Training

Week One

 

Sit
Teaching your dog a reliable Sit is very important. Once your dog has mastered the Sit cue,
he will do it every time you ask, the first time you ask. If he does not do this,
continue practicing. The secret is to teach your dog the action before you teach him the
word. To do this, you’ll need some small bite-size treats handy.
Hold the treat in your hand between your thumb and index finger
Keep your palm open, facing the ceiling
Hold the treat slightly in front of your dog’s nose
Slowly lift the treat above your dog’s head- this will cause your dog to look up
As your dog looks up, he should Sit
Mark the behavior with your clicker or marker word as his bottom hits the floor
Reward your dog while he is sitting
Give your dog his release word to let him know he’s done
Don’t say “Sit” yet. Your dog needs to master the action first. If you say the word before
your dog understands the action, he’ll become immune to the word. When your dog sits
every time you use the hand motion, you can add the word.
Say “Sit”
Raise your hand slightly above and over your dog’s head
Mark the behavior
Reward the behavior
Release the behavior
You should ask your dog to Sit as many times as possible throughout the day, especially
before you pet him, feed him or give him a treat. When you go for walks, ask him to sit
at every corner. Soon enough, your dog will have a reliable Sit.
Loading the Clicker
Loading the clicker means pairing the sound of the clicker with something valuable to the dog
(like a treat). Here’s how to do it:
Pair clicker with treat
Click and treat
Repeat several times until your dog is responding to the clicker
Wait for your dog to look away, then click
Continue practicing until your dog looks for a treat when he hears the clicker sound; that
means he’s figured out the association.
Watch Me
If you don’t have your dog’s attention, you can’t teach him anything. So, the first thing to work
on is the Watch Me cue.
When your dog is looking away, say, “Dog’s name, Watch Me”
When he looks at you, reward him with a treat or praise
Gradually increase the time by withholding the treat for several seconds
Practice every time you want to get your dog’s attention
If you can’t get your dog’s attention by saying his name, try using a treat to lure him.
Say your dog’s name as you hold a treat in front of his nose
Slowly move the treat toward your face as you say, “Watch Me”
Hold the treat between your eyes for several seconds
Once your dog is consistently following the treat, try luring him without it
Adding a Marker/Release
Every time you ask your dog to perform a behavior you need to “Mark” that behavior with either
a word or a clicker (the clicker lets you “click” your approval with a consistent sound every time).
That way your dog will know when he has done something you want him to do. When your dog
is done, be sure to use your release word so he’ll know that he’s finished.

 

Potty Training
Potty Training your puppy as early as possible, increases your joy of having a dog, and makes
the relationship with your dog much stronger.
Keep the dog in a location where he will not eliminate; or it’s okay if he does eliminate.
Take the dog out on a schedule using the same route, and go to the same spot for each
trip.
Take him out on a leash if the dog is likely to get distracted or want to play.
If the dog eliminates outside, reward w ith food or praise and then let him walk around or
play in the yard (if safe to do so).
If the dog has an accident when nobody is looking, you can not scold the dog, because
he won’t remember what he did that deserved scolding.
If the dog is caught in the act of eliminating inside, interrupt him without startling him
and take him outside to finish. Scolding the dog for eliminating inside usually causes the
dog to hide when he eliminates.
Stress (visitors, schedule changes, holidays, and busy household) can cause the dog to
have accidents. Supervising more closely and taking him out more regularly should fix
the problem.
If a dog that was previously housebroken (i.e. NO accidents for a few months or more)
and suddenly starts having accidents, it’s time to visit a vet. A dog that has an accident
once every week or two would not be considered housebroken.
When confining a dog, a good rule of thumb for how long they can hold their
bladder is: the dog’s age in months, plus one, equals the number of hours. For example,
a 4-month old dog could probably hold his bladder 5 hours, in an appropriately
sizedkennel. Just ensure there isn’t anything absorbent in the crate and the crate should
be placed in a non distracting area.

