Week 1 Notes, Homework, and Video

    NOTE 1:  ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE TRAINING COLLAR AND TRAINING LEASH ON (OR SLIP LEASH).

NOTE 2:  DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAINING COLLAR OR TRAINING SLIP LEAD ON WHEN YOU ARE NOT ACTIVELY TRAINING YOUR DOG.

NOTE 3:  PLEASE PUT ON YOUR TRAINING COLLAR CORRECTLY.  ALSO BE SURE TO HOLD THE LEASH CORRECTLY.  THIS WILL PROBABLY BE RELEVANT ON WEEK 2.


This is a link to a leash article on our business blog.  Leashes: How to Hold Them and How to Fold Them.

NOTE 4:  EVERYTHING THIS WEEK SHOULD BE DONE IN LOW AND EASY DISTRACTION (INSIDE IN A QUIET AREA).

NOTE 5:  THE GOALS ARE PLACES TO WORK TOWARDS IN THE FUTURE.  IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE GOAL, DON'T WORRY, AS LONG AS YOU PUT IN THE WORK TOWARDS THE GOAL.  PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN CALL OR EMAIL ME WITH ANY TRAINING PROBLEMS THAT COME UP IN BETWEEN LESSONS.

NOTE 6:  IF YOU DON'T GET THROUGH ALL THE EXERCISES IN ONE DAY, YOU CAN JUST BE SURE THAT THE EXERCISES YOU DID NOT GET TO ARE DONE THE NEXT DAY.   THE MOST YOU NEED TO DO IS AN HOUR A DAY, AND ON WEEK 1, IT MIGHT END UP BEING LESS THAN THAT.  IF SOMETHING HOLDS YOU UP, DON'T WORRY AND JUST DO WHAT YOU DID NOT GET TO ON THE NEXT DAY.

NOTE 7:  WHEN YOUR DOG WORKS WITH YOU AT HOME, YOU MAY NEED TO GO DOWN IN TIME AND THEN BUILD BACK UP TO WHERE YOUR DOG WAS TRAINING WITH ME (IF YOU ARE IN PACK LEARNING AND BOARD & TRAIN).  THE DOG WILL WORK BETTER FOR WHOEVER THEY WERE LAST WORKING WITH, SO OFTEN THE TIME NEEDS TO BE BUILT UP BY THE OWNER TO HAVE THE SAME SORT OF WORKING RELATIONSHIP.  ALSO, DOGS CAN WORK MUCH DIFFERENTLY FOR DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL HANDLERS.

NOTE 8:  TRAINING CAN BE DONE IN SEPARATE SESSIONS.  I LIKE TO KEEP MY SESSIONS AT 15 MINUTES OR LESS (EXCEPT SIT ON THE DOG AND EVENTUALLY LONG PLACE) IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DAY.  OTHERWISE, YOU CAN BURN YOUR DOG OR PUPPY OUT.

NOTE 9:  MARKER WORDS ARE GOOD=GOOD JOB KEEP GOING YES=GOOD JOB YOU ARE RELEASED FROM THE EXERCISE AND NO=THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR.

NOTE 10:  GIVE COMMANDS ONLY ONE TIME.  IF THE COMMAND IS NOT PERFORMED, THEN YOU CAN USE THE FOLLOWING:

  • USUALLY THE VERBAL MARKER CORRECTION 'NO' FIRST
  • BODY BUMP FOR THE PLACE
  • LEASH TUG FOR THE PLACE
  • TAP BOTTOM FOR THE SIT
NOTE 11:  LATER ON, IT MIGHT BE HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT EXERCISES YOU HAVE WORKED ON.  YOU CAN USE THIS EXERCISE WORKSHEET TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS.

LINK TO TRAINING WORKSHEET

NOTE 12:  BLUE TEXT GOES TO THE DIRECTIONS FOR THE EXERCISES.  [IT IS A LINK]

Homework Schedule:

Calming Exercises:

  1. Sit on The Dog 30 + minutes Goal:  To get your dog to lie down on their own steam in five minutes or under.



  2. Long Place 5 minutes Goal:  Just to get your dog to start to get used to staying on the place.  If your dog manages to step off, you do not need to reset the exercise.





Obedience Exercises:
  1. [NOT TECHNICALLY PART OF YOUR HOMEWORK THIS WEEK UNLESS YOU START HAVING TROUBLE WITH SIT PERFORMANCE] Sits First Command 5-15 minutes Goal:  To get three sets of 4 in a row sits without needing to verbally correct (marker word "No") or cajole with food reward.  However, you may give your dog a food reward every time they succeed.  Also, be able to reach the goal in 5 minutes or less eventually.  

    If you need to backtrack to this, go to the link with directions and videos of sit with food reward and/or interim correction for sit (tapping on the bum).


  2. Still Sit Stays 10 minutes or less Goal: To eventually get four in a row sit stays for 1 minute.  NOTE:  Once you can get 4 in a row at whatever amount of time you are at, just start to lengthen that time for 5 to 10 seconds going forward.  If you get to a minute, then the goal will be to get four in a row for 1 minute in under 6 minutes.





  3. Intro to Place 3 minutes or less (this only needs to be done once per new place and/or environment)  Goal:  Just to get your dog familiar with a new place object if necessary.





  4. Send to Place 7+minutes Goal:  To get your dog to step on themselves 4 times in a row for 3 sets.





  5. Circle Place 10 minutes or less Goal:  To eventually get 4 in a row without needing correction for 1 minute.





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