Proper Training
Contents (links on this page)
It is beyond the scope of this web page to teach you
everything you need to know about training your pet. The best I
can do is offer a few suggestions I've found handy... as well as
a couple links to other sites I find interesting.
Cockers do not respond well to harsh language and scolding.
The best possible training technique is to place your dog in
situations where he'll excel, then praise him generously. Never
strike a Cocker to break him of a bad habit. The result will be a
dog that turns aggressive, or submissive. In one case, you'll
have a biter, in the other a dog that cowers and pees. The end
result will be a dog that's less than pleasant.
Most of us have some experience in coping with a new puppy and
have heard many of the tricks. I'd be interested in hearing of
any tricks you've learned.
- Training begins the first day a new pup comes home. The
first lesson is to bond with family members. He's not
allowed to bite on people or people things, and he's
introduced to his new surroundings. Allow him to explore,
if that's what he wants. Given freedom, he'll eventually
return to people for pets.
- Keep your new puppy in a room where he can't do any harm.
I put a child gate across my family room entrance. All
electrical cords were removed to stop them from being
chewed, and the linoleum isn't hurt by
"accidents". Direct access to the back yard is
another plus, as well as room to romp.
- Provide him with the necessities. Introduce him to his
food and water dishes, and give him some good chew toys,
such as rawhide chews. His bed can be a low basket, or
just a pile of old blankets on the floor. Naturally,
you'll want to avoid using anything "people" as
play things. If he learns to chew on socks or shoes,
he'll be much harder to break at a later time.
- Spend time with the pup in "his" room. Until
he's learned some basic manners, he shouldn't be allowed
free run of the house. This will avoid unwanted
accidents, keep your pup safe, and make basic potty
training easier.
- The first night is the roughest on everyone. Your pup has
never been alone, and he's going to want company. If you
have another dog, they might be happy sleeping together.
In other cases, a hot water bottle and a ticking clock
will help comfort him. A darkened room and soft music
sometimes helps. If you go to him when he whimpers, the
ritual will be repeated for every night for a week or
more. This is a lesson that Winston taught us.
This is your pet's first introduction to family life, and can
set the stage for later training. This usually starts within a
few days, as soon as your pet is feeling comfortable with his new
family. Each play time is a chance to introduce a few minutes of
training, and should be fun for both you and your pet. Skilled
home trainers will work in training, but the dog thinks of it as
another form of game.
- This is his first introduction to the words NO
and OUCH and begins his earliest
language lessons. With proper training, he'll eventually
learn a couple dozen commands, but training starts
slowly.
- He's learned to rough-house with his siblings, so it's up
to you to show him proper and improper chew things. When
he bites or chews on "people" things, tell him
NO and offer a toy as a substitute. At first, the best
chew toy I've found is rawhide strips, within reason.
Some Cockers learn to eat their rawhides at an early age.
I find an adult dog can handle, at most, half a rawhide
each day. Scale this back according to your dog's size,
otherwise he won't eat properly and may have digestive
problems.
- Avoid rough-housing at this time. He won't understand why
he's being scolded for playing too rough. As he gets
older, he'll learn to play gently without biting hard.
Buddy learned to play hard, growling and showing his
teeth, but had the softest mouth of any dog I've known.
Others learn to avoid biting altogether. Puppy teeth are
sharp. If it hurts, let your pet know.
- Potty training begins right away. Some owners like to
train their pets on paper, but this can lead to later
problems if you spread the Sunday papers around the
living room floor. Personally, I prefer to catch them
before they have to go and head outside. When he potties
outside, give him lots of praise. Don't scold if he goes
potty inside, but take him outside immediately. This
gives him the idea of where to go and he won't hesitate
to potty in your presence.
- This is a good time to introduce your pet to grooming. A
soft bristled brush and gentle combing can be substituted
for petting. He's going to spend much of his adult life
being groomed, so begin preparing him now. If you have
electric clippers, this is a good time to begin getting
him ready for this monthly ordeal. After a few sessions,
the running clippers, clipper head up, can be run down
his back, and along his ears without serious protests.
After each clipper session, I praise him and give a
doggie bone, just as if he'd been clipped. With training,
he won't fear the sessions, although he might never learn
to love them. It's wonderful to have a dog that sits for
grooming. Your groomer will love you for it.
- Some Cockers love to chase feet, probably an expression
of the instinctual love of the chase. Cute in the pup, it
can be a problem when he grows up. Try to discourage this
behavior while your pet is still young. A substitute can
be provided. I puncture a tennis ball and run a small
cord through it. Drug around, it gives your pup a chase
toy and later sessions can easily be turned into fetch
games. Again, this substitutes a bad habit for an
allowable habit.
Most trainers tell us that we shouldn't begin formal obedience
training until the dog is somewhere between 6 months and 1 year
of age. Actually, obedience training is just an extension of the
training we've been giving our pet all along, which is an
extension of play time. If your dog thinks of training as fun,
he'll be happy and eager to please.
By now your pet has been home for over a month. He usually
goes potty outside, and he has learned to trust you. He has some
idea of the meaning of NO, OUCH, and POTTY, and probably knows
his name. He still has a very short attention span. 5 minutes of
play, followed by 5 or 10 minutes of mixed play and training,
several times weekly, will see results.
- Don't expect much from your pet at this age. He's not
going to stay for long periods of time, nor is he going
to be fully leash trained. Here you are just laying the
foundation for future training, and helping your pet
become more manageable. As in all training, we are trying
to encourage good behavior, even when it's accidental,
and gently discouraging bad behavior. This requires more
work for the owner, but the results are much greater.
Your pet's personality will bloom under this type of
training.
- Begin by introducing him to basic household etiquette.
This includes staying off furniture and not chewing on
"people toys". Eventually you might see the
light come on, as he grasps an idea.
- He's used to having a collar around his neck. Now is a
good time to begin getting him used to a leash. At first,
some dogs find this scary and will pull back on the
leash. In this case, don't fight him, but approach and
bring him to your side. With pets and praise, he'll soon
begin to realize it's not so threatening. After several
sessions, short walks around the house or back yard let
him know this is a good thing. This is ground work. We're
trying to make it fun, keep him from fighting the leash,
and to keep from under foot.
- When going "bye bye", put the leash on him,
even if he's carried to the car. This associates special
times with the use of a leash. Soon the sight of a leash
will have your pet wagging happily.
- Avoid taking your pet to danger areas until he's fully
trained. These include places of heavy traffic, around
crowds and loud noises, and especially where you might
encounter strange dogs. The distractions won't allow for
him to concentrate on his training, and could put him
into danger. If he gets used to wandering, he might even
take it up himself. For now, keep him at home. If you
take him for a ride, remain with him constantly.
"Abandoning" him in a car is terrifying for a
puppy, and he'll develop nasty habits that will be hard
to break. Romps in the backyard are a treat for him.
- Sit and stay are more advanced lessons, and are difficult
to teach to a young dog, so you shouldn't expect too
much. With gentle coaxing, by the time he's 4 or 5 months
of age, he might stay for a minute or two, depending on
his attention span and the number of distractions. He has
a short attention span, so keep them short at this time.
This way he can grasp the significance between a
successful trick and the rewards following (praise and
pets).
- By now, he probably has greater household freedom, so
it's a good time to begin door etiquette. Even at this
young age, he can be taught to stay away from the front
door, and to not dash outside each time it's opened. This
is especially important if you live on a busy street, or
your pet has a tendency to be a wanderer. A well trained
dog will not run through an open door, even if it's left
open for long periods of time. This requires a great deal
of patience, because your pet will want to great you upon
your return. Substituting an instinct with a learned
behavior is a very difficult task. Keep at it, because
the rewards are worth the effort.
- I don't recommend using sit/stay for door training. For
now, open the door and step through. Puppy will try to
follow. Place him back inside, followed by the NO
command. Another method is to place the flat of your hand
in his face and push him back gently. As with other
training, limit it to a couple minutes, followed by play
time.
- Some houses are built with a "landing" inside
the doorway, with a different type of flooring material.
This makes training easier, since he can be taught to
stay off this surface. I would sit on the tiled entryway
and ignore my pet. When he tries to cross the line, I
place him back on his side. After a couple minutes, he'll
become confused and sit. At this time, I cross to him
with lots of praise. When taught properly, this makes it
possible to enter loaded down with groceries without
worrying about pets under foot.
- Look for a good puppy class, or read a
few good books on the subject. Any dog can be trained,
but it requires patience and skill on your part. Dog
trainers come in two sorts, the type that train the dog,
and the type that train the owner. I prefer the latter.
