can purposefully attack a person. If I have any object with me - an umbrella, a bag, a box, I put this object in front of me. I will speak in a loud commanding voice so that the dog moves away from me. Most likely, aggression will be directed either at the object, or the dog will refuse to attempt an attack. If, nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid an attack, then try to hit with improvised objects internal organs or eyes.

There is a difference between attack and attack, and if we are talking about my health or the health of a person, then we need to fight for it with all our might.

Choosing a trainer and dog training

When meeting with a trainer on the phone, find out where the classes are and arrange to attend these classes. See how the classes are going. At this time, talk to guides, with dog owners who have been attending classes for a long time.

Look at the results that they achieved during the classes. Find out how long they spent with this instructor and try to evaluate the results.

You need to find out from the instructor where he got his education, what results he achieved during the period during which he was training dogs, what is the length of service as an instructor. If possible, ask to see his personal dog. Because if he couldn't train his dog, then naturally, how can he train your dog?

Ask the coach if he participated in any competitions, tests. As whom, with his dogs or with dogs trained by him. What results did you get. Find out about his cynological education. About work experience. The results of the passage of such courses as OKD, ZKS, managed city dog(BH) are not trainer achievements - they are just test training.

When attending classes with a trainer, you will need to bring some things with you. If you came to obedience classes with a small dog or puppy, then you will need: a soft collar, a long leash (5-7 meters), a short leash (2 meters). In no case should it be a roulette wheel. Belt bag. Food from the dog's diet or treats. Clothing that suits the season is better for sportswear. All this is necessary in order to be comfortable working with the dog.

You can start exercising with a dog when it starts to eat on its own and starts running on its own. 3-3.5 months is the optimal age.

Dog training begins when you bring the dog home. But even before that, it is better to consult with the instructor so as not to create problems in the future.

Owners of small breeds should also consider a trainer. Dwarf Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, Fox Terriers, Jagd Terriers and others small dogs. All dogs need education. It is necessary to accustom people to adequate behavior in society. Regardless of the size of the dog, we must deal with them and make sure that the dog does not cause problems for the owner either at home or on the street.

Conclusion

You can read a lot of advice on dog training on the Internet. However, it is worth remembering that, like a child, a dog needs to be brought up, and this issue should be approached individually. The requirements for upbringing and training are similar, but the ways to achieve results, like dogs, are different. If you start training in time with a competent and professional trainer, work on the task at home, then many problems can be avoided, and many shortcomings in behavior cannot be acquired at all.

And here you are - a happy dog owner! When the first euphoria subsides, you are guaranteed to ask yourself the question: how to raise a puppy? After all, an obedient, docile and well-mannered puppy will grow up comfortable for cohabitation dog.

How to properly raise a puppy

Raising a puppy includes practicing skills such as:

response to nickname
collar/harness and leash training, muzzle training
teaching to show teeth, to manipulate ears and paws
learning to walk on a loose leash
practicing the commands "Near", "To me", "Sit", "Lie down", "Stand"
working out elementary exposure in the main positions
weaning a puppy to pick up food from the ground.

Specialist observation: Since this species training is not normative, it often includes other wishes of the owners, such as the socialization of the puppy, accustoming to the place, weaning from the bed, accustoming to cleanliness, the formation of food and play motivation and maintaining the correct balance between both types of motivation, the formation of a balance of excitation processes and braking, etc.

When to Start Raising a Puppy

You can (and should) start raising a puppy from the first day of his stay in a new home. Only education education is different. You should not "take the bull by the horns" and take on the training of all teams at once on the first day. Let the baby adapt, explore new house. Your new family member will eat, sleep and play. A game - lovely way development of motivation, concentration of attention on the owner, switchability. What's there - the whole training process can be turned into most interesting game! And given that the puppy comes to us in a state of "tabula rasa", we have the opportunity to mold the very dog that we dreamed about. And this molding is a constant process, requiring from us almost one hundred percent involvement in small pet: we need to regularly actively encourage correct behavior and small victories of our crumbs and ignore or switch (and ideally not allow) wrong behavior.

I am often asked: “How to properly punish a puppy for his intrigues and pampering?” Usually I answer: “No way! You need to punish yourself for being inattentive or for provoking the puppy to do the wrong thing.”

Types of raising a puppy

Raising a puppy through play

While the puppy is in quarantine, you have a head start! This is your time! The time when you can quite easily "tie up" the dog on yourself. Learn to play with your puppy. Play honestly, selflessly, sincerely. Use the toy to simulate prey and how it runs away. Usually a hare does not jump into the dog's mouth, it does not fly through the air above the puppy's head (also do not forget that jumping at an early age is dangerous and very traumatic). While playing, imitate a hunt, imitate a runaway hare with a toy. Teach your puppy to switch from your hands or feet to playing with a toy. Teach him to love playing with you, otherwise, after going out and getting to know other dogs, it will be difficult for you to outplay them.

Raising a puppy by earning food

How many times a day does your baby eat? 4 times? Great, so you will have 4 workouts per day. Learn from the very first day of your baby's stay in the house to work with him regularly. Teach your baby to earn food. Your workouts don't have to be long: for a puppy up to four months a training session of 10 - 15 minutes will be plenty.

How to start working with a baby? Why reward him? Everything is simple here.

Did the puppy come to you? - called him by name and gave a piece.
They took a few steps away from him, he ran after you - they called you by name and gave you a piece. This is how you train your dog to respond to your name.
They sat on the bed, and the baby remained on the floor - they gave a piece for 4 paws on the floor: in this moment you practice a calm attitude towards the bed.
We put on the harness and leash on the baby, walked with him through the room, gently sipping from time to time on the leash and rewarding him for walking - this is how you teach the baby to the leash and to the fact that he is controlled on the leash.

Weaning a puppy to try everything on the tooth

Usually puppies are very fond of trying everything on the tooth or digging. How to deal with it? I really, really love the Rope method. While you are at home, the puppy walks in a collar (or harness), to which a meter long rope is attached. As soon as the baby begins to perform actions that are unpleasant to you (nibbles on shoes or a stool leg, stole slippers, ...) you step on the leash, pull the puppy towards you, switch to a piece of treat or to play with you.

If the baby is still reaching for the forbidden thing, there are several solutions: the first (and easiest) is to remove the forbidden thing from reach for two weeks. If the first method does not suit you for one reason or another (although I would highly recommend putting your shoes in closets), try the second. Holding the rope and not letting the baby go to the forbidden thing, we say strictly: “No”, we pause and watch the puppy. Most likely, the baby will try to achieve his own. We forbid and do not allow to commit an offense. We wait. We forbid and do not allow. We wait. We forbid and do not give ...

The number of attempts to reach their goal will be different for each puppy. Someone has 3-4 attempts, for a more stubborn puppy - up to 8, for especially stubborn ones (terrier puppies often belong to these) - up to 15, or even 20. The main thing is patience, don't give up! As soon as the puppy has turned away from the coveted stool or moved away from it, be sure to praise him! Learn to see and celebrate his small daily victories. And don't forget to take the rope off at night or when you leave home.

Marina from childhood dreamed of big dog with which you can fearlessly walk the streets at any time of the day. After all, a large, formidable dog - real protector! When the opportunity arose, the girl got a boxer.

But here's the paradox: Jessie looks like a vicious dog, but if a stranger approaches her (no matter what the person's intentions are - to stroke or hit), the dog hurries to retreat. At the same time, he drags the poor mistress behind him on a leash.

Marina does not understand why a service breed pet is madly afraid of people. But breeders and trainers will say right away: Jesse made mistakes. Not only for Marina, but also for everyone who wants to get a dog or has already done so, it is important to know how to avoid them!

A puppy must get used to things, people, sounds, other animals from childhood. If something is not recorded in his memory, this object or individual will continue to seem dangerous to him. So, dogs that grew up exclusively in the society of women begin to be afraid of men, and vice versa.

Badly trained dogs react differently to danger. Some run away, like Jesse, others hide, others seek protection behind the back of the owner, whom they themselves had to shield from the unknown, and still others even experience involuntary urination.

There are also aggressive form reactions - the dog is the first to attack something or those who are afraid. IN best case she barks, at worst - bites, until the enemy has time to come to his senses. Moreover, fear is stress, which, as you know, shortens the life of a pet. And it is so short in animals.

So do your best to make your pet less afraid. To do this, you need to help the puppy to fully learn the world. Three initial periods of dog development - your chance to instill everything in your pet necessary qualities and correct negative traits. Don't delay - waste your time!

Early childhood

The pet must be with the mother until it reaches the age of 8 weeks. During this time, the baby will learn to be a dog and learn the first principles of discipline from mom. The bitch will growl at the puppy, in which she saw the leader. Will try to suppress his disobedience.

This will have a good effect on the character of the pet in the future: he will learn to recognize the leader - the owner. An important skill that puppies learn during this period is dental control. They bite their relatives, and they respond with "reciprocity". So babies understand what pain is, and learn to regulate the force of the bite, clench their teeth so as not to cause discomfort, or, on the contrary, to fight for real.

Communication with the mother dog in the future determines how the pet will behave with individuals of the opposite sex, and who he represents himself. Interestingly, if in early childhood the puppy was only with people, he considers himself a man, and his relationship with other animals will be tense. A person during this period should often take the baby in his arms, stroke him. Otherwise, the dog will never be able to trust the owner.

