Spaniel training secrets.
Sergey Fokin
Magazine "Nature and Hunting"
From the first days.
First of all, the baby must know his owner well and only perceive him as a leader and as best friend. The famous Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz established that the “sensitive period” during which a dog imprints a person as a “master for life” is limited to the first seven months of a puppy’s life. Dogs that come to their owner at a later age will have less affection for him, although they become loyal and obedient. That is why it is important, firstly, to adopt a puppy, and not an adult dog, and secondly, to pay more attention to the puppy yourself, without shifting the worries about its upbringing onto the shoulders of household members.
If you are very busy and do not have time to take care of a young dog yourself, then it is better to postpone purchasing it until better times. A truly unconscious grief for a spaniel is to condemn him to a “sofa” life in the future. After all, these dogs are created for hunting, which for them is the greatest pleasure in life.
Someone may object to me: what’s wrong if a hunter busy with everyday affairs buys a grown-up 7-10-month-old puppy and trains it himself or gives it to an experienced trainer for training and then hunts with a trained spaniel? The famous ethologist and physiologist, specialist in the higher nervous activity of animals, Professor L.V. Krushinsky, refuting K. Lorenz, believed that, due to its rational activity, even an adult dog that ends up with a good hunter will become a devoted assistant in response to appropriate treatment and training , supported by hunting. And there are many examples of this. Leonid Viktorovich himself, being a passionate tracker hunter, acquired dogs aged from seven months to one and a half years, training them according to the English method (cops, for example, were forbidden not only to serve a killed bird, but also to take it into their mouths). I hunted with the dogs of L.V. Krushinsky - they were always excellent workers, sincerely devoted to their master. But training older dogs is always much more difficult than training puppies.
Spaniels, unlike cops, “mature” for hunting earlier, and it is extremely undesirable to miss the “infancy” for training. A spaniel trained by a trainer may in the future prefer to obey only him, and not the owner, and changing the leader will be quite difficult. Since childhood, the puppy remembers your intonations, voice and behavior, and this is very important. Therefore, it is advisable to start training from the first days.
Nickname
Under no circumstances should a puppy’s nickname replace the command “come to me!” The dog always associates it with addressing it and serves as a signal “Attention!” Therefore, before giving commands, the puppy must be given a preparatory signal by saying his name. For an adult dog or a young one that has already been trained, the name need not be spoken before the command, except in cases where the dog is carried away by something that prevents it from adequately and quickly responding to the command. It is necessary to accustom the puppy to its nickname from the very first days of its appearance with the hunter. The puppy should associate the nickname with a comfortable environment and contact with you: when you play with him, pet him or take him for a walk.
By the way, about the spaniel’s nickname itself. In my opinion, foreign names like Boy, Bim, Joy, Lord are somehow not associated with the Russian hunting spaniel breed - after all, the breed is ours, Russian, standardized in our country in 1951. And although the above nicknames are often found in pedigrees, it would be more harmonious to name the puppy Tim, Tom, Dina, Lada, Laska, Lapka, Naida or Vesta, you just have to open the volume of L.P. Sabaneev with a list of cop nicknames - after all, spaniels are very close to them both by origin and by work. Another thing is English or American cocker spaniels, as well as springers - they already have their own traditions in choosing dog names.
"Place!"
The puppy should have its own permanent place in the house, protected from direct sunlight and away from the passage. It is better to equip the apartment with something like a booth - a wooden, cardboard or plywood box with a hole and a removable lid. Such house houses are convenient specifically for small dogs, which include spaniels, and are completely unsuitable for cops. The optimal size of the house for a spaniel is 50x60x50 cm.
Team "Place!" or “Get in place!” - one of the very first that a puppy should learn. The main thing is to start teaching it to a child who feels the need to rest after a walk, play, or training. One-two-month-old puppies (and it is at this age that a hunter acquires a future mate) sleep a lot. If the age falls during cold times, it is better to place a rubber heating pad with warm water, wrapped in a rag or towel. After the puppy wakes up, the heating pad is immediately removed so that the baby does not play with it or chew on it. When he has done his necessary chores, eaten and played enough, and by his behavior you will understand that it is time to rest - take him to the bedding with a warm heating pad, saying “Place!” After laying down, repeat the command for some time, stroking the puppy. Usually this is enough. You can pat the mat with your palm, repeating “place, place.” The team makes it very easy to keep a spaniel in everyday life - both in the house and at the hunting base, and especially when you come hunting as a guest. Of course, in the conditions of hunting life, the place of the long-eared assistant is determined by the owner, designating it as a camp bedding.
"It is forbidden!" and “Take it!”
Prohibiting command “No!” It is especially necessary for spaniels that do not do a bird stand, unlike pointers. It is this command, and not “Sit!” or “Lie down!” But more on that later. Now we will remember that “No!” - one of the most important commands for a spaniel.
You need to start practicing it “at the bowl”. When feeding time approaches, the puppy is given a bowl of food and, holding it by the withers, they sharply command - “You can’t!”, holding the dog for 5-7 seconds at first, and more with age. If the puppy rushes to the bowl, he is pulled back or lightly spanked with a whip (but not with his hand!). Then the permissive command “Take!” is given in a soft voice. or “Take it!” and release the hungry puppy, thereby allowing him to start eating. You can bring the puppy to the bowl on a leash and hold it with the command “No!”, unfastening the leash after the permissive command. Over time, they achieve command execution without physical influence and at a distance.
The prohibitory command is given not only before eating, but also in any other cases when you want to prevent unwanted actions of your dog: chasing cats and chickens, grabbing shoes and other objects with which you forbid him to play, eating food accidentally found on the street during walk time. The prohibitory command, when applied to cops, is more often pronounced as “Tubo!”, to greyhounds and hounds – “Open!”, to service dogs – “Fu!”. For a spaniel, the Russian “No!” is more applicable!
Permissive command “Take!” Legislators replace the English “Pil!” (translated from the abbreviated “Get!”), respectively, for the other breeds listed above - “Dbruts!” and “Fass!” For all dogs these commands are very necessary, for example, a pointer is sent forward from the stand with this command. But for spaniels, “Take it!” used very rarely, except to encourage the search for a hidden wounded animal. But even in this case, the encouraging command “Come on!” Come on!”, which the puppy will learn in the process of practicing the “Look!” command.
"Sit!"
