Dogs intended for guard duty help a person to guard various military and industrial facilities, houses, household plots. Their use reduces the need for watchmen. For training, animals are best suited with good hearing, smell and sight, distrustful of strangers, hardy and large. The service is conducted with or without a short leash. Each of the types of guard duty is trained separately. A well-trained dog should be able to:

maintain long-term vigilance while guarding;

bark at a person approaching a protected object, not less than 50 m from it;

actively defend the post (that is, the guarded object);

detain strangers entering the protected area.

Guard dog

The service is not allowed for animals that pick up food scattered on the ground, take food from the hands of strangers and attack the approaching "intruder" without first barking.

Developing distrust of outsiders and learning to bark begins during the general training period.

At this stage, the dog is accustomed to the command "Voice!", And it is also taught not to take food from strangers.

During the period of special training, these skills are improved as follows: an assistant, dressed in a training suit, approaches from a shelter to a dog tightly tied at the post, stops 50-60 m away from it and begins to tease the animal. To do this, he waves his arms, quickly advances and retreats, strikes the ground with a tourniquet. The trainer at this time gives the dog the command "Protect!" and encourages the helper to bark with the exclamation "Good!" If the animal does not bark well enough at the “intruder”, an additional command “Voice!” Is given to it. After the dog barks at the helper, he attacks him and allows him to grab his sleeve and pat it slightly.

The skill of refusing food offered by outsiders is improved by an exercise that is also used in general training. The helper, dressed in a training suit and holding a tourniquet behind his back, calmly approaches the dog, speaks affectionately to it, calls out and offers a treat. If the animal tries to take food, it is unexpectedly inflicted several light blows along the body with a tourniquet. The trainer reinforces the conditioned reflex with the commands "Fu!" and "Fas!"

When the dog tries to pick up food from the ground, dropped by the assistant, the trainer repeats the command "Fu!" The main task of this exercise is to develop an active defensive reaction in the dog in response to an offer of treats by strangers.

Protection on a deaf leash is a complication of the skill of being angry with outsiders. The task of the dog in this case is to guard the post located directly in the zone of its reach. Usually, protection on a deaf (short) leash is used to protect a single object, for example, a garden house, a warehouse door. The first lessons are recommended during the day. Towards the end of the training, however, it is necessary to accustom the dog to work at night.

To practice the skill, the animal is tied to a chain, after which the trainer standing behind the dog gives the command "Protect!" The assistant, dressed in a training suit, comes out of the hiding place and sneaks up to the post. The dog barking at him is encouraged by the exclamation “Good!”. In the absence of a reaction, the animal is excited by the sharp movements of the helper and light blows with a tourniquet. The trainer once again repeats the command "Protect!", And then "Fas!" An actively defensive dog is rewarded after the helper runs away.

The complication of the exercise consists in the departure of the trainer to the shelter after the command has been given to guard the post, as well as in work at night. At the end of the development of the skill, the animal must, in the absence of the trainer, bark at every rustle emitted by the assistant, actively attack him if he gets too close to the post, and show constant alertness.

Security of the checkpoint it is used on a larger territory than when using a short leash. The first stage in mastering the skill is to teach the animal to move along the cable and the sound of friction of the ring on the cable. The trainer attaches the dog's chain to a ring or roller and walks with the animal along the leash, first at a slow pace and then at a run. If the dog displays fear, the movement does not stop, but the dog is calmed by stroking and a gentle voice.

The distance at which the dog reacts to the appearance of an "intruder" should not be less than 40 m.

After the animal is accustomed to movement throughout the protected area and the sound of friction of the ring on the cable, the second stage of training is started. Having tied the dog, the trainer gives it the command "Protect!" and hides for cover. An assistant, dressed in a training suit, leaves at another section of the checkpoint, attracts the dog's attention, causing active barking, several times runs along the cable at a distance, prompting the animal to pursue. After that, he tries to cross the protected area. The trainer, if necessary, gives the commands "Protect!" and "Fas!" out of hiding.

A dog trained to respond to and chase a helper is trained to be indifferent to the sentry on duty. For this purpose, a second assistant is located 40-50 m from the checkpoint, who at first stands calmly and then walks along the protected area. In case of manifestation of aggression towards the "sentry", the first mate suddenly attacks the dog, switching its attention to himself.

At the end of the course, they conduct training according to the program of finding an "intruder" hiding in the area, his arrest and escort.

Post equipment. The post for the work of a dog on a deaf leash is installed next to the booth, at a distance at which the animal can freely approach the protected object. In addition to attaching the chain ring to a special post, it is also used to fasten it to the handle of the front door (if the object of protection is a house or a warehouse door) or a ring embedded in the bottom of the booth. A standard checkpoint consists of two 3 m long posts that rise 2/3 of their length above the ground, hooks for attaching the cable, and counterweights to tension it. The distance between the posts should not exceed 100 m.

A device for fastening a chain when guarding on a deaf leash

In places where frequent traffic is expected, a ground post is installed, the main difference from the standard one is the height of the posts. Usually this value does not exceed 30-50 cm. The area guarded by the dogs must be cleared of everything that impedes the movement of the animal. Typically, the area where one dog works is up to 150 m in length and 6 to 10 m in width.

In order for the ring to slide better along the cable, the ground is compacted under it.

When equipping a post for free guarding, it is necessary to position all loads so as not to block the dog's access to all doors and windows (if the dog is guarding the premises). When equipping the post inside the fence, the height of the continuous fence must be at least 2 m. The protected area must be cleared of piercing, cutting objects, and debris. When carrying out guard duty at the cargo in places accessible to the dog should not be located foodstuffs and substances that can damage it.

Checkpoint equipment options: a - standard; b - ground

Free guarding. To practice this skill, the dog is lowered to an area surrounded by a fence. The command "Protect!" Is given to the animal. The assistant on the outside of the fence makes noise in different places. Rustling dog is encouraged by exclamation "Good!". A few minutes later, the "malefactor" in a training suit penetrates the protected area. Repeating "Protect!" and by commanding "Fas!", the handler encourages the dog to attack. In the future, the dog remains alone on the territory of the training ground, and the trainer hides in a shelter. Training to guard a closed room is carried out in the same way: the assistant first excites the animal by tapping on the walls, trying to open the door and shuffling loudly from the outside, and then enters the room through a window or door.

If the dog is planned to be used to guard the home, it should be obtained from it less anger than other guard dogs, combined with more discipline. Skill training is carried out on a short leash. Entering the apartment with the animal, the trainer leaves the door unlocked. The assistant makes rustles outside the door. Flaking the "intruder" is encouraged, but if the dog tries to attack the helper, he is given the command "Fu!"

The tendency of the dog to pursue a person outside is undesirable, therefore this instinct is suppressed at the very beginning of training: the dog is held by a leash and the command "Fu!" Is repeated.

The attack on the "intruder" by the guard dog guarding the apartment is permissible only after his penetration inside. To consolidate this skill, a trainer with a dog on a short leash is inside the apartment, and an assistant in a training suit is outside. After making noise and barking, the "intruder" enters the room and stops without making any sudden movements. After the animal calms down, he tries to walk past him. The trainer gives the command "Fas!" When a dog attacks, the helper tries to hide. Attempts to chase him outside the apartment are suppressed, but an attack on a protected area should be encouraged. If the assistant did not have time to hide behind the front door, he is detained.

In working with guard dogs, inexperienced trainers can make a number of mistakes:

strong blows when attacking a dog;

placing a dog on guard at a checkpoint or on a deaf leash in a collar instead of a harness;

conducting classes at the same time of day and under the same type of weather conditions;

rare change of assistants;

training security before passing the development of malice and accustoming to the harness and the sound of the ring moving along the cable;

a quick attack without prior teasing when learning to bark;

improper post equipment, location of the dog too far from the protected object and placement of the protected cargo so that it prevents the animal from approaching windows and doors.

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All you need to know

WOLMAR

The canine services of the FSIN, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB use dogs trained in the course of the protective guard service (ZKS) in their work. The skills acquired by animals in the process of training are used in the arrest of offenders, their escort and protection, in the search for explosives and drugs, as well as in anti-terrorist operations. Dogs trained under the ZKS program are also intended to guard people and military facilities.

ZKS tasks and selection of dogs for her

The service received its development from the former military directions in training. IN modern conditions On the basis of ZKS training, the security forces of Russia are training guard, search, guard and escort dogs. Depending on the specific type of service and the purpose of using the dog, a certain set of skills is selected for it, which the animal is to train.

Cynologists of the Ministry of Internal Affairs teach their pets not only the ZKS course, but also the ability to take a trail, which is necessary for search and rescue services (PSS) dogs.

In animals that take the course, special skills are developed, which are somewhat different from the skills presented to . They must guard people and things, be able to detain and escort, sample things by their individual smell. Taking into account the specifics of the work, as a result of the training course, dogs develop distrust of strangers, vigilance, anger, attentiveness, determination. The most suitable for ZKS are German and Caucasian Shepherds, Airedale Terriers, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Great Danes and Boxers.

It is desirable that dogs have a balanced type of temperament; excitable dogs are less suitable for such work. And it is absolutely undesirable to take phlegmatic animals to the ZKS, which are poorly trained and amenable to training, passive and lazy. A dog with an unbalanced, excitable type of nervous activity, in which the defensive instinct prevails, needs additional compulsory training measures, for example: parfors. She must be especially carefully monitored during guard and search work. The dog should not get overexcited, having received a breakdown in the direction of the pathogen, otherwise it will lose track.

Technique for training the pursuit reflex in dogs

In the process of raising puppies for ZKS, stimuli such as teasing and running away are used. When training a young dog, it should be borne in mind that any especially sharp attack provokes a retreat in the animal. And, on the contrary, seeing a clear retreat, the dog begins to pursue. This point is very important: a careless blow during an active attack can cause fear in the puppy, which will be quite difficult to overcome.

A careful and insinuating advance usually brings the dog into the first throw. At the same time, the trainer makes a "frightened look" and begins to retreat, which leads to a second, more powerful forward throw of the puppy.Diseases and recommendations forCane Corso Italiano

When the pursuit reflex is fixed by several exercises, the action is complicated by the use of a rag or stick, exercising extreme caution. Third-party objects are used to form the dog's desire to take them away. The best method to do this is to try to pull the object out of the puppy's mouth immediately after grabbing. The training should be carried out in such a way as to interest the young dog in wrestling in the form of a game or vitamins for service dogs WOLMARand develop her defensive instinct. Having emerged victorious from the confrontation, the puppy should receive encouragement from the teacher in the form of delicacies and approving gestures.

The guard service is much simpler than the guard guard service. The dog should bark at strangers and detain strangers when trying to enter the protected area. It is possible to form and develop a guard reflex in a puppy much faster if you put him on a chain near the guard dog. Having got used to the behavior of a trained dog, the kid will adopt the stereotype and quickly learn himself. The best breeds for guard duty are the Caucasian and Central Asian Shepherd Dogs, as well as the Moscow Watchdog.

Dog picking things up

Classes on the formation of the following skills will help to teach a dog to accurately select a person's things by smell:

At the command "Sniff!" the animal sniffs;

Differentiating odors, separating a person's odor from the rest;

The ability to choose a thing by the smell of a sample and bring it to the trainer.

The main commands for such classes are "Sniff!" and "Seek!", auxiliary - "Give!", "Aport!". It is advisable to work out these skills even before the animal develops aggression, so that anger at an outsider does not distract from the learning process to select a subject.

In the early stages, the dog should be able to select things based on the scent of his trainer. A gloved assistant places several objects in an open place, on which there is no smell of the trainer, and then leaves to the side. At a distance of three meters from the laid out things, the trainer gives the pet a sniff of his object. To do this, he, covering the mouth of the animal with his hand, brings a thing with a smell to its nose and, holding it at a distance of 2-5 cm, says several times the command “Smell!”. After that, the mentor discreetly puts his object to the rest of the group, and, returning to the dog, gives it the command "Sniff!" with a characteristic hand gesture towards the laid out objects. The dog should choose a thing with the trainer's scent and bring it up. Per correct execution the trainer encourages his pet, while treats are always given with the left hand, and objects - with the right.

Complicating the task, you should train the dog to select things. a stranger among objects devoid of smell. After mastering these skills, you should learn to choose a thing from several objects with different smells. For an objective assessment of the dog's performance, the trainer should change his assistants as often as possible.

