How to explain to a dog what. Strategy for communicating with a dog. Nothing is given for nothing. Signs of Dominant Behavior

Dogs were domesticated by humans more than two thousand years ago. Since then, these unique intelligent animals have given us their selfless love, friendship and loyalty. It is known that the direct ancestor of modern dogs is the wolf, and wolves are pack animals and their relationships are built on hierarchy. In the pack there is a leader who is obeyed and respected by other animals.

Domestic dogs perceive their family members as a pack with a leader. But it often happens that a dog becomes disobedient, stops obeying its owner, and shows dominance. What to do in such a situation and how to show the dog that you are in charge? Let's try to understand this issue and determine what may cause this behavior.

As already noted, dogs, despite the fact that they were tamed by people, retained the natural instincts and habits that the animals inherited from their closest descendants, the Voloks, especially the habit of living in a pack. If a dog lives in a family, it means that it perceives all its members as its pack. And it’s very important to show your pet who’s boss.

Important! As a leader, the dog chooses the most authoritative, powerful person, whom he trusts and completely obeys. At the same time, the dog is loyal and friendly to all other family members.

No matter how rude it may sound, a dog living in a house or apartment should know its place. In the chain of hierarchy, the dog should occupy the very last place. Therefore, the main task of all dog breeders without exception is the correct adaptation and socialization of their pet.

Training a dog should begin immediately after the animal gets used to new environment and members of your family. Animals need to be taught the correct skills and behavioral manners consistently, gradually, but persistently. The dog must understand what is allowed and what is prohibited. As an adult, weaning your pet from bad habits will not be easy.

At the same time, it happens that a dog, especially representatives of fighting breeds, begins to show dominance from an early age and assigns itself the role of leader. Such behavior must be stopped immediately. Do not indulge the animal and do not let it sit on your neck.

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Signs of dominant behavior:

• the dog refuses to follow commands;
• the dog shows aggression towards the owner, members of his family, and other pets;
• The dog does not allow his toys to be taken away, does not allow him to approach the bowl or resting place.

The dominant individual often shows aggression not only to strangers and their relatives, often starting fights on walks, but also with members of his family, which is especially unacceptable if there are children in the house. The dog does not follow commands, behaves obnoxiously, provokes conflicts, clashes with other animals and never admits his guilt. If your pet has the makings of a leader or exhibits similar behavior, it’s time to urgently think about his upbringing.

Dogs are sensitive to your emotional state. If you give in to the slack, indulging the whims of a cute little puppy, the dog begins to show his domineering character. Do not forget that after 5-6 months, the funny plush lump will turn into an adult dog, which can be spoiled and disobedient. In addition, a smart pet quickly realizes that it can manipulate a person and do whatever he wants. With each new victory the animal feels its superiority. If you don't show the dog who is the leader in the house, it can end very badly.

We teach the dog the right skills

Even if you have extensive experience with animals, particularly dogs, and consider yourself an unsurpassed trainer and educator, you will never achieve proper success if the dog does not perceive you as a leader, the leader of his pack.

Important! Dogs are accustomed to living in a pack under the leadership of a dominant leader. The leader of the pack must establish certain rules and strictly monitor their implementation.

Dog breeders must understand that for a dog, the leader of the pack is the one who constantly confirms his leadership. Once you stumble, show your weakness, break the established rules, your authority in the eyes of the dog will be lost. Therefore, when raising a pet, show patience, determination, and perseverance.

With a dog You always need to be moderately strict and decisive. At the same time, do not forget that the dog is a social creature that also needs affection, love and care. Therefore, we recommend finding a “golden” mean in communicating with your beloved pet. It is immediately worth noting that males, regardless of breed, if they do not adapt correctly, will constantly try to challenge the dominant position of their owner (leader). According to dog laws, it is males who most often get into fights with their relatives. The outcome is always the same. The dominant male will win, the weak male will step aside or submit.

Read also: How to stop a dog from barking at other dogs: 10 tips and tricks

With bitches much easier. They are more attached to their owner and family members, have a calmer disposition, and a balanced temperament. Features and some character traits are largely genetic and determined by the breed. Therefore, regardless of the gender of your pet, raise your dog correctly from puppyhood, so that later you do not have to euthanize an uncontrollable aggressive animal. If your dog is far from impeccable manners, the dog is not accustomed to order, is poorly socialized, behaves unacceptable at home and on walks, you have If you don’t have enough experience in communicating with dogs, seek help from experienced dog handlers or trainers.

Behavior rules

Showing a dog who is the leader in the house is quite easy, but at the same time you will need to live by dog ​​laws, constantly confirming and strengthening your authority.