The command “Sit!” one of the most common and often used for spaniels. Learning this command occurs quite quickly: the puppy is shown a treat, raises his hand up and commands “Sit!”, and with the other hand lightly presses on the croup, forcing him to sit. As soon as he does this, holding him and not allowing him to get up, they encourage him with a treat and a kind word. You can use a leash to lightly hold your dog and pull him back to sit. Or they bring the tasty morsel over the head a little back - the puppy will definitely sit down, following with his eyes. Be sure to reward each performance of the command with food. When the puppy learns to clearly execute the command “Sit!”, they move on to practicing the same command at a distance, gradually increasing the distance. As we have already said, this command should always be combined with raising your hand. The dog must sit both on command and on this gesture, which is especially important at a great distance from the owner. Most often the command “Sit!” during hunting, it is used to calm down an overheated spaniel, shorten its search, prevent it from running after the bird and towards the shots of other hunters, as well as to wait for the hunter - for example, if you need to sneak up to the shore of a lake where ducks are swimming.
When hunting with my Paw, I completely replaced the gesture of raising my hand with raising the gun vertically. This is very convenient in practical hunting, although the dog in response to this signal does not perform the classic “Sit!”, but runs up to me and only after that sits or stops, clearly expecting a shot. The paw generally loves when they shoot from a gun, as if anticipating the possibility of imminent contact with a beaten bird, and therefore raising the barrel of a gun has a fascinating effect on the spaniel. In this way, you can silently, without issuing any commands, approach with the dog almost at your feet to the place where, for example, a duck has just landed before your eyes or an autumn woodcock has fled.
The command “Sit! Very convenient in everyday life. But when I started teaching it to my first spaniel Tim, I encountered the following problem: accustomed to receiving a treat for following a command, Tim always turned in my direction before sitting down. At a distance, if the team caught him running away from me, he always turned to me first and only then sat down. But what about when game takes off? After all, the spaniel must accompany her with his gaze. None of the specialists could give me an answer. Even the famous spanielist N.A. Valov, who at that time gave lectures on training spaniels to beginning hunters, just shrugged his shoulders at my question. Finally, I found a way out myself: after developing precise execution of the command at a distance - no reward with food! Only sweet words and stroking as a reward, and in case of disobedience - punishment (a shout, or even a twig). We must remember that “Sit!” - first of all, a prohibiting command, similar to the already learned puppy “No!”
Since the spaniel does not stand in front of the game, it is important to prevent further pursuit of the flying bird. Both teams are good here, but I still prefer to use the sharp cry “No!” Then, depending on the dog's temperament and behavior, you can command “Sit!” Some hunters, instead of these commands, when lifting a bird, give a loud and strict prohibiting command “Stop!” I have watched this from the side many times – very impressive. I recommend trying it. At the same time, the command “Down!”, so accepted among leggings, in the form of the English “Down!”, is usually not applied to spaniels: due to their small stature, a spaniel laid down after the bird has taken off, especially in the grass, is deprived of the opportunity to observe the place where the bird fell after the shot.
"To me!"
It is probably the easiest way to train your puppy to follow this command. Usually, by two months, puppies are already doing it well. If the baby is playing and it’s time to feed, call him, and when he looks at you, command “Come to me!”, showing a tasty morsel. Only first - a command, and then a display of treats and reinforcement. Do this more often different situations, but not after eating. Remember, the puppy must be ready to receive the treat. However, there is a measure for everything, and you cannot bore your puppy with commands, including this one. Otherwise, he will soon stop responding, and everything will have to start all over again. Simultaneously with the command “Come to me!” The spaniel is taught to whistle. Indeed, during training and hunting, it is easier to control the dog with a whistle to shorten the search, call to oneself, and stop the chase of the bird at a distance, since the “range” of the whistle is much greater than commands given by voice, especially in windy weather.
First, you use the whistle almost simultaneously with the command “Come to me!”, then replace one with the other: in one case he receives a treat for approaching on command, in the other - on the whistle. Each feeding should be used to practice the dog's approach to you on a signal. Never just put a bowl of food down silently.
There is one more trick. All little puppies love to be held on the floor. They immediately run up, start playing and caressing. This can be used to practice summoning commands. But the main thing is that you first say the command (or blow the whistle), and then get down on the floor. You don’t have to use treats, since for a puppy, contact with you at the level of his growth is a very powerful reinforcement.
"Give it to me!"
Most spaniels have an innate tendency to fetch game. It just needs to be developed and brought to perfection. Generally all spaniels are more willing to be served from water than from land. Therefore, you need to start practicing your serve with lessons on fetching from the ground. A lot has been written about the problems of importing cops, including in our magazine. All these techniques are also suitable for spaniels.
I would like to recommend immediately for playing with the puppy and for serving, in addition to balls and toys, use dried and slightly spread wings of woodcocks and drakes, prepared from the spring hunt. If training takes place in winter, you can prepare the wings of snipe, snipe and corncrake from the autumn season, which are good for training small puppies. Do you remember the repeatedly described methods of accustoming a puppy to the feeling of feathers in the mouth (gauze bags in which the wings are placed, strings by which the wing is pulled to amuse the puppy, etc.)? From my experience, I recommend immediately accustoming the puppy to the feather. Literally from the first day a baby appears in the house, wings should be his favorite toy. But he should play with them only under the supervision of the owner in order to avoid tearing and swallowing feathers. As a toy, it is better to use the wings of large birds with firmly attached feathers - the wings of spring geese and drakes are especially good. But for serving you can use a whole set of different wings. Moreover, from lesson to lesson they quickly become unusable.
You practice your first attempts at wing pitching during the game. Throw the wing and command “Give it!” When the puppy takes it in its mouth, quickly approach and say “Give!” and bring a treat. Place your other hand under the muzzle. The puppy will open its mouth and the wing will be in your hand. By the way, it is better to use a piece of cheese, boiled meat, or a bread cracker as a treat.
Over time, the task becomes more complicated - they throw the wing and command “Give it!”, encouraging only in response to correct execution teams. I read in one of the manuals that if a dog does not serve from the land, but only plays with a wing or pokes a shot bird with its nose, the moment it picks up the diarrhea, you must command “Come to me!”, and the dog must fetch. After shooting game, if the dog abandons it on the way to the owner, it is recommended to repeat “Give it!” and after that, turn around and walk away from the dog - they say, there is nothing to do, the dog will not abandon the bird and will carry it to the owner. Alas, in practice this usually does not work out! Hearing the familiar “Come to me!”, or seeing the retreating owner, the spaniel rushes towards him as fast as he can, forgetting about the wing, and even about such tempting game. In this case, the second command completely blocks conditioned reflex, developed first, so this method cannot be recommended. These two different commands should never be mixed.
