TRAINING:  THE FIRST STEPS

In order to fit into the human household, dogs have to conform to the basic ground rules of the society in which they live.  This means that they have to be trained.  The dog has to join the group as a member, a very important member but not the dominant one of the household.  That is, as far as the dog is concerned, the household is the pack and the owner is its leader.

Dogs live happily in these situations but if any of the humans become subordinate to their dogs, the result is misery for everyone, including even the dogs themselves.

There is amore to training than just responding to commands.  Dogs that know where they fit into the order of things are able to contribute to the pleasurable, smooth running of life.  This certainly does not mean that a dog has to be harshly treated to get it to conform.  The great majority of dogs are only too pleased to meet their master’s every wish and welcome all opportunities do to so.

Displays of gratification on the owner’s part go a very long way to reinforcing the dog’s proper position in the hierarchy.  The simple withholding of praise has a sufficiently telling effect on a dog to get it to modify its behavior to try to do better next time around.

Punishment, or any other form or cruelty, is at best useless and inhumane, and at worst very damaging to the relationship between the dog and everyone else in the household.

THE BASICS 

There are three main aspects of training dogs to belong in a household.  The process begins before a puppy is even weaned, and continues to some degree throughout life.

The first stages of training a dog relate to socialization.  This subject is covered in more depth in the section on growing up.  Basically, the dog has to learn from its relationships with other dogs that it is a dog.  Other dogs must be respected as other members of the same species.  Any puppy which has no contact at all with others of its kind, and some may never even see their parents, will not know what another dog is if reared in complete isolation.

Equally important to a young dog is the need to learn about the other species with which it is going to come in contact.  This is particularly important with the humans in the family.  A dog must know that other people in its home command respect.  Later on it can be trained to guard against intruders.  This respect has to be returned by the family if a proper working relationship is to be developed.

Other pet animals, such as cats or pet rabbits, have to be introduced as friendly, and are not there to be assaulted.

The next stage is toilet or house training, which allows an animal that must, like all others, relieve itself of urine and feces, share a home with other species.  This must be done in a way that does not present any aesthetic offence or health hazard.  In addition, the dog must be trained to avoid risks or nuisance to anyone in the neighborhood at large, outside its own home.

The obedience part of training does not mean much more than the very basics of getting a dog to walk, to heel, ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ and to come when called.  The advanced standard of training necessary to win prizes in obedience competitions is not essential for owners.  Progression to a higher level is best achieved through a dog-training club.

TOILET TRAINING 

All puppies rest and sleep a great deal.  They almost always want to relieve themselves as soon as they wake up, so this is the time to begin toilet training.  A puppy on arrival in a new home will spend a little time exploring its new surroundings, and then will either go to sleep or look for an opportunity to pass urine or feces.

It is important not to fuss over a new puppy too much on arrival at its new quarters, as there will be an enormous number of new stimuli for it to cope with.  It is best to allow it to rest undisturbed to start with.  Children, small or large, must be restrained from too much attention or handling to begin with.

An exercise pen fenced off in a part of a reasonably quiet room is useful to begin toilet training.  As soon as a puppy wakes up it will normally make it clear that it is about to pass urine or feces.  At this point it will be necessary to pick the puppy up and place it where it is to relieve itself.  This may be out in the garden, if there is one, and if the weather is favorable.

Alternatively, it may be more practical to get the puppy to use newspaper until it can be taken out.  Owners have to be quite quick to make sure the number of ‘accidents’ is minimal.  The time between indicating and urinating is fairly short but most owners soon learn what the signs are.

The owners have two other duties.  The first is to give a very grief command with a one or two word signal.  Something like ‘go on’ or ‘be clean’ will do.  In fact it does not really matter what the words are, as long as they are the same each time.  This way any dog can be taught to relieve itself on a single command.  This is something that will come in very useful later on.

The other duty is to stay with the puppy until it has finished.  After everything has gone as it should, it is necessary for the owner to give the puppy enough praise for it to understand that it has done the right thing.  This does not have to be too fulsome, as dogs very quickly learn that what they do is approved or not by their owners.  But it should not be mean either.  A little expression of satisfaction costs nothing but a little time.

Toilet training is not something that can be put off.  The routine is established very early, and if neglected the dog may be impossible, or at least very difficult, to train.  Almost as bad perhaps is that it will not be possible to rely on the dog to be clean in the house or to be sure where it will deposit unpleasant material.

The secret with toilet training is to begin early and persevere day in day out, regardless of any ‘failures’.  After the routine has become established, the failures are usually due to the owners’ mistakes rather than the dogs’.

COLLAR AND LEAD

Once the dog has its full measure of protection by vaccination then the time has arrived for venturing out.  By this time the dog must have been trained to wear a lead.  This can begin soon after weaning by fitting a light collar on first, which is kept on for only a few minutes to begin with.

If this is done at a time when the puppy’s attention is easily diverted, then it will be tolerated very much better than if the puppy is allowed to protest and struggle to get it off.

Just before meal times is an obvious choice of time to apply the initial lead training.  A lightweight lead can be attached for the first few attempts at controlled walking, but lessons need to be very short to begin with.  Each lesson should be fun for dog and owner, but not too boisterous, and always with a purpose.  Rewarding the dog reinforces the lesson, and withholding praise is all that is usually necessary to make the point with the dog.

Very short walks can be attempted as soon as the dog has come to accept the collar and lead as routine.  These must be restricted to the garden until the vet gives the all clear to take the dog out; that is, when the course of vaccination is complete.

OBEDIENCE TRAINING

Teaching the four basic commands can be started before the first excursion outside the home boundaries.  As is may be up to 16 weeks or even longer before some dogs are fully protected, it is crucial to start on mastering ‘heel’, ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘come’ as soon as the puppy has gotten reasonably used to the collar and lead.