Important! Swearing, loud screams, beating, and rough treatment of an animal will not only not give the desired result, but can also provoke an absolutely opposite effect. Such an approach towards a pet will lead to mental disorders. The dog can become cowardly, uncontrollable, and aggressive.

And so, if you are interested in how to show a dog who is boss and leader in the house without using violence, follow these rules:

• The dog must know its place. Do not allow your pet, including a puppy, to climb onto your sofa, bed, or chair. The dog should not sleep next to its owner. In this case, your authority as the leader of the pack will be undermined. Provide your pet with a convenient, comfortable place to rest and sleep, where the dog will feel private and safe.

• Don't let your dog be aggressive, if you want to pick up her ball, favorite toy or stick on the street. Stop the roar with a stern tone. The dog should allow you to approach its place, bowls, and toys. But this does not mean that you need to spread rot and humiliate your pet. The animal must have its own personal territory.

• Eliminate games that promote aggression, allow you to show dominance (pulling the leash, other entertainment in which the dog uses his teeth). If the dog belongs to the service or fighting breed, the initiative in joint entertainment should belong to you.

• Prohibit your dog from chewing furniture and interior items. The dog must know discipline. If your pet has done something wrong, show your displeasure with all your appearance and scold the animal for its wrongdoing. Although dogs do not feel guilty, the dog, when showing his love, understands by his tone that his action has upset you.

• Feed your dog only after your meal.. Do not give treats from your table; besides, such forbidden “treats” are not very beneficial for your pet’s health.

• Returning from a walk, always enter the house or apartment first. This way you let your pet know that he is entering your territory and must obey the established rules.

Jumping on a sofa, bed, chair - this leads not only to damage to the furniture, but also to damage to the posture of the limbs and metacarpus;

Play with stray dogs, cats and other animals from which he can become infected;

Stroke the head and ears. In many breeds, this contributes to incorrect ear placement, and sometimes they do not stand up at all;

Crawling under low furniture - the formation of the spine may go wrong, causing a sagging back;

Allow children up to four months of age to go down stairs (a hernia may form, incorrect paw spacing, “high rears”, and incorrect formation of the spine may occur).

The owner must carry the puppy himself, but in no case by the front legs or, like a kitten, by the scruff of the neck: the shoulder ligaments may tear and the dog will remain crippled.

It is best to place the puppy in your hand, so that its chest lies on the palm and its paws hang between your fingers: this will be comfortable for both you and him; playing with the collar and leash - this will lead to rapid wear; run up and play with strangers: children may get scared, because many people are often scared by a dog or simply out of surprise. Children and their parents do not know with what intentions the dog runs up to them. An adult may injure or become frightened of a dog. You won’t be able to explain that you just have a puppy, and besides, it’s difficult to explain to a person who doesn’t like dogs: you may get into trouble, and arguments that your puppy doesn’t bite are usually unconvincing.

All things must be hidden. Do not give the puppy a reason to grab his teeth into dresses and trousers hanging on the chair;

Do not let the dog sleep anywhere, for this it has its own place, and if the puppy falls asleep next to you, carefully pick it up in your arms and take it to its place, pet it, calm it down so that it continues its sleep; Do not give your puppy your old things as toys. By playing with old things, he can switch to new ones that were not given to him;

Do not allow the puppy to be teased: there is no need to develop excessive anger in him, this can cause damage to the nervous system, and you will not be able to train him. This is especially true for breeds such as the Caucasian Shepherd. The dog's aggressiveness will appear with age;

If, as the puppy grows, he begins to snap at you or your child, you need to sharply pull him back, hit him: that is, let him understand that you are the owner, and not he. Don't miss the moment, because the dog, feeling stronger than you, can bite the whole family or the one over whom it feels physically superior.

In such a skirmish, do not be afraid of the dog, let him understand who is boss in the house.

A dog feels human fear very strongly, even if you don’t want conflict and don’t show it with your actions. The dog will still sense your fear of it and may rush at you. No matter how difficult it may be for you, try to accustom yourself to not be afraid of dogs at all: this will help you in life.

Raising a puppy is not training yet, these are just the first stages of developing skills that will help you in further training;

One person in the family should work with the puppy at home and train it on the playground.

If you need to punish a puppy, then do it only at the moment he commits unwanted actions and not necessarily through physical force: the intonation of his voice is enough.

Punishing a puppy some time after he has committed an offense will only bring harm, because he will not understand why he was punished.

The puppy should treat strangers, including your neighbors and acquaintances, calmly, neutrally, without showing any particular interest, much less anger or fear.

Therefore, do not allow strangers to pet, feed, tease or frighten the puppy, or play games with it.

At the same time, support and encourage all that is beneficial for the future adult dog(especially service) natural manifestations on the part of the puppy, for example, wariness and moderate short barking when strangers open the front door.

