Puppy Obedience « Thread Started on Feb 4, 2009, 4:06pm »
Dog Gone Good Training Puppy Obedience
This is the hand outs I give to clients with puppies. I am posting it as a basic guide to puppy owners. It is important to consult a professional trainer if you are seeking extra help or are unsure if this training method is right for your puppy!
When I talk about training a puppy I’m talking about puppies that are between 2 and 7 months of age. While dogs that are up to 2 years of age are considered as young and basically still like a puppy, those older than 7 months of age generally use the same training methods as full grown dogs.
Training a puppy takes a lot more patience and understanding than training an adult dog dogs. You need to always keep in mind that they are still very young (basically like children) and that they can’t focus or remember things as easily as an adult dog.
Remember that the younger the puppy is the shorter the periods of training and the more understanding and patience required on your part. Puppy training should be equal parts of training and play. The tools you will use to train your puppy differ a bit from those generally used to train a dog. The focus remains mostly on playing and having fun. While training any dog - no matter the age - should be kept fun, when training an adult dog for solid obedience you want to keep in mind it is much more serious and important they get it right. When training a puppy for basic obedience you should keep in mind that they are still young and it isn’t as important they get it exactly right. You should give more room for mistakes and make sure not to overwhelm the puppy. Don’t push him too hard! If he seems to be stuck on something take a break or move onto something else. The next time you try it you may find he catches on a little quicker than if you had kept pushing previously. Pushing a puppy into doing something will result in an unhappy, frustrated puppy who isn’t actually learning anything.
Puppy Training Tools:
There are a few important training tools you should always keep handy when training your puppy for basic obedience. The following is a list of these tools.
Patience - you should always have an over abundance of patience!
Understanding - always keep in mind that your puppy is still young and will learn at his own pace.
A Small Toy - you should keep a toy handy for play breaks and rewards. This toy should be big enough that it is not a choking hazard to your puppy, but small enough that you can fit it in your coat pocket. This is why I usually wear “hoodies” with the large pocket in the front when training.
A 5 to 6 foot leash - this is the general size for a leash used during training. You can find them in most stores that provide pet products.
A 10-30 foot line - this long line can be any size you wish (10-30 is the general sizes you will find) and will be used once you start to gain distance from your puppy near the end of the course.
A Regular Collar - whatever collar your puppy wears every day will do just fine. You will not be using any kind of training collars just yet.
These are the only tools you will need to train your puppy. Now that you have them all (and a puppy to train!) you can begin training!
Lesson One: Heel & Automatic Sit « Reply #1 on Feb 4, 2009, 4:08pm »
Lesson One: Heel & Automatic Sit
Start with the puppy on leash and use the leash, your body language, and voice to motivate the puppy to your left hand side. When the puppy is at your left hand side, give the command “heel” and use your hands to maneuver the puppy into a sit position at your left hand side. You can do this by grabbing the bulk of your leash in your right and hold it just above the puppy’s shoulder blades. With your left hand gently press down on the puppy’s butt. You want to be gently pulling up with your right hand and pushing down with your left hand. You never want to force your puppy into any position when manipulating his body. This can cause injury! Puppy’s growth plates are not fused yet and pressing too hard on them (or allowing excessive jumping) can damage the growth plates and cause future problems. If you feel your puppy is resisting you can also “scoop” his butt into a sit by gently sweeping his back legs under.
When the puppy sits at your left hand side, give praise! Tell the puppy “good heel”. If the puppy moves from the position, that’s okay! He’s still learning! Tell him “nope, heel” in a neutral tone. You don’t want to be reprimanding the puppy for moving out of the heel position, but rather encourage him to be in the correct position. Place the puppy back in a sit at your left hand side and this time give lower praise (a simple “good puppy” should suffice).
Start by leading with your left food and pat your left thigh, tell the puppy “Heel”. You can use the puppy’s name for extra encouragement or to gain his attention. Move forward a couple steps, using your leash to keep the puppy at your side. You only want to make a couple of steps before stopping again and placing the puppy in a sit by your left hand side. Give LOTS of praise this time! Your puppy has just completed a short heel exercise and that deserves a lot of good praise!
