When we look into the eyes of our dogs often feel conflicting feelings: on the one hand love him and how much more of ourselves living with him but the other is often not very harmonious. Sometimes it really gets in trouble with his behavior but at other hours we'll be happy to look at in its spontaneity. The desire of all is that which is good, be happy but that is also a good companion, educated and balanced. Able to communicate with him means to be very clear about what we want but also learn to take care of their real needs.
But then, why there is so complicated cohabitation that this should be spontaneous and instinctive, both for us and for our friend because it is one of the ancestral ties that man has ever established with another? We must not go very far to remember how easily our grandfather ran his trusty dog. He had little need to talk to him and he was always there ready and attentive to indulge his will always be charged with a look of gratitude, grateful for every small gesture of praise. It 'probably not even had the lead, yet he was always there, stuck like to take advantage of every moment of his master. Always patient, without complaint, which was waiting for his return is the most important moment the day, but was experienced with a calm discretion.
other hand is he, our "best friend", whose voice is known by all our neighbors and his cries when we leave him alone, often crossing the boundaries of our block. Fortunately we have never kept account of all damages caused to the house and all that he has had the misfortune to end up in his clutches. Our clothes are now all signed, but not by a brand designer, but impetuousness of our small that the expression of his happiness is not short legs, scratched and some chew. But this is nothing compared to the scenario that awaits us just outside our door where it opens a world of wonderful smells, noises, people and dogs and he, our friend, I want to live fully, dragging left and right without the slightest care of us and our eventual plan to enjoy a peaceful stroll. Let free is impossible, even in the precincts special recovery is a scene to say the least compassionate and we pay for every kind of humiliation while being taken back.
But then, there are more dogs than once or we are completely unable to impose a modicum of discipline? Who is it that has changed, the man or the dog? Perhaps both, but it certainly changed the situation. We live in an environment that often there is not much on a human, let alone the dog. The rhythms, relationships and emotions are influenced by so many external factors which are now no longer know how we feel, who we can trust and what we really want.
In fact, the relationship with our friend is so simple that it escapes the understanding of our brain articulated el 'environment no favors then , to go for this wonderful adventure into the world of dog, organize a walk in a quiet countryside, hill or mountain.
If you do not trust completely free to let your partner get yourself a rope not too thick length of ten meters and use it as a leash. For the first twenty minutes let the dog become familiar with the environment, while you breathe and relax! Let go of the rope and take the same two games (or other balls) Toss one and not just your friend let him recover note while playing with each other. Do not try to attract his attention but his curiosity. Probably he will head towards you and not just let go of his subject immediately leveled another. Retrieve the first game and repeat as above, all for five or six times. The final launch will be a mock launch, pick up the other object and put the whole thing. Call Fido and reward him with a treat and then resume walking without completely heal him. Every two or three minutes recall it, do not reward him when he comes back and girategli immediately resuming your path (also x five or six times.) Do them the last call his leash regulatory and ask them to stay there next to your left, with a command (normally use "foot") that will repeat at most a couple of times. Walk a hundred yards that way, bringing the student into the correct position every time you move or, if exaggerated, abruptly changing your direction of travel so that he understands that pulling in one direction if we bring him back.
Before the established route is over then STOP shooting and ask the dog to sit next to you (if he has never did okay even in the face) with the aid of a treat or with a slight pressure on his back. Take three or four steps, and repeat (always five or six times).
leave again before the dog will try to make him a "sits." Again, if you've never tried this exercise, start with something as simple as it could be put in front of him, taking the lead well in hand, at a distance of about one meter, clearly pronouncing the new command (can be "IS" or again "SAT"). Do not ask for more than ten seconds of rest, and every time he gets up before tell him clearly "NO" and put it back into position. Once your friend understands the command you can proceed at first by increasing the wait time (always remaining at a couple of meters) and then the distance (in this case should not be left in no more than ten seconds). Here is a step diagram:
· Close, 10 seconds
· Close, 20 seconds
· Ten feet, 3 / 2
· Close, 40 seconds
· ; five meters, 5 / 2
· Up close, one minute
· Ten meters, 10 seconds
· Fifteen meters a minute (final)
Each step should be worked every day for a week before moving on to the next, but you can do at home.
Returning to our nature walk, when required to dog the "rest" go away the distance (and time) that your friend is able to support and finished the year without moving from your place, leveled just a game behind him so that should turn around to get it. You run away, and when the dog reaches you, splurge on the ground and play with him.
resume running for the time needed to find a comfortable place to take a break and a snack. Along the way, if the environment allows it, hide advantage of the distraction of your friend and let you find yourself helping him, if necessary, with some discreet way or recall. If the walk is extended from time to time (5:00 to 10:00 minutes) recall it and let it sit in front of you when it arrives, press either with a treat or with the launch of his game.
Found a nice place where to stay, prepared a small camp consisting of: its water bowl, any mat where the dog can lie down, a place where you can sit floor (not ground) and eat a snack.
