# Puppy Training... In General



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I think it's a personal choice for each person and each dog what works, but I don't let my dogs "play" with items that will be used later on in the ring. There are certain rules that apply with those items (like don't mouth, chew, bat with feet, etc) that I'd rather teach from the beginning than start out saying it's okay to do that and then change the rules on them later on. I really think at such a young age it's difficult to expect them not to do those things yet.

My dogs are allowed to play with their toys pretty much however they want to, so instead of giving them actual gloves, dumbbells, and articles to play with early on, I give them lots of items made of various types of materials to play with instead. I want them comfortable carrying things (especially metal) in their mouths. Play retrieves can be done with any of these things. Once formal retrieves begin, I only use items they have not been allowed to play with. I think it makes it clearer in their minds.

Also, heeling is not something to rush in teaching. All I would be doing with a pup this age is holding a treat above them and have them follow it for a few steps then give them a treat. No sits in heeling yet.


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> Also, heeling is not something to rush in teaching. All I would be doing with a pup this age is holding a treat above them and have them follow it for a few steps then give them a treat. No sits in heeling yet.


Maybe the only thing is that I wouldn't use the "heel" word. We didn't actually use the "heel" word until we got into novice classes and started teaching specific heel position. Our teacher actually wouldn't let us go more than two steps while she was teaching heel, because she wanted the dogs to know the precise heel position. 

We just used "let's go" instead of the "heel" command. I still wanted attention and a loose lead walk at my side, but it was a bit more relaxed. 

If you are teaching sits to her already (something I think is great), I would try to get her to do them at your side when you stop (using the treat or gently putting her into the sit). Basically to prevent her learning any bad habits like doing forged sits in front of you. 

- I just did the verbal "YES" because I definitely am not coordinated enough to do three things with only two hands. 


*** I thought I'd add some things that helped with us (or were fun)... 

1. Practice off leash "let's gos" and sits with lots of treats as a lure/guide. It's never too soon to learn how to handle your dog without a leash. 

2. Teach your puppy to get all "revved up" with the "READY" word. I used treats or toys and would take one step with my guy at my side and throw the item ahead for my guy to go get. Same thing with getting him revved up and taking off running and dropping into play position for him. Basically making the connection for the puppy between training and playing. 

3. Teach "go go" <- This is a little cheesy, but I taught my guy to prance with this. I'm not sure how to describe this, but it's getting in front with the treat just an inch from his nose and up a little and quickly backing up with the "go go go" command. And he'd get the treat when I saw that controlled drive forward + him picking his feet up and racking. Teaching him to drive forward towards you with the "go go go" also helps get more focused and more enthusiastic comes, so there is the sensible and functional reason to teach it.


----------



## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Dumbbell: In that thread I posted my criteria prior to working with the actual dumbbell. I ask the same of students, especially if they're serious, but sometimes they opt to just shape the behavior, which is NOT a -bad- choice, but it's not my 'recommended for minimizing errors and maximizing precision.' As much as I love shaping, I'm doing less of it in many contexts.

Clicker: I REALLY wish you could see Cecilie Koste's presentations at clickerexpo. Her obedience sessions are just ---brilliant--- and VERY much changed how I train (and inspired me to get my third dog just so I could do more of this!!). 

How to use the clicker? It depends. There are a LOT of right ways to do things. What we typically do for competition downs:

- Practice luring the dog into a fold back down (when luring, treat on nose like a magnet, the dog is literally licking the whole way). When the back end hits the ground and the dog is down, release the treat. Repeat quite a bit. When the dog/puppy is readily following the hand down with the speed you like. Don't do too many after that point. 
- At another time. Sit and do reading/computer/TV, watching your puppy. When she lies down on her own, click and toss the treat. Repeat. A lot. Until she's offering it.

And then, depending on how the dog is responding, we have some decisions to make; Fade the lure, add a verbal or visual cue to the lured down or add a verbal/visual cue to the offered downs. I typically do the latter. But most students do the first. You can get away without doing the luring at all, that's probably sometime superstitious on my part, but as we do a lot with 4H and adult dogs through that and in classes, many don't just have good fold back downs,a nd lots of puppies don't either until we've 'established' it with the capturing. 

As far as handling all the props and such... Agility right from the Start has great activities on working at this sort of thing. Practice without Gabby. Get good habits established. Video tape yourself. 

Using one prop isn't too difficult. Prop in one hand. Clicker in the other. The clicker hand can pull a treat out of a pocket, pouch, or table when needed.

Heeling foundation per Koste, (Coste?) is doing a pivot box exercise, front feet on a box and back feet going around (counter clockwise) and handler moving backwards, dog in front, following, close and straight, head up, attentive. Obviously limit durations and reps with a puppy.


----------



## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions... ok will eliminate the heel word. Thought I should familiarize see shows you what I know. LOL 

Great ideas RD. Gabby does do the fold back down, that was what my breeder taught me to teach her. She is an obedience trainer too. 

Just trying to get a good start doing the right things. I did sign up for a Bridget Carlsen seminar with both Teddi and Gabby. Haven't heard if I am in. It is in Feb in Toledo OH.

Did I tell you guys... Gabby did a FULL HEIGHT teeter. Ok before you lose ALL your air in your lungs, I caught the board just as she got to the tip point for her size. I held it and SLOWLY lowered it to the ground. I keep telling DH to LOWER THE TEETER and he keeps blowing me off. She has done it several times now, she thinks it is fun. She is at least getting used to the motion under her. We will put it down to 8" so she can play on it without mother having a heart attack. 

My agility jumps are still in the back yard along with Belle's board on crates. Gabby climbs over, through, around all that stuff already. She loves to climb. I need to get a picture of her scaling our gate in the basement before she officially learns it is a no no. So far she could care less if we tell her no, she scales and goes up stairs anyway, with us in hot pursuit. LOL


----------



## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Ann,

I love Janice Gunn - she has some DVDs out that address how to start preparing a youngster for competitive obedience and she is really great at training play etc. (Store | TNT Kennels)

I went to a Bridget Carlsen seminar and have to say, if I had the opportunity to go once a month, I'd go  She was absolutely wonderful and covered things I have never thought about before.


----------



## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

My dogs can chew, crunch, tug, shred and do whatever to their toys, but things we used for retrieve training, IE paint rollers, bumpers, wings, birds are never played with like toys. When I was teaching Mira as a pup, I did not know a whole lot, but I when I worked with the paint roller I started with just a hold. It was never thrown until she knew how to hold and give pretty well. I would not have let her chew on it. I did throw toys all the time and let her retrieve them, we had a mini wubba that was great for that. Same once we moved to bumpers, wings, and birds. She was taught the hold first and everything was backchained from there.

Sounds like you are having a blast with baby Gabby! When are you going to update us with pictures?!?!


----------

