Posts

Showing posts from May, 2025

Week 1 Notes, Homework, and Videos

Image
  NOTE 1:   PUPPY SHOULD ALWAYS BE TRAINED ON A LEASH  AND COLLAR (MAKE SURE IT CANNOT NOT THEIR HEAD) OR A METAL TRAINING COLLAR.  NOTE 2:  EXCEPT FOR" SIT ON THE DOG" AND "PUPPY RELAX FOR EXAM" EXERCISES, 5 MINUTES SHOULD BE PLENTY TO TRAIN THE PUPPY.  IT SHOULD CERTAINLY BE NO LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES AT EACH SESSION. NOTE 3:  TRAINING THE PUPPY WITH THEIR KIBBLE AT MEAL TIMES IS AN IDEAL TIME TO TRAIN THE LURED SITS AND DOWNS, PLACE, AND LURED HEELING EXERCISES. NOTE 4:  ALWAYS BE IN A GOOD, CALM MOOD BEFORE TRAINING, AND KEEP THAT THROUGH THE TRAINING.   PUPPY TRAINING IS VERY LOOSE.  YOU WILL GET THERE AND YOUR DOG WILL GET THERE.  DON'T BECOME FRUSTRATED.  SOME DAYS WILL BE HARDER THAN OTHERS EVEN AFTER YOU GET GOING. NOTE 7:  FOOD DELIVERY SHOULD BE IN CLOSED HAND UNTIL YOU SAY YES AND/OR THE DOG BACKS OFF FROM YOUR HAND. NOTE 8:  YOU ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO WORK AN HOUR A DAY WITH YOUR PUPPY.  IF YO...

Week 1 Relax for Exam

   Relax for Examination: STEP 1:    The owner should be in a seated position somewhere comfortable. STEP 2:   Hold the puppy on your lap on their back. STEP 3:    Any time the puppy squirms or struggles, just hold them to you firmly. STEP 4:    When the puppy is calm ONLY (do not do this while mouthing ET, because we are teaching to be calm when being examined) start examining each part of her body (paws, in between toes, ears, belly as if for ticks, legs ***this can also show you any unusual growths or changes***, teeth, ET). Do this for about fifteen minutes while watching TV or relaxing in bed each day.

Week 1 Play Training with Flirt or Tug

    NOTE:  ANY TOYS USED IN PLAY TRAINING ARE ALWAYS JUST USED FOR PLAY TRAINING.  YOUR DOG CAN HAVE OTHER TOYS, BUT THIS TOY ONLY COMES OUT FOR PLAY TRAINING SESSIONS. If you want to know more about play training, check out this series on my business blog,  play training series .  This is more of a series on why it is valuable and things to avoid. STEP 1:   Typically, if your dog knows it, put your dog in a sit while you get the flirt pole. STEP 2:   When you are ready, use your release word "yes" and wiggle the toy at the end of the bungee on the pole like play.   If your dog or puppy are not the most graceful, remember you want them to get the lure.   The object is NOT to keep the lure from them as long as you can.   Therefore, you need to modify your style to the dog you are working with. STEP 3:   When your dog gets the toy in their mouth, praise them.  I usually say "Good Boy" or "Good Hunter"....

Week 1 Long Place

  Explanation and Goal:  This teaches your dog that you might very well be in a seated position when they are in a place (while the third step has started the idea that you may be moving around the room).  This is tricky for dogs as they usually want to be petted or cuddled when you take a seat, but it is important that owners have time to read, work, eat a meal, and so on, without constantly needing to pay attention to their dog.  Usually, this is eventually used for half an hour or an hour. It is like a crate without walls. It allows your dog to feel more included, but they are responsible for staying there until released. This command is valuable when you need to move them out of the way to do chores and/or you have company over.  EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO START:  Place object (something with boundaries, feels different than the floor, elevated is nice but not necessary) Dogs beds, heavy folded blankets, cots, pallets and so on wo...

Week 1 The First Three Steps of Place

   Send to Place : THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PLACE (STEP 1): STEP 1:   Position your place equipment in the middle of the room. STEP 2:  Start walking your dog around the room. STEP 3:   Walk with your dog over the place area.   When all four paws are in place, say "place". STEP 4:   Repeat step three from every angle of the place mat or bed (remember dogs can totally interpret something as "just from this direction", so help them to learn to generalize the command by doing this). STEP 5:  After several (15 or so) repeats of this, stop short of the mat, and see if the dog is ready to step on themselves.   SEND TO PLACE (STEP 2): STEP 1:   You still have a leash and collar on your dog.   The place (board, mat, dog bed) item is in the middle of the room so you can walk around it, and use all sides to place your dog (so that they do not generalize). STEP 2:    Now as...

Week 1 (1) Lured Sit, (2) Lured Down, (3) Leave It (4) Follow the Hand (5) Off

THE FOLLOWING ARE ALL LURING EXERCISES.   I SOMETIMES USE ONE OF THEIR MEAL TIMES TO DO THESE.  I WOULD WORK ALL OF THESE FOR 5-10 MINUTES IF YOU CAN AND JOEY DOES NOT GET FLAT. ALSO, IF JOEY IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH A PARTICULAR EXERCISE, YOU CAN PRACTICE THAT EXERCISE ALONE FOR NO LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES LATER. THE GOAL FOR THIS WEEK IS JUST TO GET JOEY USED TO THE POSITIONS AND COMMANDS. EXERCISE 1 Lured Sit:  NOTE:  YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO LURE HER FOR THIS ONE.  DO USE THIS BEFORE LURING THE DOWN THOUGH. STEP 1:    Take the treat and hold it right up to their nose (do not snatch it away if they jump or keep it far from their nose). STEP 2:   Then you move the treat past their head and over their rump area.    Make sure they follow your hand and that you do not move it too quickly. STEP 3:    Once their bum is on the floor and their two front feet are also on the floor, give them the food reward and say "sit...

Week 1 Sit On The Dog

Image
Exercise: Sit on The Dog (do not confuse with the down exercise later on) Equipment needed: Metal Training Collar (for puppies a flat collar will due but be sure they can't slip their head out if it's too loose), 6' leather lead (for puppies inexpensive lead or clothes line lead), chair for handler to sit on that they aren't too worried about (IE an antique chair would not be a good idea, especially for a dog that might try to chew something other than their toy while you aren't watching, but a good metal folding chair will do), silence which means no verbal commands, praise, or corrections. Also no conversations of any sort with your dog. Objective and Goals: This exercise starts the leadership portion of dog (or puppy) training in a very non confrontational way. You are defining the space and activity that the dog will inhabit while you are engaged in other activities. It starts the process of showing the dog how to quiet themselves down during certain ti...