Dog guarding things

Protecting the thing, the animal is in a state of alertness for a long time, performing the main command "Protect!" By the time of training, the dog should already be familiar with the commands: "Place!" and "Lie!" In the process of learning to protect things, the dog also develops distrust and anger towards strangers.

At the first stage of training, the trainer tethers the dog, gives it the command "Lie down!" and puts the familiar thing in front of her front paws. Then the command "Protect!" and the trainer stands next to his pet. At this time, the assistant passes the dog several times without approaching the protected item. When the dog shows aggression, the trainer stops it with the command "Place!"

When the dog learns not to react to strangers, the assistant, passing by, tries to take the protected object, pulling it towards him with a stick. The handler gives the command "Guard!", Prompting the dog to growl or rush at the helper. If the pet copes with the task, it is encouraged. When the dog calms down, the action is repeated to consolidate the result. In this case, the trainer does not allow the dog to pursue the helper, pulling the leash and giving the command "Place!" To complicate the task, the assistant can use a treat. The dog should not leave the protected object and take food from the wrong hands. The correct behavior of the animal is necessarily encouraged by the trainer.

Competition for the title of the best

The canine service of the Federal Penitentiary Service regularly holds competitions between dogs that have passed a course of special protective guard training. Their purpose is to stimulate the work of dog handlers to improve their professional skills, to search for new methods and forms of working with animals, and to exchange experience. Such events determine the best trainers for working with service dogs of all categories, contribute to their level of professionalism, and are a good incentive for both canine handlers and dogs.

All training methods for various programs are based on the general principles described by Academician I.P. Pavlov. By accustoming a dog to a certain behavior in a given environment, the trainer develops a conditioned reflex in it. The sharp mind of dogs allows them to respond to complex human signals, use previous experience and adapt your behavior to new conditions, but do not forget that the higher nervous activity of animals differs from human. For example, dogs are incapable of abstract thinking. They comprehend only what they can smell, see, hear, taste. This makes it necessary to train amateur dog breeders to work with their pets.

Usually the training is divided into 3 parts: the study of theory, the technique of training and practical work on the sites.

The functions of the dog's nervous system are extremely complex. She not only manages the work internal organs, but also helps the animal to respond to the environment, using stimuli as reference points: smells, sounds, visual images, and so on.

Under natural conditions, a dog reacts not to some individual stimuli, but to their totality. Each stimulus affects certain sensitive endings of nerve cells - receptors. The signal received by the receptor goes along the nerve to the part of the brain that analyzes it, where the final processing of information takes place. Thanks to the analysis, animals do not respond to all stimuli affecting their body, but only to the most important of them. The reaction to stimuli that are insignificant at the moment is inhibited.

The largest number of receptors is collected in the skin and sensory organs of the dog. When training, the role of these organs is extremely important, you need to know how the dog perceives the world. For example, not all dog breeders know that their pets are color blind. Indeed, the dog sees the world in black and white. At the same time, her vision allows her to catch the features of a person's movement, gait, his facial expressions, gestures.

It is known that a dog sees a walking person only at a distance of 500–700 m, which limits the use of visual stimuli during training.

Hearing is much better developed in dogs. Dogs perceive sound waves up to 40 thousand vibrations per second. They clearly distinguish faint rustles, softly spoken commands, minor noises. The sound that a dog is able to hear from a distance of 24 m is perceived by a person only at a distance of 6 m. The sense of smell is best developed in dogs. Its power exceeds the sharpest human scent by 11.5 thousand times. This means that they have about half a million additional odors available that humans cannot perceive.

All these features are used by experienced trainers in the development of reflexes in dogs to certain conditions.

Pavlov divided all reflexes into simple and complex. The former include congenital reactions, implying a response to one stimulus, for example, the sucking reflex, which manifests itself in both newborn animals and human babies, if you touch their lips, constriction of the pupils in bright light, withdrawal of a limb when exposed to pain. Complex reflexes, also called instincts, are the body's response to a group of stimuli. All instincts can be conditionally subdivided into those that serve self-preservation, and instincts aimed at the continuation and preservation of the genus. The first include the defensive, food, cleanliness instinct, etc. The second group includes the instincts of reproduction and caring for offspring.

Dogs have the best sense of smell.

The formation of complex conditioned reflexes in response to certain stimuli in the form of a situation, command, gesture is called training.

In addition to complex and simple, Pavlov divided reflexes into conditioned and unconditioned. All the previously described reactions can be attributed to unconditioned, innate reflexes, passed down from generation to generation.

Conditioned reflexes, in contrast to them, arise in the process of life and education of a young animal. Under natural conditions, the dog owes its development to its parents, but since the time of domestication most man took upon himself the educational work.

Before starting training, the owner should carefully study mental characteristics pet

Before you start training a dog, you should identify its mental characteristics.

It is known that in dogs there are 4 main types of complex instinctual responses: sexual, defensive, food and orientation. Depending on the congenital data and the upbringing of the puppy, these reactions manifest themselves to varying degrees. Before choosing which course to train an animal and which methods to use, experts conduct a test for the prevailing reaction.

The study is carried out by the trainer (owner) under the guidance of an instructor and with the help of 2 assistants unknown to the dog.

For this test, a young dog is placed in unfamiliar conditions. There must be shelters at the range. It is recommended to choose early morning before or 4 hours after feeding for testing time.

The first stage of the test is the dog's reaction to the owner's departure.

The animal is tied up at the landfill and left alone. After a while, one of the assistants makes a noise, and after a few minutes quietly walks 5 m from the dog and hides in a shelter. As soon as the first assistant has disappeared, the second appears from the hiding place with a rod in his hand and goes to the animal, actively attacks it, and then hides. At the last stage, the trainer places a feeder with food in front of his pet and again hides in the shelter. The second mate repeats the attack, trying to take the feed trough from the dog.

Active defensive reaction

All this time, the instructor observes the behavior of the animal and makes a conclusion about the prevailing reaction in him. The most common dogs with the following predominant reactions are:

food. In a dog with a predominance of this reaction, there is greed in eating food, the absence at this moment of reaction to the helper. Such a dog caresses a person who is quietly passing by her, and snaps at the attacker;

indicative. The dog actively explores the site, sniffs, listens, reaches for the helper to sniff him. When attacking, he does not snap, to calmly the right person caresses and examines his clothes for smells. He does not eat food at once;

If an active-defensive reaction prevails in the dog, then when trying to take away food, it completely switches attention to the assistant, attacking him with barking, does not immediately return to the bowl.

active defensive. Dogs of this type react quickly to a change of environment. When a stranger appears, her orientational reaction is quickly replaced by a defensive one: the animal barks, attacks a person. The reaction to bullying is even brighter;

passive-defensive. A dog with a predominance of this reaction in a new environment begins to look around cowardly, runs away from helpers, eats in fits and starts, or does not eat at all;

active-defensive in combination with food. The animal actively pounces on a stranger and, at the first opportunity, simultaneously eats food. In situations where there is no feeder, it behaves as a purely active-defensive type.

Like humans, dogs display 4 types of temperament: choleric (excitable), sanguine (mobile), phlegmatic (inert) and melancholic (weak).

A choleric dog is distinguished by mobility, imbalance, and excitability. Dogs of this type have a hard time developing endurance in various positions, but with good control they are extremely efficient animals.

Sanguine people, unlike choleric people, are more balanced and amenable to training.

Passive-defensive reaction

Phlegmatic dogs are distinguished by great balance and low mobility. They develop a conditioned reflex reaction extremely slowly, but they remember the learned skills for a long time. Overly phlegmatic dogs are not recommended to be trained at all.

In melancholic dogs, conditioned reflexes are developed with difficulty and do not last long. Their nervous processes are weak. These are extremely unbalanced dogs, of little use for training.

Most often, these types of higher nervous activity are manifested in a mixed form in dogs. Determining the temperament of a dog can only be done during training. This definition is complicated by the fact that the external reaction of the animal does not always coincide with its type of nervous activity. In this regard, trainers prefer to work with dogs to focus on the external behavior of their pets, conducting observations in different environments and different time.

Types of dog behavior: a - moderately excitable; b - sedentary, calm;

Types of dog behavior (continued): c - excitable; g - passive-cowardly

With improper training without taking into account temperament, type of behavior and predominant reaction in dogs, neuroses can develop. Most often, a violation of conditioned reflex activity is observed in the form of gradually or rapidly increasing lethargy, depression, fear of the trainer or increased excitability, fussiness, randomness of movements, fuzzy execution of commands.

In addition to improper handling of the dog during training and the trainer's unwillingness to take into account its mental characteristics, the cause of neurosis can be an unclear work schedule, too strong external stimuli that distract the dog from performing exercises, overstrain, monotony of exercises, a hasty transition from simple to complex exercises, application in a row two conflicting commands, for example, "Fas!" and "Fu!"

The danger of developing neuroses lies in the fact that they proceed chronically, disturbances in higher nervous activity are manifested steadily. Dogs respond inadequately to external stimuli and are incapable of training.

In order to eliminate the neurosis that has arisen in the animal, you should temporarily stop exercising, give the dog a rest for several days, and in more severe cases, even weeks or months. Also, on the advice of a veterinarian, it is possible to use preparations of bromine, caffeine and other medicines. After recovery, the dog is gradually drawn into work, the trainer must make sure that the irritants that caused the disease in the dog do not affect him during training. A change of environment helps best of all: moving to another working range, introducing new assistants into the skills training.

To prevent neuroses, one should take into account the peculiarities of dogs' perception of stimuli and environmental factors. Some of them, not considered by the trainer, can greatly affect the performance of the dog. So, for example, hot or cold weather reduces the performance of the animal, especially when working on the trail.

The most favorable temperature for working with a dog is from 25 to -15 ° C. When the weather is too cold, it is recommended to cover the dog with a blanket; when it is hot, give it more rest and drink. An animal should be taught to work in conditions that differ from those in which it grew up, only with full mastery of the skill.

Wind is another important factor in the external environment. The perception of sounds decreases with a tailwind and increases with a headwind. When working on the track, the oncoming and passing air movement is most favorable, while the wind from the side knocks the dog off the track.

Another subtlety to consider is soil moisture. When working with a dog with odors, moist soil and air contribute to their preservation, while dryness, on the contrary, weakens the smell of the track. Snow has almost no effect on the pungency of odors for the animal, in contrast to rain, which greatly weaken them.

It should be remembered that during snowfall and rain, the performance of the animal decreases, the dog obeys commands worse, searches for a track longer and works less actively.

Technique for teaching special courses

Protective guard service

Searching for a person's things by smell requires the dog to be able to sniff at the command "Smell!" The training uses the commands "Smell!" and "Aport!"

The trainer with the assistant take the dog out to an open place, devoid of foreign strong odors. Then the assistant lays out in one row at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other 2-3 objects similar to the one being ported. In order not to "contaminate" the used items with an extraneous odor, unfolding is carried out using tweezers. The trainer puts the dog next to him, at a distance of 3 m from objects, and gives it a sniff of the aported object. If the dog does not immediately begin to sniff the proposed thing, you should grasp its muzzle with your left palm so that it cannot open its mouth, and with your right hand bring the trainer's scent source to the animal's nose at a distance of 2–4 cm from the nose. At the same time, the command "Sniff!" Is repeated. After the dog has sniffed the object, it is left to sit, and the aported object is placed next to the rest. After that, the trainer gives the command "Sniff!" and points to objects spread out on the ground.

Dogs of large and hardy breeds are used for protective guard service.

After the dog has made the correct selection, the command “Aport!” Is given to it. The entire exercise is encouraged.

This exercise is not recommended to be repeated more than 3 times during one lesson. Once your dog has learned how to choose a picking pole, things can be diversified by using handkerchiefs, gloves, socks, and old shoes. The number of foreign objects is also increased. When passing this stage, the exercise is complicated by the use of extraneous things that have the smell of different people.

If the dog tries to take someone else's object, the trainer stops it, uttering the command "Sniff!" With a strict intonation. If the dog still brings someone else's object, the trainer takes it, throws it aside and again sends the animal to sample.

After the first period of practicing the skill is completed, the dog is trained to select and bring objects that no longer belong to the trainer, but to another person. To practice this skill, the following method is used: one of the assistants lays out several of his things, and the second puts one of his own to them. The second thing of this assistant is left 3 m from the sample. The trainer brings the dog to this thing, gives the command "Sniff!" and waits for the animal to sniff the proposed item.