You can break up exercises with a short game of play to keep your puppy’s attention and as a reward.
Repeat the process, each time taking more steps than before.
If you feel your puppy is off in “la la land” during training; take a break! Either he needs to accomplish something else to focus (such as sleeping, eating or relieving himself), he is simply not interested in learning anything at that moment, or you have been working too long with him and he has become “saturated”. Saturation is a term used in dog training that means a dog as learned too much. Think of your puppy’s brain as a sponge. When filled to the max it can no longer hold any more water. It’s the same with knowledge in the brain. If you work too long with your puppy he will eventually reach his maximum capacity of that knowledge for the time being. This means a break needs to be taken (how long the break needs to be will depend on your puppy). Signs of saturation are if the ears are held far back or sticking straight out to the side, or if your puppy seems sleepy, uninterested, and may even be laying down a lot during training.
Remember: You are teaching the Heel and Automatic Sit. When you are placing your puppy in a sit by your side you do not need to say the command “sit”. If you feel any additional commands are needed (try not to get into the habit of repeating a command more than twice though), you can give another “heel” while moving your puppy into a sit position at your left hand side. Telling your puppy to “sit” will only confuse him later on. Dogs are smart and they understand when an “automatic” sit is part of a command. Through repetition they learn to sit every time when it is needed in an exercise.
Homework: You need to spend 10-15 minutes a day working on the heel. You can break up the lessons throughout the day, but I suggest no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
Lesson Two: The Standard Sit and Down « Reply #2 on Feb 4, 2009, 4:10pm »
Lesson Two: The Standard Sit
When teaching your puppy to sit you do not need to have him at your left hand side, like you did for the heel. You are also allowed to use the command “sit” now. Remember: Heel = the puppy at your left hand side during walks and Sit = a standard sit regardless of where the puppy is.
The procedure for teaching the standard sit is the same as teaching your puppy the automatic sit in the heel exercise. The only difference is WHERE your puppy is and that this sit is not expected to be followed by a heel. Gather the bulk of your leash in your right hand and hold it above your puppy’s shoulders. With your left hand place it on the puppy's butt and gently push down. Because you taught the automatic sit first, your puppy should have a general idea of what you are doing and what you expect from him. However, just like in the automatic sit, if your puppy is resisting you gently pushing down on his bum you can gently sweep his back feet under him.
If you have a food motivated puppy you can use a low reward food (such as kibble; something your puppy will not get too excited about) and raise it above the puppy’s nose and over his head. Looking up to the treat will automatically cause your puppy to sit down (especially if you have your left hand on his bum to prevent him from backing up or spinning around). Keep in mind however; I am not a huge fan of treat training. If you feel you are getting no where without using treats and decide to use them; do not reward with a treat after EVERY accomplished exercise. This will create a dog that is dependent on a food reward, that is, a dog who will not work unless you have food for him! If your puppy is toy motivated, I would suggest using a toy instead of a treat if you find he is not getting the idea of you physically placing him in a sit.
Remember to give the command before placing your puppy in a sit, and give a lot of praise when he does sit!
You can repeat the exercise several times. Repetition and consistency are two main factor in dog training!
Down From the Side
A down from the side is when your dog downs while in a heel position. One important thing to keep in mind while teaching this command is that you don’t want your puppy to develop bad habits. One main bad habit that can form with this command is when the dog wraps his body or front end around your feet. You never want your dog to do this as it can cause you to easily trip! So keep this in mind while teaching the down from the side to prevent such bad habits from ever forming. Place your dog in a heel position (you can even try teaching this command after finishing a short heel exercise). Bend down to his level and gather the bulk of your lead in your left hand. Place this hand on your dogs shoulder blades gently. With your right hand “sweep” the puppy’s front legs forward while simultaneously gently pushing down on the shoulder blades with your left hand. While doing this motion, give the “down” command. Once your puppy is on the floor in a down position, give lots of praise! You can get him back into a sit position to repeat the command (or move onto another exercise) by patting your leg and telling him to “heel”. Patting your leg will encourage the puppy to stand up. If he does not sit, place him in one. Once your puppy is gaining the concept of the down (he is downing about 80% of the time when given a command) you can use your leash instead of your hands to guide him into a down during the other 20% of the time when he does not listen to the command given. When your puppy is at your left hand side, give the down command. If he does not listen, drop the bulk of your leash in front of you so that it creates a nice loop between you and the puppy. Tell your puppy “noooo… down” in a neutral tone (you are not punishing him, but rather reminding him) and place your left food on the leash and gently pull it down and forward. This will pull the puppy downwards and he should naturally go into a down position. When he does, praise! Remember; you are gently pulling the leash down with your foot, you are notstomping on it!