At the same time, do not allow the puppy to bark at strangers when meeting them in the house, in the yard or on the street, or to show malice towards them. If the puppy gets very excited in front of strangers, call him over and calm him down. If the puppy, when meeting strangers, strives to get into contact with them and caresses them, distract the puppy. If you cannot do this, then ask a stranger, when approaching the puppy, to lightly slap him on the back with your palm or hit him with a twig. You can ask a stranger to extend his hand to the puppy with a treat. But as soon as the puppy begins to sniff the hand or opens its mouth to eat the treat, that person should lightly hit the puppy's face with the same hand that is holding the treat.

The treat exercise needs to be done more often and with different strangers in order to practice the skill of not taking anything from strangers. The force of mechanical impact on the puppy should not cause him pain or fear, but only wean him from unwanted behavior.

Do not forget that noise or barking is not a joy for neighbors or people passing through the yard or street. Therefore, calm the puppy down in a timely manner, stop his barking, and do not let him jump on you, leaning on his front paws.

Do not allow your puppy to bark at people, dogs, or vehicles.

When raising a dog, be fair: if you tighten the requirements when there is a lack of reward, you can achieve what you want faster. But then the dog will grow up fearful and timid. Beating an animal is a manifestation of helplessness and a sign of insufficient consistency and patience of the owner. A dog can be punished for its work, but not for the fact that it does not follow your commands well. Before success is felt in education, one will have to experience moments of despair more than once. It will seem that the dog is good for nothing. In this case, you must try to find the mistake made and correct it.

A master's love for a dog should not be expressed in sweet treatment and indulging its whims.

Affections are essential for a puppy and must be accompanied by speech. The puppy will subsequently be able to accurately distinguish the gentle, playful intonations of the owner’s speech from the commanding, strict ones and react accordingly. The conversation takes on the character of a dialogue. But the dog responds not with words, but with facial expressions, movements, squealing, grumbling, and impatient barking.

You can successfully raise a dog with lasting results only if you recognize its completely different behavior from ours and take into account the tendencies it inherited from its ancestors.

The dog sees the world in your own way, in a dog's way. For her, the owner is not a person, but the leader of the pack.

If you consider a dog's behavior from a human point of view and give it a human assessment, you thereby attribute to the dog human sensations and motives of behavior and, probably, even expect some kind of human logic from it. This is a fundamental mistake that negatively affects mutual relationships.

The dog's reaction is based on reflexes and instincts. If you know how your dog behaves in certain situations or which of his actions occur instinctively, you can use this both to train your dog and to maintain a friendly relationship with him.

Despite all the reflexive and instinctive actions of a dog, we must never forget that there is more to a dog than simple intelligence.

The one who is with the dog is really in friendly relations, knows that she sometimes shows feelings that, without a doubt, are something more than simple reflexes or instinctive actions. Many dogs sense the owner's mood, although it does not appear outwardly, and react accordingly. Sometimes a dog just needs a small, noticeable friendly gesture to immediately understand everything.

A dog should never be required to understand the difference between “good” and “bad” in the purely human sense of the word.

The dog only distinguishes between “allowed” and “prohibited”. This should be fundamental for you in raising her. Anyone who punishes his dog if, according to human standards, he has acted badly, falls into a delusion that stems from his humanization. The owner must raise his dog in such a way that such an action falls into the category of prohibitions known to him.

You must clearly understand that the dog does not understand your language.

The dog probably perceives only the sound coloring of your speech, its tone. However, this is enough for her to understand your intentions and your desires if you reinforce your words with gestures. The dog shows amazing sensitivity to your “body language.” The movements of your hands, gestures, the language of your eyes, your posture - everything that you often unconsciously connect with words, the dog understands correctly. The intonation of your words tells her exactly what should be taken as an order and what is an act of kindness.

You must learn to understand the dog's language and recognize when it barks, grumbles, howls and whines.

Greeting a family member, the arrival of a stranger, the protection or attack of one of his relatives, the discovery of a shot or a message about the found killed game, pain, dissatisfaction, fear - your dog notifies you about all this and much more with the help of his canine tongue. Over time, you will learn to understand all these sounds correctly. Then, even without seeing the dog, you will know what worries him and what determines his or her actions. Knowledge of dog language is especially important when the dog must guard something or help in the hunt.

When assessing a dog's senses, we must always take into account that the nose and ears play a decisive role in it.

In most cases, dogs see poorly, have very little sense of touch, and do not have a refined taste. However, their nose is approximately 48 times more sensitive than the human nose, and their hearing is 16 times better than ours. We perceive the world around us with our eyes and hands; a dog shapes its world with its nose and ears. Thus, the dog lives in a completely different (compared to us) world. It can be assumed that a dog's behavior is largely influenced by odors.