Right choice

At this time, you will be able to determine from which puppy it will be possible to raise without much difficulty. obedient dog. Make him your pet. Sometimes a mother dog aggressively raises babies. Some breeders are afraid that she might harm them, take them away from their divorced mother and feed them separately.

There are many difficulties in raising such dogs. The pet that first ran up to you, pushing his brothers aside, is the leader. This, too, will be difficult to make obedient. A trembling dog huddled in a corner is too shy and timid. He will never become a real protector for the owner and his family. This will greatly complicate education. Stop your choice on the "golden mean" - on an inquisitive dog with a balanced character.

Time of knowledge

Until the puppy is 5 months old, he should learn and see as much as possible. The most important meeting- with a veterinarian. For the first time, bring your pet to the doctor, but do not perform unpleasant procedures. Let the veterinarian caress the animal and give him a treat, spend scheduled inspection and give you advice.

It will work in a dog positive attitude to the clinic. Vaccinate next time. It is at this stage of development that the incubation period of vaccination falls. The puppy should avoid contact with other animals so as not to get sick. Many owners, being careful, do not walk the baby all this time. But this is wrong.

So the pet appears, strangers and animals. To prevent this from happening, you can take the dog outside in your arms or in a carrier to places where animals are not walked and there is no risk of running into them. Such short walks are priceless for the baby!

Once the quarantine period is over, take your pet outside and spend as much time as possible there. It is very important to communicate with adult dogs that are brought up correctly. It is they who will teach the pet the “dog code of conduct”. You can take the puppy to the breeder from whom he was taken several times. Let him talk to his parents.

The dog must see other animals, people, children, approach them, sniff them. Don't encourage your pet's fear. Don't try to calm him down. If you say "Don't be afraid baby!" and pat him on the head, the dog will think that fear is the right thing to do. After all, she is praised for it. It is better to ignore the reaction of the pet and show him that things or individuals should not be afraid.

Let's say the kid was scared of the vacuum cleaner. Keep cleaning. You can slightly sit down on the mechanism and call your pet. He will understand that the object is not dangerous, and will run up to you. And you encourage his courage. Feed him a treat. Praise your dog for every a brave deed. At first, always take plenty of treats with you on a walk.

But remember: for a dog to need your rewards, it must be hungry. At this stage, the owner has a chance to forever earn the authority of the pet. You will be the one who will protect the dog, explain what you should not be afraid of, and who he can count on in case of real danger.

Carefully!

Don't go overboard with fearlessness. Too much stress in one day is dangerous for the psyche of the dog. The period from 6 weeks to 5 months is considered the time of imprinting fear: if the baby experiences a strong fright, this experience will haunt him all his life. So keep your dog away severe stress and any potential injury.

Tatyana, accountant: We picked up Irma on the street. She was about 10 weeks old. The dog was dying of hunger. When she got stronger, she began to eat everything in a row. It didn't matter if it was tasty or not, hungry Irma ate. The veterinarian explained: our pet is simply afraid one day to be left without food again, because she was starving during the formation of character, and “stores” food.

Vasily, veterinarian: The dog of my friend fell off a chair with a back as a child and injured his paw. Now he is afraid of such chairs and even barks at them. I had to eliminate the focus of fear and acquire stools. Transitional age From 6 to 10 months, your puppy will turn into an adult. Be prepared for the fact that his behavior will noticeably worsen.

To begin with, the dog will try to establish a hierarchy in your "pack" - the family. Naturally, he wants to become a leader. Therefore, during this period, you should be more active in training in order to show your pet daily who is in charge in the house. If you can’t show your character on your own - which will show you how to behave with a dog.

IN transitional age the dog exhibits the so-called "flight instinct". Stop letting your pet off the leash. Replace a strict leash with a more maneuverable tape measure. So the dog will have the necessary freedom, which you, however, can control.

Communication with a fugitive

The dog will continue to run away if you scold him when he returns. During the escape, he will have a good time, and then he will receive a serious thrashing from you. Of course, the dog will conclude that it is better to be free than with an angry owner, so you need to run away again and possibly forever.

Therefore, as soon as you find a dog, praise him for returning, feed him more tasty than usual, play with him. A warm welcome will show the fugitive that he is loved more at home than on the street, where there is also a lot of danger.

Consequences of mistakes

What to do with dogs like Jesse, whose character has already formed, but not in the way it should be? Trainers assure: the consequences of improper socialization can be corrected.

First, find out exactly what your pet is afraid of. unfamiliar men? Children under 5? Other dogs or cats? Start working on overcoming your fear.
Praise and encouragement are the most effective techniques in this case.
Control the situation. Create a barrier between the dog and the source of his fear - stand between them so that the animal understands that as long as it is near you, nothing threatens it.
But don't scold or punish your dog for being fearful. After all, then you will get a cowardly and embittered pet, which will be even more difficult to socialize. It is in your power to raise a friend for life, not a problem!