A Quick Note: Many people mistake the command “off” with “down”. Down is an obedience command meaning to lay down; whereas “off” means to get off something (used for when they jump on furniture, people etc). If you use “down” when your dog jumps on you it’s going to be a lot harder for him to learn the concept of not jumping on you, or when you catch him on the couch. “Off” should always be used separately from “down” to avoid confusion and help your dog learn quicker and respond better!
Sit & Down From the Front
Down from the front can be taught once your puppy has a general idea of the down from the side. The reason for teaching the down in two different positions at different times is because it is much easier to move your puppy into a down when he is at your side than it is when he is in front of you. Using your leash to place the puppy in a down in front of you is much, much easier! By now your puppy should have an idea of what the command “down means”. Dogs do not generalize, which is why you need to first teach your commands in a distraction free environment and then slowly (at your dogs pace) move up to more distraction filled environments; dogs do not generalize that listening to the command in the house or in the yard is the same as listening to it when something really interesting catches his eye!
For this same reason, we are now going to teach the puppy he needs to down anywhere, not just at your side. This will take less time and be much easier to teach than it was to teach the initial command.
Place your puppy in front of you and raise your hand above their nose (basically in an upward sweeping motion). If you used treats or toys to get your puppy into a sit, you can use them again here if he doesn’t get the idea. Give the command “sit”. If your puppy does not sit, tell him “no” and move forward and give him a slight tap on the butt as a reminder. This isn’t a smack or a spanking of any kind, just a tap with one or two fingers as a kind of “Hey! Your butt is supposed to go down!”. Most puppies will respond to the tap and verbal command and sit. When he does, praise!
To get him in a down, he needs to first be in a sit. I suggest practicing the sit in front a few times first until the puppy understands what you are asking from him. While the puppy is sitting, give the down command. If the puppy does not down when given the command give a neutral “noooo… down”. You want to have your leash loose in a loop between you and the puppy (just like you did when using the leash to place him in a down at your side, only it is pointed in another direction this time). Reach your foot forward and gently pull the leash down and towards you when giving the command down. If your puppy does not down or downs but crawls forward at the same time, give him the neutral “noooo…” and go to him and put him back to where you told him to down, and physically place him in a down. Crawling towards you when given a down command is a bad habit for your puppy to get into. It may not seem like a big deal now, but once your puppy is learning how to stay you will see why this can be such a bad habit for your puppy to learn.
Remember, praise for good behavior and give a neutral “noooo” for bad behavior, followed by SHOWING your puppy the correct thing to do!
Homework: You need to spend 10-15 minutes a day working on the standard sit and down. You can break up the lessons throughout the day, but I suggest no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
Lesson Three: Stay « Reply #3 on Feb 4, 2009, 4:12pm »
Lesson Three: Stay
For some puppies and dogs, stay is a very easy command to learn and perform, while others will find it their hardest challenge. Dogs with a lot of energy (the “antsy pants” types) will have a lot of trouble with this command. Since puppies are naturally full of energy, I suggest playing a quick game of fetch before teaching the stay command to relieve some of this pent up energy. You do not want your puppy completely exhausted (as this will hinder his learning abilities as well) but you want him worn out just enough that he can sit still for several seconds at a time.
By now your puppy should understand the sit and down command. You want your puppy to be in either position in front of you to set up for the stay. Sit can be easier to put your puppy back into when he breaks the stay (it is less time consuming), while a down is easier for a long stay. Since your puppy is just learning the command you will not be doing any long stays just yet so a sit will suffice.