The final stage fetch training is considered to be practicing the sequence: “Sit!” - wing cast (the dog remains in place) - “Give it!” (the dog grabs the wing) - “Sit!” (sits down without releasing the wing from his mouth) - “Give it!” (hands it over).
For spaniels, holding time after casting is especially important. At the same time, the puppy is restrained by force and shouted “You can’t!”, releasing only on the command “Give it!”. In the future, he must perform this without physical contact with the owner. Remember that restraining the spaniel before sending it for a lashing is one of the guarantees of preventing the chasing of a flying bird in the field.
After the puppy learns to flawlessly serve the wing, it’s time to move on to serving the beaten bird. Gone are the days when even in summer you could buy game in feathers at the “Gifts of Nature” store. In some field trials, birds are shot for submission under special hunting permits. But if this is not possible, leave the woodcock or drake caught during the spring hunt in the freezer, where the bird will be well preserved for 1-2 months. Later, even with severe frost, it is better not to use it - it will quickly get wet and acquire a specific smell. To prepare frozen poultry for serving, it must be transferred to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator a day or two in advance, wrapped in newspaper, so that thawing proceeds slowly. It happens that a spaniel takes back such a bird well, and does the same with a bird that has been shot but has cooled down, but does not bring back a freshly killed one. Some people don’t even take such a warm bird into their mouths, others poke it with their nose, rolling it on the ground or plucking it, and there are dogs that begin to tear it and even devour it. It is very difficult to deal with this: a lot depends on the individual characteristics of the dog’s behavior, and the hunter is required to persevere, pay attention to his long-eared assistant and show ingenuity and improvisation in training. So, to prevent biting and tearing the game, a freshly shot bird is screwed to a stick barbed wire in such a way that the dog could carefully take it into his mouth without hurting himself, but could not tear it.
For dogs that are squeamish about warm poultry, the owner is sometimes forced to use a small preliminary hunger strike, followed by practice of serving with reinforcement with a treat. For many this will seem cruel, but it happens that there is simply no other way out.
Do you remember that practicing the command “Give it!” we started with a game. But there are spaniels that, even as puppies, are not inclined to pick up balls, sticks and toys in their mouths during play. IN best case scenario they roll them on the floor, pick them up for a short time and immediately throw them away. There may also be a need to teach fetching to a fairly mature spaniel who is not at all inclined to play. A very long training is required here - the wing is gently placed in the dog’s mouth and the jaws are held with your hands for some time, while the command “Give it!” is repeated all the time. In the end, after a long training, it is still possible to force the dog to independently take the diarrhea and bring it to the owner.
Practicing a serve from water is usually easier than from land. First, the puppy is accustomed to water, since spaniels love it very much. They choose warm weather and walk with the puppy through a damp meadow, where, following the owner, he has to overcome puddles, hollows and small meadow bogs (that is, small lakes in the meadow, filled with water after a flood and usually drying up during a long drought). The water should be well heated, and the baby should already be moderately hardened. Spaniels learn to swim quickly. It’s good if there is a lake near your house in the village or country where you can swim with your dog. Usually teaching the command itself “Give it!” from water occurs without any problems. Again, I recommend giving preference to wings out of all diarrhea.
But what if your spaniel retrieves well from water, but has not learned to fetch from land? I used in this case next way. I choose a meadow swamp, the depth of which gradually decreases towards the shore and the last 5-7 m to land is a damp meadow with water slurping underfoot. The castor is first thrown further into the depths, and the spaniel, as usual, swims it. Then the casts are made closer and closer to the shore, so that when casting, the dog no longer swims, but wanders through the water and, finally, walks through a wet swamp. Gradually, the aportation moves to land. In the first series of such experiments, serving from dry may not work, but in the future, with regular training, it will be worked out. All that remains is to secure it at every opportunity. Just remember to do this in warm, preferably hot, weather so as not to overcool the student.
“Look!”
Practicing this command will bring great pleasure to both the spaniel and the owner himself. It is carried out in the form of a game, in which children can also be involved, taking part in it with pleasure, hiding from the puppy what he has to find. The puppy must be sufficiently hungry, and before training it is necessary to prepare small pieces of boiled meat by placing them in a plastic bag. You can use crackers, cheese and other tasty morsels that have a smell, since the puppy will mainly navigate by instinct when searching for them.
Each time, at first the puppy is distracted, and someone hides one of the pieces in the room, then they command “Look!” As soon as he finds a piece, he needs to be praised and petted. While searching for the puppy, you can encourage it by repeating the command “Look, look, look!” This will be very useful when hunting.
First, the pieces are hidden on the floor, in a visible place, then in more hidden places, and when the baby learns to search on command, the treat is hidden higher - on a chair, box, bedside table, etc. Then they move on to searching for inedible objects - preferably wings or even the carcasses of the birds themselves, if you have any (the latter can be put aside until training). After discovering a hidden wing, the baby should always receive a treat. At the last stage of training, as soon as the spaniel discovers the hidden wing, they give the already familiar command “Give it!” - and the student must bring it to you and give it into your hands.
All these commands discussed in the article are quite enough to prepare the spaniel for training and hunting. But more on that in the next issue of the magazine.
I have a Russian hunting spaniel, female, 8 months old. The dog is constantly chewing on something, including his hands. We couldn’t train him to go to the toilet outside - we come back from a walk, the dog relieves himself in the apartment. This is fine?
Answer
Biting is a necessary stage in the development of a four-legged pet in the first weeks of life.
On initial stages development puppies bite each other while playing. In a similar way, the host is often invited to join the game.
Human skin is thinner than animal skin, so biting is perceived as painful. If a baby spaniel is taken from its mother and the rest of the litter too early, the dog clearly has not had time to learn to control the strength of its jaws, which inevitably happens when a puppy grows up in its own “pack.” These spaniels look especially biting when they get to a new owner.
The second reason for biting is changing teeth. At the indicated time, babies tend to chew on objects. IN adolescence the puppy begins to bite those around him in order to establish himself in the role of leader and build a hierarchical ladder in his own environment. It is extremely important to clearly demonstrate to the pet the primacy of the owner. The article offers a list of educational techniques. The main thing to remember is that the puppy cannot be punished; such a decision will entail other unpleasant consequences and distortions in the dog’s character.
How to stop a spaniel from biting
If the puppy invites you to join the games in this way, let the dog know that you are in pain and do not want to play. IN wildlife the bitten puppy squeals loudly and runs away. The mother is able to ignore the presumptuous naughty boy, and if he continues, he can growl or grab him by the withers. Similar techniques can be used to raise a puppy.
