The Miniature Pinscher is an excellent family dog. It has a strong sense of alertness and is very intelligent and loyal. Even though its body is small, it is still extremely brave and even retains the ability to catch mice. If trained properly, the Miniature Pinscher can become a wonderful companion in daily life. Below are several simple ways to train one.
Teaching the Miniature Pinscher to Sit
Prepare dog food and keep it in your pocket so the dog does not see it beforehand. Support the dog's chest with your left hand, press its hindquarters down gently with your right hand, and at the same time give the command ?Sit.? Once the dog sits, reward it with one piece of food. Repeat this training every day, either twice a day or once in the evening. Each session should not exceed 15 minutes, but after a 15-minute session, you can let the dog rest for half an hour and then reinforce it again. In general, after about five to seven days of training, the Miniature Pinscher can usually learn it, though regular reinforcement will still be needed so the dog does not forget.
Sit is a very common verbal command, so it is important for the dog to master it well.
Teaching the Miniature Pinscher to Lie Down
This should be done after the dog has already learned to sit, and again dog food should be prepared. First command the dog to sit. Then place your right hand on the framework behind the neck and your left hand behind the front legs. Apply light pressure with the right hand while gently moving the front legs forward with the left hand so the dog lies down. Once it lies down, reward it with food. Continued reinforcement afterward is necessary.
Most Miniature Pinschers need a little over a week to learn this action, though quicker learners may master it in four to five days.
Teaching the Miniature Pinscher to Shake Hands
The dog should already know how to sit. Prepare food rewards. Let the dog sit, then squat in front of it, lift its left paw gently with your right hand, and say the command ?Shake hands.? Reward it immediately after the action. With continued practice, the difficulty can later be increased by having the dog offer the paw while standing.
This is a skill worth teaching well, because it is one of the classic tricks owners like to show off to others.
Teaching the Miniature Pinscher to Stand Up
The dog should already know how to lie down. Prepare food rewards. Let the Miniature Pinscher lie down, then training can proceed in two ways. For smaller individuals that can be gently lifted, support the dog upward from the ground so it maintains a standing posture and say ?Stand,? then reward after the action. Be careful not to hold it too tightly. For slightly larger dogs that cannot be lifted so easily, use food or another favorite item as a lure. Hold it in front of the dog's nose so it can smell it, then give the command ?Stand.? When rewarding, however, do not use the same lure food immediately. Instead, reward with regular dog food and save the lure food for the end of the day's training.
Teaching the Miniature Pinscher to Let Go
The dog first needs to learn to bring back an object you have thrown. Prepare dog food both as a lure and as a reward. Throw the training object out and let the dog bring it back. In many cases, once the dog stands in front of you, it will not want to release the item. At that point, take out the food and present it while giving the command ?Let go.? The dog will usually release the object in order to eat the reward. After repeating this several times, the Miniature Pinscher can usually learn the behavior.