If the dog is not active, it is forced to sniff the helper's thing, as at the beginning of the exercise. When the dog has learned the smell of the offered item, it is sent to the sample.

Assistants in this phase should be regularly changed. To complicate the development, all the same methods are used: an increase in the number of things, their variety, an increase in the number of extraneous odors (using the things of several assistants). It is also useful to use items different kind, shapes, sizes and made from various materials. In the latter case, the dog learns to smell the helper, mixed with the smells of metal, wood, etc.

The trainer must know where the item is in order to control the search.

Subsequently, objects with a weak odor are used to develop a dog's scent. It is also possible to diversify the sampling site, accustoming the animal to the distracting smells of the area, but in no case use for testing sites close to places with sharp, especially chemical, odors, so as not to spoil the dog's scent and discourage her from pursuing classes.

To practice the necessary skills, the sampling site is changed over time.

Suggestive actions of the trainer during sampling are also unacceptable, for example, exclamation “Good!”, When the dog just approached the chosen thing.

When practicing this exercise, the following errors may occur:

Performing initial exercises in areas with distracting odors;

Long-term use of the same assistant in a selection of things;

the use at the initial stage of objects with foreign odors (metal, dog saliva, meat, etc.);

the item chosen has a more intense smell than the auxiliary items.

Training your dog to search the area develops her skill by the command "Search!" search the proposed area along a zigzag path, find the assistant's items and bring them to the trainer. When practicing the skill, use the commands "Seek!", "Aport!", "Give!"

Classes are held in an open area with an area of ​​at least 2400 m 2. It is best to start working with a dog in low wind conditions, and the landfill is located and the place of entry should be so that the wind blows towards the animal. As in the previous exercise, there should be as few distracting stimuli as possible.

Before the start of the exercise, the trainer, without entering the site, throws 3 objects onto it in such a way that they are arranged in a triangle with a side of at least 20, but not more than 28 m.When things are thrown in, the dog is taken on a leash, brought to the middle of that side The area from which the search begins is given to sniff "one's" object or hand and is sent to search with the command "Seek!". The exercises are repeated 2-3 times per lesson, it is advisable to change the polygon for the search.

Training a dog to search the area

During the training of the dog to search the area, the animal begins to accustom itself to independent work. For this purpose, the trainer does not walk along the range with the dog, but along the middle line of the site.

Once the dog has mastered this exercise, it gets harder. Things at this stage are scattered by the assistant, and their number increases to 4 pieces. The last thing is left close to the place where the search began; before sending it to the training ground, the trainer gives the dog a sniff of it. If the dog walks past the items he is looking for, the trainer guides him with a gesture, helping to find them.

Gradually, the conditions of the exercise complicate even more. The dimensions of the search plots are increased to a square with a side of 150 m, and the distance between objects - up to 60 m. The "empty" corners are also introduced. The dog is trained to work without a leash. At the last stage of training, the message to the search is delayed for 15-30 minutes, so that the smell of the assistant's items “cools down”. At the end of the consolidation of the skill of the dog, the search is carried out without preliminary smelling.

Of the main mistakes that a trainer can make when practicing a search on the ground, the following can be named:

Alternating work with several dogs at the same place (while the animals are distracted by the smell of relatives, especially if you let the dog go after the bitch);

the use of things of the same type (in the future, this can cause inhibition of the dog's reaction when it collides with objects that are different from the usual ones);

Conducting classes at the same training ground.

it is necessary in order to develop in the animal the habit of being in a state of alertness at the protected object and not allowing strangers to approach it. During training, the commands "Protect!", "Lie down!" and "Location!"

It is unacceptable to throw objects around the same external landmarks.

As with the previous exercises, the training location is chosen without distractions. It is best if the dog can be put on a chain. It is also necessary that the training ground has a shelter for assistants.

At the beginning of practicing the skill, a well-known thing to the dog is used: a bowl, a raincoat or a trainer's bag, a leash, a sorting stick. Before the trainer places a guarded object on the training ground, brings out and ties the dog, the assistants hide in a shelter. When the dog is tied up and the protected object is placed in front of it so that it can reach it, the trainer gives the command “Lie down!”, And after that, pointing to the object, “Protect!”. The helper leaves the shelter and passes the dog several times.

It is very important that during the exercise the handler is close to the dog and observes its reaction. If the dog immediately reacts to the approach of the helper, it should be put down with the commands "Place!" and "Lie!" If the dog is calm about the appearance of the helper, he approaches and moves the protected object with a stick or wire, attracting the dog's attention to it. Following this, the thing is slightly pulled to the assistant using the same wire, and he tries to take it. At the same time, the trainer must give the dog the command "Protect!" Attacking a helper is encouraged.

Training a dog to guard things

If the dog does not show anger while guarding, the assistant can inflict several light blows with a tourniquet along the body simultaneously with an attempt to pick up the protected object.

When the animal fulfills the command "Protect!"

To practice the second skill, the trainer takes the dog on a long leash, steps aside and gives the command to protect the thing. When the dog tries to move away from the protected object, it is returned by the commands "Place!" and "Lie!" The same commands should be used when trying to chase an assistant. Teams reinforce with a jerk of the leash.

Gradually, the trainer moves further and further from the dog, and then hides in a shelter, leaving it alone with a protected object for 15–20 minutes. If the animal tries to follow the trainer, it is returned by the command “Place!”.

The last step in practicing the skill of guarding an object is the assistant's distracting behavior. Trying to pick up the thing, he begins to speak affectionately with the dog, call it by its nickname, and offer treats. If she is distracted from the protected object, the assistant grabs it, easily hits the dog with it, drops the taken object and runs away. When an animal tries to take a treat or pick it up from the ground, the trainer from the shelter gives the command "Fu!" If the attempts continue and the dog takes food from the hands of the assistant, he unexpectedly strikes it with a tourniquet, and the trainer from the shelter gives the command "Fas!"

Also useful to use on last stages training 2 helpers, one of whom distracts the dog on himself, and the second tries to take the protected thing. If the dog overreacts to the distracting helper, the second will draw her attention to himself.

When the animal has mastered all the skills of protection, objects should be changed, using things of various shapes, sizes, as well as things unfamiliar to the dog and not belonging to the trainer.

When teaching a dog to protect objects, the trainer should not make the following mistakes:

the development of excessive anger in guarding and training in guarding after the development of viciousness in an animal;

frequent use of the command "Fu!" when a dog is offered a treat by an assistant;

premature training with the departure of the trainer from the dog.

Development of malice, detention, protection and escort of a person, protection of a trainer- rather complex skills, which are practiced at the very end of the dog's training for protective guard service. The purpose of these lessons is to teach the animal not to trust strangers, to attack at the command "Fas!" During training, use the commands "Fas!", "Protect!" and "Near!"

Even before the trainer with the dog arrives, the helper puts on a training suit and hides in a shelter.

The first step in this program is to develop viciousness in the dog. In order to teach a dog not to trust strangers, it is taken to the site without distracting stimuli, where there are no strangers, except for the trainer and assistant, as well as other pets.

Having brought the dog to the training ground, the trainer ties it tightly and stands next to it. According to the conventional sign, the helper attracts the attention of the animal by emitting light rustles. Then he comes out of the hiding place and approaches the dog. The trainer gives the command "Fas!" Aggressiveness by the dog is encouraged. Regardless of whether the dog has begun to show aggression, the helper comes up to it and inflicts several light blows with a tourniquet along the body.

When the dog tries to grab the tourniquet, the helper substitutes the sleeve of the training suit for her, and when she grabs it, he pulls out for a while. During the fight with the helper, the trainer encourages the dog with exclamations of "Good!" and by repeating the command "Fas!" After a while, the animal should be stopped and recalled.

It is important not to overdo it in the process of fostering viciousness in a dog. Overly assertive, aggressive behavior of the helper and too strong blows can discourage the dog from attacking a stronger opponent, while the manifestation of timidity will cause the habit to attack the weak, and later, in work, the dog may refuse to attack a more active opponent.

Detention practice

Phlegmatic dogs, not particularly vicious, can be trained to actively attack with the help of sharp, but not threatening movements of the helper. Also, the instinct of attack can be developed in them, forcing to defend the food (in this case, you should train with hungry dog). In this case, the helper tries to take a bone or a bowl of food from the dog, and the trainer gives the command "Protect!" and "Fas!"

Once the dog is trained to attack the helper, you can move on to learning to grasp with an interception. For this, the assistant, attacking the dog, strikes it with the sleeves of the training suit. As soon as the animal has grabbed one sleeve, the blow is applied with the second, and so on. In the future, the exercise becomes more difficult, gradually turning into the development of a retention.

To practice the detention, the dog is taken by the trainer on a short leash. The assistant, having angered the dog, runs away. The trainer gives the command "Fas!", After which he, together with the dog, chases the assistant. When the dog almost catches up with him, the helper turns to her and substitutes the sleeve of the suit. For some time after the capture, he must pull the sleeve towards himself, and then take a step towards the dog and bring his other hand over his head to strike. As soon as the dog transfers the grip to the second sleeve of the training suit, the assistant repeats the blow with the free hand. The attack is repeated 3-4 times, after which the trainer commands the assistant: “Stop!”. When the dog tries to continue the fight, it is stopped by the command "Fu!"

After the "intruder" is detained, the trainer puts the dog next to him and gives the command "Protect!"

Having paused for about 20 seconds, the trainer commands the assistant: "Step march!" - and escorts him. During the escort, the dog goes directly behind the helper, and the trainer - 3-4 steps behind it. Attempts of the dog to run ahead, stand on the side of the assistant or attack him are stopped by the commands "Fu!" and "Near!" After walking a few meters, the assistant imitates an escape. The trainer gives the command "Fas!" and repeats the detention. Having escorted the assistant 200 m, the trainer hands him over to a third person or orders him to lie on the ground, and takes the dog aside and encourages him to walk.

Attempts of the animal to attack the assistant are stopped by a jerk of the leash and the command “Sit!”.

The skill of escorting is considered to be mastered when the dog can detain and escort the "intruder" without additional commands from the trainer, as well as prevent his escape.

To teach the dog to protect the trainer, the following method is used: the dog is taken to the training ground, where an assistant dressed in a training suit is already waiting in the shelter. At the signal of the trainer, the assistant leaves the shelter and attacks him, simultaneously inflicting light blows on the dog with a tourniquet along the body. The trainer gives the command "Fas!" To the dog. Further actions correspond to the arrest.

After the whole complex of exercises has been mastered, the dog is taught to detain the fleeing person, lowering it from the leash at a distance from him. In this case, the helper does not come close to the dog, but encourages it to attack from a distance of 20 m (later the distance increases to 40, 50, 70 and 100 m). The trainer gives the command "Fas!" and releases the animal from the leash.

When the basic skills of arresting, protecting and escorting a person are fixed, tasks can be complicated by the fact that the attack is made unexpectedly, from a hideout, in the process of escorting and searching.

Long-term alertness from the dog can be achieved by the fact that the assistant, while guarding the "detainee" and escorting, carefully observes the dog and, as soon as it is distracted, strikes it with the sleeve of a training suit and runs away. In this case, the trainer directs the dog to be re-detained by the command "Fas!"

The dog is taught to shoot after it has correctly carried out the arrest and escort, without being distracted by the trainer. At first, the second mate shoots into the air at the moment the dog attacks the "intruder" at a distance of 100 m. Gradually, the distance decreases, and the shot is postponed to a later escort period or is given shortly before the dog grabs the detainee.

During this exercise, the trainer carefully observes the dog and, if it is distracted by an extraneous sound, forces it to resume the attack with the "Fas!" Command.

If the animal tries to attack the helper with a pistol, the dog is stopped by a jerk of the leash and the command "Fu!" The assistant, posing as an intruder, at this time switches the dog's attention to himself, repeating the attack on it.

Later, shots are fired by the first assistant during an attack on the trainer and the trainer at the moment the dog attacks the "intruder", his pursuit, and also when the assistant attacks the trainer.

While practicing these exercises, an inexperienced trainer can make the following mistakes:

Using the same assistant for a long time;

Use of the same type of “intruder” protective clothing;

hitting the dog too hard;

Premature use of distracting sounds and shots.

Guard Service

In addition to the basic skills of a protective guard service, dogs intended for guard work must be able to promptly notify the trainer about the approach of an outsider, without using a voice, as well as search for people on the trail and search the premises.

Only medium and large animals with keen eyesight, hearing, smell, but not too excitable are suitable for carrying out protective guard duty.