- If the baby grabs clothes or hands, squeal loudly and unpleasantly and step aside. Then deliberately ignore your pet for 15 minutes.
- Take the playful puppy to the place designated for the dog and force him to sit down, forcing him to calm down.
- Look your pet straight in the eyes and strictly say “no” or “ugh.”
- Try to gently unhook your baby from your hand and attract attention with your favorite toy.
- For an older pet, it is important to indicate the place it occupies. family hierarchy. Otherwise, in the future the dog will strive to dominate its owners. Grab the animal by the withers. Lightly press your muzzle to the floor and sternly, looking into the eyes, say “no”.
- When entering a house or gate, do not allow your pet to walk in front. The dog must follow the person up the stairs.
- Teach that your pet gets food after the family meal is over.
Stopping your pet from chewing things
If the pet lives in the house, you will need to remove things that the animal can damage from the dog’s field of view. Warn children not to leave toys scattered around. Try to put items higher up or hide them in drawers. Make sure that wallets, remote controls, keys, glasses and other valuables are not left in accessible places. If you need to leave, lock your spaniel in a dog playpen or in a separate room.
A growing spaniel needs physical training and organization of leisure time (it happens that the pet simply has nothing to do, and out of boredom the animal begins to spoil things around). Take your dog outside more often. Take a series of short walks a day while promoting toilet training outside.
Provide your pet with as many toys as possible to chew on. If he tries to chew your shoes, coldly say “no” and take it away. It is supposed to be done directly “in the process”. If you try to raise an animal “in hindsight”, the animal simply will not understand the claims made.
We teach you to go to the toilet
The described pet is already an adult; it is quite easy to quickly train the dog to use the toilet. Start with reprimand if your pet did something wrong. in the right place. Do not try to hit the dog or scream loudly, otherwise the pet will begin to be afraid of you, hide, and secretly crawl into the corners of the apartment.
In dogs, the urge to go to the toilet appears after sleep, feeding and active physical activity. Take your dog out into the yard after each feeding and after waking up. On the street, try to involve your pet in active play. If the animal goes to the toilet outside, be sure to reward it with a treat. right action. It’s good if the pet starts playing with animals that will demonstrate a positive example in “toilet” issues. An option is to take plenty of water for the animal with you when going outside.
If the dog is accustomed to sending his needs at home to a newspaper, tray or rag, take the described attributes outside, spread them on the ground, sit the pet down, encouraging him to go to the toilet. Don't forget about praise and encouragement. Be patient and persistent, the result will certainly happen.
From the first days of entering new family spaniel begins to learn,
how to live in a new environment. Raising a puppy begins from the moment it appears, and then you can get a faithful hunting comrade, a family member at home. Despite excellent hunting abilities, the dog will not learn to use them on its own.
The first days of a puppy.
The sooner training begins and the sooner the puppy is close to its future owner, the better. Usually at 2 months of age the dog can be taken away from its mother. Incorrect behavior must be stopped immediately. The owner should communicate with the puppy as much as possible: feed, walk, play. He punishes him and treats him when necessary. In the first seven months of life, the puppy “imprints” on its owner. After installed trusting relationship for life. By adopting an older dog, the owner will never receive such devotion.
Training begins with the puppy getting used to its name. He must understand that after the nickname the owner is going to contact him and give a command. In fact, the dog's name replaces the word "Attention" for him. They begin to accustom him to the name during games, pet the dog and repeat his name. The second command is “Place”. The puppy must know where he can rest in peace. He is taken to his place to sleep and rest. When hunting, he will associate the bedding with the place after the appropriate command.
The most necessary commands
Hunting requires a team "It is forbidden". It is also needed in Everyday life. This is how the dog is called to order, what he is doing or intending to do is prohibited. When hunting, it is needed because it will prevent the dog from spooking the game ahead of time and will rush after it. Feeding time is used for training. The puppy and the team are held at the food bowl and allowed to eat only on command "Take". He will very quickly learn to carry out such simple commands.
Teaching a puppy to “Sit”. This is one of the simplest commands. Using this command as an example, the puppy should understand that by performing certain actions you can get a treat. The command is accompanied by light pressure on the puppy's croup. When he sits down, he receives praise and a treat.
Later they begin training the commands “Come to me”, “Give” and “Look”. All of them will be needed for hunting. The principle of training is always the same - command, action and encouragement. The owner must develop the necessary conditioned reflexes. And of course, you need to have great patience and always be friendly. They punish violations and generously reward correct behavior.
We invite you to watch a video about How to properly train a young Russian spaniel...
Super User
Training.
Before we start talking about training (training) a spaniel, let's talk a little about it. theoretical foundations- without them it is almost impossible to properly train a dog.
To train an animal means to develop in it certain necessary for a person skills and actions as a result of the formation of conditioned reflexes. The foundations of Training are laid in the teachings of I.P. Pavlov on the higher nervous activity of animals.
To move on to the story about the types of higher nervous activity of animals, training methods and the actual training of your puppy, it is impossible not to say a few words about conditioned and unconditioned reflexes: conditioned reflexes arise under the influence
environment, and unconditioned are instinctive forms of animal behavior. On the basis of unconditioned reflexes, conditioned ones arise, and they, in turn, participate in the implementation of the most complex unconditioned ones, that is, as you can see, reflexes are in constant interconnection.
Let's consider this example. You want the dog to sit when commanded “Sit!” Sitting in general is an innate unconditioned reflex. But in order for him
“worked”, you must develop a conditioned reflex in the dog to the command “Sit!” This command must be accompanied by a stimulus that would evoke an unconditioned landing reflex in the dog. Later I will explain how this is done in practice, but now it is important that you understand that conditioned reflexes arise on the basis of unconditioned, and sometimes on the basis of previously developed conditioned reflexes. Keep in mind, in addition, that they can arise, but they can also disappear, that is, a conditioned reflex once developed, if it is not worked out in the future, will gradually fade away.
But what conditions contribute to the formation of conditioned reflexes: the presence of two stimuli, one of which is conditioned (command), and the other unconditional (coercion), for example, pressing on the croup when sitting down a dog; the application of both stimuli must coincide in time. It is necessary that the command to which the conditioned reflex is developed sounds 1-2 seconds before the unconditioned stimulus; repeated repetition of a conditioned stimulus (command) with the influence of an unconditional stimulus (pressing on the croup); absence of extraneous stimuli to distract the dog; on the basis of strong unconditioned reflexes, strong conditioned ones are developed; The vigor and health of the dog are the best way to promote the formation of conditioned reflexes.