Meal times, for all animals (including humans), it is very important and it is from here that we can start to establish some rules and certify our figure of leader of the pack.
while enjoying your food the dog will not fail to ask for a bit. You seek to remove him using his legs more than hands and continue to eat very slowly. If you dare, his stubbornness can respond by emitting a light ring (so you do not see anyone alone!). When your friend takes a position of surrender if he was sitting up, lying down or if he was sitting slightly away from you, rivolgetegli immediate attention, praise and reward him with a gratificatelo with a bite. The award should not be given directly to the dog, but released later in the way he is forced to allontanasi you for it.
The home version of this exercise of leadership is very interesting and I'm sure will fascinate you very much. You should, in this case, get a clicker (a plastic box with a tab pressed metal that makes a sound like pop.) The principle of this instrument is to associate the execution of an issuance of a positive "click". To explain this principle to our friend will be quite simple:
· Put your dog sitting in front of you
· challenged with one hand and the clicker in the other, closed, hold the pieces
· Hands are distant from each other by about 50 cm
· The dog will immediately hand to smell the stew, but you remain unmoved
· Intrigued by the object, your student will move the head toward them even touching the nose
· At the same time you press the clicker and rewarded immediately after the sound the dog the other hand, opening and distributing a morsel
· Repeat for three minutes
· What we must understand that if our friend is touching, or watch intently, the clicker he delivers a sound that immediately brings up the hand.
After a few days of this operation (you can repeat several times a day but it never worked more than three minutes) we can apply all during our meal.
Proceed as in the situation of the walk in the woods, taking care, for the first time, to place the cot or pad of the dog about a meter from the table. As above, when you are eating do not give in to the demands of the dog but rather it away very strongly. Once, by accident or on purpose, he passed by, or watch his mat do immediately "click" and reward him by throwing a treat in its place.
Repeat several times even if you do not fully enjoy dinner as you take care of the dog, but it's worth it because faster than you think will start to associate his pad of sound generation / premium. At this point, after a few days of training, you will begin to "click" when your good friend will be touched with the place assigned to the legs. The subsequent steps include:
· Click only when it is well on his mat (two or three days of work);
· Click only when he sits in his place (try at least four days);
· Click only when she lies on the mat (a week's work)
· then removed gradually doghouse to reach the place you want to eat when he is.
· Eliminate the clicker and replacing it with a good launch of the premium
· Begin to reduce the premium.
You have definitely realized how challenging it is to have the right relationship with your dog, but, probably, at this point, your motivation will have been stimulated by the pleasure of working with him and begin to share more moments together.
You will also discover what it means to take the time to "quality" to your friend and how he manages to return. We can therefore continue to delve into the wonderful world of our dog and even more to understand its mechanisms and its needs to help him be the dog that we dream.
We are always in the field of food and begin to introduce a new practice / game. At the time of his meal, instead of offering him her bowl normally, we try to hide it somewhere easy to find initially (behind a sofa, in the shower, in an open drawer etc ...). Clearly you have to make sure that the dog does not see this. Placed the baby food, go to him and ask "where?" Or "search." E 'fundamental tone of voice you use to be well be involved in the situation and your attitude is very similar to that of an accomplice who is about to do something very exciting.
Increase as the difficulty of this exercise, changing the place and making it harder to find the bowl until, once in this routine, you move the whole outdoors, returning to the happiness of all, the usual walk in the countryside.
Once tied the dog so that it can not follow you (may be watching what you do and where you go), take a very pleasing game to your friend, and pounding the ground well so that your scent is well perceptible move away for twenty yards and hide the object. Initially do not worry about the fact that the dog has seen where you put the game or they are too visible for him. The important thing is that once you have given your search command your student to take steps to try. Help him as little as possible but make sure you find the object and, once he has identified, play a lot with him, taking the "prey" and running away or doing a bit of push and pull "if he keeps it firmly in the mouth. If the interest in the subject should be less after this show of enthusiasm on your part, also bestowed a handful of kibble.
The length of the runway will increase when the dog starts to show to know what you are doing and may even considerable distances. For a student can be very safe even propose turn right or left (90 degrees) but it got to this point, the dog must be put in a position that you will not draw the track.
Once you are truly masters of your dog and you've created an unbreakable bond with him, we often seek to discover new activities to enjoy together that will make you more immersed in the universe Dog experiencing fantastic experience. The modern cinofilia offers a wide range of sports and disciplines to be charged with Fido but here we developed sensitivity should you put aside your preferences, to the benefit of those of your dog to show his real talents and peculiarities. Also keep in mind the age of your friend and have him thoroughly enjoyed every moment of its growth.
If you are lucky enough to start now with a pup, you can enjoy this wonderful journey of further elements to create a natural relationship and guide the young friend to a proper psychological development.
The first thing to ask is: "What I want from my dog?". With our puppy before he plays and delights us with his presence alone is certainly not the first question that comes to mind. But our help is essential since the arrival of the baby in her new home to understand what are the behaviors we expect from him, so it is essential that we are the first to be clear. Try to imagine what prompted you to take that particular race or just choose that puppy in the midst of all the siblings. What is the image that appears when you think about your future with this new partner?