Place your puppy in a sit and give the “stay” command. Step back just two steps. If your puppy follows you, give a neutral “noooo… stay” and place him back to either the same spot you had him in when the command was given, or further back. You do NOT want your puppy gaining any distance. If he does he will learn that moving forward is okay after the stay command is given; that you aren’t that serious about him staying where you put him!
Repeat putting him back until he stays for 2 whole seconds, two steps away. Return to your puppy and praise!
The better your puppy gets at staying, the more distance you can put between you and him and the longer you can expect him to stay for. Once you are taking 5 or more steps away, you want to make sure you are not backing away from your puppy, but rather turning right around and walking away. Some puppies will come forward when your back is turned, thinking he can sneak up on you! Keep an ear or eye on the puppy (use your peripheral vision, you do not want to be obviously looking at him) the second you hear or see him move get a “noooo” or “ah-ah!” go back to him and place him back to where he was or further back and repeat the “stay” command.
Once your puppy is staying when you walk away several steps, can turn your back on him, and he is staying for up to 10 seconds or more you want to stop returning to his front. Instead, walk around his left (your right) and walk behind him. He is allowed to turn his head to look at you but he can NOT move his butt. If he does give a “noooo” or “ah-ah” if he moves more than his head and place him back to where he was and repeat the “stay” command. You do not need to go back to your original spot where you were standing (though you can) but rather back to where he’d moved is fine. Stand there for a couple of seconds and continue moving behind him. If he moves, repeat the process. You want to be able to walk all the way around him and return to his right side (the puppy on your left [in a heel]) without him moving more than his head. Praise once you meet this goal!
Once you can walk all the way around your puppy with him moving no more than his head, try standing directly behind him for several seconds before continuing back to the heel position. Slowly increase time and distance behind him.
Remember: NEVER let your puppy gain distance! Always place him back in the same spot or farther back if he breaks from a stay!
Homework: You need to spend 10-15 minutes a day working on the stay. You can break up the lessons throughout the day, but I suggest no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
Lesson Four: Recall « Reply #4 on Feb 4, 2009, 4:15pm »
Lesson Four: Recall
The recall is one of the most important commands and one that many owners have difficulty teaching their dogs. The recall is so important because it can literally mean life or death for your dog if you encounter a danger while your dog is off leash. The problem most owners make when teaching their dog or puppy the recall is that they move too fast. A dog must 100% understand what you are asking of him before you add more distractions into the exercise.
Start with your puppy in a sit or down stay and walk away. Just like when you started teaching the stay command, you should only walk away a couple of steps. Give your dog the “come” command and encourage him to come to you by using your leash to “reel” him in towards you or by patting your leg. You can even run backwards when your puppy starts to come towards you. Running backwards will entice his play (prey) drive to chase after you.
Just like the heel command, the recall has an “automatic sit”. Many dogs develop the bad habit of coming just close enough to be out of their owners reach and then they run away. This is not an acceptable recall. Having your puppy sit right in front of you (where you can physically touch him) will prevent this habit from developing. When your puppy reaches you reach over his head and physically place him in a sit by gently pushing down on his butt. You can use your other hand to gently pull his front end up (just like you did when teaching the sit command). No “sit” command needs to be given, as this is an automatic sit. Praise your puppy from coming to you!
Repeat the process until you no longer need to physically place your puppy in a sit (he is doing it automatically) and you feel he has a good idea of what the recall means. Once this happens you can increase distance and also no longer place him in a stay before giving the command. Having your puppy in a stay means he knows he is doing obedience and is focusing on you to begin with. Try giving the recall command while your puppy is wandering around the house, not in “training mode”. If your puppy is not coming to you while he is not in training mode, he does not have an understanding of the recall command.
Remember: The automatic sit does not require a “sit” command. When you are teaching your puppy to come to you and are physically placing him in a sit in front of you, no command should be given. If you feel an extra command is need (though I advice never repeating your command more than twice) you can tell him “come”. Dogs are smart enough to understand that the automatic sit is part of the recall command!
