Owners of small dogs often underestimate the abilities of their charges, believing that only representatives of large breeds need to be trained. But small dogs are often much smarter than large ones, since throughout the existence of the breed they lived together with people, acting as companions.
They are smart, cunning and very good at reading human behavior. And since their small body contains the heart of a true predator, they are guided by the animal laws laid down by nature.
Therefore, representatives of small breeds often "boss" people, considering themselves the main ones in the family, which leads to various kinds of troubles.
In order for a dog to learn to live in accordance with human laws and obey its owner, it needs to be trained. But in addition to standard commands, it is best to teach a small dog various tricks. This gives pleasure to the owner, develops the dog's intelligence and allows you to impress friends and passers-by on a walk.
What tricks can you teach a small dog
1. Bringing things.
Teach your pet to bring things by name. Put a ball, ring, stick, toy or any other object together. Give the command "Bring the ball/ring/stick)!" The dog must choose and bring the specified thing.
2. Jumping.
Jumping always looks impressive and trains muscles. Teach your dog to jump over a leg, a low fence, rings (you can use a gymnastics hoop).
3. Spinning.
The command "Waltz!" or "Spin!" consists of the dog spinning in place to the right and left.
4. Snake.
The snake can be performed by going around the owner's legs, sticks driven into the ground, objects laid out on the floor (for example, balls of yarn, bottles of water, boxes).
5. Eight.
When performing this trick, the dog makes a figure eight around the legs of a person or two objects.
These are standard trick exercises. But if you want to go further and develop your little friend, you can look at trick ideas in circus performances or come up with your own. This will not only develop the dog's brain, but also the creative thinking of the owner.
What to remember when training
1. Before you start teaching your dog complex tricks, make sure that it knows basic commands such as "Sit!", "Lie down!", "Stand!", "Come here!"
2. Reward your dog for performing the command correctly. For example, give him a treat or praise him with words. This will help him understand that he is doing everything correctly.
3. Increase the difficulty - as your dog becomes more confident in following commands, you should increase the difficulty of the tricks. For example, after he has learned "Sit!", you should teach him "Down!", then "Spin!" and so on.
4. Be patient and give your dog time to master each new skill.
Train your pet in different places outside. Training in different places will help your dog to perform commands in different conditions, will make him braver, more confident and will improve his behavior in any environment.