Now I’ll tell you a little about training methods. They are based primarily on individual approach to every dog. There are four types of higher nervous
activities (your pet may belong to one of them):
1. Choleric (excitable type) - unrestrained, aggressive. He has an extremely pronounced process of excitation, which predominates over inhibition.
2. Sanguine (active type) - mainly characterized by the fact that in animals of this type, excitation and inhibition easily and quickly replace each other.
3. Phlegmatic (inert type) - the nervous processes in such animals are strong, balanced, but conditioned reflexes are developed slowly in them, although they are absorbed for a long time.
4. Melancholic (weak type). If the first three types of nervous activity are strong, then this last one is weak. Conditioned reflexes are difficult to develop and are not stable.
For most breeds hunting dogs, including spaniels, an active (balanced) type of nervous activity is extremely desirable. It allows, for example, in the most short term slow down the unnecessary pursuit of the spaniel after the flying game. Unfortunately, it must be said that now some spaniels can be classified as the excitable (uncontrollable) type, and this negatively affects their obedience training during
hunting. This is probably due to the fact that the spaniel breed is young, and enthusiasts during its development paid the main attention to the exterior, and not to the type of nervous activity, which, in general, is justified to some extent. But the time has come when the closest attention must be paid to this issue in order to, through selection work with the breed, give amateur hunters dogs with more flexible nervous processes,
in which excitation would not prevail over inhibition. But, it must be noted that phlegmatic spaniels, and even more so melancholic ones, are even less suitable for hunting.
In accordance with the type of nervous activity of the dog, the owner applies certain methods of training it. There are four known methods: mechanical, taste-enhancing, contrasting and imitative.
Mechanical method. It consists in the fact that a conditioned stimulus, for example the command “Sit!”, is accompanied by pressing the trainer’s hand on the dog’s croup, and sometimes by pulling on the leash. In short, the mechanical method causes her certain pain.
Taste-enhancing method. Its principle is to reward the animal with a treat while practicing the desired conditioned reflex. So, the command “Come to me!” is quickly and well absorbed by the dog if, during training, after giving a command, he is shown a piece of meat and given it when approaching.
Contrast method. It combines two ways of influencing a dog: coercion and encouragement. For example, (when learning to walk next to a hunter at his left leg), the student is taken on a shortened leash and at the same time with the command “Next!” with a tug on the leash (coercion), they push back the spaniel leaning forward, and when he starts walking alongside, without pulling on the leash, they say “Okay!” (encouragement). The contrast method gives the best training results.
Imitative method. It is based on the innate ability of a dog to imitate the actions of another. You need to use it very carefully, since almost every spaniel has some shortcomings in its work and, by imitating it, your dog, along with positive qualities, will also learn negative ones.
It is very difficult for an inexperienced person to answer unambiguously what type of higher nervous activity a puppy has, since based on external actions observed once
It's rarely possible to do it right. You have the baby in front of your eyes all the time, and by its behavior on the street and at home, only you can determine with a certain accuracy the type of dog, taking it into account in the future when training. Some help in
Breeding work on selecting sires with the desired type of nervous activity can undoubtedly be carried out by experts in the field, who, with appropriate experience working with dogs, can quite accurately determine their type.
The peculiarity of training an excitable spaniel is that the inhibitory process must be worked out slowly, carefully and consistently, very gradually developing endurance. Such spaniels easily withstand strong mechanical stimuli, showing greater performance. An excitable dog is difficult to train, but its impact on hunting is good. Very often in overly excitable spaniels you can observe how they do not diligently process the trail of the game, trying in the heat of excitement to lift it onto the wing with throws from side to side. Training these dogs only using the taste-based method, as a rule, does not give anything; here the mechanical method should prevail.
There is no special feature when training dogs of the active type. The contrast method is the best for them.
Dogs of the inert type slowly switch from an excited state to an inhibitory state, and vice versa. resort to mechanical method Such students must be trained very carefully, since excessive coercion can completely ruin the dog. When practicing various techniques, it is necessary to ensure that the intervals between given commands are sufficient for the animal to assimilate them.
You can, of course, train dogs with a weak type of nervous activity, but this requires a lot of patience. It’s good if the owner himself is energetic and with all his behavior encourages his pet to do the same. For obvious reasons, at the first stages of training a puppy, no coercive measures should be used, much less painful influence on him.
To train a dog means, taking into account its individual characteristics and subordinating it to your will, to teach it to carry out the necessary commands and thereby prepare it for training in the field, that is, for special training.
Various techniques Spaniels are trained in different ways, which we will talk about a little further. But there are basic rules of training, which are, as it were, its ABCs and
are required when training a dog of any breed. Here are some of them.
Even if the puppy does not obey you, always remain calm, even, and do not show unnecessary nervousness. Do not train your pet in an irritated state - it is better to postpone or reschedule the lesson. As I already noted during the conversation about teaching a puppy to be clean, do not punish the student some time after he has committed an undesirable act - he will not understand why he is being asked. Punish your dog only as a last resort and with a specially designed flat whip, and not with your hand, foot, leash or any other hard object.
The intonation of the voice when giving a command is demanding and even slightly threatening. All commands by voice, whistle or gesture should be as short as possible, clear, constant, easy to remember and do not change from lesson to lesson. So, for example, the command “Sit!” cannot be replaced with “Sit!” or “Sit down!”, “Lie down!” - to “Lie down!”, “Come to me!” - to “Come here!” and so on.
It is best to start training in a place familiar to the puppy, where no one and nothing distracts him, and only after he has had a good walk.
In order for the tidbit - encouragement for a correctly executed command - to have an effect, teach the baby not on a full stomach. Do not allow strangers to stroke, caress or play with your spaniel, much less treat or feed him. Make it a rule: every command you give once must be complied with by the puppy, since failure to comply with it at least once will quickly become part of the system and the student will soon become disobedient. If you see that for some reason he will not carry out the command, it is better to refrain from giving it.
Everything that is undesirable in the actions of an adult dog must be muted from puppyhood.
This or that technique can be considered well-learned by the student if he clearly performs it in the presence of strong external stimuli (another dog, cat, pigeons, etc.), but even after that, repeat the lesson daily so that the developed conditioned reflex is not dulled.
Don’t humanize the dog, but don’t reify it either: don’t deprive it of the pleasure of listening to your conversation, sitting at your feet, cuddling it.
To prevent treats (pieces of biscuits, crackers, meat, etc.) intended for rewarding a student from becoming contaminated by dust and tobacco crumbs accumulating in pockets, store the treat in a clean plastic bag.
