Good Puppy Week 4 With your Dog

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Check-It Out

Video: https://youtu.be/EMyiGiZVL0Y

In class puppies explored wheeled objects. At home start to teach a word that means it's OK. We used check-it out in class for puppies looking at a new item. To introduce a word at home; place items on the ground and when your puppy looks at it from a distance or up-close say your word and give a treat. To make the exercise more fun or if your puppy is nervous or afraid after you say check -it out toss a treat away from the object so your puppy needs to run after the treat. 

If afraid of an object:

Let dog check the stationary item out on their own (the smaller or lower you can make it the better). If your dog does not want to move toward the object, don't force them. Instead, when they look at the item from their safe distance, say check-it out and toss a treat away from the object. This desensitizes your dog in a fun way. They learn it is fun to look at the object because a game follows. Also, it breaks the eye contact, A dog that stares too long can become afraid.  

• Next add movement without noise if possible and repeat the above. 
• Next add sound without movement. Best if the dog is farther way and you toss treats or have a helper. 
• Next add it all together. 

For noise desensitization, have a party while the noise is happening. If you have more than one dog that likes to play; turn on sounds while they play. Here is a great sound desensitization link:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-oTwuFvwH33-BIEjpZdXrslu3J6KxjFH 

If your dog is a fan of play, you can also do this while playing with your dog. Or just have the item in the room as your dogs are playing with each other. 

Excited Sit or Down

Tease with a toy then ask fo a sit or down, reward with toy

Crazy behavior makes the toy go away

New Video: https://youtu.be/3Dn5anRBo_4

https://youtu.be/l1canH2FkF0 

Start with week 3 exercise, presenting hand with a treat above head and saying leave-it  

• Mark and treat the success Say “leave-it” as you present and begin to lower hand  toward the floor
• Mark and treat success  
• With continued success place item on the floor and cover or take away if dog goes for the item (mark and treat the leave-it)

Troubleshoot:  If dog moves toward hand lowering, raise hand and go back to week 3, step 1 by not saying leave-it and lower and take away if dog goes for hand. Once go is successful add “leave-it” back into the session.

• Once your dog is reliable add that your dog gives you eye contact after a leave-it. It promotes another check-in. 

Note: there are many ways to increase the challenge. Up the value.  Send dog away to get the treat and as dog is coming back reward for the leave-it. They are just learning and have not built-up duration yet so you may need to cue leave-it again. Make it fun and challenging but don't go beyond the dogs understanding and always start over in new locations. Your dog is learning so you know they understand it or are beginning to when you ask them to leave it in a particular situation and they do it the first time. If they only, do it the second through etc. time then they need more practice. 

Greetings Self Control

Video: https://youtu.be/jiE734hks18

Start on leash. If your dog is excited stand a distance away from the greeter and wait for your dog to offer something nice. Offering is the key here; try not to direct your dog. 

The exercise is about your dog learning self-control. Only use a greeter your dog loves for this exercise as it can be intimidating. 

• Ask your greeter to hold treats behind back, not to talk to dog, stare at dog or pet dog as all the above adds excitement and it is for future exercises.  
• Give dog 2 to 3 feet of leash.  
• Direct greeter to proceed forward when dog offers calmness (sit, down or stand on loose leash). 
• Direct greeter to back away the moment dog moves out of the sit, down or loose leash stand. 
• Direct greeter to immediately start to move forward again as dog offers sit, down or loose leash stand. 
• Repeat until greeter arrives at dog then have greeter give a treat at a time to dog for remaining in a nice position. 

The point of the exercise is for your dog to associate calmness with their person reward. Treats do not need to be used but they can be helpful. The person is also a treat. 

Obstacle Walking

Practice walking around obstacles, changing directions and being unpredictable to your dog. Remember to give your dog a signal that you are turning (whistle, let's go, this way, noise maker noise, etc.) Plus, in and out the doors.

Walking and Relaxing

Relaxing Part: 

Using greetings as an example:  ManagedVideo: https://youtu.be/Fwt8SZfhT8 

Use a target mat to help dog stay in position. Rate of treat reinforcement is based upon your dog. If you need to treat more to prevent your dog from leaving your side until cued, then treat more to build a habit.  

Steps:

• Cue dog to stay in a stand, sit or down. 
• Mark your dog the second dog looks at a distraction.
• Give dog treat for looking back at you. If your dog does not look back put the treat at their nose and lure up.  
• Repeat, the goal is your dog can watch things approach, walk by, etc. without reacting or investigating. 

Walking Part:

Begin walking with your dog and mark the moment your dog is at your side but looking at distractions. Give dog a treat for looking back at you or help back with lure. 

Stay and Come

Stay with Come Video:  https://youtu.be/1bsdoo9iFDY (bad sound) 

Distraction Stay Video:  https://youtu.be/BVyLlkADDco 

When practicing stay make it challenging for your dog based upon setting yoru dog up for success. If your dog screws up they lose the treat to reset. Reset yoru dog then start over. Note, if they screw up again, they may not be ready for what you expect, or they are working under distraction and are not ready to perform their usual stay in that environment. 

Once you have rewarded the stay a few times; recall and make it fun to come!