Puppy classes usually emphasize the basics, such as
health care, potty training, and perhaps some very basic
obedience.
This is an awkward age for your pet. He's nearly adult size,
but his coordination is still that of a puppy. He's of age for
adult shots and being fixed, but is still a puppy mentally. While
some trainers offer beginner's obedience training at this age,
others ask you to wait until your dog is 1 year of age. At this
age, he is able to better understand the link between commands
and the praise given afterwards. His attention span is growing.
- Most Cockers will know the meaning of several words and
the basic household etiquette behaviors. His name, potty,
bye-bye and doggy-bone are probably firmly in your pet's
vocabulary. He might know sit, stay and get down,
although he's more reluctant to perform these on command.
He has more patience at this age, so the sit/stay can
eventually be lengthened to several minutes. Fun should
always be foremost in any training, so the stay command
should be of limited length at this time.
- Most pups come when called by their name, but might
choose to ignore the summons at times. When this happens,
walk over, take him by the collar, and gently lead him
back, then give him praise. It might seem selfish, but
it's important for later training. BTW, no matter what
your dog has done wrong, never punish him if he comes to
you. In later sessions, begin teaching the command
"come".
- In the "come" session, a light line is tied to
your dog's collar. He's placed a few feet away in a
sit/stay. You say his name, followed by "come".
If he doesn't come, repeat the command with a slight tug
on the line. Praise him, even if you have to pull him
across the room. Eventually, he'll know that his name is
an attention-getter and the command come means you want
him.
- Sit, stay, come and basic leash training are important
lessons before taking your pet into the wide world. If he
won't mind in your living room, there's little chance
he'll obey in the park.
- Great patience is required between the ages of 2 to 12
months of age. He'll be slow to learn tricks, but won't
forget them. Don't expect much from a puppy, but with
loving care, you'll be amazed at how much he's learned by
the time he's ready for formal obedience training.
By the time your pet reaches 1 year of age, he's matured into
a healthy teenager. By this time, his training is far advanced of
other dogs his age, so when you take him into the training class
you'll both be somewhat experienced.
- By now you've probably read a couple books, or browsed
the Internet, and picked up some excellent tips on
training. Personally, I find that attending classes with
a new pet, even though I've been through several, always
helps me to concentrate on the basics. The
"homework" required forces me to spend the
concentrated effort required to sharpen my dog's
abilities.
- Each trainer has slightly different methods and goals in
mind. The Dog Owner's Guide (see links below) has some
excellent tips on locating a trainer. Hopefully you
"audited" a class when your pup was beginning
his home training. This allowed you to groom his command
words towards his formal training.
- Training should be based on what you eventually wish for
your pet. Show and field training are advanced classes,
usually given after basic obedience training has been
learned. Obedience training styles vary widely, and each
trainer believes his methods work best. The eventual goal
is to have a pet that you can trust in any situation.
- Classes, such as Healing Free, concentrate on teaching
your dog to behave well on a lead. He'll follow your
every movement, watching your feet for clues. Within a
week or two, he'll be walking by your side without
tugging or getting under foot. Sit, lay down, stay and
other basic commands are stressed. When successful,
you'll have a dog that can be trusted, off-lead, in the
most distracting situations. Classes usually last about
10 weeks, with a free follow-up class offered, and cost
was around $70.
- Other trainers stress obedience ring training. When
finished, your dog will perform well in all situations,
as above, but will also be ready for obedience trials. This can be a fun
hobby, but more expensive. Locally, these are broken into
puppy, beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses. In
most cases, the intermediate classes is repeated two
times, and repeat classes are done on your nickel. Each
class lasts 6 to 12 weeks, and concentrates on the skills
you will need in competition. The puppy class is
optional, but other classes must be taken in order, and
they generally run from $60 to $100 per class. I
recommend taking your pet through the puppy and beginning
class, and leaving the more advanced classes for those
who wish to compete.
- Most classes are held once or twice a week, but you
should try to spend half an hour with your pet each
evening in "homework". This allows for 5
minutes preparation, 15 minutes training, and 15 minutes
in "wind down" play with your pet. When
possible, a couple sessions per day will really make the
sessions stick. You and your pet are a team, and the key
to successful training is to have fun.
