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Upbringing and Training

The process of the dog’s upbringing begins on the very first day of your acquaintance and is almost never to finish. The meaning of the dog’s life is serving its master – the nature left the breed no other options. Thus, if from the very beginning the puppy won’t be surrounded by the master’s commands that are to be fulfilled the upbringing of the Central Asian Shepherd puppy can take the wrong direction.The main indicator of your success is that you as a master should be able to do whatever you want with your dog provided that it obeys you implicitly. For example, you need to give the puppy medicine, an injection, to brush out shed hair or clean its ears. Once you began the procedure, it must be finished by all means despite the dog’s resistance. To leave any procedure half-way is always a big pedagogic mistake.The puppy is sure to protest, to yelp trying to escape. Catch it, fix it, but in any case implement your intention. If you fail to cope with it alone, ask your family to help you. But never leave it unfinished!It is strictly prohibited to let things go out of your control if during unpleasant procedures the dog tries to roar or even bite. If you give in this time, next time when you try to repeat the procedure you will bitterly regret it. The dog will bite immediately and seriously. Remember: any aggression against the master must be cut short right on the spot with the necessary rigidity the dog deserves for its reaction. If for one puppy to give it a peg or two it is enough to shout at it, another may need to be slapped on the muzzle, while the third should be taken at the withers and shaken as a punching ball till the rage in its eyes fades away. A male or a female can dominate among its fellows. But it should obey the master. Any form of aggression against the master is unnatural – that is the main idea that you should implant in the dog’s mind from the first days of its life. There is no need to overdo it but you should explain your pet limits of its freedom. It is easier to do with puppies that show willfulness very early. If it bites you when you try to examine its teeth, teach it a good lesson. If you react properly, there is most often no need to repeat it in future. It is more difficult in case of an affectionate and obedient puppy. This puppy has to be provoked, moreover at the moment that suits you right. Otherwise the dog will test you at the most unexpected moment. It usually happens, for instance, at a show when the dog’s teeth are to be examined. The pet feels your nervousness which is fueled up by the excited atmosphere and your dog finally loses its temper. First it shakes its head, tries to break off the lead and the moment the master tries with shaking hands to open the dog’s mouth it is sure to hurt her/his hands.The dog considers it an ideal place to show its temperament and dominance. What upsets most of all is that there is nothing to be done with the dog – rude treatment with the dog on the ring means disqualification. To avoid such unpleasant surprises you had better frame up a conflict at a place and time that are convenient for you.

The most important is that it should not happen too late. The easiest way to provoke your puppy’s aggression is food. Give to a hungry puppy a big piece of meat or a bone. As soon as it seized food with its teeth, say in a strict but calm voice the command “Give it” and try to take the food out of the dog’s mouth. It is most likely that the dog instead will grasp it with doubled force. Unclench the dog’s jaws tucking the upper lip in against the teeth. If the dog roars or snaps with its teeth, punish it immediately. You will probably have to take the dog at the withers and shake it. After the piece falls out of the dog’s mouth, be sure to comment on your actions, scold the dog, it will understand it clearly. If the puppy, let free, goes on showing aggression against the master, physical punishment is the only way to make the dog understand but at the extent to make the dog realize its meaning and aim.The puppy will understand that it was punished justly and does not pay much attention what you used to punish it. If there is nothing at hand, use the lead, anyway, never give in. At your place its own mother would severely bite the puppy.Bear it in mind that you should punish the puppy with cool head. Do not let your emotions overcome you. Certainly you can be angry and the puppy should feel it but not more than that. As a tutor and master you have no right to fly into a rage. Punishment is to be in accordance with the fault. Otherwise intimidating, your risk losing contact with your pet or bringing up a rigid and obstinate fatalist incapable of drawing any conclusion from severe punishment or reproach.In case it comes to beating the young dog or, moreover, a mature dog, it means only one thing: the master has overlooked something in the dog’s upbringing and let the conflict ripen. In pedagogical terms physical punishment is a mistake in itself that may result in the master’s defeat. Initially the dog is better prepared for the physical conflict: quickness of its reaction and endurance to injuries are not to be compared with the human potential, what is especially to the point talking about a dweller of a calm urban flat. The conflict with the mature dog should not turn into a fight. You should cultivate the right mentality when your pet is still a puppy.