Because the recall is so important, if you have a food motivated dog sporadically give him a “jackpot” reward when he comes to you. A jackpot reward is several yummy treats. By sporadically I mean, do not give the treats after every completed recall. If you have a toy motivated dog, you can use the toy as a reward (a short game of play) after he comes to you. Again, this should be done sporadically. You can hide the toy in your pocket or behind your back when you choose not to use it.
Once your puppy is gaining the concept of the recall (he is coming 100% of the time even while not in training mode around the house) you can add distractions. Distractions should always be added in slowly and only after the previous goal has been accomplished 100%. I suggest adding distractions in the house such as people. You can have someone roll a ball along the floor or walk past your puppy several times. (By this point, you should be doing these types of distractions for the stay command as well). Your puppy should be coming to you 100% of the time regardless of what distraction he is faced with inside of the house. The more distractions inside the house, the better! This may take several months but it is well worth in the end. Patience and persistence are extremely important, especially while training the recall command! If you can leave the front door open (have a helper stand on “door guard just in case your puppy decides to bolt) I think it is fair to say that your puppy is ready for distractions outside of the house. The next step in distractions is your back yard. While this may not seem like a big deal to you because your puppy goes outside to pee and is use to the environment, it is still a much larger distraction than inside your home.
Keep practicing the recall in your back yard off leash (presuming you have a fenced yard) until your puppy is coming to you 100% every time.
I can’t stress enough that moving too fast (adding too many distractions too fast) can break your puppy's recall for life. The best way to have a 100% solid recall is if your puppy never learns that running away from you is an option. If you prevent this from ever happening he will never know it’s a possibility! This is why with each new distraction added, you should always have your puppy back on a long line, even if with the previous distraction level he was coming on command 100% of the time off leash. A new distraction means a harder decision for your puppy to make and you want to have full control and never give him the option of ignoring you or running away from you!
If your puppy does run away from you or ignore you when a distraction is added and he is off leash, calmly (with no sound) walk up to your puppy and grab him by the collar (a “tab” or very short leash can come in handy for this) and give a firm “NO”. Bring him back to where you were standing when you told him to come and tell him “come”. Once at that spot and you have him placed in an automatic sit in front of you, give praise! The praise should be short and sweet; not as extravagant as if he’d come to you when you had originally called him. The reason why you are giving a firm “NO” instead of the usual neutral noooo is because not coming to you is absolutely NOT acceptable and your puppy must learn this. Giving praise when you place him in the automatic sit back where you’d called him from will teach him coming to you is the best option and it will also lower his stress (reprimanding a dog always causes their stress to go up).
Once your puppy’s recall is 100% off leash in your yard you can move to an even higher distraction; on leash at a park. Parks generally have less traffic than in town but have enough people or even other dogs to create a high distraction. Your puppy should always be on leash to start with until he is 100% reliable on leash in the park. You can then try off leash. Use the same reprimand you did in the back yard if he does not come to you when called.
Keep adding distractions and working slowly with your puppy, and eventually you will have a 100% solid recall! This definitely will not happen over night, and will be something you have to work with your dog for his entire life, but I can guarantee it will be well worth all the hard work! One of the number one complaints amongst dog owners who take my course is that their dog does not come when it is called. This is usually because the dog was not taught at a slow pace with distractions gradually added in as the dog progresses. It is also because the dog learned at some point that he can ignore the command or run away from his owner and get away with it. The big world out there is full of extremely interesting sights and smells to dogs, and it is far more rewarding than the dog’s silly ol’ owner! Giving your puppy enough mental and physical stimulation will also prevent him from seeking it on his own in other manners. Giving your puppy the best start in training is extremely important as well. Withholding a very important reward that your puppy holds in high value and only giving it to him when he comes back properly will also help teach a solid recall. This could be a type of treat he enjoys or a fun toy he only gets to play with if he comes to you!
Good Luck!
Homework: You need to spend 10-15 minutes a day working on the recall. You can break up the lessons throughout the day, but I suggest no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
Re: Puppy Obedience « Reply #5 on Feb 4, 2009, 9:19pm »
These are all really great lessons, and I will be referring back to them once our pup comes home. Neither of us have had a puppy before, so it will be a learning experience for all.
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