How the big four commands save lives
According
to the National Health Service and media reports, over 4,500 incidents a
year in the U.K. involve dogs and people, with children being the
biggest victim group.. You are more likely to be bitten by a dog than
win the lottery!
One incident is an unwelcome statistic but until
you accept that your pet dog runs away because you let it these
incidents are going to continue to occur. There are 5 basic steps, 4 big
commands and 3 essential pieces of equipment which you need to learn
how to use effectively to gain control and to build discipline into your
dog. This guide explains how to do this and how to stop your dog
running away. A collar and lead are working instruments of control, just
the same as holding your child's hand. Mobile phones are another safety
device we use with our children to maintain contact and for a much
safer and secure environment. Our dogs are no less important and are at a
higher statistical risk than our children. Your voice alone is not
going to be enough. Whistling is hard work and it assumes your dog finds
the whistle more compelling than what is at the end of its nose. You
must start to appreciate that stopping your pet running away is a skill
to be learned and developed on an on going basis, and like people, the
input of patience and unconditional love, will very likely be paid back.
The probability is that if your children are model children then your
dog probably will be too, but that doesn't mean it is going to be easy
to train, it just means you probably have the mindset and determination
to keep your dog safe and disciplined. I admit this article may be a bit
controversial but the techniques work and will not harm or hurt your
dog. Neglect and ignorance is a much bigger killer. If you want to stop
your dog running away there are 3 things your must achieve:
- Instant response
- Your dog's whole and undivided attention
- Complete obedience
You need to understand that there are 3 reasons why your dog will run away:-
- Sex
- Cruelty
- Owner mismanagement
All three of the reasons as
stated above can get your dog killed or seriously injured. If you then
overlay lack of success with the 3 disciplinary aspects you have serious
issues to deal with and you need to correct this quickly or risk your
dog causing death or serious injury. The end result will be the loss of
your pet by lethal injection, gunshot or fatal injuries. If minors are
involved and they are your own family it will destroy not only your life
but that of your entire family. This is how I see it anyway and it is
this that motivates me to get it right. Your pet running off is not to
be taken lightly. I propose to examine a few simple helpful hints that
might make your life more bearable and improve your relationship with
the animal at a level you can both appreciate and work on to good
effect. I am going to ignore the first two reasons that cause running
away. If you need guidance to deal with them please give your dog to a
loving home, this article is not for you. Your dog is born with senses
which once engaged are so compelling that you pale into insignificance
the minute they are engaged. You don't need to be a dog whisperer to
understand this, but you can see it for yourself the minute you call
your dog back. It is not a great moment when your dog embarrasses you
for your inability to handle it. I think one year in a dog's life is
about 6.5 of our years, so by the end of year one your dog should be
starting to make out sounds, short sentence structures and words. The
four most important commands in order are:
- sit
- heal
- down
- stay
Dogs are quick learners. Not only do they
know your mood, they take everything right to the edge all the time and
they are also very persistent. The sooner you start teaching them the
better, try to make it fun without finishing up with a fat dog. Remember
your children should not be force fed a big McDonalds every time they
get their table manners right and The National Hedgehog Road Skills
award has never been won by a hedgehog. A lead is the equivalent of your
child's hand. You communicate through it just the same way. You would
not let your child pull you off your feet, especially on a main road, so
use the same discipline with your dog.
Step 1. It is always your fault
I
really don't think that Springer Spaniels with their long floppy ears
can hear you properly over 30 metres away unless you really shout which
makes you look in control doesn't it. When I was younger I had a liver
and white springer 'Bramble'. He never knew to this day what hit him
when he was busy rounding up sheep. I would have been able to play for
the British Lions with a rugby tackle like that, the dog went flying,
not in the least bit hurt, just caught in the act. He yelped just with
fright, but never chased sheep again and after this incident if he could
hear me he responded instantly to all the big 4 commands.
Step 2. How to stop your dog pulling you off your feet.
A
sharp and very hard tug on the lead pulling your dog back behind you
will do the trick. After the second or third time they will desist. This
is obviously easier to do when your St. Bernard is a puppy, which is
why i say start straight away. Bad habits are developed by the owners
not the dogs. Never allow your dog to pull. Start by holding your dog's
hand (the lead) and work firmly in a disciplined and in a fair way, and
reward good performance and discipline and work on behaviour that falls
short. Little and often is good and a routine is helpful. The thing that
really gets results is patience. You would not take your child out into
a distracting environment to teach them so don't do it to your dog
either. Get the dog's attention and eye contact and progress will
improve. If you are having trouble getting the dog's attention increase
the treat value e.g. fillet steak. This is about hearts and minds and
developing absolute trust. The time to use treats is at the outset of
teaching the command. Once the dog understands what is required of it, a
pat on the head and some encouraging words is sufficient.
Step 3. How to slow your dog down to your speed
How
many of you would not hold on to your 6 year old child's hand in the
city centre? Would you expect your six year old to speak fluent Russian?
No, so don't expect your dog to understand what sounds the same to
them. Use the lead to build confidence and lots of patience. By the time
your dog is six months old they will be getting more biddable, more
curious and more determined but up to the first year you can never be
certain. However you are desperate to give your dog the freedom of that
run about. A game keeper taught me a very good tactic called hobbling.
Your dog's collar should always allow you to get three fingers under it,
if you can't it is too tight. Simply stick your dog's front paw through
the collar, it looks cruel, its not and you can catch a dog on three
legs, it puts the odds in your favour, so you now have the opportunity
to train your dog to stay close to you, or get it back safely. Don't use
a retractable lead it encourages your dog to pull. Dogs on retractable
leads are not properly trained (such a statement could be highly
controversial but I would presume that those owners won't be reading
this type of article so there won't be anyone to offend!)
Step 4. Timing - how long does it take to train my dog?
I think 300 hours gets a basic job done before your dog will specialise
into say rescue, field sports, or social human tasks like police or
military work. It takes a good year to settle and train a dog. If you
get the big 4 commands in quickly and early the dog will start to
perform well but it will take at least a year so be patient and persist.
Practice all the time - practice makes perfect. ( it also helps you
lose weight!). I now have a black and white Springer Spaniel and she was
terrible for running off. This was my fault. On dark evenings I only
needed to get distracted for a second and the dog was gone. There I am
in the dark and pouring rain, shouting my head off and the dog is in the
next county. Twenty anxious minutes later I get a ball of mud back!
Never be cross with a returning dog, it is after the fact and they may
misinterpret you, causing trauma and confusion. Simply make a note to
self to set up a training session in a controlled environment to fix the
problem whilst kicking your own bottom and not the dogs!
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