Advanced Training

The idea that training can be neatly divided into compartments is now regarded as a mistaken one-i.e., hunting dogs, working dogs, and companion dogs. It is important to grasp the fact that a Pekingese is also a hunting dog ( a pack of these dogs at work can be very efficient at hunting rabbits ), that a pointer is also a guard-dog ( in many countries the Kurzhar, or short-haired German pointer is used as a police dog), that the setter is also a tracker there have been many fine examples of setter tracking people), that the Labrador Retriever is a world-renowned retriever on the hunt, and also excellent at sniffing out drugs and illegal firearms, and finally, that all dogs, of all breeds. From the Newfoundland to the Chichuahua are marvelous companions for people all over the world. For this reason this second puppy programme for the 90-120 day period should be used for all puppies whatever the use or uses you have in mind for them. 

If you acquired your puppy at the age of 50 to 90 days, and have finished the first Puppy Programme, you can now embark on the second Programme. If you got your puppy at the age of 90 to 120 days, start on the Second Programme only when you have finished the First Programme, which you should adapt to the greater age of the dog. As far as imprinting is concerned, if your puppy has an open friendly nature, wags his tail and has plenty of self-confidence, you can reckon that between 20 and 50 days it had a chance to get to know about, and enjoy the company of people. If this was not the case, let your new puppy be among people ( in homes, streets and with children), but be sure that you stay close at hand. Comfort it, if it becomes frightened and pick it up out of harm’s way if necessary. 

If it goes on looking frightened and timid, take you time, take things step by step and introduce it gradually to crowds and traffic. A few minutes a day will be enough at first. Starting off in isolated spots and gradually increasing. When you use this programme, bear in mind the dangers of ‘undesirable associations’. Develop what you have done in the First Programme. 

Continue to give your commands in a quiet voice, little more than a murmur. So that the dog will always be on the alert and looking at you straight in the eye. 

Anyone who raises his or her voice or shouts will make the dog hard of hearing, or only capable of obeying shouted commands. Some hunters in various European countries use the English ‘ Down!’ or ‘Lie down!’ and some trainers of police-dogs prefer the German world ‘Platz!’. If the dog is rather slow to obey, you will have to repeat the command and this involves the risk of an ‘undesirable association’.

The dog will only obey when you have said the world two or three times, not at the first command, which is when it should obey when you give the command ‘Down!’ always make the dog take up the ‘sphinx’ position with its head between its front legs. 

The word ‘Down’ should immediately root the dog to the spot. This is important for the hunter ( Forcing the dog to the ground when he shoots or when the game is roused, and so preventing it from giving chase); it is important for the guard-dog ( forcing it to the ground and so stopping it from attacking the assailant who has surrendered); it is also important for the companion dog ( stopping it in its tracks when it is dangerous for it to cross the road or when it is frightening a child). It is worth repeating yet again that ‘Lie down!’ or ‘Down!’ is the main command and the essential one. It lies at the basis of everything that comes next. But why does the dog have its head on the ground between its front legs? Because this reduces the temptation for the dog to get up again and run off, chase the game, bite an assailant or wrongoer who has already been put out of action, or frighten a passer-by. To disobey, the dog will have to transgress three times by (1) raising its head off the ground, (2) sitting up and (3) running away. 

If you allow the dog to keep its head off the ground, there will be only two rules to break, it is natural for the young member of a pack to lie with its head on the ground and in the sphinx position : the position indicates its acceptance of the supremacy of the adult, or head-dog. You are the head-dog as far as your puppy is concerned. In the Second Programme, too, the command ‘Down!’ must always be followed by the releasing command ‘Go!’. It is so important that it must be given in three different ways. So that it fits the situation in question : (1) Down !’ ( Spoken quietly). Until the dog is close by or if it is on a lead or a long leash – i.e. under your close control. (2) Whistle : in the First Programme, when discussing the call the use of a training whistle with a high pitch. Shrill but not loud. We recommended for summoning the dog with a series of short sharp whistles; the same whistles is used as an alternative the command ‘Down!’ but the sound must be prolonged and constant : the whistle can be used in the future to give the command ‘Down!’ when you want to give the command without making a noise, whether the dog is close to you or at a somewhat greater distance at the command “at the command ‘Down’ the puppy should not turn to its owner or trainer, but stay facing the direction in which it was already facing . for the hunting dog there is a fourth command. ‘Down!’ when you are shooting. This is vital, obedience to it must be developed very slowly : start by firing the gun at a distance from the dog, at meal-times, giving plenty of praise and reward. So that the noise of the gun is associated in the dog’s mind with – food and the command ‘Down!’. With a nervous and timid dog, be very gentle when it comes to firing a shot, and make sure the animal’s head is firmly on the ground. To make sure that the dog drops straight to the ground on the various command, give them all together to begin with : ‘Down’, arm raised, and continuous whistle, or arm raised and gun fired by a helper at a good distance from the dog. 

In the dog’s memory a useful association will be created and it will start dropping straight to the down position on the three different commands. These are given together for a time and then increasingly in separation, until they alternate, in different places and circumstances, always being followed by the release command ‘Go!’. You will have instilled in the puppy during the First Programme, that running to you when called by its name or by a whistle is an enjoyable thing to do, and to its advantage in the form of strokes and tidbits. 

Now, it must be taught that the call is also unavoidable. Earlier on you were advised to attach a light cord round the puppy’s neck when it is 20 to 30 days old to accustom it to wearing a collar. Later, if it was not possible to do this do it when you take your puppy home with you. When it has grown used to the cord, replace that with a smell, light collar, not’ too tight. 

In the meantime, you will also have accustomed it to wearing a harness as well as a light collar ( see discussion of the basket p.299). for the compulsory call, choose a moment close to the dog’s feeding time when it is minding its own business. Call it. It will come running. Stroke it and give it a titbit, while it is eating, attach to the harness a light cord about 2m ( 6 ft) long doing this as unobtrusively as possible with the command ‘Basket!’ Send it back to its basket where, without its knowledge, you have put a juicy bone for it to gnaw, or some other tasty morsel. 

While it is busy eating, call it again, hoping that it will not come, because this is the only way you can start to teach it do make a correct response the compulsory call. If it goes on gnawing at its handsome bone, keep to pull it towards you, not roughly and not too hard. Meanwhile, talk kindly to the dog, which will probably start rearing up like a wild horse. 

Once it has arrived at your feet, stroke it, and say plenty of kind words, as if it has achieved something special. Start playing with it getting down on the ground ( dogs like you to do that ) and make it forget about being pulled out of its basket. After a while send it back to its basket and its bone ( not straight away, or else the basket will become like a refuge from you). Repeat the whole exercise after 10 minutes or so. On the following days, repeat the exercise at intervals. It will be surprising to see how, by the fifth or sixth time, the young dog will respond immediately to the call, leaving its games or bones or food and even deserting someone of whom it is fond while it is being stroked. These exercises should be repeated as often as circumstances permit.