Practice should not interfere with the procedure of toilet training already described.  The two activities should be separate lessons in the timetable, at least to begin with.

It is vital that lessons should be short at the outset, as dogs, like small children, are not able to concentrate for very long without getting bored.  Later, more prolonged training is required.  The work should be fun and not a drudge for either the dog or the owner.  It must always have a purpose and an end-point, after which there can be a period of free play to look forward to.

The dog must not be allowed to become exhausted, or the effect may be the opposite of what is wanted.  On the other hand, the owner must always be in control and not let the dog dictate when the work starts and finishes.

In quite a short time the dog and the owner should have developed a good working relationship and each will be able to ‘read’ the other’s behavior with great skill.  This interaction is something that improves the entire time dog and owner share their lives.

WALKING TO HEEL

The discipline of walking to heel starts as soon as the puppy begins to walk on the lead.  Puppies usually follow their owners when walking together.  In fact they very soon anticipate the movement and start to pull forward.  This has to be curbed straight away, or walks will always be towing operations.

The lead has to be firmly but gently jerked, and the word ‘heel’ given as the command, so that the puppy has to realize it can be comfortable only when walking at a particular spot at its owner’s heel.  It should neither drag nor pull.  Praise is given when the puppy is in the right place and withheld when it is not.  No more than moderate voice indications need to be given to make it clear that the puppy is in the wrong place.

Although puppies are usually very quick to catch on, it is important to remember that some individuals are faster on the uptake than others.  Too much cannot be expected too soon, and again the lessons should be short and fun.  A short free playtime, with the collar on but the lead off, can follow each episode of training.

All this training can take place in the garden, if space and weather allow.  Alternatively, much can be achieved indoors.  Once walking out is allowed, a quiet spot away from traffic noises and the distraction of other people and dogs should be found, to allow a short period to concentrate on getting some training time in.

As progress is made, then training can become a little more adventurous, but puppies have to get used to traffic and people, so it is important that the next steps – sit and stay – are mastered before attempting more advanced training.  To neglect this is to expose your puppy to extreme dangers such as traffic or hostile people or animals.

SIT AND STAY

When not actually moving, a dog should be in a relaxed but alert sitting position when on the lead.  Being on the lead will come to be interpreted by the dog as a sign that this is a time to be taken seriously.  This does not mean that life cannot be fun.  It has to be fun under control.

The ‘sit’ command is a natural progression from walking to heel.  When dog and owner come to a stop, the dog is encouraged to sit by a firm but kindly hand pressing down on the dog’s hindquarters.  The hand is run down the dog’s back so the dog feels a comforting stroking.  The pressure is increased slightly to a maximum across the hips.  There is no need at all to create enough pressure to cause pain.  Doing so will only alienate the dog and spoil the partnership.

The word ‘sit’ is said every time the hand is stroked along the dog’s back to induce the sitting position.  All the words used in training need to be said clearly and must sound as if they are really meant.  The same tone should be maintained all the time.  There is no need to bark orders, for dogs have very acute hearing.  Anything bellowed into their ears is likely to upset them and set the training program back unnecessarily.

Success is not likely immediately.  Even those quickest on the uptake will need a little time to realize that stopping combined with the stroking pressure and the word ‘sit’ mean just that.  Most dogs soon get the idea and as soon as success is achieved, plenty of praise is what is needed.  It is not necessary to do any more than make pleasing noises and some gentle stroking.

Small tidbits are sometimes given but this may mean that when they are not, the dog may think it has done something wrong.  In other words once tidbits are started, they will have to be maintained for quite a long time.

Corrections are made by short jerks on the lead.  There is no need for violence.  Very sharp jerking of the lead may result in damage to the neck, so all training has to be done with kindness and persuasion.  However, the owner must remain dominant.  When a dog is really truculent and wants to establish dominance over the owner, then it may have to lifted by the scruff and shaken, to make the point.

Such a move will be seen as something serious by the dog and has to be used very sparingly.  Withholding praise is usually enough to get the right result.

Once the sit maneuver has been mastered, the dog will have to be taught to stay where it is, wherever the owner goes or whatever he does outside the basic commands.  The lead can be lifted up as the owner walks around the dog repeating the word ‘stay’ in a firm but encouraging voice.  Every time the dog gets up to see what is going on, the ‘sit’ position is reapplied.

An extension lead makes teaching this part of the program very much easier.  The actual distance away can then be gradually increased until the owner can be quite a long way away and still maintain control over the dog.  Every time the dog moves, the word ‘stay’ is repeated.

When necessary, the owner will have to return to re-establish the sit position.  Eventually the dog will come to realize what ‘stay’ means.  It means do not move at all.

Throughout all these operations the only other word that needs to be used is the dog’s name.  It is added onto each command as a routine.

COME WHEN CALLED 

The last of the basic commands which must be learned is ‘come’.  It allows the owner to keep control over the dog when running free.  Again the extending lead is invaluable for increasing the distance the dog is allowed to roam from its owner while still under lead control.

With the dog in the sit and stay position, the dog’s name is called and the lead pulled gently but firmly.  A few obvious beckoning movements will help the more reluctant ones, but all that is usually necessary is for the owner to give some praise when the dog comes to command.  If the first attempts are unsuccessful, use a shorter lead.  Then the lead can be gradually lengthened as progress is maintained.

It is best to make the dog sit as soon as it comes to the owner, as the temptation to jump up and spread muddy paws over the owner is strong in dogs.  If the command ‘sit’ is given as soon as the dog is where it should be, it can be prevented from jumping up before it has a chance to do so.

from The Practical Guide to Dog & Puppy Care - Andrew Edney and Roger Mugford