There is no prescription for this, for simple reason. Universal prescription simply doesn’t exist. That’s just why cynology is so multiform, various and mainly interesting.
But if someone still needs a prescription, I have one special he

You will need: 1 portion of knowledge
2 portions of patience
time for your dog ad libidum
apply all these 3 times a day with a bit of luck when choosing your puppy

But we have a little problem here. There is no pharmacy with vet products, which accepts this kind of prescription. I recommend visiting a kennel club, where dog training is taken

Dog training is a systematic action, by which the dog handler wants to achieve the creation of a conditioned-reflexive activity and its consequent fixation in habits. Means, forms and methods of training are very various.

In an individual intended for training (it should be every dog), this takes place in several phases. At first, dog accustoms to his handler, as a complex motion. This phase is mainly held at home, where dog (yet as a puppy) spends first days or weeks of his life.

The first phase of training continues – the „learning“form – till he doesn’t learn to perform it.
Next, the training is fixed into habit, then we fix the habit in more complicated circumstances – higher frequency, another day period ... The success of the training depends from four main conditions:

• Personality of instructor – dog handler, his skills and theoretical knowledge of training methods, but mainly from sensitive and patient attitude to dog.

• Dog – with all its features and abilities, which have positive, but also negative effect on training success (breed, age, sex, condition and overall psychical immunity, heredited talents ...).

• „Dog – dog handler“dependence – their relationship. This is formed slowly and elaborately, but its very easy to break it, often with an accidental crisis situation. Foresight of a dog handler plays a big role here, to avoid this type of situations. Consistent relationship between dog and dog handler makes training a lot easier.

• Material and organisational conditions – without these dogs training is unviable. This condition is to a large extent a question of material safeguard of kennel club and of a level of instructors, who run the training there.

Now let’s sum up the main rules of right command techniques into practical rules to help make a final insight into the problematic for those readers, who are not familiar with this.

Because the mentioned rules ale linked with used method training, its the right time to mention some most used training methods.

1. Mechanical method
In this type of method, the dog handler uses only mechanical impulses to elicit a reaction of dog. It is necessary to use various mechanical actions (as unconditional impulses) on a dog to induce unconditional reflex. Mechanical impulses induce initial actions and therefore it is appropriate to use them as a reinforcement of conditional impulses.
Example: After giving a command „SIT“ the dog handler jerks the dog-lead upwards and with his left hand pushes dog’s loins downwards, so the dog will sit in the direction you want him.

Mechanical impulse – (the jerk upwards), has to be gentle, but it is still very unpleasant. Did you try to do it on yourselves? Rather do not try it and believe these lines. Your dog will try to precede this kind of experience by sitting down as soon he hears „SIT“to reduce the jerks. So your dog sits quickly and he realizes that there is no jerk. On the third or fifth time he will know how to avoid unpleasant jerks (if he sits). The advantages of this method are, that the results are fixed and durable, able to mature in habits. Disadvantage is disturbance in a „dog – dog handler“contact, presented by an outward distrust of dog to his handler. Moreover dogs with passive defence reaction show sheepishness and over-excitable dogs show tendencies to attack their handler.

2. Taste-stimulating method
The principle is, that the stimulus, which is motivation and incitement for dog, is a titbit. By this method a lot of conditioned reflexes can be worked out in all disciplines, whether defence, obedience or trails. As a motivating factor a titbit can be used for nearly all kinds of exercises, if the dog is able to react to titbit positively.

Example: Placing small titbits on a beam help our dog to overcome it. Or titbits on dog’ first trail help to sniff it up. But attention! The dog sniffs only the titbits and this is miles away from the tracking we need. This taste stimulation helps our dog only to create a connection between commands “SEARCH“ and the sniffing himself. If we put ourselves in the place of a dog, it would look like this.

„My handler tells me „SEARCH“ and I’m sure I find something“ The advantage of this method is strengthening of „dog – dog handler“ contact, the creation of conditioned reflexes is formed quickly and bigger dog’s interest in realising the exercises, exercised by this method.

The need to maintain the attractiveness of stimulation is a disadvantage, customs worked out by this method are not enough strong, mainly when facing disturbing impulses from an external environment.