The main task of a guard dog is to promptly warn about the approach of strangers.

The development of malice, accustoming to escorting, detaining, protecting people and searching the area is carried out in the same way as when training protective guard dogs. However, there are a few things that you should pay attention to.

First, these include teaching dogs not to use their voice when attacking. Secondly, during training, attention is paid to temperament and character.

With vicious dogs, they are almost not engaged in the development of aggressiveness, while phlegmatic dogs, on the contrary, are trained to develop malice as often as possible.

Training for searching premises is carried out according to the same method as for searching the area, with the only difference that the assistants and things are hiding in the room, and the dog moves along the squares previously outlined by the trainer.

Finding a person on the trail Is one of the most important skills for a guard dog. A dog that has completed this training course must itself find, on command, a trail laid by a person, walk along it with interest, determining the direction, and also detain the person who laid the trail. The main commands for this exercise are "Sniff!" and "Next!"

The best time for training dogs, the morning is considered when the dew has not yet disappeared.

Classes begin by working on the trail in an open area, overgrown with low grass, with rare bushes and trees, without extraneous irritants and pungent odors.

The entire course consists of 2 stages: training the dog to find an assistant by its scent trail and working out the trail in difficult conditions.

In the first lessons, the so-called control trail is used, which is well known to the trainer. The assistant is instructed in advance how much and in which direction to go, where to leave objects. The trail is laid with a favorable wind.

There are 2 methods for training dogs to track. The first is designed for dogs prone to a passive-defensive reaction, the second uses the animal's desire to find an object for retrieval.

1st method. The trainer takes the dog to the training site, ties it tightly and stands behind the animal. The pre-instructed helper comes out of the hiding place and approaches the dog. If she does not immediately show an active-defensive reaction, the helper attacks, several times lightly hitting the dog with a tourniquet along the body. The trainer gives the command "Fas!" After that, the assistant leaves in a predetermined direction to lay a trail.

When laying a trail, its beginning is indicated by shuffling movements of the legs, the assistant itself traces the trail by dragging his feet. The length of the track distance at this stage should not exceed 150 m. The movement is carried out in a straight line, and when the "intruder" leaves the dog's field of view, it is slightly rounded. At the end of the trail, the assistant hides behind a cover.

Training the dog to follow the trail

After the time required for laying the trail, the trainer takes the dog on a leash and, holding it 1-2 m from the collar, leads the dog to the starting point of the search. Commands "Next!" and "Sniff!" Further, the trainer goes along with the dog along the trail, correcting its movement. After the helper is found, the dog, while continuing to hold it on a leash, is allowed to pat his clothes for a short time. Then the "intruder" breaks out and makes a new trail, lengthening it by 50 m.

After 3-4 successful attempts of the dog to find a helper, it is detained and escorted.

When working on the trail, it is very important to closely monitor the dog and work with the leash correctly. At a time when the animal is confidently and correctly following the track, the leash should hang freely, passed between the front paws, but as soon as the dog is off the track, the leash is shortened and, avoiding sudden jerks, direct the dog to the track.

2nd method. This trail training method is suitable for dogs that are interested in picking up, as well as overly excitable and angry animals. It differs from the first method in that during the first lessons the dog learns to follow the trainer's trail, and only then is it transferred to the trail of the assistant. In order to get the animal interested in tracking work, the trainer uses a sorting stick.

Having tied the dog up and having aroused it with the sight of a sorting object, the trainer gives the command "Aport!" and makes a trail in the same way as in the 1st method. At the end of the trail, a stick is left, and the trainer returns on his own trail to the dog, takes it on a leash and, giving the command "Sniff!" and "Trail!", leads her on the trail. For finding an item, the animal is rewarded with a treat. During the lesson, this exercise is recommended to be repeated no more than 4 times.

In the 3rd lesson, the dog switches to the trail laid by the assistant. After the dog begins to work out the trail well and find the aorting objects, the arrest of the "intruder" is introduced.

Types of traces: a - rounding; b - sharp corners; in - obtuse angles; d - loops; d - right angles; e - various angles and loops

Over time, the work must be complicated, each time lengthening the track by 50 m, and delaying the start of the search by 5 minutes.

When the animal gets used to doing the exercise well, the command "Smell!" used only if the dog gets off the track. Sending to the search is made exclusively with the help of the "Next!" Command.

At the next stage of training, the detection and study of the trail begins with a search of the area. In this case, the dog is brought to the area at a distance of 40 m from the beginning of the track. The trainer gives the command "Look for the trail!" and closely monitors the work of the animal, guiding it. During the same period, the dog learns to find a trace by the smell of the assistant's thing, which is given to him to sniff before being taken to a search of the area.

After the animal begins to confidently detect and follow the trail, the exercise is made more difficult by introducing new types of trails and laying distractions next to them belonging to another person.

When the dog tries to be distracted by this additional trail, the trainer commands: "Fu!" - and guides the dog on the correct track. In order to train the dog to work with corner marks, it should be slightly held with a leash before turning. To avoid an undesirable connection of this action with the turn, the animal is also held on a straight track.

Search of the area, combined with the launch of the dog on the trail

Starting a dog on a trail using a thing

By the end of this stage of training, the dog should work out a 700 m long track with two corners and two objects left on it, laid at least 40 minutes ago. In order to teach the animal to bring the aorting objects left on the trail, the trainer uses the command "Aport!" and guides the dog.

Towards the end of the training, the working conditions on the track are brought closer to real conditions: additional tracks cross the desired track at different angles, walk along it for some time, the desired track is laid, crossing roads and along them.

Classes begin to be held at different times of the day, in different terrain, they teach the dog not to be distracted by additional helpers appearing in the visibility zone when it follows the trail. In the last lessons, the conditions are complicated to the limit: traces are laid across the settlement, interrupted by water barriers. Tracking work is combined with patrols, detention and escorting and searches of the area. Also, the dog should be able to select a trail assistant from a group of people.

In the case when the dog itself brings the objects and additional motivation is not required, the dog is only encouraged with a treat.

Training a dog to select a tracker from a group of people starts with 2 people, one of whom is the helper you are looking for. Then the exercise gets harder. By the end of the session, the dog must correctly select the "intruder" from a group of 5 people.

For training in sampling, the trailblazer leaves his thing 25 m from its end. The handler allows the dog to sniff the object and then directs it to the group for sampling. The work is carried out according to the commands "Sniff!" and "Seek!" If the dog does not find the tracker immediately, he can draw his attention with light movements, prompting the animal to grasp. However, it is not recommended to abuse this method, so that the dog does not develop the habit of reacting not to smell, but to behavior.

It should also be noted that all assistants should be dressed the same at the time of sampling.

A dog completely ready for search work on a track should work with a track up to 2 km long, 2 hours old, crossed by other tracks at various angles, as well as with a track passing through roads, settlements, water obstacles. Another requirement is to select a trail-laying assistant from a group of 5-6 people. While practicing the skill of searching for a track and selecting a person from a group by smell, the trainer must make sure that the following mistakes are not made in the work:

uniform trail laying on monotonous terrain;

frequent restraint of the dog with a leash before turns and objects left on the trail;

Crossing at right angles

Acute intersection

Complicated trail crossing

laying a trail in places with damp soil;

disguising the assistant at the end of the trail in the same type of shelters;

guidance by the trainer at the selected assistant.

Storozhevka on the ground and in motion has the goal of teaching the dog to be alert on command and notify about the approach of strangers without giving a voice. To practice the skill, use the commands "Listen!" and "Fas!"

The first step is to develop the on-site watchdog skill. Classes are held at a training ground with a large number of shelters (bushes, trees, ravines). The best time is late evening and night.

Before the start of classes, the assistant hides at the training ground. The trainer takes the dog out on a short leash, puts it next to him on the left side so that he is 60 m from the hidden assistant. The place for the post is also chosen in the shelter: in the tall grass, behind a bush, tree, high hillock. After the dog has calmed down, a conditioned signal is given to the helper. At the same time the command "Listen!" Is given to the dog.

You can do without a signal if the exit time is agreed in advance.

A dog that does not show interest in the noises produced by the helper needs additional stimulus. When working with such an animal, the assistant sneaks up on him and inflicts several light blows with a tourniquet, after which the dog is allowed to be detained.

The assistant, 2 minutes after the signal, begins to make a slight noise, and then sneaks towards the post, regularly stopping and repeating rustles.

If the dog is immediately alerted to the helper, the trainer encourages it by exclaiming "Good!" and a delicacy. If the animal is distracted, the command "Listen!" Is repeated, combined with a gesture pointing towards the assistant. The dog's display of nervousness, attempts to leave the post to meet the approaching person, as well as squealing and barking are interrupted by a slight jerk of the leash and the command "Fu!" In case of persistent barking, the jaws of the animal are compressed by a leash or hand. Stop barking is encouraged.

A dog accustomed to the guardhouse on the spot is allowed into the guardhouse in motion. During this stage, the landfill is complicated by the presence of a road or path on it. Patrolling is carried out along a route up to 300 m long. The trainer leads the dog on a short leash along the road, occasionally stopping and giving the command "Listen!" When approaching the shelter, where the assistant hid in advance, the command is repeated. If the dog pulls in the direction of the "intruder", the trainer follows it and carries out the arrest and escort. Gradually, the length of the route is increased to 1 km, and the assistant hides at a distance of up to 25 m from the road. When detained, shots are fired, and patrols are conducted in different weather. In the last lessons, the tactics of the "attacker" behavior changes. He hides 100 m from the road and, occasionally making rustles, tries to cross the patrolled area. As soon as the dog detects the presence of a stranger, the trainer takes it on a long leash and lets it follow the trail.

Working out the watchdog in motion

During training, you should also not abuse the command "Listen!" just before the assistant exits.

At the end, they are detained and escorted. Also, the assistant can, by making noise, hide at a distance of 50 m from the road. In this case, the task of the dog will be to find him and detain him.

When practicing on-site patrolling and patrolling, the following common mistakes should be avoided:

non-observance of the individual approach to the dog by the assistant and the trainer (for example, frequent rustling when training an excitable animal, ignoring the noise produced by the dog);

conducting classes in monotonous conditions;

the assistant hides and leaves in the same conditions (from the same type of shelter, from the same side).

Search service

Unlike guard dogs, search dogs are designed to search for a person by "cooled", old tracks. In addition, a dog that has completed this training will be better at searching the area, premises and sampling people from the group.

The search dog easily takes a trail 10-12 hours old and walks along it up to 30 km.

All this requires a much more thorough and laborious training process with a lot of complicated exercises.

The main task of the search dogs is to find the missing person

A dog that has undergone such training should be able to search the area and premises, find people disguised there and things hidden by them, detain and escort people, and protect the trainer (owner).

Search dogs are trained to follow a long long trail, crossed by other tracks, roads, interrupted by water obstacles, to warn of the approach of strangers at least 50 m away and to select a person and an object from a group of at least 8 objects or people.

The main methods of training search dogs are the same as for guard dogs, but more attention is paid to selecting people and objects from the group, searching the area and premises, as well as working on the trail.

Storozhevka tracking dogs are trained in the same way as guard dogs.

Development of viciousness, detention, escort and protection of the trainer are conducted according to the course for protective guard dogs, but the skills should be consolidated more clearly and stronger, which is achieved a large number classes.

Search for a person on the trail and sampling from the trail are also conducted according to a similar program. However, the number of classes increases, during additional training, the dog is taught to take old (over 5 hours) tracks and follow them over long distances. Additional assistants lay traces, starting from the same point as the desired "intruder", go towards the dog while working out the main trail (when the animal tries to pounce on them, the trainer gives the command "Fu!").

Search of the area and premises is also carried out according to a complicated program. After completing the initial course, common to the search, sentry and protective guard service, dogs are taught to conduct a more complex search. The dimensions of the area being searched are doubled, and the number of objects hidden on it and "empty" corners increases accordingly. The animal learns to bark at those objects that it is not able to bring to the trainer. For this purpose, several heavy things are hiding on the landfill, for example, the assistant's backpack, into which sand is poured or bricks are stacked. Also, some things are buried in the ground or snow, and from above they are masked with grass and branches. The helper hangs some objects on a fence or tree branch out of the dog's reach.

When such an object is found, the trainer brings the dog to him and gives the command "Voice!" For the successful finding of the helper's thing and designating it with a bark, the dog is encouraged by a treat and a “Good!” Exclamation.

