Training a dog on your own: obedience course

Why do you need to train a dog?

Animals, especially dogs, not only can, but also need to be trained. The need for this arises not only among professional breeders or dog handlers who decide to train a dog to search for traces or certain odors, but also among ordinary citizens. Training helps:

make the dog more obedient, pacify its tough temper (animals are very different, but discipline helps to cope with their unpleasant character traits);
socialize the animal, improve its mental state;
improve the dog’s guarding or hunting qualities;
reduce the level of aggression towards humans and other animals.

Important! Pets are not always trained for the purposes outlined above; sometimes training helps them develop and consolidate certain playing skills. Dogs are often trained to perform all sorts of tricks for the enjoyment of the family or for display to the public.

Training a service dog to command “Toe” or “Nearby”

Is it possible to train an adult dog?

Dogs begin to be trained at a fairly early age, but even an adult dog can be taught some useful things, for example, not to steal food from the table, go to the toilet in a certain place, fetch a stick or slippers, and take a stance.

An adult dog will resist any attempts to change his behavior more than a puppy. But attention to detail and perseverance make it possible to turn a completely untrained sexually mature individual into a completely mannered and even noble one at first glance.

Training an adult guard dog

There are many breeds of dogs bred specifically to guard and protect their owners. In this case, it is advisable to start training from an early age. If the animal comes to you as an adult, you should not despair, just as you should not make it into a spoiled creature, incapable of anything, frightening everyone only with its evil appearance.

Owners of large dogs should know that training in this case is simply necessary, otherwise the pet may pose a threat. Only an experienced dog handler can provide proper training. You cannot independently undertake the development of security skills in an adult dog, as there is a high risk of damaging the animal’s psyche.

Together with the instructor, the owner will have to follow all commands, thereby preparing his dog for absolute obedience. In this case, you will get a well-bred dog with a stable psyche, who will serve faithfully and will not frighten other people.

Train the dog yourself or contact a dog trainer

Puppies can be trained on their own, but adult dogs need a stronger will than their owner. Accustomed to a certain behavior towards him on the part of a person, he simply will not perceive the commands correctly. It is rare that a dog can be trained independently after it has reached the age of 1-2 years.

The help of a dog handler will undoubtedly be required. But here you need to take into account exactly what requirements the dog owner places on the pet, what he wants to teach it. So, if the task is solely to teach your pet the rules of catching a plate or giving a paw, then you can cope with this yourself, but important commands for each dog should still be taught by a professional.

Obedient, trained dog

Dog trainers in Moscow

Dog training is an important condition for their adaptation in society. A funny puppy has appeared in your home, which causes affection, and this is wonderful. But within a few months he will turn into an adult animal, capable of causing a lot of problems for those around him. Therefore, it is very important to instill in your pet not only the necessary norms of behavior, but also teach him to follow the simplest commands.

Dog handler services: what do they include?

There are several stages of working with animals, the training of which depends on many factors - breed, tasks, age of the pet. To achieve good results, you should use the services of dog breeders when the baby is 3.5-4 months old. At this age, the dog goes through the so-called puppy school, where it is taught basic skills, and owners are taught how to properly build relationships with their pet. Subsequent educational courses are aimed at solving specific problems and developing certain skills. They include steps such as:

development of obedience;
developing skills to protect people, things, territory;
execution of simple commands and training to use a muzzle;
adaptation of a pet in an urban environment.

Individual programs may include training elements specific to service dogs.

How are classes going?

Depending on what program your pet follows, training can take place both at home and in a kennel. The first option is good for puppies who need their owners to be nearby at all times. A dog handler is also called to your home in cases where it is necessary to correct the pet’s behavior - for example, to help it adapt to new living conditions.

Depending on the wishes of the owners, the services of a trainer can be one-time or complex, with the possibility of the dog staying in a kennel. As for classes, they are conducted both in groups and individually.

What to do if the dog is an adult?

