Week 3 Play and Engagement for Training

 Equipment:  

15' long line

Training Collar or Slip Leash

Chuck-it type ball (easier for puppies) OR other favorite toy

NOTE:  THIS WORKS BEST IF THERE IS A SPECIAL BALL ONLY USED FOR PLAY TRAINING.

Explanation:  Play training is different than traditional obedience training.  When you use this in addition to traditional playing, you increase engagement, give your dog a job, and make the training session fun for both of you.  While this is playing, the difference in engagement is that you are working towards a goal for something.  

STEP 1:  Have your dog or puppy near you on the long line.  
STEP 2:  Throw the ball as you say "get it".
STEP 3:  (Super important for bringing back) Wait until your puppy or dog latches onto the ball before saying "let's go".   DO NOT say "good boy/girl" or "let's go" until they have a grip on the ball.

NOTE:   If they don't go after the ball, first make sure you have not picked out a time when the puppy or dog is tired or has already trained enough.  Remember, you want to do this when the puppy or dog is fresh and ready to go.  If they are, but something has just distracted them or inhibited them, go towards the ball yourself with the puppy or dog.  They will normally go and grip it after this.

​STEP 4:   Make sure your dog comes towards you.   If they drop the ball along the way, it's not a big deal.   It's okay, almost every dog eventually brings back the ball because they realize you are going to throw it again.   However, if they do bring back the ball, make a big deal of it.
STEP 5:  Now it is time to get the ball.   You don't want to make an issue of it and inadvertently make the puppy or dog inhibited.   

NOTE:  In the beginning days or weeks, I hold the ball until the puppy or dog voluntarily gives it up. Later on, you can nonchalantly say out, and hopefully the puppy or dog does not give up too much of a fight.  If they do, I just pet the dog beside me and hang out and wait for them to drop the ball.  So the point is, you don't want the puppy or dog to get the idea that he is going to be forced to give up the ball with undue force at this time, as in the beginning, you want the puppy or dog to be "up" for the game.  

STEP 6:  Options for the next step could include.
  1. Just starting the fetch toy to you, the handler. The goal would be to increase the duration of play or the actual return of the toy to you, the handler.  This could be four times in a row or 3 sets of 4 in a row when you get going.
  2. Sits without jumping on you first. For obedience exercises like this, you would want to work towards 4 in a row (sitting right away, not jumping, and not needing verbal or leash correction) for 3 sets.
  3. Let's Go to come towards you.  For obedience exercises like this, you would want to work towards 4 in a row (moving towards you with the ball) for 3 sets of 4 in a row (returning right away each time "Let's Go" is Given).
STEP 7:  Immediately on correct performance (and only on correct performance) throw the ball.

STEP 8:  Repeat, but be sure to end it with the puppy or dog wanting to continue the play.  You don't want to end with a tired dog now bored with the game.  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 1 Three Stages to Teach the Place Command In

Image
 Description of the place command:   The place command, when finished, allows you to send your dog to a bordered object on the floor (a folded quilt or blanket, a cot, or a dog bed are some examples) where your dog can stay until you release them for a period of time and they can be comfortable for a period of time, while you do something else. This exercise also helps your dog to have impulse control, and learn they can’t be the center of everything all of the time. Equipment needed:  Leash, Collar, and Place Object (something that feels different than the floor like a blanket, cot, or dog bed) You could also use food with a food motivated dog for this exercise, especially if they are skittish at first about walking over the place object.  Just lure the with the food going over the place object, if you can. STAGE 1:  INTRODUCING THE PLACE OBJECT STEP 1:    Position your place equipment in the middle of the room. STEP 2:  Start walking your dog ar...
Read more

Week 2 Sit Stay with Distractions (Circle Sit Stays)

Image
  Equipment Needed:  6' Leash, Training Collar (or slip leash can be used instead for both)  Dog Barking Sound and Visual YouTube File  Just Dog Barking YouTube File Explanation and Goal of Exercise:  Great for keeping a dog stationary when doing chores around the house.  Stationing a dog in any human or canine social environment when needed.  To keep the dog from greeting too enthusiastically by learning to wait and greet when allowed.  There are many other uses for this exercise.    The dog is required to perform the position of the command, and stay there until the release word "yes" is given. This is also the beginning of the dog understanding that when you move, the rules of stay remain the same. The handler/owner will first increase the duration, then add distractions, and finally add distance from the dog to this exercise.   NOTE: AS DISTRACTIONS AND DISTANCE ARE ADDED TO THE EXERCISE, IT IS ENTI...
Read more

Week 1 Long Place

Image
  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 a half 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.     Long place is technically the 4th step in teaching the place command:      First step is intro.  Intro is just walking the dog and letting them pass over it.  "Place"...
Read more