A dog that meets its owner with slippers in its teeth is a classic picture that every owner paints in his dreams. The task seems simple, but how to teach it to your pet?
Keep a close eye on your dog: if he brings you a leash in his teeth when he asks for a walk, half the battle is already done. You just have to explain to her that you can also bring your cozy slippers when you come home.
The main rule of any training: work with an animal only if it is in a mood and feels good. Be strict at the right time, gentle at the right time.
Divide the training into several stages. First, introduce your dog to the slippers. Show her the object, voicing a clear command: “hold.” Also say the word “slippers” many times so that the animal remembers it and recognizes it in the future. Choose commands once and do not change them so as not to mislead the pet. Build a workout in the form of a game, so the puppy will be more interested in learning.
It is incredibly important when training to praise a pet for its success, even for a few steps with slippers in its teeth. Praise is not just a treat. For a loyal dog, a gentle word from the owner or a gentle touch can be more valuable than a delicious piece. She will recognize your intonations, so be careful about the words and how you pronounce them during training.
The dog must learn to take slippers wherever they are – in your hands, on the floor or on a chair. Let him hold them for a while in his teeth. You can even play with her, trying to take them away as a favorite toy – puppies are happy to join in such a game and violently cling to the object. Then teach her to give them at your command. While repeating “give” or “give back”, gently but persistently open the dog’s mouth with one hand, and take away the object that it is holding with the other. Be careful with puppies – do not damage their teeth.
When the animal has fully mastered the “take” and “give” commands, teach him to carry slippers for a short distance – call the dog to you and encourage him when he reaches you without losing the thing along the way. If she drops the slippers, go back to them with her, make her pick them up again with the “take it” command. Put the slippers on the other side of the room, order the dog to bring them to you and give them to you. Don’t forget to encourage your pet! Praise him again and again when he succeeds.
If the training is successful, there is little left to explain to the dog that you need slippers when you come home. It happens that a bored animal, because of the emotions that captured it, at first does not listen to commands. Be patient and persistent: having quenched the thirst for communication, the dog will definitely remember the necessary commands and do everything that is required of it.
Of course, if your dog is already trained in the “fetch” command, he will solve this problem quite quickly. With an untrained puppy, you will have to tinker, but then you will be rewarded with a pleasant ritual when you return home.