Chihuahua training: rules and mastering basic commands

Chihuahua is an intelligent, small dog that, despite its cute and innocent appearance, has a rather strong character. One quality is inherent in almost all representatives of this breed - stubbornness. And it can play a cruel joke if you do not train the animal in a timely manner. The dog's leadership qualities need to be developed, vigilance and observation should be reinforced, but exactly to the extent that it is not to the detriment of the dog and others.

From an early age, these dogs want to lead: they want to be in charge of the house. No modest size prevents the Chihuahua from gaining this position. But if the owner indulges in such self-confident behavior, he will lose his authority. Therefore, while the puppy is still small, you need to study it carefully - teach good behavior and obedience literally every day. It is almost impossible to retrain an adult dog.

Yes, the behavior of an adult dog can be corrected, but the owner will have to prove every day that he is the main one in the house. Such a stubborn breed.Therefore, puppies that have reached three months are the most successful object of training. Some dogs are malleable to training, there are no problems with them, while others make the owner sweat. But all cases can be controlled. Chihuahua training is needed for several purposes.

• Socialization. The dog should not be a source of threat to others when he appears in public. The breed is, despite the size of the dog, quite aggressive.
• Upbringing. Without training, chaos will begin: gnawed furniture, angry barking for no apparent reason, torn pillows, clothes damaged by the dog's temperament - all these are very real prospects.
• Security. A trained dog is protected: such dogs are much less likely to fall under the wheels of a car, are included in street “showdowns” with yard dogs, and are lost.
• Participation in exhibitions... If you start a dog with the aim of its glorious canine "career", you will have to train it to interact with people. The doggie should be friendly, reserved. Her aggressive attitude will prevent the experts from examining the dog, feeling, and so on.

Both the boy and the girl are trained in almost the same way. The nuances depend on the characteristics of the dog: someone is less obstinate, someone is rather harsh. If the Chihuahua is raised correctly, then it behaves as follows:

• she behaves calmly, does not rush either at people or at cats, does not bite;
• responds adequately to cars and other noise sources;
• does not go to the toilet until she is taken for a walk;
• eats according to the regime, does not beg for food and does not try to pull off the table;
• knows his place, does not think to climb into inadmissible places;
• after a person leaves for work, he keeps everything in the house as it was with him; does not organize a mess, does not ruffle pillows, does not gnaw furniture, does not spoil the floor;
• does not bark just like that, does not make sounds at night.

More questions arise: what else can, in principle, teach a dog, will it, for example, dance to the music and give its paw. Yes, the Chihuahua is capable of this, and she can also be a guide, carry a small object in her teeth, guard the designated thing, follow commands and tracks, go to the toilet for a diaper. And he can even say something like "ma-ma"... But all these skills require training.

Education of a dog begins with accustoming to a nickname. Pronounce it in a calm, not very loud voice when you call the dog to you: he should have pleasant associations about his "name". If you have to scold your pet for a fault, try not to pronounce the nickname. It usually takes up to six days to memorize.

The next step, without which you cannot raise an animal, teach to understand the intonation of the voice. When you scold your pet, praise or just communicate - these should be different intonations. The command voice will be sharper, clearer, even angry, while the facial expressions, characteristic gestures, will be quite harsh. When praising a dog, the intonation should be gentle, the tone is delicate (stroke your pet). And also you must clearly indicate the restrictions that the dog cannot be suppressed.

It is necessary to adhere to simple rules during animal training.

