Week 2
Complete
Hopefully you've had great success teaching the simple but oh-so-important behaviors this last week! Things might seem a little tougher as we go. You’ll definitely be participating with your puppy/dog a lot more. Here’s what’s on the agenda this week:
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​​​I highly recommend reading the following handout(s) this week if you haven’t already:
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Learn to Earn
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Markers
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Why the Place Command Should be Trained
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Motivation/Engagement
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4 Quadrants of Operant Conditioning
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How to Build Respect and Leadership
If you don’t have it/them already, return to the main course page and scroll down to the downloads.
4:29​
5:37
10:08
11:00
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6:33
9:17
47:04 Total
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​Intro to Leash Walking
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Free / Break
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Place
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Stay – With a Dog That Breaks the Stay
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Stay
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Kennel / Crate
1. Intro to Leash Walking
Complete
Description
Before you ever start actually walking your puppy/dog on a leash, it’s best to get them familiar with having one on and getting used to the feeling of a little pressure on their neck from it. If your puppy/dog never learns to pull on the leash from the very beginning, this is the best scenario possible! You will then likely have a dog that walks very nicely on leash!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Key points / Tips
Start by just letting the puppy/dog wear the leash and walk around with it on without you holding onto it at all.
Use the concept of luring to get your puppy/dog to follow your one hand while you pick the leash up in the other hand. Occasionally, just put light pressure on the leash.
Start walking along with your puppy/dog while using the concept of luring and putting just a little pressure on the leash from time to time. It’s not about pulling your puppy/dog another direction or anything, it’s just to get him/her used to feel of that slight tug – then lure him/her 90ï‚° or 180ï‚° as you turn. If he/she feels a little pull on the neck, that’s ok! He or she won’t be worried about it as the scent of that yummy food is followed! Once you stop using the food reward occasionally, he/she should start automatically looking up at you as you walk. You’re becoming more important than anything in front of around the two of you! BINGO!!!​​​​​​​​​​​​
Problem solving
If the puppy/dog is starting to pull on the leash, you are not luring him/her into a turn quickly enough. Make sure that food reward is right out in front of his/her nose as your going along.
Another “trick” you might try is when he/she starts to pull a little, stop and ask him/her for another behavior – maybe to sit. Incompatible behavior, right? If he/she is sitting, it’s impossible to pull on the leash! Regain his/her focus and start again.
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2. Free / Break
Complete
Description
Just like us at our full time jobs, our puppies/dogs need a break once in a while! So if we get two 10-15 minute breaks and a 30-60 minute lunch break for working an 8 hour shift, think about how your dog should get maybe a 30 second or one minute break a few times during a 15-20 minute training session. I’d recommend one quick “reset” for every two-3 minutes worked, like us getting a break about every 2 hours in an 8 hour work day.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Key points / Tips
Once you give the free or break “command”, let it be just that. Don’t ask your puppy or dog for ANYTHING until you’re ready to start working again.
Let’s say your dog is on a break and he/she goes and puts front feet up on furniture he/she isn’t supposed to. Rather than yelling “off” and subsequently going into a training session focusing on the off command, how about simply redirecting the dog by throwing a food reward another direction? Is this rewarding bad behavior? Hmmmm. Maybe. But if it doesn’t continue to happen, it’s just fine! Redirect the pup or dog from the furniture and maybe use the hand signal for the watch me a couple times and toss a treat to him or her for making eye contact. He/she is still on a break – you’re not using the watch me command but just seeing if he/she will make eye contact upon a simple hint. You’re just playing a little game while he/she is still on a break.​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Problem solving
I don’t really have any pointers for problem solving when it comes to the break. It’s not something you’re training your dog to master. It’s just giving him/her a little bit to reset. I guess maybe the only problem you might have is if you forget to offer the dog or break and he/she starts to burn out in the training session. Or maybe the break offered is too long and he/she doesn’t want to go back to work! You’ll figure out how to fine tune it on your own.
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3. Place
Complete
Description
I have a whole handout about why we should teach the place command – “Why the Place Command Should be Trained”! Make sure you download it and read it! The place command can help with a lot of behavioral issues, can help you keep your dog safe, and can help your dog have better manners. It’s “the duct tape of dog training”!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Key points / Tips
Don’t try for too much at once. You may need to use successive approximation (rewarding the dog for his/her every small attempt toward accomplishing the desired behavior.​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Problem solving
If he/she is hesitant about the “place” you’re using, you may need to use something else. Some dogs don’t like to get up on the raised beds at first. If successive approximation doesn’t work, maybe try using a bath towel for “place” instead of a raised bed.
If the puppy/dog goes near the “place” but not actually onto it, the timing of your reward isn’t right. By timing, I also mean that it incorporates location. You might have rewarded by using successive approximation but never truly completed training the full behavior, so the puppy/dog thinks it’s doing the right job just by getting near it.
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4. Stay *TWO video links below
Complete
Description
I shouldn’t have to explain what this is and why we should train it! It’s one of the four “if you don’t train ANYTHING else, you must train”… watch me, nose touch, stay and recall! Sit, down and all those other things are really just fun tricks compared to these four things.​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Key points / Tips
The 3 D’s!!! Duration FIRST. Don’t even move off at first! Just ask your puppy/dog to stay and mark and reward withing a SECOND! Work on adding a couple seconds in increments as you start to move a foot away at a time.
As you move further away, go back to a shorter duration to help the dog succeed.
Don’t even consider training stay around distractions until you’ve got some decent duration and distance. I’d recommend that you can go at least 10 feet away for a total of a minute before you start working on stay around any distractions.
You must put the puppy/dog back EXACTLY where he/she was if he/she breaks the stay. Try not to say anything except maybe your negative marker – “no” or “eh-eh”. Don’t put him/her back in position and then reward! Then that’ll become the new game! No reward until the behavior is done properly!
ALWAYS return to the dog to reward him/her. When a dog receives a reward, he/she learns that the last thing he/she did is what “worked”. If you ask the dog to stay and that call it to you to give the reward, you’re rewarding for the recall, not the stay!
DON’T allow yourself to get frustrated! This can be a tough behavior to teach. Remember how important it is to keep training sessions fun for the puppy/dog (AND you!) and remember you must always set him/her up for success. Baby steps when you teach the stay!​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Problem solving
The dog pops out of the sit or down between marking the behavior (say “yes”) and rewarding. Your duration or distance is too much. Go back to an easier stage for the dog, get to where you can mark the behavior but wait a couple/few seconds before rewarding.
If the dog breaks the stay and starts coming to you, like I said above, try not to say anything except maybe your negative marker – “no” or “eh-eh”. Don’t put him/her back in position and then reward! Then that’ll become the new game! No reward until the behavior is done properly!
Video *NOTE - TWO videos​​​​​​​​​​​​
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5. Kennel / Crate
Complete
Description
Not everyone is a fan of “crate training”. I get it, and I’m not here to tell you it’s something you have to do! I do recommend you at least train the behavior of getting your puppy/dog to crate or kennel on command, though, so you might be able to use it in a pinch. It can also be great if your puppy/dog starts having issues with separation anxiety.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Key points / Tips
Use the same method you used to teach “place”.
Let the puppy/dog get comfortable going in/out of the kennel/crate before you ever consider closing the door!
Problem solving
If your puppy/dog is hesitant to go into the kennel/crate, remember successive approximation – reward every little attempt toward the desired behavior. This may be as extreme as rewarding for the puppy/dog even looking in the direction of the kennel/crate at first!
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