And the last thing: no matter how difficult it may be, no matter how little knowledge you may seem to have, do not leave your puppy to be trained and trained in the wrong hands - he may receive a field diploma, but will he be a real working dog and your friend - Hard to say.
Now let's talk directly about house training.
So, the puppy was assigned a certain place in the house. He will get used to it very soon if you pick up the baby who has played enough and is going to bed (while he is still small) and take him to the place intended for him, while repeating strictly: “Place, place!” The puppy will learn this command perfectly if he is not allowed to sleep anywhere, much less climb onto a bed, armchairs, chairs (which will not be so easy to wean off).
Just as quickly, the puppy gets used to its nickname, for which it is necessary to affectionately repeat it during feeding, stroking the spaniel with your hand. As soon as the dog is good
learns a nickname, teach her the command “Come to me!” To do this, first say the nickname, and then immediately this command and give the student a tasty morsel. By repeating the lesson several times a day, you will soon achieve the point that the puppy will run up after hearing only the words “Come to me!” But at first, don’t forget about the treats. When calling a dog (especially on the street and in the presence of strangers) use
only with this command, and not with a nickname, which for a four-legged friend should sound like a kind of affection, encouragement, and which the residents of your house, yard, or street do not necessarily need to know.
The main thing in training a spaniel is not to be late in starting it. Do not think that while the baby is small, you should not overload him with various commands. This opinion is extremely erroneous and harmful. From the first days you have a puppy, start training, and then you won’t have to resort to using a strict collar and spend
immeasurably more effort during training in the field. But at the same time, you can’t train endlessly without giving rest. nervous system baby.
"It is forbidden!" - prohibiting command. How well the puppy learns it, the easier it is for you to stop all the unwanted actions of an adult dog. Start teaching this technique during feeding. Having placed the food on the floor, holding the puppy with your hand, strictly say the command “No!” Keeping your baby away from food for about 5-10 seconds at the beginning of training, then give the command “Take!” and release him to the food bowl. Gradually (!) increase the shutter speed to 3 minutes. Don’t be upset if at first the baby, hungry after sleep, is disobedient - “patience and work will grind everything down.” After making sure that the puppy does not touch food without permission near you, move on to practicing this technique at a distance, and then on different objects that the student wants to grab. The final testing and verification of the correct execution of the technique is on the street.
A collar loosely placed on a 2-month-old puppy usually does not cause him any discomfort; if the dog starts to show anxiety, play with it, caress it, and the baby will soon forget about the collar.
Remember, when we were at the exhibition, almost all the dogs went to it wearing muzzles. The time has come to accustom your pet to it, otherwise you can’t even go outside without a muzzle. True, some dog breeders, violating the rules for keeping and walking dogs, take them for walks without muzzles, and even flaunt it. Such unfortunate dog breeders do not understand that with their behavior they only inflame the passions of dog haters. But a muzzle, if you train a dog to use it, is absolutely no hindrance to it. Furthermore, the muzzle will not allow her to grab anything from the ground, and this is very important - often after such finds, animals are poisoned and die.
The most comfortable muzzle is a blind one, made of one piece of leather with holes for air (a metal mesh one is very good for summer). In a closed muzzle, the dog feels calmer as he can open his mouth. You need to accustom your puppy to a muzzle (by putting it on) just before going outside, when the dog is not stopped by any obstacles. When you try to drop this item, stop the puppy with the command “No!” and distract yourself with something. Gradually, the time the puppy spends in the muzzle increases - this can be very useful if you have to travel somewhere by train.
At the same time as learning the “no” technique, the puppy is taught the “sit” or “lie” technique, or both. I recommend teaching the “sit” technique, since a spaniel is not a large dog and why, one might ask, lay it down in tall grass while hunting, thereby making it impossible to see where the game has fallen. As you know, a spaniel is prone to chasing a bird in flight, which sometimes makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to shoot at it. In addition, a dog that does not comply with the command “Sit!” when hunting upland game, it will simply disperse broods of grouse outside the shot.
That is why it is better to teach only one command, but to achieve absolutely clear execution of the technique in any environment and situation. Remember: the dog’s flawless execution of the command “Sit!” directly proportional to your hunting success.
Often, when teaching a puppy the “No” technique, he sits down arbitrarily for the duration of the exposure. This is what you need to use to start learning the “Sit!” command.
As soon as the baby sits down near the bowl, pet him, saying “Sit!” and not letting you get up. Reward good team performance with a tasty morsel. If the puppy
If he doesn’t sit down on his own, lift a piece of meat above his head and slowly move it back a little. To make it more convenient to watch the treat and then receive it, the baby will have to sit down at the same time as your command “Sit!” At the same time, you can press the puppy’s croup with your other hand to make sure he sits down.
As soon as the command is learned and the puppy is sitting next to you, proceed to the next stage - developing endurance: after all, during the hunt you will need to sit the dog down
at a distance of twenty or even more meters. After playing with your baby, sit him down next to you, and then move away 2-3 steps, saying in a stern voice, “Sit!” Then quickly approach him and, after petting him, give him a treat. At first, such delays in time and distance should be small, but gradually from one lesson to another
they are increasing. Often, if training begins from the first days the puppy appears in the house, by 3 months the dog sits flawlessly at any distance: the main thing, I repeat, is not to be late in starting. Finally, practice this command while walking the puppy, bringing it to sit for 3-5 minutes at a distance of about 20 m
from you. Of course, during the training period it is impossible to seat the student in an inappropriate place, say, in the mud.
Having ensured that the puppy sits calmly when you leave, proceed to sitting him down (with the same command “Sit!”) while moving. First, do this when he runs or, even better, walks close to you, and then gradually increase the distance to the student and again bring him up to 20 m. It may happen that the student fulfills the command “Sit!” very well. next to you, but at a distance he becomes disobedient. Then tie a long nylon cord to the leash and, as soon as the puppy runs back its entire length, command “Sit!”, after which immediately sharply
pull the cord. When your dog sits, go up to him and give him a treat. Sometimes this option is the only one that gives a positive result. But, using
it, make sure that the cord does not wrap around the deaf person’s leg and, when jerking, does not damage his skin or tendons. You can also resort to this training option, reinforced with a strict collar, when the time to start training has been missed and teaching a puppy or adult dog to the command “Sit!” started too late, one of the main mistakes of novice dog breeders - spaniel lovers. Command training can be considered successfully completed if even an excited puppy, despite various external stimuli, unquestioningly sits at any distance from you. But having achieved the desired reaction, strengthen it day after day, since, I repeat once again, the pet’s success in field trials, and yours in hunting, will depend on this.