• When walking a dog on a leash, the owner should lead, not the dog. It is you who choose the vector of movement, and not the Chihuahua sets the pace and direction of the walk. It's good if the dog goes toe-to-toe with you. Walk often: it is useful for a pet to actively get acquainted with the world around it. It has to be adapted to street noise. Watch how your dog reacts to animals and train him to react indifferently. Chihuahuas should be generally friendly towards people.
• Praise and also reward the animal when it obeys your requests. Not everything works out right away, some of his actions may look awkward, but they also need to be noted. If a person is a perfectionist himself, it will be difficult for him: not everyone realizes that a dog is being trained, and not born already perfectly obedient. This is serious work.
• For an unfulfilled command, the dog cannot be punished, much less beaten. You have to be fair. Try to figure out the reasons for disobedience yourself: maybe you yourself are inconsistent in your requirements. Repeat the clearly stated requirements over and over.
• Do not miss a day in training. In the process of training, the dog should not be distracted by anything. Exercise in peace and quiet. Just 5-10 minutes a day is enough.
• Be the leader in your relationship. The dog may well be capricious, relax, she always feels the weakness of the owner. Remember - you are in charge, you are the leader in your pair. If you are often condescending to your pet, he will rate this as your weakness.
• Repeat what you learned earlier. Before moving on to new commands, go through what you have already learned. Each of the teams must be deposited in the long-term memory of the beast, the execution of the command can be brought to the ideal.
• You should not train a well-fed pet. If you allow rewards, then the refreshed doggie can look at him very indifferently.
• Consistency is everything in training. Always start with simple commands and tricks. No circus performances are needed if the dog allows the owner (and not he) to lead during a walk, if it bites when in contact with passers-by.
• Training should harmoniously fit into the daily rhythm of the pet. For example, to receive dinner, the dog must execute the command "sit". Or, for example, when packing for a walk, ask the dog to bring a leash. If the pet's behavior causes dissatisfaction, the command "place" follows.
• If you feel bad, unwell, if you drank a little, stop practicing with the dog. Your unusual state can cause a flash of aggression in the dog, which is fraught with negative consequences.
• You need to punish the dog only at the crime scene - she will not understand an abstract reprimand. In addition, the dog will still be offended by you because you treated him unfairly.

So that no unpleasant situations bother you and the dog, the advice of dog handlers will be very useful for novice trainers. These are not the teams that are trained for bragging, so-called pet shows. These are actions that organize the dog, keep it safe, and so on. The basic set includes several commands.

• "Ugh!" The owner needs to pronounce it in a loud, rather angry voice. Place your foot down while doing this. Such a command is appropriate if an action is prohibited. If, for example, a dog behaves aggressively towards your interlocutor, cat or other animal, you need to specifically prohibit it. Initially, attention can be distracted by a treat.
• "Sit!" The command is accompanied by a commanding tone, the pet must look directly for you. Take the treat in your palm, let the animal smell it, but do not rush to feed it. Raise your hand above the dog's head, the pet should see the reward. Give the command "sit" with your hand slightly lower than your head. First, you have to help the dog, slightly pressing on his croup. Only then give a treat. Your help will be less and less each time. It takes not 2 or 3 months to study a team, but much less. But at first, you need to repeat it often.
• "To me!" Command voice plus some kind of action, for example, clap your hands.This command is very important if the dog will sometimes walk without a leash. He can be carried away by a cat, he can run out onto the road, and catching up with him is madness. He must obey. For obedience, first treat, then praise.
• "A place!" This command is prohibitive, it is pronounced in a strict tone with a finger pointing in the right direction. For a fault, a delicacy is not allowed to be given. Therefore, if the dog intended to pull something off the table or decided to soak up your bed, you need to show your displeasure.
• "Wait!" This command is also characterized by an ordering tone, you need to point your index finger at the dog. Hold the reward so that the pet can see it, slowly back up. The dog should not move, it should look at you in anticipation of the command "Come to me!"
• "Nearby!" This team is trained for a walk. You need to pronounce the word loudly, pull the leash a little (without fanaticism). The dog must pause, wait. For accomplishment, simply praise is due.

The command "Give a paw!" as already noted, it does not apply to the basic ones. But a rare owner does not try to teach her to a pet. You can pronounce the command in any voice, the main thing is that the animal visually remembers the gesture (your outstretched palm). First, the dog should be helped: take its paw and raise it. Then ask her to do it on her own.

Very often, breeders ask how to properly raise a Chihuahua so that it grows up as a friendly dog. Treat your dog thoroughly for up to 1 year of age. Walk with her more often in parks where there are many other animals, people, especially small children. She should not live on a reservation, accustom her to society. If a puppy is accustomed to the world of people and other animals from a young age, he will not subsequently be aggressive towards them.

Chihuahuas are quick-witted, nimble, hardy dogs. They are excellent at learning different tricks, they can roll over their backs, jump over not very large barriers.

For 8 rules of dog training, see the next video.