Has your pet grown up without learning to carry out basic commands, which causes many problems when walking the animal? This means that the time has come to correct the mistakes made in education and take a course in correcting the dog’s behavior. For about a month you will have to part with your pet, which will be taken under the care of an experienced dog handler. Food, accommodation in a kennel, and regular training are included in the training program, which will teach the dog to follow simple commands, behave appropriately in large crowds of people and obey the owner.

General rules for self-training

If you still decide not to take your pet anywhere and raise it yourself, you need to write down or remember the following simple rules:

training should take place in a deserted place, it is better if the owner and dog are left alone;
commands are given in a firm, confident voice;
You cannot pet or give treats to a dog that has not completed the assignment;
you need to train regularly;
the dog is rewarded for each action performed;
You cannot shout or hit a dog that has failed to complete the task.

Important! Experts recommend using special incentives for each team. This will help the dog distinguish them not only by hearing, but also by smell or type of action. If food is used as a reward, then there is no need to allow the pet to eat to its fullest after each successfully completed action. There should be little food, literally a few small pieces. As you move forward, the result appears and consolidates, the reward after each completed command is refused.

Basic training methods

Both professionals and amateurs use training methods such as:

Tasteful. To use it, the dog is not fed for about 3-4 hours straight before the start of training. A half-starved dog happily follows commands, hoping to get a treat or just food at the end of the lesson. Gradually, the dog develops a reflex to food. This method is used for training search engines, dogs in which the food reaction predominates, but is not used for future guard and guard dogs, animals trained with the aim of developing in them a reflex to apprehend criminals.
Mechanical. The carrot and stick method. During training, the dog is influenced mechanically, for example, by whipping it with a twig, urging it to take action. At the end of the lesson, the dog is petted.
Contrasting. Combines the two previous methods. Dogs that successfully complete the task are fed, and those that refuse to follow the commands are punished.
Imitative. A dog imitates an animal or a person. The method is optional.
Coaching. Using a set of stimuli, conditions are created that encourage the animal to carry out certain commands.

When training at home, it is reasonable to use contrast and taste reward methods, but dog handlers use all of the above. This allows them to achieve their goal faster.

The dog walks nearby, reacting to the owner

Are adult dogs trainable?

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Many people are mistaken in thinking that puppies and young dogs are easier to train than older and older dogs. In reality, each age of the animal has its own advantages and disadvantages for training.

Using modern positive reinforcement training techniques (which are described briefly in this book), you can quickly and effectively teach commands to a dog of any age. At the same time, very young puppies will pick up everything on the fly for two reasons: firstly, they usually do not yet have bad associations associated with people and training, and secondly, they have not yet developed behavioral problems that may make it difficult for older dogs to train (for example, aggression towards relatives that develops with age will make it more difficult to train a dog on the street). Now look at the friendly adult mutt who spent the first months of her life in the yard at the local playground. Nobody trained her, and she curiously joins in the training, as if in a new game. And she's already an adult, so if she had behavior problems that interfered with learning, they would have already manifested themselves. Training such a dog is as easy as training a small puppy.

Of course, someone will say that the nervous system of puppies develops, their memory is stronger, their behavior is more flexible - this is all true. But that doesn't matter. Dogs are born with the ability to sit or lie down. You are teaching your dog to do it on cue, you are not teaching him a behavior that is completely new to him. Such simple commands do not require any special memory, so age does not matter for them. In order for a dog to learn complex tricks, it needs a stimulus-rich environment during its early childhood. And you are mistaken if you think that a domestic puppy, locked in an apartment for 8 hours a day and walked for 3 hours a day (at best), has more opportunities for development than your dog picked up from the street had when it was at the same age - her habitat was much more diverse.

Teenage dogs are easy to train because they have a lot of energy, and training allows them to realize their natural curiosity and gives them the opportunity to move around. At the same time, teenagers tend to be distracted by their relatives, run to them, and over time they begin to be stubborn, their behavior becomes unstable due to hormones during puberty. Older dogs do not have these problems.