Week Two

 

Loose Leash Walking
Loose Leash Walking is one of the most important things you can teach your dog. You’ll both
enjoy walks more once you’ve mastered this skill. Remember, this is not heeling. Heeling is
much more controlled and good to use when you’re in a crowded situation. Loose Leash
Walking is for everyday walks. There are a couple of steps involved in teaching Loose Leash
Walking.
Part 1 -Teach your dog to stand nicely without pulling on the leash.
Have a few bite size treats ready
Relax and hold the leash against your body
Reward your dog for being calm and paying attention
If he pulls out to the end of the leash, don’t move and don’t try to reel him back in
Wait for your dog to return to you
When he does, reward him
Now you’re ready to move on to:
Part 2 – Taking your first step.
Say “Dog’s name, Let’s Go” and take a step
If your dog dashes out to the end of the leash, STOP and WAIT
When he returns to you, start over
Your dog will learn that by not pulling, the walk continues; this is called a life reward.
Instead of using a treat, continuing the walk is the reward
Practice every time you go for a walk
Sit for Greeting
Dogs will jump on you for many reasons. Remember, this is normal dog behavior. However, it’s
your job to teach him an alternative behavior.
In order to discourage the jumping you may have to change some of your own behavior. For
example, when you come home and your dog greets you at the door by jumping all over you,
what do you do? Do you reach down and pet him? You could be inadvertently teaching your dog
that it’s okay to jump on you when you come in the front door. In th is situat ion, by petting your:dog
you are rewarding him for jumping (petting is the reward). Rather than pet your dog when
you come home, ask him to sit, then pet him. If he gets up, stop petting him and walk away. After
doing this a few times, your dog will learn that he only gets your attention when he is sitting nicely.
Never use your dog’s collar to hold him down. Also, do not “knee” him in the chest, step on
his paws, or pinch his front feet to discourage jumping. This will only cause your dog to fear you
coming home. And remember, don’t allow visitors or anyone else to pet him unless all four paws
are on the floor.

 

Week Three

 

Down
Teaching your dog to lie down will help you prevent some unwanted behaviors. If your dog
is in a down position he cannot jump on you or your guests. It also helps your dog to relax
when he is overly excited. You’ll use the same luring method you used when teaching Sit.
Teaching your dog to lie down will help you prevent some unwanted behaviors. If your dog
is in a down position he cannot jump on you or your guests. It also helps your dog to relax
when he is overly excited.
Start with your dog in the Sit position
Hold a treat between your thumb and forefinger with your palm facing the floor
Keep the treat close to your dog’s nose
Slowly, lower your hand to the floor -your dog’s head should follow your hand
Move your hand around the outside of your dog’s body toward his rear end -this will cause
his head to follow your hand around, resulting in his body sliding into a down position
Mark/click when your dog is completely in the down position
Reward the behavior, then give the release word
Down can be difficult for some dogs. You may need to break this down into smaller steps. If
your dog doesn’t lie down, you can do what we call shaping the behavior. This means
mastering one portion of the behavior at a time.
Follow steps one through four
Mark the behavior when your dog lowers his head
Once he is consistently lowering his head, stop marking/rewarding that behavior
Now, lure his head around the side of his body and mark/reward that behavior
Continue along these lines until your dog is completely in a down position You may have to
break the steps down even smaller. Remember to be patient and your dog will soon master this
position.
Take It & Leave It
It’s important to teach your dog what he can and cannot put in his mouth. Start slowly and set
your dog up for success.
Put a small treat in your hand
If your dog tries to grab the treat, close your hand and say, “Leave It”
Once your dog stops grabbing for your hand, open your hand and offer him the treat while
saying, “Take It”
When you get to a point that your dog waits for you to say “Take It,” you can increase the
difficulty.
Drop a treat on the floor
If your dog goes for it before getting permission, cover the treat with your foot while saying,
“Leave It”
Your ultimate goal is for your dog to look at you for permission before picking something up
in his mouth. When training this cue, reward your dog with a different treat than the one you
have placed on the floor.
Drop It
There will be times when your dog picks something up that she shouldn’t have in his mouth. For
instance, if your dog picks up something like dropped medication or a sharp utensil, the cue Drop
It could save his life. The best way to teach your dog Drop It is by playing tug.
Offer a tug toy to your dog (you can use Take It)
Play with your dog for a few minutes
Stop playing and wait for him to release the toy
If your dog continues to tug, STOP and WAIT
When he gives up the toy, mark the behavior (with your clicker or marker word) and give
him a treat
When your dog is consistently letting go of the toy every time you stop, add in the words, “Drop
It”
Play with your dog
Stop playing and say, “Drop It”
Mark the behavior
Reward
Once your dog understands Drop It you can practice using other toys like a tennis ball or stuffed
toy.