Start by establishing immediately (ok not really on his arrival ... you can wait two or three days!) Where the dog will live, will have access to such premises and when, where to eat and where to stay during the night (note I did not say where he will sleep the first few nights because it will probably be hard for someone to sleep in the house!) Make sure that these rules become more a habit than a requirement for the dog. The real help is not to put the puppy in terms of combining into trouble trying to keep out of reach anything that could break or destroy. Let them instead available to different objects or games which to vent his curiosity. In this way you avoid having too often blame the puppy. This rule (which we call "the temptation to make the dog thief") is totally applied on those occasions during which we have to leave the baby alone. After a few days you will begin to make him wear his collar (gradually) and then we attach the leash. Please leave if you drag behind, but try to avoid that you play in a violent manner.
The basic needs of our new friends are very simple, ranging from food security (basically everything about survival).
Indeed we just wanted a puppy, here we are left with a full time job! No, not really so if we let ourselves get carried away and we make good sense. The dog in this period will have a great need for us, but this will disappoint you, but not because he loves us just because we are the ones who provide it. So sbizzarritevi well in giving the puppy acts of devotion and affection, so most of the time is pure opportunism. At this age a dog is a real animal that must seek the best way to survive.
So what to do? What is the correct attitude to take? Resign. Let yourself be enslaved by the devil on all fours you have entered your home, set only a few rules (you will have difficulty meeting them) for:
or food intake: you decide the number of meals and type of food and not stray! Meal time should be available no more than twenty minutes after which you can eat it or throw it away (I always choose the second option).
or collar and leash: If you have tamed a wild horse you'll have no problem to accustom the infant to follow you on a leash otherwise good luck! You will probably find some in my future article on how to make the signs for the moment I recommend you do not give in to the compassionate gaze to her screams and attacks (fake) of panic. It 's all a great film. Be very patient and gentle, but do not be fooled.
or DIRTY HOME: up to three months can not do it just to keep it then attrezzatevi (clean). Unique tips when you do not get to see while repairing its damage. No, you do not need to put the nose in the pee ... I know that once worked (your grandfather did so) but now the dogs have evolved and if you do something like that is stressed and will continue to pee in the house to maturity.)
or HIS POST / ITS NOT THE PLACE: decide now what are the places granted to him and what not! Do not worry if he does not approve of your decisions, explain him gently that if there is something you do not like you'll be very happy to hear you're sorry and that it is taking so long!
And now comes the pleasant part: if you can observe and enforce a modicum of discipline you can let go and cuddle, caress and play a lot longer than expected because the dog will exchange this for your child you dominance but rather elect a "friend of 'years' because you are very funny ed'è fantastic to be with you. You'll get used to a correct relationship without physical contact (much more than you), games (inventatene at least a dozen) and rules (the ones you have kindly provided me).
The first weeks have passed since the puppy has arrived in your life and you certainly had a way to understand how little you're filling your day. You find yourself to be a real "parents" and as such will start to help the dog to enter a new and important phase of his life. The period from three to six months (about) is that during which the puppy should begin to know the proper rules of conduct for a peaceful coexistence and understanding of the world around him. Your main task will be to put him in contact with all those situations that will have to live as an adult and guide his behavior in trying to imagine others who might disturb him. During his first outings certainly will notice if there are objects (boxes, manhole covers, grills, tents, etc. ..) that disturb him or she is afraid. Same with noise, people or dogs. Do not ever force it to overcome its fears, but make sure that the hands that win regularly and taking the example of your behavior to be more natural and indifferent as possible. So when an opportunity presents itself critical, DO NOT talk to him, DO NOT watch it and not touch it.
Almost certainly, and faster than you think, you will become part of the "those who are dragged by their dog." Our friends love to pull on the leash, initially tried to block them or just take a step back every time the leash goes taut. If you continue to pull you will need to follow the indications we have seen previously. The main objective of your walks will therefore socialization. So, too, that let people touch and caress your dog, but always check that does not take the habit of jumping on . our friend here will have to learn to live with one of the contradictions of human will address all those who meet the little one tenderly with a persuasive voice, want to touch, caress and cuddle, but will withdraw immediately bothered by the fact that, of course, the dog will want to return these attention in manner it deems appropriate and that is jumping on him and licking as he can the friendly stranger . personally consider the formation of the character of the dog more important than 'education or training of the puppy and then, without exaggeration, let him do well. You can also decide to start attending a school of education or training or a dog club. In this case, the knowledge that your baby will now be a little more fit for dog and his encounters and experiences with more people and dogs who have learned to relate in the proper manner.
just got his hand to the reactions you can spend socializing "Extreme." Try taking a walk in a railway station or in a local market will be a real immersion in the dog noises, people, smells and strange objects.
The dog is a fantastic being, living next to him can bring real improvement to our lives and a strong positive development in our thinking. Being sad for him is reserved for rare special occasions, for the rest of life is extremely rich and funny and he enjoys every moment trying to carry all those around him. He loves you unconditionally and respects you whatever you decide to do. If I were you would not wait more a second longer to travel to this wonderful adventure.
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Pictures Laura Marco