You should not be naive in thinking that your dog will recognize you as its owner at a considerable distance.

A small dog, for example, a dachshund, at a distance of 20-30 meters will not know who is approaching it, the owner or a stranger (of course, if the wind is blowing in your direction and not in the direction of the dog). This is evidenced by alternating tail wagging and grumbling. The ability to recognize and visual acuity are individual and vary depending on the breed of dog. The maximum distance for a dog to recognize people is 110 meters when people are stationary, and 150 meters if they are moving (data from Dr. Friedo Schmidt).

Many of your dog's actions will only become understandable if you remember that he is a member of the pack.

The desire to be close to a person, the reluctance to remain alone, the protection of all family members from “strangers”, a distrustful or unfriendly attitude towards outside visitors, the obligatory greeting ceremony when a family member enters - these and much more are the customs of the pack. You must take into account these customs, cultivating a tolerant attitude towards them.

The “pack territory” to which a dog belongs must, when properly raised, coincide with the “sovereign territory” of its owner and his family.

A room, apartment, house, garden, farm including a yard, or park can be the territory of a flock. The dog considers this territory “his own” and, in fact, protects it. In this territory, she runs along the same paths, hides or buries bones, tolerates the cat as a companion of the pack (sometimes!) and limits this territory, the territory of her pack, by putting odorous marks on trees, stones, fences, pillars, columns. Thus, the dog designates the area of ​​​​his dominance in relation to other people's dogs, and he confidently defends this territory.

Separation from the pack always causes a painful reaction in the dog. This must be taken into account.

Even a puppy we separate from his canine family feels miserable at first. A change of owner when buying or selling is especially painful for old dogs until they join a new pack.

If you tie up your ill-mannered or poorly behaved dog somewhere and walk away, leaving him alone, he will begin to whine or howl, perceiving what has happened as if he was kicked out of the pack. Even if family members on the street or during a walk suddenly disperse in different directions, that is, the pack suddenly splits into two parts, a dog that is not on a leash immediately becomes confused: who should it follow? It is recommended that one of the family members take the dog on a leash and hold it until the person who has left is out of sight.

The dog's mood and expected behavior in connection with this can in most cases be determined by its appearance.

Pricked tail and ears, ruffled fur, raised head - this is the “impressive” posture that every dog ​​demonstrates towards an unfamiliar or hostile fellow dog. If she lowers her head forward, presses her ears, and her tail hangs at the same time, it means that, without entering into a fight, she recognizes herself as subordinate. A dog that is inferior in the fight or a weaker one also behaves, in response to which another, stronger one, immediately leaves it alone. In this case, the demonstration of submission consists of the weak dog lying on his back, as young dogs predominantly do. Some adult dogs, mainly dachshunds, adopt this position when they want to show their loyalty to their owner or play with him.

A dog's tail is a barometer of its mood at the moment.

A tail tucked between the legs is an unfriendly reaction of rejection. The tail is drooping, motionless - behavior of uncertainty. Straightened tail - the situation can change quickly. A slightly wagging tail means the situation is improving. An energetically wagging tail is a wonderful, joyful environment. The highest stage of canine euphoria: the tail does not wag, but literally beats, with the back of the body swaying, ears flattened - highest degree bliss - the beloved owner is coming.

If you sense aggressive intentions in the dog's stance, you need to immediately step back.

Precisely back, so that, while retreating, you do not take your eyes off the dog, which in itself restrains the attack, precisely slowly, so as not to awaken the innate instinct of pursuit in the dog. There is no point in defending. A person does not have the ability to resist an attack from a biting dog, even if it is of medium size. Putting your hand into the gaping mouth is the privilege of only brave police officers. If a dog is driven into a corner, leaving no way out for it, and thus depriving it of the opportunity to escape, its only “exit” is to attack.

You should, as far as possible, protect your dog from nervous disorders.

Family troubles, concern about some issue, illness of one of the family members, constant housework, grumbling, noise, rumble - the dog senses all this and reacts accordingly. Such an absurd “flock” bothers the animal and makes it nervous. In veterinary hospitals, many city dogs were found to have nervous disorders.

The owner and the dog must resemble each other.

This, however, should not be taken literally, since the “correspondence” to each other cannot be explained. Let us explain this with examples: a hunter and a hunting dog, a policeman and German Shepherd, a movie star and an Afghan, a monk and a St. Bernard, a lady and a Maltese, a butcher and a Great Dane, an athlete and a terrier.

The opposite of one's own "I" is chosen in most cases simply out of vanity or in order, at least with the help of a dog, to be noticeable (noticeable) among other people. This is often associated with an inferiority complex or, conversely, when others do not recognize someone’s “exceptionality” and a dog is needed to confirm it. In all these cases, I sincerely feel sorry for both the owner and the dog.