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Teaching and training

As the dog grows up, its view of the surrounding world changes too. The mentality once formed by the master sooner or later is to undergo changes influenced by new experience and conditions. Growing up with the understanding of its place in the social hierarchy and of the rules of behavior in it, sooner or later the dog will try to change its social status for a higher one. When a young dog tries to opt for a higher rank in the pack, older males show it its place using force. It is not in the master’s power, nor she/he is in need of it. The main thing is obedience on the part of the dog. Those who obey do not aspire for leadership. Obedience is achieved through implementation of commands – that is the main reason training was invented for. Here the dog is taught to implement familiar commands quickly and automatically.It is wrong to think that the Central Asian Shepherd Dog is difficult to train. The dog is quite inclined to training and can live up to all norms of guard service (it is a must), as well as to other norms. The only difficulty can present fetching an object (“aportirovka”) – nature made it so that Central Asian Shepherd Dogs do not like to carry objects in teeth. However, even this skill can be developed given certain effort. But it should be taken into consideration that not all commands and skills of the dog will prove necessary for the master.One more thing to be discussed here is whether it is necessary to give your dog into the hands of a professional trainer. The right answer: you should train the dog yourself as the most important thing in the training of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog is to develop the habit to obey a particular person. A professional trainer will teach the dog any desired skills. But the problem is that the dog will obey as a master only the person that trained it. And the real master of the dog will remain a stranger.Do not be put off by the idea that training is titanic work. In order to get an ideally obedient dog you should spend on training about ten minutes a day. The option of individual working with a professional trainer should be seriously considered only in case you completely failed to cope with the dog’s temperament and make the willful Central Asian obey you. Speaking about coherence and the order of training, it is necessary to draw your attention to the fact that the process of teaching the dog commands should be gradual and even. It is impossible to teach the dog all commands at one lesson. At the beginning of training activity it is recommended to develop one particular skill. The choice of the skill depends on what you want from your dog. Think over how to do that, with what and how you will ensure memorization of the skill, how you will make the dog work in case it begins to obstinate. It is not recommended to train the dog when you are in a hurry or the dog is ill or very tired. It is no use training a female in the pre-heat period not to mention the period of heat. Anyway, by that time the female is to learn the necessary minimum of commands. You can encourage the dog in different ways. Most often the prize for the right implementation of commands is a piece of dainty. For that purpose you can use nail-sized granules of dry fodder, dried crusts, crisp bread or pieces of dried cheese. Meat, fresh cheese and other moist products soil hands: instead of working the dog will smell your fingers and try to lick them. However, not all Central Asian Shepherd Dogs attach much importance to food. For many of them the best praise is not food, but the master’s approval. Such dogs take the dainty thankfully and politely but instead of eating put it on the ground. Thus, very small pieces will do. For this type of dogs it is more important to see your friendliness. The dog will be glad if you pull its hair, clap it on the back or play a little with it. That is why do not be upset nor give up training if your dog does not accept dainty outside. That means that you should find other immaterial ways to praise the dog. Together with positive encouragement you should resort to mechanical stimulation at work when you want the dog to do something. At the same time these actions serve as negative encouragement. For instance, teaching the dog the command “Sit”, make it sit pressing on its croup. When the dog already knows how to implement the command, but lingers or is obstinate, a slap on the croup in itself becomes a negative encouragement. Its intensity depends on how long your pet lingers to implement the command.It is permissible to use graduated unpleasant effect of jerks at the lead. There is no point using a prickly collar: not only that due to thick skin and thick coat the dog won’t feel it, but such collars are not strong enough and can break when least expected. It is much more convenient to work with a chain, or a choker. But do not let the dog wearing a chain to go without a lead: the chain can be easily lost or catch on something. The choker is very convenient to use at shows, but not for the everyday wear. And the best thing to teach the dog obedience is a leather collar of medium width. Short energetic jerks on the lead will make the collar hit the dog on the neck while the collar does not disturb the dog when it works properly. Such jerks at the collar may spur the dog to implement the necessary commands when it already knows how to do that. In fact the whole process of training proceeds only in a collar and at lead. That is the only way to control all the dog’s actions and make it work. The most convenient and durable lead is made of carbon cord from one and a half to two meters long. Five-meter long leads are used for walks, fifteen-meter leads – for trailing.To begin teaching the dog all commands is recommended as soon as it got accustomed to its new master and is not afraid of its new home.