A dog that has had bad training experiences in the past may well be wary of the first training sessions. And if she is also afraid of people, then you can only train her at the same time as correcting her behavior (see Part 6 “Solving Behavior Problems”). And in this case, the comparison will not be in favor of young dogs. A young dog probably had a negative experience recently, while an older dog may have already had some time. The young woman has probably had a lot of events in recent years, and this overabundance of impressions alone makes her nervous and avoids everything new. The adult dog already had the opportunity to adapt, get used to it and... get bored.

The most common thing we hear from trainers when they become volunteers at shelters is: “Most of the dogs in the shelter are extremely motivated to learn! They want to learn so much that it is difficult for them because of this excessive desire, and not vice versa. We can’t think of anything to keep pets motivated, and the dogs at the shelter catch every word and movement, they really want to learn!” Of course, this can't be said about all animals, but you'd be surprised how many compassionate and trainable dogs are forced to languish in shelter enclosures, waiting for their chance to show off their abilities.

Life story

<…> Surprisingly, Polly patiently waited for walks, did not cry or misbehave at home, but a whole world of dog fears opened up to me! Polly was afraid of literally everything! <…>To solve the problems of education, we went to the nearest dog school. I expected that after 10 recommended classes, I would leave there with “Mukhtar”. <…> It soon became completely clear that the “grandfather’s” strict methods of education, through punishment, prohibitions and pressure, did not work at all with my dog. We left school with the stigma of being a stupid, stubborn dog. It was very disappointing. We started studying the online course on our own, and it was almost a revelation, my dog finally began to understand me! There was absolutely no way to call her “stupid”. Over the course of a week, we learned 4 tricks, which the dog happily performed at any request. The same dog that couldn’t master the command to lie down in a month during school classes! Just when it seemed to me that there was light at the end of the tunnel, Polly, apparently deciding that she wouldn’t give up so easily, fell into the hole in pursuit of ducks. And when I woke up the next morning, I was like a blank slate, having completely lost all the skills I had acquired in six months due to the stress of the experience. <…>Nevertheless, I think swimming in the ice hole was our happiest event. Polly forgot how they poked her between her shoulder blades, pressed her body, and pulled her leash to make her follow commands. In the few months since we started classes again (with a dog trainer from the Not Just Dogs Foundation), we have come a much longer and more fruitful way than six months before. It's amazing to watch how a dog begins to think and understand what they want from it. And, yes, it turned out that I even have an overly smart dog who sometimes tries to train me. Natalia Markevich about Polly (mongrel, female, over 1 year old, 50 cm at the withers, weight 20 kg, adopted at 3.5 months)

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Commands for initial familiarization

The dog must carry out a number of commands without thinking. They are simple, any dog can master them, be it a huge Caucasian or a small Chihuahua.

Team "Place"

First on the list of useful commands. Allows you to teach your dog to spend time exclusively in a designated corner of the house or to be close to a person in a situation that causes a sharp negative reaction in the dog.

"Give!"

This command is taught according to instructions during feeding, teaching the dog that, if necessary, he is obliged to give the owner any object, including food. To do this, say the command “Give!” and move the bowl away from the dog, which is already trying to feast on its contents.

On a note! You need to act carefully, an adult dog may well bite.

"Sit!" and “Lie down!”

Commands similar to the “Place!” command. They are performed in the same way, training methods are similar. The trainer needs to look at the dog and say in a stern but calm voice, “Sit!”, lightly pulling the leash toward you and pressing the palm of your hand on the croup. When executing the “Lie down” order, light pressure is applied to the back.

"To me!" and “Nearby!”

This command allows you to restrain the aggression of small and large dogs directed at someone outside their own world and the world of its owner, for example, at a stranger - another person or animal.

Command "Stop!"

For a domestic dog (Jack Russell terrier, Yorkshire terrier, Labrador, husky, pug, German shepherd, husky), learning the above commands will be enough, but a dog destined to become a guard or hunter must also learn the “Stop!” command.

Teams "Fu!" and “You can’t!”

