Babara Bush
A lot of training was not in vain, and now your dog already knows the commands “Sit”, “Stand”, “Lie down” and can quickly and easily perform them? So, it’s time to start learning endurance – that is, maintaining a given pose. To do this, it remains to convey to the pet that it is necessary not only to take a certain pose but also to hold it until the command that cancels this pose.
The training of this skill can be illustrated by the example of landing and maintaining this position. It is necessary to start training, keeping the pet on a leash.
Give the dog the command “Sit!” and after completing it, make the pet sit for 5 seconds;
Forcing does not mean holding the dog with your hands. Just feed her a few bites of her favorite food during this time. The intervals between giving treats should be different. At the same time, it is not forbidden to repeat the command;
If your pet tries to get up, do not let him do this by pulling the leash back;
After 5 seconds, give the dog another command or take a play break.
It is very important not to let the dog change its posture, to stop it in time. Otherwise, she will decide that to get the next piece, she must definitely stand up.
After the break, have the dog sit down and maintain this position for 7 seconds, also giving him the treat at different intervals. You can feed her 5-10 pieces of food. Then play with the dog again.
Make her sit for 3, 7, 5, 10, 3, 7, 3, 10, 5, 12, and 15 seconds. Continue feeding the tasty food at different intervals between giving the bites.
If you need a longer exposure, increase it gradually, be sure to observe the variable mode. Over time, it is necessary to reduce the number of pieces of food fed and repeat the command less often. But remember that dogs live by the rule: it is better to sit than to stand, and it is better to lie down than to sit.
If you wish, you can train the dog to maintain the desired posture when you move away from it. For example, consider practicing endurance when the dog is standing:
Take the starting position, keeping the dog on a leash;
Repeat the command “Stop!” and stand facing the pet, holding it by the collar;
If the dog tries to change its position, it should be forced to hold the given position, for example, by pulling the collar or pushing with the hand;
Stand directly in front of the dog for a couple of seconds, then return to the starting position again. Do not forget to praise your pet, but it is important to do this only when you return to the starting position;
Do this exercise again, and then pause your workout by running or playing with your pet. He deserved it.
At the very beginning of this skill, stand very close to the dog so that he has no opportunity to move. As soon as you manage to achieve that she stands close to you for 5-7 seconds, you can safely begin to increase the distance, first moving away from one step, then two, three, five. In this case, almost immediately it is necessary to return to the dog. While increasing the distance of retreat, being facing the dog, that is, back away from it.
Watch every action of the dog, trying to get ahead of its desires and movements: when it tries to go to you, return to it yourself.
At some point, the dog will allow you to walk 5-7 steps away from it. From time to time, while retreating, turning your back to it, introduce exercises with increasing endurance: give the dog the command “Stop!”, Move 2 steps away from it and stand for 10 seconds. Return to the starting position and praise the dog.
The training process should be varied, therefore it is recommended to alternate the described exercises, in addition, the distance from the dog should be gradually increased, as well as the time during which it maintains a given pose.
Over time, it will be possible to achieve that the dog will maintain the pose for up to two minutes, and you will be able to move away from it by 10-15 steps. This means that it is time to complicate the training process. There are a lot of complication options: you can accelerate when walking away or approaching a pet, jump, crouch, start playing with some object, start running and even hide from the dog, for example, behind a tree.
If difficulties arise in the process, an assistant can be brought in. It is necessary to prepare in advance and stretch a long leash (7-10 m) at the training site, fasten the leash carabiner to the dog’s collar. At this moment, the assistant must, imperceptibly for the pet, pick up the loop of the leash. If the dog tries to get off the ground or just change posture, the assistant will be able to stop this with a jerk of the leash.
There is also an alternative option in case there is no way to use an assistant. You will need a clothesline (or nylon cord) 15–20 m long. A carabiner is tied to one end of the rope, and a loop for the hand is made at the other end. You will need an impromptu block, which is quite suitable for a tree, a pillar, a fence post, and the like. A pre-prepared rope is thrown over it, which in this case serves as a leash, for this, you need to fasten the carbine to the dog’s collar and take a loop in your hand. During training in this format, the leash should not be taut. If the dog heads in your direction, you can stop it with a jerk of the leash.