Maybe you still want to teach your dog to lie down - well, please, I’ll tell you about that too. Of course, first the student must learn the lesson of “sit” well. So, having sat the baby down with the well-known command “Sit!”, wait a little and, strictly saying “Lie down!”, lower right hand with a treat in front of the baby's face almost to the floor. The student will reach for it and lie down. Now repeat the word “lie down” to him in a gentle voice, and hold him by the collar with your left hand, preventing the puppy from getting up. Give the treat. That's about all the training.
To what I have already said about teaching a puppy to walk next to you, I will add: start learning from the first walks outside, but always when returning home, and not when the puppy has just run out into the yard and all his thoughts are occupied with something else. You need to teach walking without a leash only after the dog stops “pulling” on the leash. The training method is the same as on a leash. Positive result You'll probably get there faster if you use a little trick. Having unfastened the leash from the collar, do not immediately hide it in your pocket, but hold the freely hanging end of the leash over the puppy so that it lightly touches the neck, that is, imitate that the leash is fastened. If an off-leash student becomes unruly, immediately put the puppy on a leash and start all over again. It is very nice to see a dog walking next to the hunter without a leash, but as if tied to his left leg. In addition, a Spaniel that does not walk well with its leader will receive a lower obedience score in the field test. And most importantly, the dog’s ability to walk calmly next to its owner during the hunt when moving from one place to another will save your nerves and the spaniel’s strength.
You already know that this dog is prone to serving shot game and catching wounded animals. Most spaniels begin to serve well already in early age. without requiring additional training; some at first refuse to serve (especially freshly shot and large game), but with the skill and persistence of the owner they begin to actively serve.
What are the basics of teaching a puppy to retrieve? Feeding sticks, rubber and other toys does not mean that your pet will serve game with the same success. Please note that the feathers of the bird served leave an unpleasant sensation in the mouth of some dogs, which must be suppressed with the help of training. The best “toy” for a puppy to feed at first is a bird’s wing. Tie it to a strong thread or twine and, imitating the flight of a bird, wave this wing in front of the puppy's face. He will try to grab the item. As soon as the baby does this, immediately grab the wing with one hand, commanding “Give!”, and give the treat with the other. Grabbing a tasty morsel, the puppy will definitely open his mouth and give the “toy”. At this stage of training, it is very important to make it clear to the student that he will receive a treat no earlier than he gives the wing, and definitely into your hands. Repeat the training game until the puppy learns to grab the wing well and give it back, and then stop, since in the future, grabbing a fluttering wing can lead to an unwanted pursuit of a flying bird during the hunt.
It is much easier to teach a dog to retrieve if it (at least next to you) obediently follows the command “Sit!” In this case, seat the student who grabbed the wing with the familiar command “Sit!”, and then with the command “Give!” take away the diarrhea by treating it with a treat. Repeat these activities two to three times a day (but no more than three to four times per lesson so that the puppy does not get tired of them).
After the puppy has firmly mastered the command “Give!” move on to teaching the consonant, but not unambiguous command “Give it!”. To do this, sit your baby next to you. hold it with your left hand, and with your right throw the wing tied to the string 1.5-2 m to the side. Pause for a few seconds (at the end of training, the exposure is increased to 1-2 minutes) and, having commanded “Give it!”, point your hand to the wing and release the puppy. He will rush to the wing
and will either grab him or not. In the first case, give the student the familiar command “Come to me!” (as the lesson is learned, one command remains: “Give!”) and, having seated the puppy that ran up next to you, take away the wing at the command “Give!”, not forgetting to give a treat. In the second case, lightly tug the string, that is, move the wing, causing the puppy to have an already developed reflex to grab it. As soon as he does this, do everything as in the first case.
It may happen that the baby grabs the diarrhea wing, but throws it away on the way to you. To wean yourself off this, try this. After the puppy grabs
wing, immediately command “Sit!”, quickly approach the dog and on the command “Give!” take away the diarrhea. Having mastered this technique, you can move on to teaching, so that the student brings the wing into your hands.
It is extremely important that the dog takes the shot game during the hunt, and especially wounded animals, not by one or two feathers, but by the whole mouth. To learn this technique, you will again need string. As soon as the puppy grabs the wing, barely biting the feathers, pull the string and it will slip out of the dog's mouth; after that, she will grab the wing thoroughly, because she knows that if she doesn’t bring it to you, she won’t get the treat. And in order for the student to open his mouth wider, sometimes instead of a wing, use objects approximately equal in size to serve open mouth your baby. It is very useful for the development of the neck muscles to give the puppy a bag of sand for diarrhea, gradually increasing its weight
(an adult dog must serve diarrhea weighing up to 5 kg).
It happens that, despite all the tricks, the puppy stubbornly refuses to give even rubber and other toys, simply playing with them. Your only, but most likely, assistant in this case will be slight hunger. Yes, yes, don’t feed your pet for a day or two, encouraging feeding with a treat, and the student will quickly understand what’s what and will begin to serve well. I think you understand that, of course, you shouldn’t get carried away with a hunger strike, but this is a proven remedy.
If the commands “Give it!” and “Give!” are performed confidently and without string, buy an unplucked game bird at the store (even better, shoot a wild pigeon) and throw it in for serving. If the puppy refuses to retrieve, try inducing a grasping response by tying the bird to the string like a wing and tugging on the string. If this does not give the desired result, put an old one on the bird carcass. women's stocking(in three or four layers) and start all over again. As soon as the puppy becomes good at feeding the wrapped bird (before that he was serving various objects and a wing), remove one layer of the stocking and continue practicing the presentation. Then remove the penultimate layer and finally the last one. In presentation lessons, patience is needed more than ever: there should not be the slightest pressure on the puppy. Forcing events, and even more so punishing a dog for refusing to serve, is very dangerous.
If the dog that was serving before suddenly for some reason (this almost never happens without a reason on the part of the trainer) stops serving, remove it from use.
commands “Give it!” and “Give!” for 2-3 months and only after this period start all the training again, as if the dog in front of you had never given up.
Now let's talk about teaching a puppy to retrieve from water. But in order for a dog to get a duck out of the lake, it must be able to swim well.
