ACC
K9 Servant
Feb 9, 2010, 7:27 AM
Views: 13201
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Re: [ACC] THE JOYS OF BEAGLING
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FUNDAMENTALS OF OBEDIENCE
Off... The funny thing about Beagles is that they always tend to be on something when you want them off. The answer is not necessarily disallowing the privilege of furniture but teaching them a positive rather than a negative command. Say,"Off!" in a cheerful voice and lure your dog with a treat and praise. Of course, if you never want him/her on that piece of furniture, you can use your dark growly voice, but if you just want to move him/her temporarily the off commands works very well.
Wait... Sit is an easy command to teach, but it is often used inappropriately, usually when the owner really wants the dog to stay sill, get out of the way or not make a nuisance of itself. The catch-all phrase "sit, boy/gal" is supposed to magically cure all the bad habits your dog has established. It doesn't of course, and it's much better to work on actually curing your dog's bad habits (like jumping up) than to tell him/her to sit every time it does them. Think of it this way: Most of the time, when you ask your dog to sit, you really would be happy if it just stood there quietly. If that's what you want, that's what you must teach. Sit is a useful command. I ask my dogs to sit before I give them treat, or hand them play toys, because it's easier for me to find their mouths that way. It's useful as a prelude to nail clipping. And it's a simple trick for children to practice with the family dog. But it's no substitute for good all-around behavior. The easiest way to teach the sit is to say, "Sit" in a cheerful voice while holding a treat over its head. Then gently start curving the treat backward over the dog's head. Most dogs will sit naturally. Praise it and give the treat. In the few cases where this doesn't work, you may press very gently down on the Beagle's backside, saying "Sit." Do not force it to do this; encourage him/her. Nothing about the training should be uncomfortable. When your Beagle succeeds, praise him/her softly and while it is still sitting, give the treat. If it gets up too quickly, refrain from treating. The dog needs to learn that the treat comes only when it is actually sitting.
Stay... Although some people teach the stay as a separate command, I prefer to use the sit, which means that my dog should sit until I say, "Okay!" I believe that teaching the stay as a separate command is confusing to dogs, because you're not asking them to do anything new, you're just asking them to keep doing what you have already asked them to do. However, other people believe that saying, "Stay" signals to the dog early that he/she will be sitting for quite some time. At any rate, never ask your dog to sit-stay for more than a few seconds when you are starting out. You want to make success easy for the dog. Teach stay by saying the word and slowly retreating. Reward it for remaining in one place. Again, quit while the training is still fun. The length of time you teach this command depends on your individual dog, but 5 minutes is usually long enough.
Down... Most dogs dislike being asked to lie down, although they are happy enough to do it on their own. This because "down" puts them in a physically and psychologically vulnerable position. To teach down, use the treat method again. While the dog is sitting, lower the treat slowly and move it towards the floor. Most dogs will lie down naturally. If yours doesn't after a few tries, you can gently extend his/her front legs and praise it as you ease the dog to the floor. Don't push down on your Beagle's shoulders to force it down; you can actually dislocate its shoulder in trying to coerce a stubborn Beagle. Remember, you want the dog to perform joyfully, not out of fear or pain. Keep the length of your training sessions short, preferably about 5 minutes. (to be con't)
(This post was edited by ACC on Feb 9, 2010, 7:36 AM)
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