To train the dog to search the premises, the following method is used: the assistant hides near the building located on the landfill, and when the dog approaches, he goes out and attacks it, inflicting several light blows with a tourniquet, after which he hides in the building and hides there. The trainer gives the dog the command "Seek!" and lets her be searched. The task of the dog in this case is to detect and detain the hiding assistant, as well as to find all the things he disguised in the room.

An additional complication of the work may be finding the "intruder" in a place inaccessible to the dog. When practicing the skill of finding a helper who has hidden in this way, the dog is required to designate its location by barking and, if the helper tries to escape, detain him.

The main mistakes that a trainer should avoid when practicing the skill of searching premises and areas with a search dog:

too frequent use of the same helper;

the use of the same premises and landfill for a search;

the same type of shelter for the assistant and hidden things;

teaching the dog to bark and those objects that it can bring to the trainer;

masking objects at every corner of the dog's route, without "empty" corners.

Ski towing and riding service

A dog trained to transport goods in a sleigh and a drag is indispensable in conditions where the use of mechanical transport is difficult. A towing dog can make it easier and faster for a person to move through the snow. In addition, towing skiers is an excellent exercise for improving your dog's physical condition. For such work, physically strong, large dogs are selected not older than 2 years, with a gentle character.

Sled dogs at work

Before starting training, dogs are taught to use a harness.

Training to tow a skier can be done without an assistant, but his presence will speed up the process. It is best to take a family member or other trainer familiar to the dog as an assistant.

Movement in front of the trainer. A dog that has mastered this exercise should be able to move in front of a person on a taut leash. The command "Forward!" Is used in the work.

Putting on the animal a harness and a leash 3-4 m long, the trainer takes it to the training ground.

The animal is located at the left leg of the person, after which the command “Forward!” Is given to it. If the dog did not immediately go ahead of the trainer, he goes on a run, dragging the animal along, and then lags behind by the length of the leash, repeating the command. Dogs that have successfully completed the exercise are encouraged.

As a place for practice, choose a path in a park or forest, where there are no distracting stimuli: strong extraneous odors, other animals and people.

Following the dog during the movement exercise in front of the person, you should choose straight-line distances from 50 to 100 m. After 3-4 sessions, the distance can be increased to 200-300 m. To speed up the training, you can use an assistant. In this case, it is he who follows the dog, and the trainer runs in front, dragging the animal along with him.

Towing, slowing down, stopping. The main goal of the set of exercises for this program is to teach the dog to tow a person in various conditions, slowing down and accelerating the pace of movement on command, as well as making a complete stop at the request of the trainer. Commands are used "Forward!", "Quiet!" and "Stop!"

The trainer gets on the skis, gives the command "Forward!" and starts moving. In the first lessons, he slightly helps the dog, moving on skis behind it and occasionally switching to towing. Later, the animal learns to pull the person more and more, help is provided only on difficult climbs. In front of not enough active dogs, a helper is allowed.

An animal that easily copes with the first part of the exercise is transferred to the second stage of training - slowing down on command. To practice this skill, the trainer, some time after the start of towing, gives the command "Quiet!" and slows down movement with skis or ski poles. After 10 m, the pace of movement is again accelerated by giving the command “Forward!”. This complex is repeated several times per lesson. The training ends with the command "Stop!" Having given it away, the trainer forces the animal to stop, using sharp braking with a stick and skis, as well as a jerk of the leash.

A well-performing dog should be rewarded with treats and strokes, and then given the opportunity to rest.

Changing the direction of movement. In order to control the dog during towing, use the commands "Right!" and "Left!"

Practicing the exercise of turning in motion, the trainer moves on skis along a straight trajectory, and then gives the command "Right!", While shortening the leash length and approaching the dog from the right. Then the command "Right!" the ski turn is repeated and carried out. As soon as the dog has turned, it is encouraged by exclamation "Good!" and lengthen the leash, returning to straight towing.

After mastering the command "Right!" the command "Left!" is worked out in a similar way.

A dog that has mastered the whole complex is taught to tow a person across different terrain, in the presence of distracting stimuli and over longer distances.

To train a dog for sledding service, it is necessary to develop his pairing skill. In addition, the animal must be harnessed.

The sled harness consists of harnesses (according to the number of animals), a pull (a long belt with rings to which harnesses are attached), a sled, a long leash and a whip. For towing carts, straps with strings attached to hooks on the front of the carriage are used.

The first skill required for a sled dog is to move in front of the trainer. Training is carried out in the same way as for ski towing dogs. Similar to towing dogs, sled dogs learn to turn, slow down and stop movement. When all these skills are mastered, animals learn to walk in pairs, without showing aggression towards each other. To do this, animals are taken out to walk in muzzles on the same site. Attempts to display malice by dogs are suppressed by the command "Fu!" and a jerk of the leash. Gradually, the dogs are taught to walk together without muzzles, it will also be useful if one trainer starts walking with several dogs on leashes.

Animals accustomed to treat each other without malice are taught movement in pairs. The main difficulty of this exercise can be training dogs in synchronized actions. To achieve this goal, taking the dogs on leashes with harnesses, the trainer gives the command "Forward!" and follows a pair of dogs, making sure that they do not interfere with each other. You should also pay attention to whether the animals begin to move at the same time or one of them lags behind. To simplify this task, a short (up to 30 cm) strap can be used to tie the collars of the trained dogs.

Transportation of cargo in harness. Training is carried out after the dogs are used to moving in pairs. It is very important to select for each team dogs of approximately the same height, weight and with the same running speed.

Sledding training

If it is planned to train dogs to transport goods not in pairs, but in a large number of animals, classes are conducted with each pair separately, and then proceed to work with four or more dogs at the same time.

First, pairs of dogs are trained separately. The trainer harnesses the dogs, stands next to them and, having given the command "Forward!", Begins to move around the dogs. If one of the animals refuses to pull the sled, it is lightly hit with a whip and the command is repeated.

After running 150-200 m, the trainer stops the dogs, encourages them with a treat and gives them time to rest. After a few minutes, the exercise is repeated. The distance increases with each lesson.

When the dogs are trained to pull the sleds, the trainer sits in them and repeats the exercise one more time. As an additional method of controlling the movement of dogs, braking with legs, light blows with a whip and pulling on the leash are used. By this period of work, the distance that the animals pull the sledges increases to 500 m.In the last training sessions, the dogs pull the sleds for several kilometers, at different times of the day, over different surfaces - snow, crust, and drags and carts - over grass, ground , swampy areas, in different weather conditions.

Teaching dogs to ride requires patience and attention from the trainer. Noticing the peculiarities of the character of animals, he first puts the most restless and aggressive dogs in the last pair of teams in order to be able to pull them up at the right time.

After completing training, sled dogs and towing dogs should be able to:

tow the skier over a distance of 1 km along a track with several turns and one turn in a circle. Track length - 500 m, travel time - 4 minutes;

quickly and reliably execute commands;

carry sleds with a load of 30 kg per dog on a dense crust or on a road 5 km. Trail time: 30 minutes for 2 dogs, 25 minutes for 4 dogs. If the animals are harnessed to a cart (summer conditions), the route time is increased by 6 minutes;

do not be distracted by extraneous stimuli, do not get entangled in the harness and do not try to fight among themselves.

The following mistakes should be avoided when training sleds and towing dogs:

whip abuse;

incorrect placement of animals in the harness;

setting in one team of dogs with different physical and conformational data;

boarding a trainer on a sled during the first lessons;

increasing the transported cargo without preliminary training;

rough handling of an animal while putting on a harness;

towing without the help of a dog in difficult places;

repetitions of the command "Forward!" without the need;

working with a dog in the same terrain and weather conditions, as well as only on the road and ski track;

training without taking into account the physical condition of the dog.

Guide dogs

A guide dog is designed to accompany the blind, as well as people with severely impaired vision, as well as to warn them about obstacles on the way. An animal well trained for this job can completely replace a human guide. In Russia, guide dogs are trained by a special department of the All-Russian Society of the Blind.

For dogs, the job of a guide is hard work.

The requirements for such dogs are quite high, they are required not only to be attentive and kind to a person, but also to restrain almost all instincts. This mental stress shortens the life of the dog. Only not very large animals (no higher than 68 cm at the withers) are suitable for teaching guide skills, having a balanced, calm character, friendly, trusting, with well-developed hearing and sight.

The initial training of four-legged guides is carried out by special trainers who are well aware of the manner of movement of the blind, their behavior in various conditions, and are able to imitate such people. Training requires the presence of an assistant, who can be an instructor of a service dog breeding club or a family member of a blind person. From the inventory, a special arc harness is required, consisting of a chest and two transverse belts, a backlash and a leash bow.

Special skills that need to be taught to a guide dog include walking in front of a person on a path free of obstacles, stopping in front of an obstacle and bypassing it, making turns, climbing and descending stairs, driving a blind person in settlements and along a specific route.

Each blind person has its own permanent routes of movement: from home to the store and back, from home to work, etc. The guide dog must study them and confidently lead the person along these routes. Due to the individuality of the routes of the blind for each of these people, the dog is trained specially.

Guide dog at work

Calmer and more obedient bitches are best suited to work as a guide. Males, as experts say, even with the strictest training, can be distracted by current bitches.

Moving in front of the blind, making turns. Learning this skill is carried out in the same way as for towing dogs, with the only difference that the animal is not allowed to pull the person too much, accustoming the dog to the rhythm of calm walking. Also on the way, the trainer makes several unexpected stops, commanding "Stop!" This teaches the dog to stop at the first request of a person, even if it does not see an obstacle. To teach the animal to turn, on command, a polygon with branched paths is chosen, for example, a park.

Stopping in front of an obstacle and avoiding it Is one of the most important skills of a dog intended for service as a guide. A dog should be able not only to bypass obstacles on the way of a person's movement and warn the blind about them, but also to notice those of them that do not interfere with it, but can be dangerous for a person, for example, low canopies over shops, tree branches, hanging wires. To teach the skill, use the commands "Stand!" and "Fu!"

In these classes, special attention is paid to teaching the dog not to react to extraneous stimuli: other dogs, cats walking by people, loud sounds and strong smells, not to examine the places of walking. A guide dog needs to get used to the fact that walking with the blind is not the same thing.

A street or a courtyard is chosen as a training ground. Obstacles are placed at a distance of 40–50 m. They must be of different types and located at different heights that are dangerous to humans.

The trainer, equipped with a cane for the blind, takes the animal to the training ground. As soon as one of the obstacles appears on the way, he gives the dog the command "Stop!" and hits the obstacle with a stick several times. For the correct execution of the exercise, the dog is encouraged by a treat and stroking. If the animal does not immediately stop, the trainer repeats the "Stop!" and with a jerk of the leash forces the animal to stop. After a minute, the obstacle is removed and the movement resumes.

Can be used as dog training obstacles boards, pipes, benches, boxes, barrels, clotheslines

with flags tied to them, crossbars, slats installed above a person's chest.

A dog trying to bypass a side obstacle on its own is rewarded with the exclamation “Good!”. The bending around should be carried out as follows: the trainer walks on the side of the dog, with which the bendable object is located and lightly taps on it with his cane.

When the animal has mastered all these skills, it is taught to pass between closely spaced obstacles, directing it to the passage between them.

Obstacles designed to bend around are also classified as those located at the level of a person's chest or head. Approaching such an obstacle, the trainer stops the animal by tapping on the obstacle with a cane, draws the dog's attention to it, and then forces it to bend around.

When the dog tries to ignore obstacles that are above the level of its head, the command "Fu!" Is given, and then "Stop!"

Ascending and descending stairs. To practice this skill, use the commands "Forward!" and "Quiet!"

Having brought the dog to the stairs and letting it rise to the first step, the trainer stops it with the command “Quiet!”, Taps the cane on the step, then commands “Forward!”. Such delays are made at each stage, and at the sites between flights there are slightly longer stops. Descending the stairs is carried out in the same way.

Before natural ups and downs (for example, a ravine or a ditch), the trainer stops the dog, probes the slope with a cane, as if checking the steepness, and only then sends the animal forward at a slow pace. The dog's attempts to move faster are stopped by the command "Quiet!" and a light tug of the leash.

Driving a blind person around the city and along a specific route. This is the most important skill taught in a guide dog. An animal that owns it becomes indispensable for a blind person in an urban environment. Driving a blind person around the city requires maximum concentration, restraint and excellent memory from the dog. The commands used in this exercise are "Go!", "Quiet!", "Stop!" and the names of destinations in certain routes (for example, "Home!", "Shop!", "Park!"). Training begins with teaching the dog to move on the streets.