We need to add a little more and coordinate our knowledge about communicating with a dog. But, in contrast to the general, sketchy presentation, in which the author sought to give the main theoretical knowledge, it contains purely practical advice.

Praise and condemnation should be clearly distinguished by the tone in which they are pronounced. Intonation is extremely important for a dog.

When we praise a dog, our voice takes on soft, friendly tones, and when we condemn it, it becomes stern and harsh, phrases become abrupt, and they are pronounced in a lower tone than usual. There is no need to speak loudly, the dog hears 16 TIMES better than us.

Both praising and scolding do not need to cross the boundary of what is permissible.

Frequent repetition or too little reason will reduce the effectiveness of your remark. However, if the dog is very young, do not skimp on praise. An adult dog may use excessive praise to refuse to follow a command.

When you praise your dog for something, there is no need to be verbose.

A few short words, always used in the same sequence and form, are enough.

Usually the words “good!” are used. or “well done!” in combination with the dog's name, pronounced joyfully and affably. Other additional words of praise are no longer needed. The dog does not understand them, they can only confuse him.

Words of condemnation should be pronounced sternly and abruptly.

Just by the tone alone, the dog should understand that you are unhappy with it.

Usually the words “impossible!” are used for this. and “fu!”, which you can repeat twice, three times in increasing order. However, there is no point in repeating it too many times.

Praise and blame should be mutually related.

If the dog, after words of condemnation, complies with your command, you must immediately praise it and give it a small piece of treat so that it does not have the slightest doubt about the relationship between the first and second.

Punish the dog only in cases where your words of condemnation, even repeated several times, remain unheeded.

It is imperative that the dog knows the reason for the conviction and subsequent punishment. If you watch your dog carefully, you will quickly notice whether he ignores or does not understand your judgment. If he ignores, he should be punished. When you discipline a dog, it should always be on a leash.

For disobedience, the dog should be punished immediately so that it clearly understands the relationship between disobedience and punishment.

This important teaching principle is not easy to observe, because the relationship must be traced based not on human, but on dog logic. It is enough to give such an example. If your dog chases a hare and then returns, how will he take your punishment? Will she be able to connect this with her hunting instinct? Will she understand that she was punished for running away? Or will she think that she was being punished for running after a hare? Or even for returning to the owner? Of course, it is best if you are able to stop her disobedience from the very beginning. To influence the dog from a distance, you can use a very long leash or a radio-controlled electric collar. Only encouragement should come from your hands, they should NEVER punish.

Your hand strokes and caresses the dog, your hands give it food, treat its wounds. For a dog, they are the embodiment of your KINDNESS. Even a subtle punch as punishment can shake this sense of trust. There is only ONE exception, when you grab the dog by the collar, which, however, is perceived by him in a completely different way than any punishment with his hand. This is how their mother punishes puppies. A dog that is afraid of your hand and can only be put on a leash with difficulty is a reprehensible example of improper handling.

Sticks and whips should not be used to train a dog.

Once you learn how sensitive and obedient your dog can be, you will realize that these barbaric methods are simply not acceptable for you. A “downtrodden”, intimidated, distrustful dog is no longer a man’s friend, but something completely opposite. Only service dogs are punished with a whip (sometimes such punishment is even necessary) when they openly ignore understandable commands.

To punish your dog, use a thin twig or folded newspaper.

A twig that can be cut off during a walk serves more as a warning than as a punishment. At the same time, a strong blow from a newspaper folded several times or rolled into a tube is very unpleasant for a dog, mainly because of the noise it makes.

Under no circumstances should you kick your dog.

The dog usually seeks protection at our feet. She must treat them with the same trust as she does our hands. A dog that is afraid of a kick will only be reluctant to carry out the command “Come to me!” Among other things, we should not forget that a blow from a heavy shoe or boot can cause injury to her.

Sometimes cold showers can be used successfully to train a dog.

Outside the house, you can use half a bucket of water for these purposes.

At home, most often it is enough to splash from a glass. The main thing is that the dog understands the relationship between this soul and the action.

It will be a serious punishment for your dog if you grab him by the scruff of the neck and shake him vigorously.

Even as a puppy, the dog learns that this grip means something serious. This is usually how the mother teaches the puppy to obey. If you grab a dog firmly by the scruff of the neck, it cannot defend itself with its fangs or paws. Of course, during this punishment the dog must be on a leash. However, any other punishment carried out directly by your hand would be a serious mistake. It is best to avoid this or do it very carefully, since in some breeds of dogs, especially puppies, the skin on the scruff of the neck may be damaged as a result of this technique.

If you are disciplining your dog, family members or others present should refrain from making any comments.