 

Week Five

 

Fading the Lure
Once your dog begins responding consistently to the lure, you can start Fading the Lure.
Remember to do this randomly; otherwise, your dog will start to sense a routine. Start by
luring and rewarding every time. Then:
Lure, but don’t use the lure reward as a reward each time
Lure into position but use a different treat as the reward
Use only the verbal cue, then reward with a hidden treat
Use verbal cue and no reward
The goal is to have your dog respond every time in anticipation of the reward . He should
never know which time will earn the treat.
Stay
Stay means, “Remain in the position I tell you to until I say otherwise.” In the beginning you
will onl work on teaching your dog to stay for a period of time (called duration). As you
progress through pet training classes you will work on two other steps, adding distance and
distractions.
Start with your dog in the Sit position
Say, “Stay” as you give the hand signal (open palm held flat in front of the dog)
Count to three and calmly reward your dog
Count to three again and give your release word
It’s important to reward your dog while he is in the Stay position, not when you give the
release word. Remember, the reward is for staying in place. If your dog tries to get up or move
before you have given the release word, say “EH” as he starts to move.
Once your dog is consistent at Sit-Stay, you can start building on the time. Add three to five
seconds at a time until you get to a 30 second stay. This behavior takes time and patience.
Don’t rush to get to 30 seconds, take it slowly. If you’re dog is having a hard time, you may
have to go back to working on just Sit cue.
Loose Leash Walking & Greeting
Practice greetings when you’re out walking your dog. Every time someone wants to pet your
dog, ask your dog to Sit. Encourage him to Sit every time someone wants to pet him. This is
especially useful when children are involved.
You can practice this using friends and family members. Have someone approach you and your
dog while you are Loose Leash Walking. As the person approaches, ask your dog to Sit. If your
dog tries to jump on the person petting him, calmly say, “Let’s Go” and start to walk in the
opposite direction. Another option is to have the person petting the dog to stop and walk away.
Shake
Spend some time working on Shake. Using a clicker will make this go faster. Break the trick down
into simple steps:
Get your dog to lift his paw off of the floor- mark the behavior
Have your dog touch your hand with his paw – mark the behavior
Have your dog lift his paw higher to touch your hand – mark the behavior
Add the verbal cue, Shake
Before you know it, your dog will know a new trick!
Come with Sit
This is a great way to avoid some potential problems. The last thing you want is to call your dog
to you, have him grab a treat and dash off. This is called “Dine and Dash” behavior. By now your
dog should Sit on cue almost every time. He should also be coming when called fairly consistently.
To add a Sit to Come when called, follow these easy steps:
Start in a standing position
Call your dog to come to you (use the technique you learned in Week Four)
Cue your dog to Sit with either a verbal cue or hand signal
Mark/click when your dog is sitting in front of you
Do not give a release word immediately. You want to teach your dog to stay sitting in front of
you until you tell him differently. It won’t take long before your dog automatically sits each time
he comes to you.