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Getting accustomed to the collar and lead

To make walks for the Central Asian Shepherd Dog educational, the master should know how to organize normal walks and try to stick to the rules. Having put the collar on, check if it does not slip through the head when jerking nor it is too tight to choke the dog. After fastening the collar, try to give a slight jerk. The puppy is most likely to fall down, press itself tightly against the floor and rush about to break free. In this situation you should calm down the puppy: tell it that there is nothing to be afraid of, you can stroke and pat it. But in no circumstances you should unfasten the lead, otherwise your pet will jump to the wrong conclusion: to make the master do what it wants it just needs go into hysteric. Keep on talking with your puppy in a tender voice, jerking make the puppy move in the given direction. If it opposes, you should tug it a little. How long the dog will resist depends on its temperament. The most important thing the master should remember in this situation is not to give up, thus, subduing obstinacy of the little Central Asian. The puppy is to understand that the master is stronger. Sooner or later the dog will go at its own will. It is crucial not to tug the dog on its belly, but pull at the lead loosening it after every jerk. Praise the puppy as soon as it takes at least one step. The puppy may not take the dainty because the first lesson of obedience is a hard test. However, even the most obstinate and unruly puppies are eager to accept the prize. It is important not to give the dainty till it obeys and goes at lead. At this stage the company of other dogs can hinder the process of teaching. There is no doubt that the puppy finds it more interesting to play with its peers rather than learn from hits of the collar on the neck. Thus, if the remote place for training is far and the way to it lies through the yard and a crowded street, it would be safer both for you and for your pet to take it there in hands or set off early without attracting attention to your exercises.

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Command “Heel”

Teaching this command, make sure that you and your pet are in the right position. The puppy should be on your left at a loose lead. Starting in motion in a certain direction, command “Heel” in a strict but low voice and jerk at the lead. At first one jerk is not enough. Then give a few jerks at the lead. As soon as the puppy follows you at your side, without tightening the lead praise it saying “Well-done, heel, good”. You can encourage implementation with a dainty, but you have to be deft in this case. You should give the dainty with the right hand holding it right in front of the dog’s muzzle. It is important to act quickly, taking another piece of food in the way that your dog does not guess its origin. Once the dog finds out that the food is in the pocket, it will stick the pocket with the nose running ahead of you. To keep the dainty in the right hand all the time is no good as the dog’s attention will be fully focused on your right hand what will distract the dog from work and implementation of the commands. That is why it is better to train this command in combination with voice and jerks at the lead as negative encouragement.For the first lessons it is quite enough for the dog to go at your side in accordance with the command at least two or three meters. After that you should command “Walk”: loosen the lead and let the puppy leave your side, smell the ground, lie down if it feels like.This moment is very important. The thing is that implementation of the command has its beginning and ending. The beginning is the moment you pronounce the command, the ending of it is another command to cancel the previous one (most often the command “Walk” is used). This additional command lets the dog “pass into a free position” in training terms. The master should be attentive not to forget to cancel the command otherwise the dog will begin to decide what to do on its own.As soon as the dog is to decide for itself, the most reasonable thing it can do is to implement the command and do whatever it pleases. As a result you may see a master accompanied by a dog repeating in a sad voice “Heel, heel, heel, dammit”. The dog in its turn keeps its pace with the master for a while and a minute later runs away unmercifully tugging the master along.Thus, an important rule is not to repeat the command even twice. The dog understands and hears your commands very well from the first time. Repetition means for the dog that its master is not sure of her/his right to give orders, so it can disobey the commands. The more often you repeat the command, the worse the dog will implement it.You should act in a different way. First you should attract your dog’s attention. For that purpose pronounce the dog’s name and then the command itself. In case of no reaction, make the dog implement the command. If you have doubts what name to use for training, choose the one that is most convenient for you. But bear it in mind that the Central Asian Shepherd Dog even at an early age easily grasps the intonation with which you pronounce its name.

Go on working at the command “Heel” during posterior walks. With every step your puppy will walk more by your side. It is necessary to bring up this distance up to fifty meters.When this result is achieved, gradually change pace. If you commanded “Heel” and went on to walk calmly, command again and accelerate your pace. In a ten-meter distance command again “Heel” followed by a short run. The puppy is to move at the same speed as you. If it is behind, with energetic jerks at the lead make it keep the pace with your left leg. Do the same if the puppy is ahead. To give the dog time to react, two steps before changing pace pronounce its name and give the command “Heel”.Afterwards you can train turning in motion. Pronounce the command “Heel” two steps before turning and turn orthogonally. Repeat the exercise till the dog understands what you want from it. Training the stop, make sure that the dog sits down at your left leg if the command “Heel” has not been cancelled. By that stage of training the puppy is already to know the command “Sit”.After you are sure the dog knows what it is to do at a particular command, the skill should be polished to perfection. That is where teaching finishes and the real training begins. The latter unlike previous teaching takes place in different conditions full of hindrances and distracting factors. For example, at the training court seeing other dogs playing with each other your pet is likely to feel like joining them. That is where the command “Heel” is trained in new conditions: moving straight, turnings, stops… Any attempt to show disobedience should be followed by a jerk at the lead, in case of need by more than one. The dog is to remember that no matter what is going on around, the command “Heel” given by its master should be implemented implicitly without a jerk at the lead.