Children understand very well when, during a brainwash, their mother or aunt softens the punishment with their remarks, and sometimes they express the exact opposite opinion. The dog also senses this and immediately tries to find a way to resist, which weakens or even completely undermines the owner’s position as the leader of the pack.

If you punish a dog, for example, in an apartment you take it by the leash, lock it, put it on a chain, or don’t take it for a walk, then all this makes sense only if the dog can establish a causal relationship with its disobedience.

It is often difficult to determine whether the dog has truly understood this relationship. If this does not happen, then the dog perceives your actions not as punishment, but as a restriction that is incomprehensible to him. Anyone who knows their dog very well can feel by its behavior whether it considers the punishment fair.

If you want to encourage your dog to master a difficult task, then at the right time, in addition to praise, give him a tasty bite.

The “right moment” comes not when the dog has already completely completed the task, but when it begins to perform it correctly. Every little success should be accompanied by a small tasty piece. When the goal is achieved, the dog receives a larger piece. For this, meat, liver, a piece of sugar or sweet cookies are used. Such a treat should only be used as a reward for completing special tasks and should not become something common.

Tidbits as a reward should only be given by the person teaching the dog. Children watching the owner of the house deal with the dog are very fond of treating the “doggie” with a tasty piece at the most inopportune moment in order to win his love, which, as we know, comes through the stomach. The dog very quickly notices when and from whom it receives the largest and most delicious pieces. In this case, the pieces as an incentive to complete tasks lose their meaning.

Many people ask me how to explain this or that command to a dog. How to prove to her that she should not only obey, but also do exactly what her owner asks her to do. Or orders, whenever. And I, usually, can’t help people in any way, because I haven’t seen and don’t know their specific dog, and I can’t tell you which of the many methods is right for her. And I can’t answer for the owners that they will do everything right.

But still, I have something to say on this topic.
Every lesson, when I give new commands, I spend at least an hour on theory. I don’t know if my many canine colleagues give this theory, but judging by people’s reviews, no, they don’t. But if the owners really love their dogs. they are ready not only to listen and wag their brains, they are ready to think!
Remember the first rule of training - think! Before you give your dog a command, before you make a new gesture, before you pull on the leash or take out a piece/toy. Think about WHAT EXACTLY you want from your dog. And how will you achieve this?

But now I will explain to you why everything is so complicated.
A lot of people come to my classes who have already completed a training course; many have received diplomas with 1-2 degrees in OKD. It would seem - why? Do you like to hang out among dog people and dogs? Do you like the process? No, they come for answers - how to make the dog walk next to you not only on the playground, how to make the dog lie down even in the rain and wet grass, how to prohibit aggression towards other dogs or people, how, in the end, to do commands MANDATORY and uniform?
Every time I ask you to show me what the problem is. And how it is corrected. And I see the same thing - the dog DOES NOT UNDERSTAND what the owner wants from him. But at the same time, he thinks that he understands, and does as he understands. But the owner simply doesn’t know that he is explaining to the dog something completely different from what he wants from it. This is where most of the problems lie.

Let's start with how a dog perceives the world. And don’t ask - that’s what it has to do with it. But at the same time. You live, communicate and try to interact with a being of a completely different species. This creature has its own understanding, its own vision, its own logic. It’s not for nothing that dogs are compared to children - dogs also only have linear logic. They also do not know about the future and do not live in the past. For them it is only here and now, the next action follows from the previous one, and they think not in words and images, but in emotions.
On the other hand, a dog is not a child. She grows, learns and develops into an adult personality, and you cannot treat this personality like a small, unreasonable child if you still love your dog. If an adult is treated like a child, this means that he is inferior, is not able to make independent decisions and be responsible for the consequences, cannot protect himself and cannot become equal to others. The dog grows up to be a full-fledged, independent person capable of protecting himself. Just a different kind. And she is not able to understand us people when we communicate with her as with another person.

What do I usually explain to owners of naughty dogs?
1. The dog perceives the command as a signal to action. If nothing follows after the first signal, she will wait for the second/third/tenth signal. If you are used to saying “sit-sit-sit” before insisting on your own, what makes you think that the dog will obey a one-time command? For her, your “sit-sit-sit” has long been the signal to land.
Remember - when you teach a dog a command, when you polish the execution of a command - you EXPLAIN to the dog the rules for performing a specific action on a specific signal. And if you want your dog to follow a command after the first command, show it to him. They gave a command and showed what the dog should do after it.