Approaching the passage, the trainer commands "Stop!" and slightly loosens the leash. The edge of the sidewalk is probed with a cane, and then the dog is commanded "Forward!", Again slightly pulling on the leash. At the same time, the animal learns to stop when cars are moving along the roadway, and cross the street only in their absence. The further stage of training allows you to draw the dog's attention to traffic signals and navigate when crossing the street to them.

It is equally important to train your dog to move in accordance with other traffic rules. So, when starting work, the trainer always leads the animal on the right side of the sidewalk, 0.5–1 m from the roadway.

After the dog has mastered driving a blind person through the streets, they begin to prepare it to work with a certain person, whose assistant it will become. At this stage, the trainer needs the help of the blind person or a member of his family, who knows the main routes to which the dog has to be trained. At this stage, training of the dog to a new owner also begins. The animal moves to the future owner in order to get used to the new home.

In order for the dog to quickly get used to the new owner, he needs to communicate more with her, feed, stroke, accustom him to the sound of his voice and the execution of the commands given to him.

In the process of teaching a dog to drive a person along a given route, the trainer, accompanied by an assistant, moves the dog along it, regularly repeating the command (for example, "Park!"). Having reached the end point and encouraging the animal with a treat and stroking, he is given the command "Home!" and fix the return route. You should start with lighter and shorter routes, gradually moving on to more difficult and long ones. At the end of the training, the blind man walks with the dog independently, while the trainer follows them and observes the correctness of the commands and their implementation.

By the end of the training, the guide dog should be able to:

independently warn the accompanying person about obstacles and bypass them;

not be distracted by extraneous stimuli;

lead a blind person up stairs and natural climbs and descents;

drive a person through the streets and across the road in the absence of moving vehicles;

lead the blind man on his usual routes back to the house.

When training a dog to work with people with low vision, it is necessary to avoid the main mistakes made by inexperienced instructors:

rough treatment of the dog;

encouraging the manifestation of anger towards strangers and other animals;

too fast transition from one route to another;

using weakly noticeable objects as obstacles in training (too thin poles and ropes without flags, fishing lines with flags instead of a rope).

In no case should you use disobedient or poorly mastered dogs for work.

Guard service

Dogs intended for guard duty help a person to guard various military and industrial facilities, houses, household plots. Their use reduces the need for watchmen. For training, animals are best suited with good hearing, smell and sight, distrustful of strangers, hardy and large. The service is conducted with or without a short leash. Each of the types of guard duty is trained separately. A well-trained dog should be able to:

maintain long-term vigilance while guarding;

bark at a person approaching a protected object, not less than 50 m from it;

actively defend the post (that is, the guarded object);

detain strangers entering the protected area.

Guard dog

The service is not allowed for animals that pick up food scattered on the ground, take food from the hands of strangers and attack the approaching "intruder" without first barking.

Developing distrust of outsiders and learning to bark begins during the general training period.

At this stage, the dog is accustomed to the command "Voice!", And it is also taught not to take food from strangers.

During the period of special training, these skills are improved as follows: an assistant, dressed in a training suit, approaches from a shelter to a dog tightly tied at the post, stops 50-60 m away from it and begins to tease the animal. To do this, he waves his arms, quickly advances and retreats, strikes the ground with a tourniquet. The trainer at this time gives the dog the command "Protect!" and encourages the helper to bark with the exclamation "Good!" If the animal does not bark well enough at the “intruder”, an additional command “Voice!” Is given to it. After the dog barks at the helper, he attacks him and allows him to grab his sleeve and pat it slightly.

The skill of refusing food offered by outsiders is improved by an exercise that is also used in general training. The helper, dressed in a training suit and holding a tourniquet behind his back, calmly approaches the dog, speaks affectionately to it, calls out and offers a treat. If the animal tries to take food, it is unexpectedly inflicted several light blows along the body with a tourniquet. The trainer reinforces the conditioned reflex with the commands "Fu!" and "Fas!"

When the dog tries to pick up food from the ground, dropped by the assistant, the trainer repeats the command "Fu!" The main task of this exercise is to develop an active defensive reaction in the dog in response to an offer of treats by strangers.

The development of viciousness in dogs with this course of training is carried out in the same way as in protective guards.

Protection on a deaf leash is a complication of the skill of being angry with outsiders. The task of the dog in this case is to guard the post located directly in the zone of its reach. Usually, protection on a deaf (short) leash is used to protect a single object, for example, a garden house, a warehouse door. The first lessons are recommended during the day. Towards the end of the training, however, it is necessary to accustom the dog to work at night.

To practice the skill, the animal is tied to a chain, after which the trainer standing behind the dog gives the command "Protect!" The assistant, dressed in a training suit, comes out of the hiding place and sneaks up to the post. The dog barking at him is encouraged by the exclamation “Good!”. In the absence of a reaction, the animal is excited by the sharp movements of the helper and light blows with a tourniquet. The trainer once again repeats the command "Protect!", And then "Fas!" An actively defensive dog is rewarded after the helper runs away.

The complication of the exercise consists in the departure of the trainer to the shelter after the command has been given to guard the post, as well as in work at night. At the end of the development of the skill, the animal must, in the absence of the trainer, bark at every rustle emitted by the assistant, actively attack him if he gets too close to the post, and show constant alertness.

Security of the checkpoint it is used on a larger territory than when using a short leash. The first stage in mastering the skill is to teach the animal to move along the cable and the sound of friction of the ring on the cable. The trainer attaches the dog's chain to a ring or roller and walks with the animal along the leash, first at a slow pace and then at a run. If the dog displays fear, the movement does not stop, but the dog is calmed by stroking and a gentle voice.

The distance at which the dog reacts to the appearance of an "intruder" should not be less than 40 m.

After the animal is accustomed to movement throughout the protected area and the sound of friction of the ring on the cable, the second stage of training is started. Having tied the dog, the trainer gives it the command "Protect!" and hides for cover. An assistant, dressed in a training suit, leaves at another section of the checkpoint, attracts the dog's attention, causing active barking, several times runs along the cable at a distance, prompting the animal to pursue. After that, he tries to cross the protected area. The trainer, if necessary, gives the commands "Protect!" and "Fas!" out of hiding.

A dog trained to respond to and chase a helper is trained to be indifferent to the sentry on duty. For this purpose, a second assistant is located 40-50 m from the checkpoint, who at first stands calmly and then walks along the protected area. In case of manifestation of aggression towards the "sentry", the first mate suddenly attacks the dog, switching its attention to himself.

At the end of the course, they conduct training according to the program of finding an "intruder" hiding in the area, his arrest and escort.

The course of protection at the checkpoint ends with the training of the animal to carry out service in different weather conditions and at different times of the day.

Post equipment. The post for the work of a dog on a deaf leash is installed next to the booth, at a distance at which the animal can freely approach the protected object. In addition to attaching the chain ring to a special post, it is also used to fasten it to the handle of the front door (if the object of protection is a house or a warehouse door) or a ring embedded in the bottom of the booth. A standard checkpoint consists of two 3 m long posts that rise 2/3 of their length above the ground, hooks for attaching the cable, and counterweights to tension it. The distance between the posts should not exceed 100 m.

A device for fastening a chain when guarding on a deaf leash

In places where frequent traffic is expected, a ground post is installed, the main difference from the standard one is the height of the posts. Usually this value does not exceed 30-50 cm. The area guarded by the dogs must be cleared of everything that impedes the movement of the animal. Typically, the area where one dog works is up to 150 m in length and 6 to 10 m in width.

In order for the ring to slide better along the cable, the ground is compacted under it.

When equipping a post for free guarding, it is necessary to position all loads so as not to block the dog's access to all doors and windows (if the dog is guarding the premises). When equipping the post inside the fence, the height of the continuous fence must be at least 2 m. The protected area must be cleared of piercing, cutting objects, and debris. When carrying out guard duty at the cargo, in places accessible to the dog, there should not be food and substances that can damage it.

Checkpoint equipment options: a - standard; b - ground

Free guarding. To practice this skill, the dog is lowered to an area surrounded by a fence. The command "Protect!" Is given to the animal. The assistant on the outside of the fence makes noise in different places. Rustling dog is encouraged by exclamation "Good!". A few minutes later, the "malefactor" in a training suit penetrates the protected area. Repeating "Protect!" and by commanding "Fas!", the handler encourages the dog to attack. In the future, the dog remains alone on the territory of the training ground, and the trainer hides in a shelter. Training to guard a closed room is carried out in the same way: the assistant first excites the animal by tapping on the walls, trying to open the door and shuffling loudly from the outside, and then enters the room through a window or door.

If the dog is planned to be used to guard the home, it should be obtained from it less anger than other guard dogs, combined with more discipline. Skill training is carried out on a short leash. Entering the apartment with the animal, the trainer leaves the door unlocked. The assistant makes rustles outside the door. Flaking the "intruder" is encouraged, but if the dog tries to attack the helper, he is given the command "Fu!"

The tendency of the dog to pursue a person outside is undesirable, therefore this instinct is suppressed at the very beginning of training: the dog is held by a leash and the command "Fu!" Is repeated.

The attack on the "intruder" by the guard dog guarding the apartment is permissible only after his penetration inside. To consolidate this skill, a trainer with a dog on a short leash is inside the apartment, and an assistant in a training suit is outside. After making noise and barking, the "intruder" enters the room and stops without making any sudden movements. After the animal calms down, he tries to walk past him. The trainer gives the command "Fas!" When a dog attacks, the helper tries to hide. Attempts to chase him outside the apartment are suppressed, but an attack on a protected area should be encouraged. If the assistant did not have time to hide behind the front door, he is detained.

In working with guard dogs, inexperienced trainers can make a number of mistakes:

strong blows when attacking a dog;

placing a dog on guard at a checkpoint or on a deaf leash in a collar instead of a harness;

conducting classes at the same time of day and under the same type of weather conditions;

rare change of assistants;

training security before passing the development of malice and accustoming to the harness and the sound of the ring moving along the cable;

a quick attack without prior teasing when learning to bark;

improper post equipment, location of the dog too far from the protected object and placement of the protected cargo so that it prevents the animal from approaching windows and doors.

Carrying up loads and tracing people

Dogs who have completed this training course can carry loads with a total weight of up to 20% of their own body weight between 2 posts, search for people in their tracks and under avalanches. It is these dogs that are used in rescue parties in the mountains and taiga. Animals with a keen sense of smell and hearing, great endurance, strength and attachment to humans are suitable for searching for people and carrying loads. Overly spiteful and small dogs rejected.

Search dogs are trained to detect people under the ruins of buildings, avalanches

The course of carrying loads and tracing people distinguishes other courses in that 2 trainers work with the dog, to whom it is equally attached, and not a trainer and an assistant.

At the end of the training course, the dog should be able to:

carry packs of the above weight between posts at a distance of at least 500 m in 5 minutes;

find trainers who have moved from the post to a distance of up to 250 m;

not to be distracted during work by extraneous stimuli;

find a lost person on a fresh track 1 km long;

find a person on a trail up to 12 hours old;

find a person under the snow and indicate his location;

guard the packs in the absence of the trainer.

Training dogs for carrying light loads begins with accustoming the animal to 2 trainers. For this purpose, both people working with the dog alternately feed and walk it, give it the simplest commands, seeking obedience, and conduct joint exercises. After the animal begins to get used to 2 owners, it should be taught to approach one, standing aside, the trainer, when the other is nearby. For this purpose, the dog is taken for a walk on a long leash, one trainer puts it next to him, and the other moves away 10-15 m and calls the dog to him. Execution of the command "Come to me!" encouraged by stroking, after which the animal calls the first trainer. By the end of the training, the dog must obey both trainers unquestioningly and approach from one of them to the other at a distance of up to 30 m.

After the dog is accustomed to 2 owners, they begin to train it run between 2 posts.

The task of this exercise is to practice the skill by the command "Post!" move in the footsteps of one of the trainers to the post where he is. The dog must first be trained to follow the trail.

Treats can be used to enhance the effect.

The first classes are recommended to be carried out on level ground without distracting stimuli and a large number of shelters. One of the trainers keeps the animal on a short leash, while the other, coming up and stroking it, steps back 50 steps and calls out to the dog. The dog comes down from the leash while giving the command "Post!" Execution of the command is encouraged by a delicacy and an exclamation "Good!" and a hand gesture. The first trainer calls the animal at the same time.