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Command “Sit”

To avoid any distracting factors it is better to train this command at home. If the puppy had a walk, a meal, a rest and seeks communication, it is high time to train the command “Sit”. Put the puppy at lead. In your right hand take a dainty or a toy. First you pronounce the command “Sit”, then you show the dainty or the toy which you pass over the dog’s head but not letting the dog take it. Keep the object in the dog’s sight, your pet will sit down. Praise it, pronounce the command “Sit”. Then give it the dainty or the toy. Cancel the command with the command “Walk”. Repeat the exercise several times, but do not delay the training process.Next time you can diversify your lesson and together with the command “Sit” jerk with your right hand the lead up and press with the left one on the croup. Making your pet sit down praise it, give it the dainty and cancel the command with the command “Walk”. Both methods are equally good. Do not expect much self-control from the puppy and be in time to cancel the command before your pet stands up. Do not delay with the dainty. Everything should be done quickly: you command, help it to sit down, give the dainty and let the dog go. If the dog understands that sitting at command makes you happy you won’t have problems with the command “Sit”. Moreover, passing into the sitting position on the dog’s own initiative is typical of dogs when they want to show loyalty and ask for something tasty. At the beginning of training you can encourage such behavior. As in case of the command “Heel”, further on you begin to train the command “Sit” outside in the presence of distracting factors as long as the dog understands what it should do. Gaining self-control the dog will implement the command better and better. Having achieved good results at lead, replace the short lead with a long thin cord and gradually begin to work without the lead, but not weakening the control over your pet too soon. Be attentive and careful using any commands: do not let non-fulfillment. If you are not sure of the adequacy of the dog’s reaction, try not to weaken control too soon. Remember that non-fulfillment of any command is the first step to disobedience and mistakes in the dog’s upbringing.It is quite frequent that when you train the command “Sit” the dog begins to dodge: either it pretends not to understand sitting down so slowly that the master can easily lose her/his temper or it feigns that it has not heard the command at all. This “initiative” should be cut short immediately: mechanical stimulation is inevitable. Having pronounced the command, do not wait till the dog implements it. Right after the command “Sit” in case of delay jerk at the lead and slap the dog on the croup. The pig head will understand that there is no other way to escape from the slap but to put the croup down – that is exactly what you need.

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Command “Down”

It is rational to train this command together with the command “Sit” in turns. Put the dog at lead, give the command “Down”. Then in the same position with the lead in your left hand, with your right hand show the dog a dainty or a toy. Lower your hand to the ground at the same time moving it away from the dog’s muzzle. Following the dainty or the toy the dog will lie down. Praise it, give the reward and cancel the command. When working at the command “Down”, do not expect much self-control right away, it is an element of training.It is possible that the dog will refuse to lie down even when it knows what you want from it. In this case you should use mechanical stimulation. For that purpose pass the lead under the foot and hold it tight with your right hand. After the command “Down” you should press the dog on the neck with your left hand while pulling the lead with your right hand up. Enforced by the lead to the ground the dog will have to lie down. To train the command at walks is recommended only after you achieved good results at home. Repeat it at different places, in different situations and in various surroundings. To ensure memorization of the skill add the same distracting factors as in case of the command “Sit”. Be careful not to use commands “Sit” and “Lie” in the same sequence otherwise the puppy will lie down after every command “Sit” without waiting for your cancellation. It is noteworthy to mention that dogs easily develop stereotypes. That is why avoid training a command in the same conditions: it may lead to the fact that you will attain excellent results at a training court, but in a nearby park or yard the dog will stare at you like a stuck pig. The dog develops a stereotype for the working hours, so make sure that all the commands can be implemented at any time of the day. Frequency of giving the dog a dainty is also connected with stereotypes. If at the beginning of your exercises you give a dainty for every command that was implemented properly and quickly, at training the dainty should be given less often, at random. It is important because if you give the dainty all the time, the dog will demand it for every implemented command. And the master of any Central Asian Shepherd Dog is unlikely to like such a circus!

