Training Exercise Tips
Week 1 with your Dogs Overview:
Leash Pressure
Leash pressure
Step 1: Dog learns to move with the leash pressure not against the pressure.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/CNn732a_nB4
Ping Pong Name Game/Engagement (You can teach their name, come, attention noise all using this game.)
Off leash Video: https://youtu.be/IVG5d7AIs4M
On leash Video: https://youtu.be/Kv1UvrCH8wI
The purpose of the name game is to make your puppies name fun. Think of all the instances their name is used. It gets overused and used when they are doing things wrong, yet their name is one of the most important words they should know. So, on a daily basis make their name fun through a fun game. Then try to only use their name for good and pick another word for any other time (trouble time).
In new locations say their name in a happy tone and when they look at you give them happy feedback “yes, wahoo, yay” and entice them to continue toward you to prevent squirrel mode and reward by tossing a treat onto their mat or other with a “find-it” or “search”.
Every once in a while, add a "gotcha" from the orientation week and treat then continue game.
Sending your puppy away from you is also a engagement game.
Bubble (Complimentary game to the above engagement ping pone game)
Grab your puppy's food and feed for staying near you. Practice at home, in parking lots, on walks, etc. Use your puppies food so you are not worried about yoru puppy getting too much.
Eye Contact
Orientation week you caught offered eye contact at home. Now add a word each time your dog looks at you,
Video: https://youtu.be/ffDjr_f8O_Q
Finger: Draw a line from your dog's eyes with your finger to your eyes and say "look, eyes, focus, watch" and treat between their yes and yours.
Suggest treating between your eyes and theirs to create longer eye contact as the food is coming.
Target Training - Name Mat
Video: https://youtu.be/ee-vUqMuOLI
If you practiced the orientation week target spot training, your puppy should be excited when seeing their mat.
Toss their mat onto different surfaces and into different rooms and as your puppy moves onto the mat say the name you prefer. Examples include chill, spot, settle, place, park-it.
Once your puppy is on the mat pause and mark the position offered. It could be a stand, sit or down. Offered is the key. The last word you want them to hear is “spot”.
Toss the treat for a repeat behavior.
Once your puppy associates the word with the target spot then begin rewarding on the spot.
Puppy Push-Ups
Videos: https://youtu.be/g1ClLyKeBEk
The Puppy Push-Ups is a fun exercise for puppies to associate the skill name with the body position.
Video: https://youtu.be/IvMvTpKuciY
A hand target is a great tool for recall, walking, following, teaching, tricks, emergency recall and greetings too. Teach everyone in your home.
Walk around your house and yard showing your hand and adding the word “touch” as your puppy moves toward your hand then mark the contact. Once your puppy knows the word say the word out of the blue and show your target hand and reward. Use it to teach to walk the stairs nicely, follow you, come, etc.
More than one person in your home? Make it a fun game from room to room. Saying word as puppy moves into view showing your target hand and rewarding them for a great hand touch.
Name "Heel" Word: Teach a Word for Moving to your Side for Walking
Video: https://youtu.be/ptBBG2v3Cdw
Off leash and standing facing your dog, lure your dog into an arch, or spin to your side. Say your word "side, with me, heel, etc." as your luring. Mark and reward. Take a step-in front of your dog so you are again facing your dog and repeat. This week it is simply about naming the position, so your dog continues to practice moving to your side.
Note: When adding the leash, the leash goes across your body and treat pouch and treats on the side your puppy stands so your puppy is fed on the same side.
Videos:
Teaching impulse control which is the start of stay or wait with valuables your puppy wants is a great training technique as your puppy learns to stay in position and what they want will come to them.
In class we used an object with food or a toy on it. At home use toys, food in hand, bowls, etc.
Suggest not using their food bowl for this game.
Side Note: If you feed out of a bowl save feeding time for just that feeding time. Also, if using a food bowl at home also practice creating trust so as to prevent resource guarding. While your puppy is eating, every once in a while, walk by and toss a better treat into the bowl. Helps to prevent resource guarding.
If your puppy jumps it is important to start asking people to help teach four on the floor. Give people treats and ask them to meet your puppy at your puppy's mouth. Treat, give a pet, treat, give a pet and repeat.
Use a leash to keep puppy from chasing as if puppy jumps as the person to walk away.
Video: https://youtu.be/KfHZ4Aso84E
Videos: https://youtu.be/fEXifl53Fms
Older: https://youtu.be/8nJh2AwB2po
Show puppy your Hand Target and move hand away from puppy to follow. As puppy follows turn hand target into just a pointer finger. Lure puppy into a circular position (counter or clockwise) and say spin or twirl. Keep their head in line with their neck without raising their head upwards.
Video: https://youtu.be/ES-FmLlp5CQ
Desensitize the touch and petting of your puppy's head. Show treat and treat as you pet their head. If your puppy is worried always treat first.
*If your puppy is showing signs of fear, please contact your trainer.
Video: https://youtu.be/fEXifl53Fms
Extra to just teach Sit & Down
Teach SIT:
Place a treat lure at your dog's nose. Video: https://youtu.be/XlWLRsfQtSM
Proof:
Place treats around your home inside and out move your dog from place to place asking for sits, mark and reward. Make it fun by running them to a new spot.
Teach DOWN: