Ok, I'm starting to get a little tied in knots with the puppy training, so hopefully some of the experienced members will be able to keep us right. Of course there is lots to teach Truffle, and I am using both the Happy Puppy Book and the Labrador Handbook for guidance, plus a little Dr Sophia Yin. What I'm not too sure about is exactly how to run the daily training sessions. I have approximately 3, morning, noon and afternoon, of course if she's causing trouble and full of beans we might do something extra too, and there are always little things to reinforce as we go during the day anyway. In each session I might do 3-5 minutes each of e.g. Hand targeting, food manners, lead walking. Then the lunchtime session might be recall, grooming, hand manners, and the pm session a mixture of things from the am and lunch sessions. My main worry is that I am trying to teach too many things at once; is this the case? Should I pick one or two things to train and focus heavily on those for a few days at a time instead, or is that too much for them? Is 3 main sessions about right, or too many/ few? Thanks, I just so want to get this right.
It really does depend on the puppy, I think. Generally, of the things I hear new puppy owners say they do....I'd say: Don't 'mix things up' - so don't train sit-down-stand until you really have a great response to each three separately and they are properly on cue. Read up about what 'properly on cue' means. Start proofing things in your kitchen/garden. Read up about what 'proofing things' means. Eg proof sit against someone ringing the doorbell (or whatever - throwing food in front of the puppy). Start a training session with focus and a cue to start e.g. 'ready' and end a session with 'finished' (or whatever you choose). Expect your puppy to stay engaged until you say 'finished' - if she can't, you are training for too long or she needs more breaks. It's much better to get 3 perfect reps and stop, than do 10 and only have 5 right. Doing 30 seconds in the kitchen while you wait for the kettle to boil is really useful. If it all goes wrong, ask your dog for a hand touch, give him a biscuit, and stop. Apart from that, you can train as long as your puppy is engaged and concentrating and being successful.
Thanks @JulieT She always seems keen to train, as she is desperate to earn her nibbles! Of course we started with sit, which she offers a lot as we started out ignoring jumping and rewarding sitting, so this week I've started naming the sit. I'll leave Down and Stand until we have Sit nailed then, thanks.
I didn't start with sit. She was 4 months old, before I thought 'best do sit'. I trained 'release' before I trained sit. I also trained hand touches, recall, leave it, take it, place boards and a retrieve chain before I trained 'sit'.
New things, I'd say one or two a week. Practice? I think the time is more important than quantity of commands (not too many sessions, not too long a session) I start with 3-5 minute sessions at 8 weeks, then work up to half hour sessions at 12 months, two sessions a day. Lead work and outdoor work is separate. Of course, lots of training goes on outside 'formal' sessions. Our first thing we teach is waiting at meal times for the whistle - this starts the moment weaning begins! Then, in this order - Indoor recall Recall from room to room Recall from the garden Sit Down Upsit Stand Wait (in the down) Wait (in the sit) Wait (in the stand) Stay Touch Leave it Drop it
Oh, man, I looked at some of my old video the other day. They were all over the place I think you're fine working on different things in different training sessions. So, you can work on A in the morning, B at lunchtime and C in the afternoon. Just don't do A, B and C all in one session, until they are all very strong behaviours independently. Sometimes a bit of a break from something helps, too, so leave A out for a day here and there. I did the traditional route of teaching sit, then down then yada yada yada, but I wouldn't do that the next time. I think the things you mention - recall, hand targeting, no mugging, general handling - are all far more important and what I'd approach first. I would still do the "default" sit, as you say you've done, but there's no need to rush to put it on cue.
Trufflepup, you seem really organised!!! I have just thought now Rolo is settled, Its time to start some formal training, he is already pretty good at sit. Done some clicker sessions the first few days with him. I want to teach him to leave, and wait. What are the best ways, I dont know when to 'click' for either of these behaviors as I often feel he doesn't 'wait' long enough to click. It can seem very daunting I planned on taking him to puppy classes soon but his needles have been pushed back due to the steroid injection he had! x
Here's a good video for Leave (you should teach No Mugging first - there's a link to that on the video) And for stay:
Thanks @Boogie and @snowbunny Some really helpful advice here, feel a bit happier carrying on from now.
I'm trying to think back Jyssica,I think I used a kikopup video... I started in the house with a piece of kibble and steamed chicken cubes as rewards ,putting the kibble down and covering it with my hand...the dog will nose your hand ,the instant he moves back from your hand click and treat with the chicken,don't give him the piece of food he's 'left' ......you can build up until you are using a high value reward as the 'leave' item and rewarding with a piece of kibble.
Ah Fiona has put a kikopup one up for you.Emily does reward from the left food so I'm remembering wrong ....
Start with really short 'waits' (seconds) click and treat. The next day make it two seconds longer and so on. Always set him up to succeed - aim for no 'failed' waits at all. You can tell when they are getting likely to get up - go to them, click and treat before that happens. The time will slowly extend but take it v e r y slowly.
I like down, but only because my dogs seem to really enjoy it as a behaviour. Probably because I did a lot of work on it to make it rewarding You're right, though, we have very little practical application for it. The only thing that's springing to mind is when I ask for steadiness in front of an agility jump, Willow finds it a lot easier in a down. She channels her inner border collie. But, that's just because I've not proofed her sit-stay in that environment enough yet, because I'm more interested in making the jumping part rewarding and fun.
Oh, I thought of another - I've never taught "roll over" as a single fluid movement. So, I get a down and then roll over afterwards. That's useful if I need to check the undercarriage
We often need our pups 'down' and relaxed, so we spend a lot of time training that. 'Down' and asleep is even better!
I never liked training a down either Not sure why! They can do a down if needed but it isn't in my training repertoire,
