Training Your DogWhat Every Good Dog Should Know WALKING
AT HEELWith the dog sitting at your left side, give the
command "(dogs name), heel";(always use his name first in giving any command to
gain his attention). Start out on the left foot, at a brisk pace. If the dog does
not come with you immediately, give the lead a short jerk, encouraging him to
come close by slapping your side and praising him. Always give the voice command
before jerking the leash.
After your dog goes along well at heel start
to make turns and about turns (to the right only so as not to tangle him). Pivot
smartly, jerking the lead when the dog does not follow your movement, but always
loosen the lead immediately after each correction. If the dog lags, circle to
the right, so that he has further to go, patting your side to encourage him on.
If he forges ahead, make left-hand turns and circle to the left, brushing your
knee against him if needed to hold him back (this way the dog blames himself for
bumping into the trainer), or twirling the end of the lead in front of his nose
(carefully, too hard will make the dog head shy).
Once your dog has gotten
the general idea of heeling, you can alternate ordinary strides with fast and
slow pace; this will keep him alert and attentive. DO NOT adjust your speed to
his. Make him keep up or stay back with you. SITWith
the lead in your right hand and walking with your dog at heel, come to a halt
and give the command "sit". At the same time, press down on his hindquarters with
your left hand and pull up and slightly back on the lead in your right hand. When
he sits, pat him and be sure to praise him. If the dog sits in a crooked position,
make him sit straight, then praise. This exercise will have to be practiced repeatedly
and probably over a period of many lessons before the dog will sit automatically
when you halt or give the command. SIT-STAYHolding
the lead in your right hand and with your dog sitting at heel, give the command,
"stay!" At the same time, give a hand signal with your hand, the palm turned towards
the dog, just in front of his face. Be ready to use the lead to correct and bring
him back into position if he moves.
Then , starting with your right foot,
walk a circle around your dog, holding the lead. Repeat the command and the whole
lesson if he moves. If he moves when you return to the heeling position, hold
the lead over his back to the left and tell him again to "Stay". When he completes
the exercise correctly. Praise him and let him relax and play.
After your dog has had sufficient lessons to stay while you walk around
him, he is ready for a new lesson. Give him the command to "Stay", walk
out in front of him to the end of the lead and face him. If he is reliable
about it, you can drop the lead and move a little farther away, but always
return quickly and correct him if he moves. If necessary, go back to the
"Sit-stay" training on lead.
LYING
DOWN
The "down" signal consists of raising your hand, palm
toward the dog with fingers together, pointing up. When starting this
lesson, face your dog, run the lead under your right foot so that when
you pull up on the end of the lead, it will have a pulley action in working
downward on his collar. Have your dog sit first.
Give the command "Down!" and the hand signal; at the same
time pull up on the end of the lead and press down with your foot in order to
pull your dog down. If your dog is small, crouch down so that your hand signal
will be at his eye level. He will learn to drop without being pulled down after
a few lessons and, eventually, on the hand signal alone. COMING WHEN CALLED
The recall is the most important signal command your
dog has to learn, for it can mean a great deal in safety as well as convenience.
Any dog that goes anywhere outside your home, and particularly one that
is given the run of the place, must know the meaning of "Come."
Allow the dog to wander on the lead out to it's full extent. Give the
command "Come." If he doesn't start toward you right away, jerk the lead
and encourage him with praise to come to you. If necessary, reel him in,
praising all the way. Pat him, allow him to wander again and repeat, praising
generously when he obeys.
To make the exercise a neat one, leave your dog on a sit-stay, walk to
the end of the lead and face him. Call him, and gather up the lead so
that he comes directly in front of you. Tell him to sit, making sure that
he does it squarely, not off to one side or at a distance from you. When
your dog will come a short distance promptly back up as he comes to you,
praising him all the way in across the yard, so that he works happily.
Finally, you can try it with the lead dragging loose, but if he does not
come immediately, run back to him, jerk the lead, and gather it up, pulling
him in while you repeat the command.
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