During the lesson, this exercise is repeated at least 5 times. Over time, it becomes more complicated by increasing the distance between the posts and placing them on rough terrain. Classes are held in different weather and at different times of the day, in the immediate vicinity of roads, in the presence of strangers and other animals, as well as accompanied by shots.

To control the time of the route, you can put a note indicating the time when the animal was sent to the post into a small bag attached to the collar.

Search for a displaced trainer and a lost person begins immediately after mastering the run between posts. Classes are held in rough terrain with a large number of shelters. To practice the skill, one of the trainers takes the dog on a leash, and the second, treating it with a treat and marking the beginning of the trail with shuffling movements of the legs, makes a trail up to 150 m long.At the end of the trail, the desired trainer hides in a shelter. The dog is kept for 1–2 minutes, after which the command “Post!” Is given to it. Following the animal, the trainer who remains with him reaches the designated post. A dog that has not found a second owner there is given the command "Follow!"

After the dog finds the hiding handler, it is encouraged with a treat and exclamation "Good!" After mastering the skill, the animal embarks on an independent search unaccompanied, and the first owner hides, sending the dog to the post, 20–30 steps from the point from which it began to move. The returning dog is rewarded if it finds the first trainer.

Gradually, the dog is taught to work at different times of the day and in different weather.

Pack for carrying: 1 - bag for cargo; 2 - girth belts; 3 - chest straps; 4 - pack cover; 5 - transverse belts

In order to teach the animal to look for a lost person, they use the trail of assistants. The training is carried out in the same way as in the Detective Dog course, but at the end there is no arrest. Instead, the helper rewards the dog with a treat.

The next stage of training is carrying a pack... Initially, it is necessary to accustom the animal to wearing a special bag so that its presence does not cause excitement in him. The pack is put on the back of the dog and walked it. In case of anxiety, the dog is stroked and soothed with a voice and a treat. An attempt to drop the bag is stopped by the command "Fu!".

Initially, the dog carries the pack for no longer than 10 minutes. Starting from the 3rd lesson, this time increases to 30 minutes. As soon as the dog gets used to carrying the bag, they begin to work out with it jogging with a load between posts. Initially, bags with sand weighing up to 500 g are put into the pack, and the distance between the posts is reduced to 300 m.Later, the weight of the bag is brought to the established norm of 20% of the dog's body weight, and the distance is brought to the prescribed 500 m.At the same time, it is regulated and route speed. So that the dog does not overwork, between sending from post to post it is allowed to rest for 15 minutes. In this case, the load is removed from the bag, or the bag itself is removed from the back of the dog.

Education guarding the pack carried out under the program of protection of things for protective guard dogs.

Finding a man under a snow block- the most difficult of the skills acquired by the dogs trained in this course. The difficulty is created by the absence of traces.

To teach the animal to look for a person under the snow, helpers' things (coats, backpacks, shoes) are used. At first, they are hidden under a thin layer of snow or foliage. The placement of objects on the landfill is carried out not by the assistant to whom the objects belong, so that the dog does not try to look for them on the tracks. Dogs are taught not to bring objects to the trainer, but to mark their location with barking and a special stand, for which the hidden things are made heavier with sand and bricks, and the dog that found them is put in a stand and given the command "Voice!"

Gradually, objects are buried deeper and deeper and, finally, are placed under a layer of up to 10 m. At the same time, false burial places are created so that the dog does not get used to looking for a person by external signs.

During the same period, the dog is taught to lie down next to a person who has independently "got out" from under the "blockage" in order to warm him up.

Also, the dog learns to give the pack it is carrying to the found person (this work requires an assistant hiding in a shelter under the snow). This skill is used only when the animal is searching independently, without an accompanying "rescuer".

The most common mistakes when training dogs intended for carrying loads and tracing people:

Inconsistency in the actions of 2 trainers;

Lack of exactingness on the part of one trainer and increased severity of another;

Rare change of assistants;

Accustoming to carrying loads until the animal is completely accustomed to the bag;

Increasing the distance between posts too quickly;

Encouragement of the dog returning from the middle of the route;

Frequent classes on the same training ground and on similar routes;

Work at the same time of day and under similar weather conditions;

The development of malice in the animal;

Encouraging attempts to retrieve objects found under the snow.

Tests of trained dogs

Training systems have been improved over time and brought to uniform international standards. The national OKD - ZKS system, which is guided by Russian trainers, is ahead of foreign systems in terms of the variety and degree of difficulty of exercises.

Nowadays, Russia has entered the International Cynological Federation, therefore breeding work with dogs is carried out according to the standards of this organization.

The training system is aimed primarily at the development of the dog's search qualities.

For a long time, dogs that did not pass the norms of this system were not allowed to breed.

During the competition, the dog's temperament and suitability for breeding are determined. The rules of these competitions are formed in such a way that not only the degree of training of the dog is checked, but also its natural and hereditary data: conformation, strength, sharpness of smell, courage, contact, poise, ability to track work.

In the process of testing, all the disadvantages and advantages of the dog become visible.

According to international rules, there are 3 stages of testing dogs for each of the systems. According to the rules, dogs from 15 months of age are allowed to stage I, from 18 months to II and from 21 months to III.

Competitions are held in accordance with a strict sequence of tests for each stage. You can start a competition from any of the systems.

The test for each of the systems contains 3 sections of exercises. The maximum mark for the exercise of each of the sections is 100 points, therefore, the dog can score a maximum of 300 points for the test on each of the systems.

If for the exercises of any section the dog scored less than 70 points, then overall assessment will be "unsatisfactory". The grades correspond to the following number of points scored:

"Satisfactory" - 210-239 points;

"Good" - 240-269 points;

"Very good" - 270-287 points;

"Excellent" - 288-300 points.

When it is necessary to determine the superiority of one of the dogs that scored the same number of points in the competition, then the marks for each of the disciplines are compared, adhering to a strict sequence:

SchH system - defensive skills, discipline, tracking;

FH System - Tracking, Obedience, Defensive Skills.

While participating in competitions, the dog can be tested for any one level of training.

Conduct Guidelines for Competitions

The dog handler does not have the right to change the order of tests and disciplines provided for in the rules. Exceptions are allowed only in case of an extended duration of the competition (2 days).

Each exercise the dog must begin and end with a basic stance: the dog sits at the handler's leg. All exercises from the section of protective skills, the dog must end with the execution of the command "Down!". While the dog is doing the exercise, the handler has no right to encourage him. Brief praise is only permissible upon completion of the exercise.

In addition, you should not help the dog during the test, neither by physical influence, nor by giving characteristic sound signals or noticeable signs, nor by words of encouragement. For such behavior of the handler to the dog, the score is reduced.

During the entire competition, the dog must wear the same regular collar. It is prohibited to use a prong collar for testing.

Protective Dog Test (SchH)

Work on the trail

Stage I

When laying a trail, the conductor begins to move according to the scheme, from the starting point, at which he must stand for about 1 minute, without shuffling or stomping. The trail should be laid at normal pace without any movements that increase the odor of the trail. It should be 600 m long and have 2 corners.

Standard trace layouts for Stage I testing

Items left on the trail should not be larger than a regular wallet and should be in a color that contrasts with the soil. Food is not used as an item to be left. 50 m before the first turn, the 1st object is left, at the end of the track - the 2nd.

30 minutes after laying the trail, the handler puts on a search harness on the dog and lets it follow the trail. If the dog does not immediately pick up the track, then a restart is possible and points are not deducted. But the 3rd attempt is not granted to the dog.

When the dog picks up the trail clearly, pulling the leash to its full length (10 m), the handler has the right to follow him. He cannot give commands to the dog while working on the trail, the handler is only allowed to cheer him up. You need to work out the trail on the step at the same pace.

Before starting the exercise, the referee must know how the dog will indicate the found object. The designation can be carried out by stopping, landing or laying. After the dog has found the object, the handler should raise it high to show it to the judge. The mark for the exercise (the highest - 100 points) is made up of points for working out the trail (maximum - 78) and points for detecting objects (maximum - 11 + 11).

The judge will interrupt the work on the track and will not count the exercise if the dog begins to deviate from the track by more than 10 m or the handler prevents such a deviation by pulling on the leash.

II stage

The layout of the track becomes more complicated: it must have 3 corners, the last of which is 45 °. The length of the track is 1000 m. 20 minutes after laying the track, its first straight segment is crossed by a distracting (alien) track. The dog handler leaves 2 objects on the track: the first one on the second straight section, the second one at the end of the track.

The dog starts up on the trail 45 minutes after it was laid. If the dog has worked the track perfectly to an acute angle, then it can get a rating of "satisfactory". A dog will be removed from the competition if it moves more than 10 m away along the distraction trail.

Standard Trail Laying for Stage II Testing

The rest of the rules of behavior of the dog and the handler and the evaluation of the results are similar to the rules of the first stage.

III stage

The degree of difficulty of the exercise increases: a track with a length of 1500 m is not laid by a conductor. There should be 5 angles in the track pattern, the last of which is 45 °. 45 minutes after laying the track, its first straight section is crossed by a distracting (alien) track. The objects are left by the tracker: the 1st and 2nd - on the second and fourth straight sections, and the 3rd at the end of the track.

Standard Trail Laying for Stage III Test

The dog starts the exercise 1 hour after laying the track. The rest of the rules coincide with the rules of the I and II stages.

The score for this exercise (the highest - 100 points) is made up of points for working out the track (maximum - 76) and points for detecting objects (maximum - 24 = 8 + 8 + 8).

Obedience

Each exercise in this section should begin with a drill (main) stance of the handler and the dog sitting at his leg, and end in the same way.

The sequence of exercises stipulated by the rules must be followed when performed exactly.

There should be pauses between exercises, as indicated in the rules. If the handler pronounces the name of the dog with a certain (encouraging, encouraging, reproachful, etc.) intonation, the judge assesses this as an additional command.

The temperament with which the dog will exercise is important in evaluating the results. Even with an impeccable, but sluggish performance, the dog will not receive the maximum score.

Stage I

1. Leading

During this exercise, the handler can only use the “Nearby!” Command.

The handler gives the command, and the dog fastened by the collar, which is next to the handler in a drill position, begins to move with enthusiasm with him.

About 40 m the conductor walks at a normal pace without stopping, then turns around and walks back the first half of the distance at the same pace, the second - slowly. Then, changing the pace of movement from normal to running, he makes turns to the right, left and circle through left shoulder.

Having finished the movement at a different pace, the handler stops in a marching position. The dog should sit down quickly without any action on his part.

The dog must be to the left of the handler at all times, not deviating to the side, lagging behind or running ahead. The shoulder of the dog should be at the same level as the knee of the handler.

At the end of the exercise, the guide should walk through a group of at least 4 people walking, stopping among them for a short time. The dog must sit down immediately without any additional command.

If during the performance of tasks the dog breaks off the leash, it is removed from the test

The handler can use the command during the exercise only when he changes the pace of movement.

The maximum score is 10 points.

2. Leading and checking reaction to a shot

The command is the same as in the previous exercise.

Having passed through a group of people, the handler unfastens the dog's leash on the move and hangs it over his left shoulder. Then he returns to the group, stopping briefly in its center. The dog should sit down on its own at this moment.

After leaving the group, the handler takes a line stance and repeats the previous exercise, but the dog must move next to him without a leash.

At the moment the protruding pair passes through the group, a shot is fired twice at a distance of 25 m from the dog. She must remain calm and not react in any way. Any manifestation of fear by the dog is a reason to exclude it from further participation in the competition.

If the dog shows aggressiveness, but does not come out of submission to the handler, he will be able to continue the exercise, but the mark will be reduced.

The maximum score is 20 points.

3. Landing out of motion

The conductor uses the command "Sit!"

An off-leash dog moves alongside a handler walking at a normal pace in a straight line. Having passed 10 m, he must give a command 1 time, continuing to move and not turning around. The dog should immediately sit down and remain motionless. The handler stops and turns to the dog when he has walked another 20 m.

Guard Service (CS) - competitions and tests

On guard duty, skills are tested:

1. Dog behavior on duty.
2. Barking activity
3. Attitude to thrown feed
4. Attitude to the shot.

General Provisions

Dogs of any breed at least 18 months old on the day of the competition (test) are allowed to compete and test. Competitions and tests are conducted according to the same standards and requirements.

