How to educate a dog: 8 tips to do it
One, probably the most important, of the aspects of life with dogs is being able to create the conditions for a happy and serene coexistence while respecting the nature of our quadrupedal companion. The education, first of all of the owner and then of the dog, plays a crucial role in ensuring that the relationship between the dog, its humans and the society they live in is optimal. Before starting to talk about advice for education and training, it is important to know if you really know your dog and his behavior. Sometimes, he makes us understand what he thinks through his body language ... you just need to be able to grasp the signals!
1. Choose the dog according to your lifestyle
According to Dr. Cinzia Stefanini, Master ethologist and APNEC Lombardia Behavioral Rehabilitation Specialist, this is one of the main aspects to be prepared to educate a dog in the correct way.
The characteristics of the race and the history prior to adoption are crucial. Each breed has been meticulously selected for decades to perform a task. Naturally, it still retains some powerful attitudes inherent to the role of aiding man. Let me explain: it is very likely that a Setter will lose his head for the birds in the park even if the person who took him does not go hunting. A guard dog tends to be not very sociable, especially within its territory. A defense dog, on the other hand, could let you into the house but react badly if you try to shake the owner's hand. The beagle puts his nose to the ground and runs away chasing a smell? No wonder.
This is why it is very important to pay attention to your lifestyle and understand which puppy is best to choose. Then, obviously, if you opt for a mestizo, you have to be ready to accept the surprises of not knowing the race and for this reason it will be even more fundamental to start the education process right away.
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2. When to start educating your dog
Some good breeders begin the education of the puppy before giving it up for adoption. In general, the earlier you start the better, taking into account the different cognitive abilities of the puppy's evolutionary stages. Put simply, at 2-3 months you can start to set up educational skills, the important thing is not to expect a high level of precision and attention because at this age a healthy and non-traumatized puppy keeps attention for a few seconds.
In the same way, however, your dog will be at the stage where it is much easier to involve him in different activities, especially if you show enthusiasm and confidence. It is therefore easier to start "training" in this period so as not to risk that your four-legged friend will develop habits that are difficult to make him forget.
3. The importance of consistency
Both in the case of a puppy and that of an adult dog, one cannot think of starting education if consistency is not the key word of the various activities. Each command that is taught must be clear, precise and, above all, , respected over time.If the dog is taught not to get on the sofa or that he must not expect food from the table, then he must always follow this precept without making any "exception" to the rule.
This precept also applies to the types of command that are taught. When a word is chosen to indicate an "action or a certain behavior, it will have to be that every time. A dog does not recognize" synonyms "and therefore cannot be expected to respond to the command" lie down "if it has previously been taught" land. ".
4. Never forget the rewards
There is nothing better for a dog's mood and self-confidence than praising and rewarding him for behaving well or executing a command in the correct manner. Therefore, if you are thinking of starting to teach him some commands or rules that he will have to respect at home, arm yourself both with your caresses, but also and above all with some treats for puppies or adult dogs, depending on the age of your four-legged friend. We recommend using tastier rewards in case of a particularly difficult or important result, such as roast chicken breast.
5. The command "come"
One of the most important commands is certainly what you teach to get your dog to come to you. To make him learn, you need to start in an enclosed or fenced area, first keeping the puppy on a leash, which should be at least two meters long. For the first few times, grab your dog's attention by calling him or using his favorite toys and praise him when he approaches you.
Then, associate the verbal command "come" with the action, promptly rewarding him once he comes to you. Only then can you try not to keep him on a leash and, finally, in a public space.
6. The "sit" command
To teach him to sit, you simply need some rewards. Just hold a treat near the dog's nose, without letting him grab it, and then raise it slightly, just above eye level. To see it better, the dog will sit on its own. If this does not happen, you can encourage movement by doing some pressure on the collar through the leash. Once your dog is seated, give him the well-deserved reward right away. Always associate the same name with this command, whether it is "sit" or "sit", so as not to confuse him.
7. Get him not to bark
Educating is not just about teaching the dog to do something but also to behave in a certain way. Among the habits not always appreciated, there is that of barking. It happens that a puppy barks at what it does not know, out of curiosity or simply to attract attention at certain times, such as when it is bored. In these circumstances, the only thing to do is not to "consider" it. If you notice it or say something to it while it barks, then it will become a habit even as an adult dog to bark for consideration.
8. Walk on a leash
It is essential that the dog knows how to walk correctly on a leash from its first months of life. When you put the collar on for the first time, you must immediately reward him so that he can understand that wearing it is a good thing and not the other way around. You can start doing the first tests with the leash at home, so that you get used to being "led" somewhere. As with other commands, even for walking on a leash it is always better to have a reward to give him when he behaves well, without cutting the road or pulling excessively.
Difference between dog education and training
As Cinzia Stefanini always remembers, whether you want to educate yourself or have recourse to an educator, education does not teach the dog skills but allows the dog-owner couple to communicate better, to understand each other more. effective and to fit correctly in the urban context or in the social fabric of reference. After all, the word education derives from the verb 'educere', that is to bring out qualities and characteristics present in the individual but unexpressed.
Educating a dog means helping him to express his qualities and allows us to easily insert him into our society and our life, not to cause annoyance or damage to other people (including those who do not like dogs) and to ensure that the quadruped grows serene. and without developing behavioral problems that could compromise their happiness.
The term train, on the other hand, refers to that series of actions and "special skills" not strictly necessary for the dog's "community" life. Some specific and competitive disciplines fall into the training, such as agility, or useful skills in the human-dog relationship, such as search or first aid.