2. A dog perceives movements and gestures much easier than words, because dogs communicate with each other mainly through body language. Therefore, when you first bend down, then say the command “lie down”, and the dog lies down, you explain to the dog that it should lie down based on the combination of your bow and the word “lie down”. And then try to straighten up and say “lie down.” Most dogs will look at you with great confusion. And they won't do anything.
Therefore, in order to teach the dog to listen to your voice, never show the dog in any way that a command will now be given. Otherwise, it's your own fault. The same goes for tapping the leg on the “near” command, pointing with a finger on the hold, raising the hand up on the “sit” command, and so on.

3. The dog thinks logically. Her logic is linear; it is extremely rare that she can combine into one two actions that are lagging behind each other in time or interspersed with other actions. If you teach correct landing at the leg on the command “near”, do not allow unnecessary movements, both yours and the dog’s. And don't reinforce actions you don't want. Otherwise, you will end up sitting at your leg with barking, or, worse, a complete misunderstanding by the dog of what you want from it. And when a dog does not understand what they want from it, it, like a person, begins to experience extreme disgust at the mere hint of training. First, think carefully about what you will do if the dog becomes stubborn, sits incorrectly, approaches your other leg, starts jumping for a piece or fumbling the leash.

4. Once again - the dog thinks logically. And there is absolutely no need for her to sit right next to your left leg and walk next to it. She doesn’t even understand why you’re teaching her this. Therefore, when you teach a command, you explain to the dog not only and not so much the final result, but the sequence and speed of its actions on your command. If you wait until the dog slowly approaches your leg and sits down slowly, you explain to him that you are quite satisfied with this execution of the command.

5. The dog doesn't need your commands. Yes, she may want a piece or a toy. But you don’t need to show off on the playground or in front of your neighbors, you need it so that in an extreme situation, when the last thing in the world the dog wants to listen to you, it does listen. You want your dog not to cause trouble or endanger anyone own life and health. A dog can't understand this. It is useless to yell at her, beat her and be indignant that she does not listen to you. You need to yell at yourself. Because it is sadism to demand from a friend something that you yourself did not explain to him or explained incorrectly.

6. The dog remembers the sequence of your actions. If you press your dog’s butt every time you command to sit, it will wait for this press to sit. Not because she’s stupid, but because you explained it to her that way! You didn’t explain to her that she should sit down herself. The same applies to jerking the leash on the team next to you. If these jerks only correct the dog’s movement, he will wait for them in order to change direction, pace, or press closer to the leg. Because that's how you explained it to her.

7. If your dog fights, eats beef, rolls around in rotten meat, barks at children, etc., and you try to calm it down with a gentle voice, you are encouraging it. If you try to keep her on a leash, you turn her on even more. If you yell at her, throw her to the ground and hang on top of her, you are proving your superiority. Well, she doesn’t dispute this very superiority! She doesn't mind that you're in charge - but what does that have to do with the fact that she just tried to fight with someone else's dog? If you silently shake your dog by the collar when he barks at someone, you are explaining that he needs to shut up. But you don’t explain that you should never bark at people.

8. When you punish a dog for something, do you often praise it for the desired behavior? So the dog growled at the child, you barked at it and “punched it in the ears”, the dog fell silent and pressed itself against your leg... What are you doing? Why do you continue to hover over the dog with a menacing look and look at it with the eyes of a killer? She is silent, she did what you needed! Why don't you praise her as soon as she fell silent, explaining that now you like her behavior? The same thing - your dog saw another dog, it hasn’t barked yet, hasn’t rushed. And you, instead of joyfully praising her, stand and look first at her, then at the object of her attention, showing your dog with your eyes that you don’t like that dog. Otherwise, why the hell are you staring at her like that? And then, when your dog said his “woof”, you scold him... For what?

9. The dog’s trust in its owner is built on understanding and trust. Can you trust a person who said nothing five times when you took his mug for tea, and on the sixth time threw a tantrum? The same goes for a dog - how can it trust you if you either allow yourself to be jumped on, or suddenly start a scandal with screaming and chasing the dog? How does she know that she tore your new tights or stepped on your bare foot with her claws? What about teams? Either our “nearby” is purely abstract, somewhere here at our feet, then we sweep the dog, dragging it on a leash at our feet, swearing at it. What difference does it make to her that we have a heavy bag in our other hand, and there is a busy avenue ahead? Be consistent! Don't hurt your dogs.

10. Well, the most difficult thing for you and the simplest for your dog. A team is a set certain actions, performed at a certain speed without fail. If on the command “near” the dog is allowed to walk behind you and in front of you, and at a distance of half a meter, and right next to your leg - how will it understand what you want from it? This is the same if the dog is allowed to sit, stand, and run when the command “lie down” is given. That is, if a team does not have clear boundaries and a clear, always the same outcome, then there is no team and there will not be.
And this applies not only to learning a new command, but also to repeating those already learned long ago. When a dog suddenly starts not plopping its butt on the grass at the command “sit”, but slowly moving its paws - what do you do? That's right, you give the second command and wait for execution. And you explain this to the dog - the rules have changed. Now you don’t have to sit down right away. And don’t be surprised later that the command to sit in just a week or two will become optional for your dog. You explained it yourself! Or do you think that a dog will carry out a command once learned for the rest of its life, like a robot - immediately and uniformly? And don't get your hopes up. Your dog will check many times, either by accident or on purpose, to see if the rules can be changed. And it all depends on you - whether you waste this moment and follow the dog’s lead, or immediately correct the command, explaining to the dog that the rules have not changed.

