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| The first training commands should be the basic ones like `sit'. This is Scout learning to `watch' |
Dogs are pack animals. They establish a pecking order as they grow up by playing fighting with their peers. As they reach maturity they must fit in to an adult heirarchy. This will often result in more aggressive fights between adults, particularly male dogs. Once this pecking order has been established there are very few fights between dogs - they're too busy catching food. Pecking order is maintained in more subtle ways.
Using the pecking order: You must be top dog, and your dog bottom dog. Be prepared for a fight of one size or another around the time of maturity. Meet this "fight" as if you are top dog and thereafter think about the pecking order.
For example you are top dog and go out and catch a tasty pet roll. You bring it home and divide it out between your family.
Are you then going to be pushed out of the way while the bottom dog elbows his way in? Make him sit. Put the food down gently and deliberately. Keep him sitting. Walk away. Keep him sitting. Leave the room, start doing the dishes, answer the phone. Your dog eats only when you allow it by the command "Okay".
If you bring your pack a bone to eat the same applies. When the top dog fancies some bone he goes and takes it off the bottom dog - note this is a very confrontational situation where you must be confident and prepared to excert your dominance against his teeth.
Bottom dog feels like company - he comes to top dog and nudges you. Ignore him - even if you want company. Send him away. When he's settled down again call bottom dog over and tell him you want company and stroke him. When top dog wants to groom bottom dog, he does.
When bottom dog gets tired of being groomed, top dog doesn't let him wander off or snarl, squirm about and bite. Top dog makes him sit and accept being groomed until top dog thinks he has been groomed enough.
Top dog says when the dogs exercise. Top dog says where the dogs sleep. Top dog IS top dog. Bottom dog knows this and wouldn't dare question it.
General training hints
- Remember that the dog is a pack animal and requires a leader and this must be you (this is not a democracy but a dictatorship) or else you will not have control.
- Always be consistent and don't change the rules on them, this only confuses them. Be wary of inadvertently teaching them bad habits. Puppies that jump up generally get a pat (in doing this you are teaching them to jump). Just push pup down and ask it to sit and then praise him. Ignore noise and praise when quiet.
- It is very important that the dog/puppy socializes with other dogs, people, and animals that are foreign to your natural environment.
- Do not encourage aggression in your dog. If the time comes the dog's natural instincts will certainly come to the fore. It doesn't need to be psyched up at all. It is possible to create an over-aggressive dog and although retrainable they should not be trusted around children and generally end up dead dogs.
- Dogs learn more quickly through reward than punishment so you have to find a motivator that works for your dog. For most it is food, preferably a real treat. Some will work well for praise and some for a toy, but food works best.
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