2 Puppy training questions

Hi. I have a nearly 11 week old black lab puppy that I got at 8 weeks old. Seems very responsive, smart & quick to learn. Working through Pippa's 'Labrador Handbook' I started with 'food manners' and 'hand touch', then went on to successfully working through the first 3 stages of recall (haven't done proofing yet). Now I find while re-reading Pippa's 'Total Recall' that most pups are ready for this between 4 - 5 months and I have gone on to basic recall with my puppy already at 11 weeks (to which she has responded quite well). One thing I HAVE noticed is that she will now often sit and wait to be called instead of freely chasing me when I run or walk away. What is the best thing to do now? Go back to step 2 and leave basic recall till 4 months old? Continue, since she responded? Is there harm in keeping it up?

The other question I have is this: In teaching our puppy to leave her food alone until I tell her, I have established the command 'OK!' to 'release her' from waiting to eat her food. Can I use the same command ('OK!') to release her from a sit/wait? Or is that '2 different things' and merit a second command like 'Free!'??

 

Hi there, you can use the same release cue for all kinds of different behaviors. You can also release a dog from a behavior with another cue. So for food, I use the cue 'take it'. But the release cue 'OK' is also fine

. I'm not sure if you are saying that the act of running away is triggering the puppy to sit. Or that you are running away from her after telling her to sit. But either way, with modern training it is always fine to go back and rehearse an earlier stage. Rather than worrying too much about age, if your puppy has thoroughly mastered one exercise or game, then its ok to move on to the next level. If you find the puppy is making mistakes, then just go back and spend a bit longer on the easier exercises. Ages are useful guidelines, but every puppy is different. You'l find there are times when you make quick progress, and times when everything slows down. Quite often if you find you are racing ahead, you'll hit a point where you get stuck for a little while. It all evens out in the end. Good luck with your puppy!

 

Thank you so much - VERY helpful! Another quandary I've run into: I live at an intentional community, with many other families, and in many instances their dogs. It is much like a small village, we all share the same grounds, lawns etc. I do not have a fenced in private back yard, but plenty of good places to take & train my puppy. To get there however I do need to pass other dogs/families, situations where i don't feel happy yet to have my puppy off the lead or running freely. From what I understand it would be best not to put my 3 month old puppy on a lead (as she hasn't been trained to 'heel' yet), but how then do I take her with me when I am wanting to take her, let's say to our small lake and adjoining field?

 

Thanks for the feedback. She has had her full vaccines, but only just. I've only taken her places where friends & family go that have fully vaccinated dogs, and nobody else - had been under the impression that that would be fine, but maybe not? I've been doing loose leash training for a couple weeks & she responds well; it's just that we have acres of 'safe' land and places our family walks to that I'd like to take our puppy along to and preferably have her walk (vs being carried) so wondering if putting her on a leash when she isn't 'leash trained' yet can be detrimental...

 

Thank you, very helpful.

Another question, should somebody be able to help: Apparently it is a good thing to let your puppy mouth you gently instead of insisting on 'no bite whatsoever' from the start. "Eventually" one is to insist the dog stops mouthing though. Our puppy is over 4 months old. At what age/point can we/should we teach her to stop mouthing us?