Good Dogs, Bad Dogs and You
The Government encourages dog owners to obedience train their dogs by offering reduced registration fees for those dogs who have reached a specified standard. Well behaved dogs are welcomed by the community.
Sit
Put your dog on a leash and place it at your left side, preferably next to a fence or building. Place your right hand on the dog's chest pushing upwards and back, at the same time push down on its rump with your left hand and command 'Sit'. If the dog resists, wiggle its rump to get it off balance. Hold in the sit position repeating 'Sit'. Praise by voice and petting, let it up and move on a bit, and repeat the lesson. This should be repeated until you go to place the dog in a Sit position and it is already there. Soon the dog will associate the word and action and sit on command, then sit without command whenever you halt.
Heel
The Government encourages dog owners to obedience train their dogs by offering reduced registration fees for those dogs who have reached a specified standard. Well behaved dogs are welcomed by the community.
Hold the end of your leash in your right hand. Use your left hand to grasp the leash approximately half way to the dog's neck. At all times the leash should be held so that this is a distinct loop between the left hand and the dog's neck. Command 'Heel' and walk forward stepping off on the left foot. This will indicate to the dog that when you move the leg nearest it (the left leg) it is to heel or go with you. If your dog lags behind, use a wrist action to give the dog a firm short jerk to bring it up to you, at the same time command 'Heel'.
Jerk backward if the dog tries to go ahead of you. Repeat the command 'Heel' each time correction is necessary, and give ample praise and encouragement particularly when the dog is in the correct Heel position. Once your dog understands what is required for heeling, combine this with your sitting lesson by making the dog sit and heel until it gets the idea of staying as close as practical to your left leg when you walk, and to sit when you halt.
Some dogs are quite strong and bull-headed. They pull ahead and, even though they choke, they won't come back to heel.
In that case do sudden about turns accompanied by a firm jerk. A jerk can only be achieved when the lead is made to be loose before it is pulled. Your dog should learn this lesson quickly if only to prevent the unpleasantness of the chain collar suddenly tightening. When in the correct position praise the dog.
Walking along a footpath, next to a building or kerb, will help teach the dog the property distance to maintain from your side. Finally, practice with other dogs present so that your dog learns to obey under all conditions and in spite of distractions.
Heel off Leash
It is strongly recommended that no training is tried 'off leash' until your dog is very advanced in its training. The purpose of the leash and training collar is to control your dog, without them you have lost all authority and will spend your training session yelling at your dog as you try to catch it.
Come When Called
The Government encourages dog owners to obedience train their dogs by offering reduced registration fees for those dogs who have reached a specified standard. Well behaved dogs are welcomed by the community.
This is the most important of all your lessons, and the most difficult to teach. This is particularly so if you are working with an older dog. The dog knows when it is beyond your reach, so may decide to disobey.
First lessons are taught on a lead when the dog is encouraged towards you after using the command 'come'. It should be guided into a sit in front of you and then rewarded with praise, petting or food. Later on, teach the dog with the use of 6 metres (20 feet) of Venetian blind cord. Wear gloves to prevent getting rope burns. Stretch the kinks from the rope, then attach it to the dog's collar. Allow the dog to drag it until used to it.
Now, when the dog is going away from you, grab the end of the rope, speak the dog's name, and command 'come'. Jerk to a halt and start pulling to you. Even though you must force it to come in, compliment the dog and give a reward when it sits in front of you. The reward is plenty of petting, voice praise and food.
Now try the lesson in a small enclosed area when the dog is free of the rope. Call it. If the dog ignores you and gallops off, catch it and take it right back to the spot from which it was called. Leave the dog and then repeat the 'come' command. Keep this up until the dog will come to you in this enclosed area, then try in the bigger one. Be lavish in your praise each time the dog does come to you on command.
Another method of teaching your dog to come when called is to go to the side gate and call. When the dog comes to you, put the lead on and take it for a short walk. Repeat this exercise often. The dog will soon associate coming to you as a pleasant experience and hence, you have a dog that comes when called.
Practice in the presence of other dogs. If you live in the city, get a silent whistle, and teach it to obey this as well as your voice. First, call in the usual way, then use sharp, short blasts on the whistle. It will soon associate the two signals. The silent whistle is an ideal means of calling your dog at night without disturbing your neighbours.
Lie Down
The Government encourages dog owners to obedience train their dogs by offering reduced registration fees for those dogs who have reached a specified standard. Well behaved dogs are welcomed by the community.
Do not use the command, 'Lie down' but only 'Down'.
When your dog is sitting, give the command 'D-o-w-n' in a drawn-out tone. Push down on the shoulders, wiggling them to get the dog off balance, and pull down on the collar. If the dog is stubborn about this, gently pull the front legs towards you as you command 'Down'.
Stay
The Government encourages dog owners to obedience train their dogs by offering reduced registration fees for those dogs who have reached a specified standard. Well behaved dogs are welcomed by the community.
Command your dog to 'Stay' then step forward moving off on the right foot. Stand in front of the dog and face it using your hand for a restraint warning if necessary. When the dog gets the idea and will stay, walk away from it a few feet. If it moves, replace the dog in the original position and repeat the procedure until it will stay. Again praise when it is doing what you have told it to do. Repeat this lesson with the dog in the down position to make it wait for its dinner.
For all exercises where you do not want the dog to go with you, always command the dog to 'Stay' and move forward on the right foot. We now have the dog understanding that when you step off on the left foot it moves with you, when you step off on the right foot it must stay.
Examination and Grooming
The Government encourages dog owners to obedience train their dogs by offering reduced registration fees for those dogs who have reached a specified standard. Well behaved dogs are welcomed by the community.
Examination
This lesson is designed to teach the dog to pose properly and to permit people to touch it. It is a most important one for these reasons. you'll want pictures of your dog when posing at its best. you'll want it to submit to examination by yourself, a guest, or a Veterinary Surgeon without showing resentment. Most importantly you'll want the dog to be safe if a child pats it or should happen to pull the dogs ears.
First teach your dog to accept being touched by other people whilst sitting still at your side. Later you can progress to an examination whilst on a sit stay and then even a stand stay.
Grooming
Learning to accept being brushed and having its nails trimmed is an important part of your dogs early training. Start with very short periods of grooming whilst you calmly restrain your dog. Put a collar and lead on first. Your dog should become used to having its ears looked inside and its feet inspected for grass seeds. Regular and firm but gentle grooming will result in a dog that can easily be examined by a veterinarian.
