Orlovia
Any dog can already learn basic commands as a puppy at the age of a few weeks. The puppy should be confronted with the first learning and teaching hours at a young age of eight to twelve weeks. These are units that last five minutes each.
The puppy should then be allowed to go its own way again. Young dogs and puppies older than three months can learn between five and ten minutes. As the owner, you should have a feeling for when the dog is tired. Dogs often scratch or yawn when they lose concentration. This is the point at which the dog will soon be in front of you and will no longer like you. So stop and repeat the training every two hours if the dog wants to.
Teach the Dog to Sit
You have already bought treats and you are bringing a good mood with you today. Both are important during the first training and should not be missing so that the dog has a positive memory of this event. The command “sit” is very important for building up further learning hours. Dogs need to sit on command in order for other commands and dog handling to work well. The dog often has to sit in life. In many places, the dog waits sitting in front of the kitchen door before there is food. When leashed, you sit on your hindquarters, and sitting at the vet is not a wrong choice either.
Learning with Treats
Sit on the couch or a chair. You already have treats with you. Call the dog to stand in front of you. Important: The dog must stand, as it is supposed to learn to sit. Show the treat to the dog and slowly move it up in front of his nose. When “looking behind” the dog will very often force itself into the sitting position. As soon as your protégé sits on its posterior, say “sit” in a clear and friendly manner. Immediately pet your dog and give him the treat. Have the dog calmly get back up and start this exercise again. Hold the treat in front of your nose and slowly move it up. If the dog does not sit down when you slowly raise your hand, slowly run your hand over the dog’s head (without touching it). You force the dog to its knees in a different way. Eventually, he has to sit down if he doesn’t want to lose sight of the treat.
Learning without Treats
Sit on the floor with the dog. Call the dog over and place a hand on the back of its hind legs. Your hand should be at the level of the joint so that you can force the dog to “kneel”. With the other hand, grasp the dog’s chest. Now apply light pressure to the dog’s chest by slowly pushing the dog backward. Your other hand should only give slightly because the dog should bend its hind legs to get into the sitting position. Once the dog is seated, give him praise. Praise him directly with treats and lots of stroking. Don’t forget to say “sit” directly when sitting.
Commands Must be Given Quickly
Which of the two exercises you do with your four-legged friend is up to you. Feel free to change up the exercises and, as I said, don’t overdo it with the duration. Five to ten minutes, depending on the dog’s mood and shape on the day. Once the dog adopts the posture you want, you need to give him praise. Instant praise is important. Rewards shouldn’t come ten seconds later, because then the dog won’t know why. Always be right there with the reward.
Optical Commands
When “sitting” it is best to show the dog your index finger at the same time. Whenever you give the command, you do it visually and acoustically. Say the command “sit” and at the same time show the outstretched index finger. In this way, your dog learns to follow commands better outdoors, even if he doesn’t hear you properly. But don’t overwhelm yourself, because the dog will sense your restlessness. If you prefer learning without a finger for the time being, then do without the finger.
I wish you success!