Author: Lisa Maria Stöbich
While most two-legged friends and their dogs are still struggling with sitting, down and staying, the two world record holders Daiquiri and Hero and their mistresses perform 60 tricks in just one minute. But don't worry: no magic skills are necessary to train your dog well and for most situations a few well-trained basic commands and maybe one or the other cool trick to brag about are sufficient.
Here we explain why it is important to train your nose and how you can best face the task. We will also show you a few basic commands that you can use to train your dog at home or that you can practice on the go.
Dog training - why at all?
Basic training is absolutely essential. It not only serves to protect other dogs and people from your four-legged friend, but also him himself. If your nose is completely uncontrolled, it likes to chase cyclists, pedestrians or even cars, which quickly leads to tricky situations or accidents. Especially in the forest, your fluffy friend might track down something to eat, which then turns out to be spoiled or even poisoned. In all of these situations, it is important that you are in control of your dog, calling him back and such can take out of dangerous situations.
You also make life easier for both of you if you train your nose. Leash walking doesn't become a constant tug of war between the two of you, and you can let her roam free much easier when the environment and situation allows. This way you can give your dog even more freedom than if you didn't train it. Because your four-legged friend knows no boundaries, it can easily happen that he runs away on a walk in the woods and leisurely does a lap alone while he calmly ignores your calls.
A successful training will also be fun for you, strengthen your relationship and the trust between you, because you will need that to be really successful. But what's the best way to start?
Checklist dog training - the basis for a good success
So that you and your fluffy darling have a good chance of success, you should consider a few things about your environment, condition and mood:
- Good communication:
This should not be missing under any circumstances, because without it frustration and misunderstandings quickly arise. The good news, however, is that through the training you will learn to communicate yourself, because by working closely together you will begin to understand each other better.
Choose the right tone of voice for training. If you speak to your four-legged friend in a playful voice, he will not notice that you want something from him. But if you speak too harshly or even shout, it can stress your nose or even give it the feeling that it has done something wrong. Then the tricks won't work so quickly. Choose a calm but firm tone of voice to signal commands to your dog.
- The right mood:
If you come home from work in the evening annoyed and feel like you absolutely have to do something with your dog, this may not be the right mood for training. In this case, treat yourself to a generous cuddle and start fresh and motivated the next day. Because with motivation and a good mood, not only are you in a better mood, but the mood also spreads to your four-legged friend. This way you have more fun and get better results.
If your four-legged friend is motivated, you will have more success in training.
The same applies to your four-legged friend. If he is tired or unmotivated, you should not force him to train, but try again later. Incidentally, your sniffing nose is most motivated and able to learn when it is a bright puppy. So you should start dog training as early as possible.
- A clear hierarchy:
When training, dog obedience is an important step to success. Only when your nose understands and accepts that you are the leader of the pack will it do what you want it to do. So don't be compliant, but show your four-legged friend that you decide. If you just let him do what he wants because he's giving you that heartbreaking puppy dog look, he'll never learn that you're the boss.
- A suitable learning environment:
If you are both complete beginners, it is not the best idea to train at the dog park or in the city center. Choose a quiet environment without unnecessary distractions for the first steps. A lonely meadow or your own living room are suitable, for example. Here you can get started undisturbed and your fluffy companion can concentrate entirely on you and what you want from him. To make the training trickier later, you can then switch to an environment with distractions like people or other dogs.
And this is how it works - tips for easy dog training
Once you're in the right mood and environment, you're good to go. We will show you a few simple basic commands with which you will certainly quickly see learning progress.
Seat
You can practice this command very practically in dog training at home. First, call your dog over to you and make sure he's not distracted. Now you signal him with a calm but firm "sit" and a suitable hand gesture, such as a raised finger in front of your chest, what you want from him. Your fluffy lover will of course have no idea what's going on, so the first few times you gently push his buttocks down while placing your other hand on his chest.
If your nose has done the trick (with a little help), you can reward with lots of praise and cuddles. You are the most important reference person for your four-legged companion and he has the need to please you. If he sees how happy you are about his cooperation, it motivates your dog and you will quickly see small successes.
Of course, your sniffing nose is also happy about treats as a reward. With our Belt bags for dog training, or ours Fanny pack Hanover you have your treats at hand on the go. This is important, because if the reward takes place too long after the trick, your dog will no longer understand what he is actually being rewarded for.
Place
While "sit" is great for getting your dog's attention and preparing him for other commands, you can signal a rest mode with “place”.. Instead of just his buttocks, you also gently press his shoulders down here until he lies down. For example, you can point your finger down as a hand sign. Repeat the exercise in small learning units until your four-legged friend can do it without your help. “Stay” is good for practicing “stay”; you can find out how best to practice this command in our blog article Tips and tricks for rainy days - How to keep your dog busy at home.
With clear hand signals, a firm but calm tone of voice and lots of praise, your nose can quickly learn these basic commands. "Sit" and "down" should be the basis for training, since you can use them to train obedience well and use them as Basis for further tricks can use.
With fun and patience in a harmonious coexistence
Now take your little friend with you and start with the exercises.
The more patient you are, the better the collaboration will work. During the learning units, never forget that you both should have fun while doing it. This way you not only make the best progress, but also spend a fun time together and strengthen your bond.
With a lot of patience, perseverance and large portions of praise, you will quickly master the basic commands and be able to expand your repertoire of tricks. And even if you don't get into the Guinness Book of Records, you can build a basis of trust and improve your coexistence by training together.
Cover photo of Blue Bird. More pictures from Zen Chung and Blue Bird.
About inara writes
Hatice Kücükhüseyin is a content expert at inara writes. Words are her favorite tool. With them she brings color and life into every text. When she's not writing, she watches French cinema.