Teach your puppy not to be afraid of water, and then to swim, gradually - from the first baths at home. When washing him, first pour so much water into the bath or trough so that only the ends of the paws are wet; then add water, and before finishing the bath, add more, letting the baby swim (if you can call those first random splashes of paws in the water swimming). Conducting water procedures, make sure that the puppy does not start to drown and does not get scared, otherwise the desire to swim can be discouraged for a long time. It’s better to support the tummy, let the dog wallow in the water a little, and then take it out of the bath, dry it lightly and, laying an old, clean, dry sheet on the floor, give the puppy the opportunity to dry himself. It’s even better to spend such bathing somewhere outside the city in a clean pond with a flat bottom. Go into the water yourself and call your pet to you - that's all the training. Just don’t get carried away by depth and distance at first - everything will come in due time. As I already said, it is recommended to wash a baby (and even an adult dog) with soap no more than once every 3 months, unless he gets dirty somewhere outside of any schedule. But swimming on outdoors, and even in hot weather, you should practice daily, or even two or three times a day - it all depends
depending on your capabilities, weather and desires of the puppy. Remember: only and only coercion is one of the worst methods of training; firstly, it will not help raise a child into an excellent swimmer and, secondly, it can even discourage a young dog from going into the water.
And now about serving from water. The diarrhea must be thrown against the wind so that the dog can use its instincts to find it. Since it is difficult to throw a bird's wing against the wind far into the water, it is better to take a small stick or a non-sinking rubber toy. As the puppy grows, the diarrhea needs to be increased. First, cast it close to the shore, and then (gradually) further away. When sending the dog into the water, command “Give it!”, and reward good execution of the technique with a treat. Objects that accidentally come to hand are not suitable for serving: sticks are always dirty, with knots or even nails, they can cause the dog to become infected or, by injuring its mouth, serve as a reason for refusal to serve. Take your dog's usual carrier with you - it doesn't take up much space. This condition is very important if you throw the diarrhea into the thickets - the smell of your hands remaining on it will allow the puppy, using its sense of smell, to quickly find it, rather than grab the first leaves, twigs, etc. that come across.
When the spaniel begins to feed well from the water, you can move on to the next stage - learning to dive. Some dogs dive on their own, without any special training; With others, you need to go through exercises to help develop this skill. Take a stick that has been whittled smooth until it’s white and, approaching a pond, force the dog to feed it from the water two or three times. Then tie a weight (a strip of lead,
pebble) and throw it near the shore in clear water so that the dog can see the diarrhea at the bottom and can take it, lightly dipping its muzzle. Gradually (!) increase the casting distance, not forgetting that the stick must remain light, since at depth it will be less and less visible. This method ensures that the dog ceases to be afraid of depth.
True, there are other opinions about the whiteness of the stick. There are cases when a hunter threw a pebble with a mark into the water, sent a dog after it, and in some way, incomprehensible to us, it found it at a depth, although there were other almost exactly the same pebbles at the bottom of the reservoir. But I still recommend doing the dog diving exercise first with a light stick.
When sending your dog into the water, do not forget to take off the collar: while swimming and diving, it can catch on a sedge rhizome or snag and choke. I want to warn you that you cannot teach a puppy to serve in the presence of another dog, which may bite the student, not by teaching him, but by weaning him off from serving.
You can try training your spaniel to report on found game. This is very useful when hunting in the forest, when it is not clear whether the dog has found game or not. But, before accustoming your pet to report in the hunting grounds, you need to first pre-sprung the puppy at home.
First of all, he must understand as best as possible that he cannot take food without your permission. First, practice the exercise about the report in the apartment, and then move the classes to the yard, to the street. Hide somewhere, say, a piece of cheese (smells good!) and use the command “Look!” send the puppy to look for him. As a rule, the baby finds the treat quickly and, if he is accustomed not to touch the food without a command, begins
whine impatiently. And at this time you turn away (during training, go to another room), as if you are not paying attention to what is happening. An impatient but disciplined puppy will have no choice but to run up to you and show with all his appearance that he has found a piece and is asking permission to take it. This is where you need to say “Take it!” By repeating this training game several times a day, you can ensure that the dog will definitely report when he finds a treat.
These are the basics of training a puppy - making an announcement about a found object, and we will talk in more detail about training a dog to report to a hunter about the game found a little later, when we talk about training.
And here’s what I’ll advise you: teach your pet to sit quietly in the backpack. At first, simply spread the untied backpack on a mattress, place the falling asleep puppy on it and do not disturb him. Having gotten used to the new bedding, the baby will very soon stop paying attention to the backpack. Now you can cover it with one of the sides of the duffel bag. For the dog, again, sheer comfort - warm and cozy.
After a while, you can invite the puppies into the backpack while playing, holding the dog in it and treating it with tidbits. Gradually tighten the top of the backpack tighter and tighter, and at the same time stroke the student sitting inside, talking affectionately to him. Just don’t forget to make more holes in the canvas of the backpack on the sides so that the dog has enough air. She will finally make friends with the backpack. when he realizes that he is connected with a trip to the field for hunting or training. Several such trips - and the smart spaniel will climb into the backpack himself. I have had
two spaniels, and when I took the backpack off the shelf and spread it on the floor, the dogs barked at each other, challenging the right to get into it - something you cannot endure and cannot endure for the sake of hunting! At first glance, training a spaniel to carry a backpack may seem like excessive pampering, a circus act. Nothing like this. Having taught your dog to sit calmly in this bag, you will remember me more than once kind words when you have to travel from one
from one end of the city to another, for example, on a trolleybus, bus or even in the metro.
Latest tips. When practicing techniques, it is not necessary to give them later only with your voice; you can also order with a whistle or gestures. But, before moving on to commands with signals, you must first teach the puppy to perform this or that technique by voice, and then move on to a whistle or gestures. Each hunter can choose his own gestures and a combination of long and short whistle sounds. It is important that they are clear and
easy to remember. For example, to sit a dog at a distance, you can raise your hand up or whistle briefly once on the whistle; to call to you (the command “Come to me!”), raise your hand to the side at shoulder level or give a series of short whistles, etc. When teaching the dog to sit by gesture, give the command “Sit!” and immediately raise your hand up. Gradually, as you assimilate a particular signal, move
only to him and only if the dog did not react to the whistle or gesture, without hesitation, reinforce the signal with a voice, and more strictly.
There is no need to accustom your puppy to the sound of a gunshot at home. This is best done during a hunt or during training, when the spaniel will be carried away by the smell of game and may not even pay attention to the shot. It happens that young dog breeders, out of inexperience, take a small puppy on a hunt, put him in a boat, and thunderous shots begin to sound above the baby’s head. In this way you can ruin the dog forever, make
it is unsuitable for hunting, since it will tuck its tail and run away even with the mere sight of a gun.
That's probably all I wanted to tell you about home training a puppy, who has already grown into a young puppy during my training with him. beautiful dog, and it’s time to start training her.