Agility: Basic Puppy Training 4-5 Months

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

At this age, the puppy already loses most of its "fears": when a stranger appears, other dogs, in an unfamiliar environment, etc. At the same time, an arsenal of skills, abilities, instincts received from the trainer is accumulating.

Requirements for the trainer. The word “trainer” does not at all apply to a dog breeder participating in agility competitions. The athlete does not just train the dog, he participates with it in competitions, accompanying it along the track. Any pressure, coercion will only be harmful. It is useful to turn to genuine pedagogical science, in which there is no command-order spirit, as well as rudeness, intemperance, and nervousness.

If you fail, your irritation, anger can only exacerbate the situation. It is wiser to stop working with the dog, so as not to inflict inevitable psychological trauma on the animal, and start analyzing the reasons that interfere with the achievement of success. Chances are, you simply failed to clearly explain to your teammate what you wanted from him. After reasoning and weighing everything, you can move on.

All calls to the dog should be short, clear and express the essence of a particular situation (command, encouragement, expression of displeasure), the voice can be strict, encouraging, demanding, affectionate - depending on the circumstances. It is useful for the trainer to remember that the expectation of encouragement is the main incentive both to work and to acquire new skills, although without rigor there is no education either. If the punishment is deserved, it is necessary to show firmness, especially since there is not the slightest need to resort to violence: it is enough to take the puppy "by the scruff", as the leader of the pack would do, and slightly pat him, while severely reprimanding. In any situation with a puppy, one must observe the measure, abandon extremes and adhere to the same rules of education. Over tolerance and excessive severity are equally unacceptable: one generates another, violating the harmony of relations,which, ideally, should develop between the agility participants. A conciliatory position in training will turn into cruelty when correcting the dog's mistakes on the competition track, and suppression of will and freedom will make it downtrodden and lack of initiative. Neither one nor the other is suitable for agility.

The sequence of training. The simple must always precede the complex. The commands, movements, necessary for performing future exercises, are worked out sequentially, with great care. You can't run ahead, you need to try to make sure that the past is repeated from time to time before each new stage.

Basics of technology. All commands begin with the name of the dog: "X, come to me!", "X lie down!" etc. If the execution of the command is late or sins with inaccuracies, the command is repeated, prompting the dog to move with a gesture or with the help of a reins. For accurate work, the dog must certainly be encouraged, at least stroked in a friendly way, because she tried just for you. If the dog is doing your commands carelessly, you should express your displeasure to him, as briefly as possible. The expression of the strictest prohibition should be the command "No!" It is served energetically and demanding. Later, during the competition, this team will allow you to abruptly stop the dog if it was mistaken and headed for the wrong obstacle that needs to be overcome at the moment according to the route scheme. Try not to use this command in vain, otherwise its effectiveness will decrease.

It is not out of place to remind you of the need to select the desired intonation when pronouncing commands. The lethargy in the owner's voice is transmitted to the dog. The team should not leave the dog indifferent. It is enough for a well-trained dog to hear his nickname from the owner so that his attention is fully mobilized, and the tone of his voice should make him execute the command immediately.

I hope you did not get me wrong all the time there is no need to shout. This "secret weapon" is kept for the most urgent case. Also, avoid raising your voice inevitably associated with an expression of your dissatisfaction, as during competition you rarely have to raise your voice due to noise in and around the court.

Before training, the dog must fulfill its natural needs. Under no circumstances should the dog be allowed to do this on the site where obstacles are installed. An incident like this during an official competition could result in immediate disqualification for failure. As soon as the dog begins to show characteristic anxiety, it is necessary to stop it with the command "No!", Expressing an extreme degree of dissatisfaction, and immediately take it away from the site.

To confuse work with the game, as it happens during the initial training, would be a mistake at a new stage. The dog should clearly distinguish between work and play, although this does not mean that work is something boring and painful. The difference in behavior should be set by the breeder. If a dog confuses play with work, it will inevitably "foul" on the track. It is best to think of work as a kind of game - a game that obeys certain rules.