3. Contrast method
This method is in fact a combination of former two methods. Their pros are taken and cons are cancelled. We make the dog mechanically perform the discipline, with subsequent titbit fixation to follow. The titbit cancels all unpleasant experiences from mechanical effect on the dog and leaves only agreeable perception. You need to know the right methodical technique and maintain the power of stimulus.

Example: After giving a command „SIT“the dog handler mechanically inflicts on the dog by unpleasant impulses. As soon as the dog sits (from mechanical constraint), the dog handler immediately praises and gives him his titbit. Praise only assures the dog, that he is doing the exercise correctly. The dog handler has to be an actor and if he needs to show his pleasure when praising, he has to rejoice naturally. If this fails, there is always a titbit. The advantage of this method is that it makes possible to achieve stabile and durable habits and strengthens the „dog – dog handler“ contact. Relative disadvantage is a dog handler’s need of deeper theoretical knowledge of dog handler.

4. Imitating method
The principle of this method is in dog’s ability to adapt its actions to a pack of dogs (atavism) . The principle of this method is dog’s natural tendency to try capture the best place in a pack, from the social point of view – hierarchy formation. This ability is inborn; it depends from the type according to advanced nerve activity. That’s way the dog is grasping, when the others jump an obstacle, because he has to jump it too. This method is successive in practising barking, jumping obstacles ... The advantage of this method is in easy handling of complicated exercises. The need of a group of dogs is a disadvantage; you cannot practise this method separately.

This mode of giving orders depends on the choice of using training methods.
As an example we can take contrast training method.
• By calling him we attract our dog. As soon as he concentrates,
• giving a command continues – at first it is indifferent for the dog (it doesn’t tell him anything) and step by step it becomes conditionally reflexive – (well known for the dog). After clear command giving in 2 or 3 seconds follows
• various pushes (by palm of hand), pulls and dog-lead jerks, what induces some unconditioned reflex – what may be called as the incidence of mechanical, thus unconditioned stimulus on dog, by these is induced some unconditioned reflex. We can say, that simple conditioned reflexes (future exercises), are constructed and created always on the basis of some unconditioned (inborn) reflex. After completing the exercise
• praise follows – reward for a dog – after well performed exercise it is needed to neutralise the negative impact of mechanical effect on dog and strengthen the „dog – dog handler“ relation .

As another example the imitating method can be used:
• calling the dog – as in previous example
• giving a command - as in previous example
• the effect of unconditioned stimulus on the dog – the dog is provoked by the activity of other dog or dogs. For example when training defence, a young dog tries to imitate his more experienced colleagues. Another example, getting over the obstacles. If this is done with group of dogs, you can use a primeval feature of canines - tendency to be an alpha-dog in a pack. Every dog wants to overcome the obstacle first. You can notice this, when leaving your flat. Your dog rushes to the door or the elevator as the first.
• Praise - reward – in the case that your dog is doing what you want him to do, you have to stimulate him clearly, to make him know, which activity you do want from him and which not. This is evident at dogs with strong bond to his handler. A praise in the right moment helps a lot in the training.

continue ...

In the last 50 years it was confirmed, that there is a possibility of faster training, even without any physical compulsory contact of dog handler with his dog. When inducing an inborn sitting reflex by pushing his loins downwards, it is (from dog’s side) a change of position made passively, we simply forced him to do this. The active way for example is, if we give him a titbit above his head, he looks up and sits. We add a clear command and support it with a titbit. When this was done actively - spontaneously, the creation of conditioned reflex is much quicker. Practical experiences show, that if only a glisp of active defence reaction of young dog is strengthened with a titbit, there is a big chance that this active defence reaction develops into a high level and significantly makes easier the development of excitability. This effect is called positive conditioning.

Positive conditioning and negative conditioning, these are methods of training, which can be used very often, and they are very effective in dog training. This system fully uses stimulations and refuses the use of any kind of force at all. This method is usable by anyone; you don’t need any special dog training knowledge. But this method also has its negatives. Nerve junctures are not so strong and steady as with the four methods described. That’s why we don’t see practising it so often at kennel clubs.

Hunter