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Command “Come here”

The command “Come here” is considered to be the most difficult element of control that is why it is trained only at lead. After the command “Walk” wait till the dog goes away as far as the lead lets it. Now goes the strict command “Come here” followed by a jerk at the lead which makes the dog approach the master. Command “Sit” (it is a supplementary command for the period of training), praise your pet, give the command “Walk”. In a calm situation when there is nothing to distract the dog’s attention, it quickly understands what you want and comes up eagerly. At this stage the master often loses its vigilance thinking that the command is learnt properly. But it is not the case yet. The dog only understood what you want from it but it is not ready to implement the command in the presence of distracting factors. That is why you should go on training the command. Replace the lead with a ten-meter cord and pronounce the command. Do not wait till the dog obeys. Straight away begin to pull it in jerks. If the dog obeys, your jerks won’t hurt it as the dog approaches you faster than you pull the cord. In case it lingers, “is thoughtful” then several jerks of the collar will make it obey. This exercise should be repeated several times during the walk, do not forget to praise the dog and award it with a dainty or a game. Complexity and importance of the command “Come here” consist in the fact that you cannot use the command unless you are sure it is polished to perfection. Serious mistakes made when working at this command can bring to naught not only training results of this command, but all the previous work on the whole. If you let the dog run freely and it got carried away playing with its peers, you must not call it with the command “Come here”. The puppy is too absorbed in the game to implement your command. As a result, you gave the command, the dog did not obey, you failed to make it obey, thus, it is not obligatory to implement commands. Do not be surprised if afterwards the dog refuses to implement other commands too and, furthermore, begins to show its temperament. To avoid such unwanted consequences never use the command “Come here” to call the playing dog. Use other means to do that but not the command “Come here”. Try to interest the dog with a toy, show it a dainty, pretend to be leaving. It is not recommended to run after the puppy trying to catch it. The dog will regard it as a funny game and you are sure to be angry. Having outwitted your pet and put it at lead, give it the dainty. In this case it is strictly prohibited to punish the dog if it came up with a delay and you should in no way beat the dog after the command “Come here”. The skill is among the least favored by the dog, and if you punish the dog after the implementation it is sure to run away from you. That is why you should have a clear idea: no matter how much you are irritated with the dog’s protracted game, you must not let it show after you caught your pet. The only right behavior in this situation is to cheer up with the dog at meeting each other and to give it a dainty.The second common mistake when training the command “Come here” is to use it when the walk is over. Thus, the dog will get the wrong stereotype: “Come here” means no more games, running, or discovering something interesting, the end of all joys of the walk. That is why passing to the most difficult stage – working off lead – often call the dog to come up to you, remembering to award it with a dainty. After putting it at lead walk for a while at the command “Heel”, praise the dog again, give a dainty and let it free. Do not call the playing puppy without evident need. Come up yourself, attract its attention. It is more reasonable first to give the command “Sit”, to give a dainty and then having done a few steps back call the dog. And again be lavish in praising the dog with words, a dainty or rough caress. It is important that in the dog’s mind the command “Come here” is associated with something positive. The most difficult and risky situation where you can use the command “Come here” is when the dog is going to attack its enemy or a person that provoked it. To lower the risk of the above-said possibilities it is better first to give deterring commands “Sit” and “Down” and after they were implemented and the dog calmed down, you may call the dog.

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Command “Out”

This command should be trained only at lead or with a choker. A strong jerk at the lead will serve as negative encouragement to implement the command, moreover, be ready to apply a lot of force when jerking, so that you could knock the dog off its feet or give it a hit with a wimp.

Conclusion

The main principles of training of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog are not as difficult as they might seem. Just bear it in mind: the keystone of your success in training a willful Central Asian is implicit obedience shown through immediate implementation of any of your commands and your ability to do with your puppy whatever you want.And provided that the dog learnt all the skills of ideal discipline it can be taught aggression against man. It should be done after the dog is one year old on the basis of territorial aggression. The thing is that aggression on the neutral territory is not typical of Central Asian Shepherd Dogs. You will have to explain your dog in which situations it should protect itself and its master, but all that without developing aggression against every living thing. In the places of origin of this breed there is no tradition to bring up aggression against man at all. That is why to work out in your dog skills necessary in guard service you had better turn to a qualified specialist. Find a trainer who specializes in training Central Asian Shepherd Dogs only. It is not recommended to train aggression in your pet on your friends. It is fraught with bringing to nothing all the previous training efforts, as a result the dog’s psyche will be damaged, your friends bitten, etc. Remember that the upbringing of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog should present a clear scheme in accordance with your goals. Training of every skill should be timely organized based on absolute obedience to one and the same master. Only in this case this clever big and strong dog will bring you joy and become a fearful and loyal protector of your family, house and property.

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