Dogs with an OKD diploma of any degree are allowed to test on guard duty. It is possible to admit dogs to tests in the absence of such a diploma. In this case, before the start of the test, the dogs are checked by this panel of judges according to the OKD test standards for the following skills:

• movement of the dog next to the trainer;
• showing the dog's bite and attitudes towards the muzzle;
• the dog's approach to the trainer from a place or from a free state;
• cessation of unwanted actions.

If the dog scores points (points) for each of these exercises, corresponding to the standards for obtaining the 3rd degree according to OKD, it is admitted to the guard duty tests.

Dogs with a diploma of any degree in KS are allowed to compete. Each exercise (on tests - "skill") has a maximum score of 20 points (on tests - "point"). The dog's faults are scored on the penalty points table, which are then deducted from the maximum score of the exercise. Exercises 2 and 3 ("Barking range, post protection" and "Barking activity") are performed in combination (simultaneously), but each is assessed separately.

If a dog is disqualified in one of the exercises or receives a zero mark for any exercise, the diploma will not be issued.

At competitions, when determining the championship, in case of equality of points for two or more participants, the advantage is given to the one who has a large amount of points for the exercise "Range of barking, protection of the post". If all indicators are equal, the participants occupy the same place. An athlete (on trials - "trainer") and a dog, who received a penalty of 8 points in one of the exercises, lose the right to take a prize place, who received a penalty of more than 8 points lose the right to occupy a personal seat and receive a category. An athlete and a dog disqualified in one of the exercises or received a zero score in one of the exercises lose the right to occupy a personal place and receive a category.

Table of evaluation of the dog's performance in trials and competitions

Highest mark - 100 points

No., p / p	Exercise, skill	Highest mark	1st degree	2nd degree	Grade 3
	Dog behavior on duty
	Barking range, post protection
	Barking activity
	Attitude to feed

Checkpoint equipment

For competitions or tests, it is necessary to equip a checkpoint.

To set up a checkpoint, two pillars with a diameter of 15-20 cm are installed, which burst into the ground to a depth of about 1 m.The distance between the pillars is 30 m, the height of each pillar above the ground should be at least 2 m.At a height of 1.5-2 m between the pillars a wire with a diameter of 0.6 cm is stretched so that it, sagging in the middle of the site, is not lower than 1.5 m from the ground. Before attaching the wire to both posts, several rings are put on it, a strong chain 2-2.5 m long is attached to one of the rings (the rest are spare). The end of the wire is attached to the posts in a specially hewn recess or to a metal hoop. On a wire 1.8-2 m from each post, a limiter is made that does not allow the ring to pass and prevents the dog from running behind the post (the wire is twisted, a stationary ring is installed, etc.).

To strengthen the posts, in order to prevent them from tilting towards the middle of the post, guys should be used. The territory of the post is cleared of bushes, stones, glass, etc. Depending on local conditions, the poles can be replaced with trees, one side of the wire can be attached to a fence post or to the wall of the house, but all specified dimensions must be respected.

Description of exercises and their implementation

1. The behavior of the dog at the post (attitude to the "front" and "rear").

Command: "Guard", directing hand gesture.

Performance:

The judge checking the dog, before putting it on the post, hides behind some kind of shelter (fence, bush, corner of the building, etc.) at a distance of 15-20 m from the post and allows you to observe the behavior of the dog. The first assistant (person involved) is in the shelter at a distance of at least 70-80 m in front of the post. The second mate ("sentry") is located 20 meters from the back of the post.

The athlete, at the direction of the senior judge, puts the dog on the chain of the checkpoint, leads it along its entire length (from one limiter to the second), gives the command "Guard" and a gesture towards the exit of the first assistant, and he himself goes into a shelter located 15 m from the rear side of the post. It remains there until the end of the dog's exercise. Any assistance from the athlete to the dog is prohibited.

The dog should look alertly and attentively to the frontal side, not being distracted towards the athlete who has gone to the rear of the post and not responding to extraneous stimuli.

Grade:

The dog is penalized for silent distraction towards the rear, for fearful and hesitant movement on the block. If the dog is distracted with barking, but then stops barking, it will also be penalized. If the dog is distracted towards the rear and does not stop barking for more than 5 minutes, the exercise is considered unfulfilled (penalty - 20 points).

Penalty points (points)

2. Barking range, barking activity, post protection

Performance:

5-10 minutes after setting the dog to the post, at the direction of the judge, an assistant in a protective suit moves to the center of the post. When the dog starts barking at him, he ticks the box to determine the range of barking. Not reaching 20-25 m before the checkpoint, he changes direction and goes to one of the checkpoint pillars. Then he moves parallel to the checkpoint, being 5-8 m from the dog, trying to cross the checkpoint.

The dog should bark loudly at the first appearance of the assistant, moving along the line of the post, depending on the direction of his movement, when trying to cross the post, actively attack the assistant and make strong grip. The dog should not be afraid of the helper, not stop barking and not back down when he tries to cross the post.

Grade:

If the dog starts barking closer than 50 m, it is penalized. The dog is also fined for lethargic pursuit of the helper, for a weak grip, for an insufficiently sonorous or muffled voice, and for a hoarse, poorly audible voice. If the dog has no grip, the exercise is considered unfulfilled (penalty - 20 points).

Penalty points (points)

3. Activity of barking

Performance:

When the dog begins to bark at an approaching helper, it should do so vigorously, continuously, loudly and actively.

Grade:

The dog is penalized for intermittent, inactive barking, as well as for fearful barking. If the dog does not bark at the helper when he approaches the checkpoint closer than 20 m, the exercise is considered not completed (penalty 20 points).

Penalty points (points)

4. The attitude of the dog to food

Performance:

When trying to cross the checkpoint line, the helper offers the dog a treat from his hand, and then throws it on the ground. The dog should be indifferent to the food, not be afraid of the food thrown and offered from the hand, not take it, not stop barking and attacking the helper at this time.

Grade:

If a dog sniffs a treat for a long time, stops barking at the moment of giving it, it is fined. If a dog takes a treat in its mouth, but then throws it, it is fined. If the dog has eaten the food, the exercise is considered not completed (penalty 20 points).

Penalty points (points)

5. Attitude to the shot

Performance:

As soon as the dog begins to actively attack the helper and makes a grip on the sleeve, the other helper ("sentry"), at the judge's signal, fires a shot.

When fired, the dog must not stop barking and attacking the helper, attacking it from the front.

At the command of the judge to "remove the dog", the athlete (trainer) runs out of the shelter, attaches the leash, puts on the muzzle, then unfastens the chain and takes the dog away. Releases the helper from the dog if necessary.

Grade:

For a temporary cessation of the bite, for the termination of the bite with the continuation of barking, the dog is fined. If the dog stops barking or barking, the exercise (skill) is considered unfulfilled (penalty 20 points).

Penalty points (points)

The course of training dogs "Protective guard service" (ZKS) was developed in the Soviet Union in the middle of the 20th century. The main purpose of this training discipline is to develop protective and protective skills, as well as to practice the ability to choose an object by smell. Basically, such training is used to train service, search, escort, patrol dogs.

Today, training in the protective guard service is gaining popularity among amateur dog breeders, since the skills obtained during training of the ZKS are also needed in everyday life. However, in its pure form, the guard-guard service is not quite suitable for ordinary life. For those who want the dog to protect the territory belonging to the owner of the dog, his property, the owner himself and his family members, in training it is necessary to practice the skills of both the ZKS and the KS (guard service) - the combined program "Training dogs for guarding the house."

The specialists of our Center will be able to prepare your dog for both passing tests on the course "Protective guard service" and "Guard service", as well as a combined program for using the protective qualities of the dog at home.

After completing the combined program - training dogs for home security - your dog will be able to:

to protect the owner and his family members;

to protect the territory and property of the owner;

detain and escort an attacker or an intruder trying to enter the owner's territory;

do not react to any external stimuli (harsh sounds, bright light, thrown food);

control and differentiate the situation in any conditions.

It is important to remember that it is impossible to train a dog on the courses "Protective guard service" and "Guard service" on your own! Classes should be conducted exclusively by an experienced dog handler and a specially trained person - a helper (assistant) and only with the use of special protective equipment (sleeves, vests, suits).

ZKS and KS- rather complex types of training, and you need to be very careful when choosing a dog handler. Training with a low-skilled or inexperienced trainer and an illiterate person involved can lead to serious disturbances in the psyche of the dog - the dog will be either overly aggressive or, conversely, very cowardly. In this case, you will additionally need to carry out dog behavior correction, which requires special expenditures in terms of effort, time and finance. Therefore, it is best to go directly to experienced professionals.

Employees of the Clever Dog Kennel Center have many years of experience in the field of service dog breeding, where the guard and guard service are one of the main training disciplines. Also, our dog handlers have been involved in various competitions many times. The dogs, with which our specialists worked, passed the standards for ZKS and KS for the assessment "Excellent", and also repeatedly won prizes in competitions for ZKS, KS (Guard Service) and IPO (international test standard).

Guard service

Guard service is a special type of training, the purpose of which is to train a dog to guard various territories and structures (at home - apartments, private houses, summer cottages; in office conditions - gardens, warehouses, shops and other objects).

The main task of the guard dog is to prevent, through loud barking, penetration into the territory of the intruder, to fight him and to arrest him.

There are two types of guard dog posts - a non-free guard post and a free guard post.

In case of non-free guarding, the dog is on a leash on the outside of the protected object. The harness can be either deaf or mobile. The length of the chain must be sufficient so that the dog can freely approach the protected object.

With free guarding, the dog is on an area of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe territory, which is surrounded by a solid fence 2-2.5 m high, so that the dog cannot arbitrarily leave the guard post. In the second version, for a guard dog, a corridor is made along the fence 3-4 m wide and no more than 100 m long. Such a corridor should be clearly visible by both the dog and the guard, both from the inside and from the outside. If the protected area is large, then several such corridors are made. Free guarding can also be performed by the dog indoors.

There are certain requirements that a dog must meet to complete the course "Protection and guard service":

The dog must be at least 12 months old at the time of training.

The dog must have a strong nervous system and a stable psyche.

Healthy, physically developed dogs with a strong dental system, good sense of smell and hearing are allowed for training.

The dog is obliged to clearly and flawlessly follow the commands for obedience, and also - for service dogs - is obligatory delivery of standards on General training course(OKD) and obtaining a diploma.

To study the course "Guard duty" the dog must meet the following requirements:

Age - at least 1 year.

The dog must have a pronounced active and defensive reaction.

The dog must have a stable, balanced psyche.

The dog must have excellent: hearing, sight, sense of smell; strong, healthy teeth.

By appearance The guard dog must be physically developed, have strong muscles and a thick coat.

What breeds of dogs are suitable for the course "Guard and Guard Service"?

In the field of service dog breeding, this course is mainly trained for service breeds: German Shepherd Dog, East European Shepherd Dog, Boxer, Doberman, Malinois, Airedale Terrier, Black Terrier (Russian Terrier), Giant Schnauzer, Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, Rottweiler and others.

Not all large dogs, seemingly formidable and ferocious, are suitable for passing the ZKS course. Due to their character traits, such dogs cannot perform some of the required skills. For example, Caucasian and Central Asian Shepherd Dogs do not select an object by smell, since these dogs are not predisposed to retrieving objects by their innate qualities. At the same time, these breeds are very well suited for the protection of the territory and personal protection of the owner.

What breeds of dogs are suitable for the Sentry Service training course?

Shepherd dogs are considered the best breeds for guard duty: Alabai (Central Asian), Caucasian, VEO (East European), South Russian. Same nice results in the guard service show Moscow sentry and black terriers.

When preparing a pet for passing the standards of the ZKS, the following skills are practiced:

a) sampling of an object by smell;

b) protection of things;

c) indifference to the shot and to the stern that was thrown;

d) guarding the coach, arresting the attacker and escorting him.

A dog that has been prepared for guard duty must meet the following requirements:

1) being in non-free guarding (on a leash) from the outside of the guarded object, the dog must warn the guard by barking about the approach of an outsider 40 m away;

2) in the case of free guarding, the dog must warn by barking about an attempt to enter the protected area;

3) be distrustful of strangers, fight the intruder and detain him until the arrival of the guard;

4) do not react to external stimuli, such as: shots, explosions and other loud sounds, as well as to food thrown by the intruder.

Competent training by our specialists will help your dog become a real guard, and you will be guaranteed peace of mind and safety!

Investments in the upbringing of the future defender will amount to 2,000 rubles for 1 lesson!