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Showing posts from June, 2024

Week 1 Notes, Homework and Videos

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     NOTE 1:  ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE DONE WITH TRAINING COLLAR AND TRAINING LEASH ON. NOTE 2:   DO NOT LEAVE 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 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, UNLESS IT IS TOO VERY EASY.  IN THAT CASE, YOU CAN SLIGHTLY INCREASE THE DISTRACTION FOR SIT ON THE DOG FOR INSTANCE. NOTE 5:   THE GOALS ARE PLACES TO WORK TO 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...

Week 1 Interim Correction for Sit (beginning of sit correction)

 The goal for this week will be to do four in a row without needing the correction (which means it is very important to use the well timed correction when it is needed).   You will want to do this (with the heeling) for a half an hour a day. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE HEELING, JUST WALK WITH YOUR DOG INSTEAD THIS WEEK. STEP 1 :  Heel with your dog, but be sure that your dog is in good heel position before preparing for the sit command.. STEP 2:    When ready say "sit" as you plant your left foot (while standing you will also close this up with your right foot, but you want to say sit while your dog is in good heel position to catch them as soon as possible---they will later learn to read this body language to create an auto sit).     Also keep your leash loose like a J next to the dog's neck when you say sit (no tension in the leash.   remember tension is only in times of correction) STEP 3:  Give your dog one second,...

Week 1 Molded Sits and Release Word

Equipment needed: 6' Leather Lead Training Collar Explanation and Goal of Exercise: This method of molding the dog into position, teaches the dog to allow our hands to mold and manipulate various parts of their body. The handler is also teaching themselves how to determine if a dog's muscles are relaxed with trust OR tense with distrust. Additionally, it is possible to detect a physical problem by touch as you mold your dog down. This also prepares your dog to sink into a sit readily when given the correction later on (if the correction is even necessary).  A sit is when your dog's upper torso is upright,  front leg(s) on the ground/floor, and bottom area is on the ground. Hand Drills (practice until your moves can move swiftly through the motions without the handler needing to think about it, before practicing with the dog): Practice these without the dog for a few minutes prior to starting. Your left hand will hold leash, transfer to your right hand (g...

Week 1 Long Place

  Long place is technically the 4th step in the overall place command:   First step is intro.  Intro is just walking the dog and letting them pass over it.  "Place" is said when all paws are on the place. Second step is teaching the dog to step on the place themselves. Third step is teaching them that there is a boundary they should not step off. Fourth step is beginning to proof and advance this exercise by having them keep themselves on the place for a period of time.   Trainer only gets involved if they try to leave. 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 ...

Week 1 First Three Steps of Place

   THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PLACE (STEP 1): STEP 1:   Position your place equipment in the middle of the room. STEP 2:  Start walking your dog around the room. STEP 3:   Walk  with your dog over the place area.   When all four paws are in the place, say "place". STEP 4:   Repeat step three from every angle of the place mat or bed (remember dogs can totally interpret something as "just from this direction", so help them to learn to generalize the command by doing this). STEP 5:  After several (15 or so) repeats of this, stop short of the mat, and see if the dog is ready to step on themselves.   SEND TO PLACE (STEP 2): STEP 1:   You still have a leash and collar on your dog.   The place (board, mat, dog bed) item is in the middle of the room so you can walk around it, and use all sides to place your dog (so that they do not generalize). STEP 2:    Now as you a...

Week 1 Sit On The Dog

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Exercise: Sit on The Dog (do not confuse with the down exercise later on) Equipment needed: Metal Training Collar (for puppies a flat collar will due but be sure they can't slip their head out if it's too loose), 6' leather lead, chair for handler to sit on that they aren't too worried about (IE an antique chair would not be a good idea, especially for a dog that might try to chew something other than their toy while you aren't watching, but a good metal folding chair will do), silence which means no verbal commands, praise, or corrections. Also no conversations of any sort with your dog. Objective and Goals: This exercise starts the leadership portion of dog training in a very non confrontational way. You are defining the space and activity that the dog will inhabit while you are engaged in other activities. It starts the process of showing the dog how to quiet themselves down during certain times of day, and employ self control in distracting situations. ...