This is not all that I could tell you. We can talk for a long time about managing personal space during training, about dog language, about motivation and dominant behavior... But I’m afraid you’re already confused.

Although honestly, there is nothing complicated about it. Just remember - a dog is a thinking, independent, adult creature of another species. And she deserves an honest and respectful attitude towards her characteristics. Even - and even more so! - during training.

No matter how much we would like it, every dog ​​has the instinct of a wild animal - the wolf, from which they descended. No matter how affectionate and kind a pet is, it will always display the traits of a wild animal, which must be suppressed in time.

It has been proven through many years of experience that a dog is very dependent on a person. Dogs adapted to domestic life will subsequently find it difficult to survive on the street alone. The human family becomes like a pack for every dog, and it is important to make sure that the dog considers you to be the leader of this pack.

Using my example, my personal actions, I want to give you information on how to put yourself in charge in your relationship with your dog. No matter what breed of dog you have, be it even the smallest pocket dog, the character of a wild animal will always appear in it from time to time. For example, if a dog growls at you while eating, then this is very bad - the dog considers itself more important than you, and, as it were, advises you to stay away while eating. My following tips will help you make the dog your subordinate, and put yourself as the main one in its eyes.

1) Stop the dog's growling in your direction and in the direction of other members of your family. While eating, my dog, while still young, allowed himself to do this, showing me that he was dominant in this territory. But after several days of such roaring, with the help of the “Fu!” command, I managed to calm my dog ​​down a little. And now she clearly knows that I have the right to approach her at any time.

2) The second method I used is about who gets through the door first. If your dog constantly pushes ahead of you (at times other than when you're walking), it means that he doesn't consider you his leader. In wolf packs, only the leader can be the first to enter uncharted places and the wolves' lair. Of course, the human family is not Wolf Pack, but for a dog this is not so noticeable, so get rid of moments when the dog is rushing at all pores in front of you.

3) The next thing I would like to touch on is the question of whether a dog can be allowed to sleep with its owner in the same bed. There are two answers here - yes and no. Only kind, non-aggressive breeds that will never forget their place in this house can allow a dog to sleep in the same bed with you. It is better not to allow aggressive breeds such luxury, and let them sleep on the floor next to your bed at most.

4) Even as a puppy, my dog ​​went with me almost everywhere. I took her for walks in the park, went with her to the nearest river, arranged jogging together in the morning, introduced her to other people on the street. Communication with other people and visiting uncharted territories under your strict guidance is what makes any dog ​​kinder and more obedient. But do not forget that your pet should not be given too much freedom. Always walk your dog on a leash or, at a minimum, always have a leash on hand so you can tether and calm your dog at any time.

5) You should not allow your dog to ride in a car in people's arms. Yes, maybe someone will want to hold a cute dog on their lap, but you need to immediately explain that this will have a bad effect on the dog’s upbringing. A dog's place in a car is the floor, and nowhere else.

6) No matter how much you love your pet, you shouldn’t pamper him too often. From my own experience, I am convinced that a dog should always remain a dog, and not a toy for a person. You don't have to completely control your dog and force it to do exactly what you want. Yes, perhaps it will seem to you that the next bone you bring will not have any effect on the dog’s character, but in reality this is not the case. Dogs are very smart animals, and they sense when the person in front of them is, so to speak, too much. And then, what kind of leader status can we talk about if your dog considers you his servant? The answer is obvious - if you spoil your dog too often, it can get out of control.

7) Some owners feel sorry for their pets too much and often. If a dog is afraid of thunderstorms, then at the first lightning strike, they let it into their house and leave it there to spend the night, as long as the dog is comfortable. If your dog is afraid of a thunderstorm, then it’s best not to let it into the house, but to go outside and show the dog your confidence, you can even calmly talk to the dog - “look, I’m not afraid of a thunderstorm, there’s nothing to be afraid of, stay at place." Your pet will feel the confidence of its owner, and you will do two good things at once - calm the dog down, and also rise in its eyes.

All the tips I listed really help in practice, and the words of other dog owners are only confirmation of this. In just a few months, even from the very naughty dog, you can make a devoted friend who will know his place in the house.

Best regards, Vladislav