Training
You’re in luck! The Spanish Water Dog is very susceptible to training, he learns diligently and quickly, but his training is mandatory. Double mandatory for people who will have their first dog. Of course, the training should be age-appropriate and take under considaration capabilities of this particular dog as dogs vary in skills, characters and temperaments even if they are of the same breed. Training should also be carried out under the supervision of an experienced trainer. The Spanish Water Dog in its history has performed a variety of work, including shepherding, hunting, guarding, sniffering, this makes him a versatile dog, easily adaptable to the environment and a dog that is easy to engage in various dog activities like agility, dog diving, obedience or nosework. Choose what suits you and get to work! Remember, however, to start with the “dog kindergarten” and with the course of basic obedience.
Living with an untrained dog is like having a piano that you can’t play – it’s an object that looks beautiful, but you can’t get any more pleasure of it. However, imagine that you have taken a few piano lessons and suddenly the piano comes to life, gives a beautiful melody and rhythm, and your heart begins to sing. It’s the same with your dog’s training. Every dog is a great responsibility and if not properly trained, it can develop inappropriate behavior. An untrained dog can develop behaviors that will be annoying to you and your family. The goal of these behaviors will be to release a large amount of energy possessed by your Spanish Water Dog.
To train your dog, take part in classes like a dog kindergarten, and then a basic obedience course. This is the minimum to have a well-mannered dog. It is also advisable to find an experienced and recommended dog trainer who will help you in that task.
You can also practice noseworking, as sniffing effectively discharges the dog’s energy. Mental stimulation from sniffing and exploration can be as exhausting as physical exercise and is also a great source of relaxation.
Teach your dog some sniffing activity that you will use when for some reason you will not be able to go for a longer walk. Too rare and too short walks can lead to the fact that some dogs outside the house will be very agitated, which is why they can not feel at ease and engage in sniffing. Walking a strongly agitated dog is not a pleasure and often owners shorten it to a minimum, which creates a dangerous, vicious circle. Therefore, it is good to give the dog time to get rid of tension. Go to the lawn and wait for the dog to relax and start sniffing. You can interest him in this activity with the help of treats scattered in the grass. Of course, this exercise is a kind of fun, learning every dog activity, also nosework is best to start with an experienced, recommended trainer. This article only outlines the direction and shows some possibilities. Always use the knowledge of experienced terrainers, because this will allow you to minimize mistakes and achieve better and faster results. I have nothing against online training guides, some of them are very profossional and helpful, but you must remember that both you and your dog are living beings who differ in many aspects. So it is absolutely best to participate in group training under the supervision of a trainer who can observe you and the dog and give you the proper guidance.
Training a dog, you learn how to communicate with him and how to understand what he is trying to tell you. Day by day your dog gets wiser and you are starting to have a well-behaved companion. Spanish Water Dog loves its master to the moon and back. This has a great, positive impact on owner’s ego. The dog constantly reminds you that you are its leader or even a hero. A trained dog does it with redoubled strength!
You must remember that training a dog when it is a puppy gives very good results. A young dog trained from its early days will develop into a well-behaved and well-adapted adult dog. When you start to train your dog between 6th month to 6th year of life, you will also have results but you will need more time.
Between 10th and 16th week of life, your puppy is like a soaking sponge. The dog grabs commands in a flash and looks for more. At this age, the dog is fully focused on its master. It wants to stay close to him and follow him wherever he goes. This behaviour lasts until 5th -6th month of life when hormones begin to be produced in your pet’s body. Then your puppy begins to “explore” the world. This is the time when your untrained dog may start to run away from you or ignore your commands. This behavior may become a problem. Many owners may question then their choice of dog, but in most cases the problem has its source in the lack of training. Do not allow this and train your dog from puppyhood!
The effects will not always be spectacular at the beginning, but the lack of training will be very visible and will definitely reduce your pleasure of having a dog.