With the help of these commands, it is possible to keep the pet from absorbing street garbage or attacking a mongrel or a person in just a few lessons or courses. A smart dog can learn them very quickly.

"Voice!"

If the dog is small or extremely active, it is first of all taught the “Voice!” command. It helps determine the location of a lost pet.

Rules you need to know when training

Some commands should be started to be practiced at home. On the street, where there are a lot of outside noises, smells and temptations, an adult dog may well ignore your wishes. For example, the command “near!” should be mastered in an apartment where the animal is maximally concentrated on its owner.

Also the command “come to me!” starts teaching at home. By analogy with the previous command, the owner must take a piece of sausage, dog biscuits or something else that is a treat, and call the pet to him, while giving him a treat.

The simplest commands include “give me your paw!”, “sit!” or “lie down!” The animal masters these tasks perfectly at any age if contact is established between him and the owner.

On the street, you can begin to master the “apport!” command, which animals love without exception, because it is a kind of game for them. All of the above commands are also performed on the street, but after they have been mastered at home.

Useful tips from professionals

Experts advise exercising regularly. What is important in this matter are:

perseverance;
patience;
positive attitude;
the ability to hide negative emotions.

Note! Initially, your pet is unlikely to succeed, but daily work on correcting mistakes will help improve the result.

Training an adult dog from scratch takes a lot of time and effort, since we are talking about animals with already defined character traits, which will not be easy to correct. But the result is worth it.

How to properly train an adult dog

A huge number of people do not want to take adult dogs into their homes, since they are impossible to train, or anything can be expected from such a dog; because of this approach, thousands of animals in shelters never find homes. But everything is much simpler than it seems and an adult dog can be trained, which will be discussed in this article:

Is it possible to train an adult dog?

Dogs of any age can be trained. But to achieve the greatest success, you must follow the rules:

professional control. Popular television shows and articles on the Internet will never replace training with a real dog handler. A specialist will help you find an individual approach to your animal, identify weaknesses in its character and correct all negative manifestations of its behavior. Only training under the supervision of a professional will help rid a puppy or adult dog of various types of aggression (food, sexual, territorial, hierarchical, zoo aggression). Independent attempts to solve this issue can lead to an exacerbation of the problem or trauma to the pet’s psyche;
from simple to complex. At any age, the same principle applies - first, elementary commands are taught and only after they have been successfully mastered should one move on to something more serious. Many owners who get adult guard dogs tend to skip this stage of training, believing that they do not need it at all. This is a huge mistake that always leads to tragic consequences. By learning simple commands, the animal also learns to quickly get involved in work, even if a couple of minutes before it was busy playing. Thanks to this, the pet becomes more manageable;
control of emotions. The owner's mood greatly influences the pet. Even adult dogs become confused during training if their owner is nervous. No matter how much your pet makes mistakes or gets confused during exercises, you must remain calm and friendly. Commands must be given clearly and without nervousness. If you feel that your nerves are on edge, stop the activity, otherwise your breakdown may discourage the animal from wanting to exercise;
systematic approach. Even well-learned commands require regular repetition. If you have completed the OKD course and decided to use the acquired knowledge only after a year, then the pet can pretend that it hears most of the commands for the first time;
the right motivation. For every dog, especially an adult, the training process must be made interesting so that the pet gets involved in the work with passion and strives to complete the tasks assigned to it. This is the only way to achieve true success and get positive emotions from the path you have traveled. To do this, you need to find the right motivation. In the first stages of training adult dogs, it is advisable to use several types of it at once - food (treats), tactile (stroking) and vocal (praise).

What are the features of training adult dogs?

Anyone who is interested in how to train adult dogs needs to know the following fact - the older they are, the more difficult it is to develop conditioned reflexes. But if the owner is ready to devote enough time to regular exercises, then the desired result will not be long in coming.

When training adult dogs in the first stages, you should use only positive reinforcement. Commands should be given at first from close range, but over time this should be increased. It is better to conduct classes in quiet places where there are no irritants (other animals, people and cars). Stimuli must be introduced gradually and very carefully.