Week 5 Go Forward Homework

  NOTE 1:  ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE DONE WITH SLIP LEASH ON (OR LONG LINE).  

NOTE 2: (IMPORTANT)  DO NOT LEAVE SLIP LEASH ON WHEN YOU ARE NOT ACTIVELY TRAINING YOUR DOG.  UNSUPERVISED, THE SLIP LEASH COULD GET CAUGHT ON SOMETHING AND CHOKE YOUR DOG.

NOTE 3:  BE SURE TO PUT YOUR SLIP LEASH ON CORRECTLY.




NOTE 4:  ALSO ALWAYS BE SURE YOU ARE HOLDING THE LEASH PROPERLY.  REMEMBER, THIS IS A LIFELINE FOR YOUR DOG.  BELOW IS A LINK TO ARTICLES ON THIS ON MY BUSINESS BLOG.

https://www.mainedogtrainer.com/blog/leashes-how-to-hold-them-and-how-to-fold-them

NOTE 5:  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.   YOU ONLY NEED TO TRAIN FOR AN HOUR A DAY.

NOTE 6:  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 BETWEEN LESSONS.

NOTE 7:  DON'T FORGET THAT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM 4 IN A ROW FOR MOST OF THESE COMMANDS IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TIME YOUR DOG CAN HOLD THE COMMAND.  YOU CAN ALWAYS BUILD UP IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND SETTINGS.  IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO LEAVE ANY HOLES BEHIND.

NOTE 8:  AS OR IF DISTRACTIONS GET HARDER, DO NOT FORGET YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO REDUCE TIME AND/OR DISTANCE.  YOU CAN ALWAYS BUILD IT BACK UP IN DISTRACTIONS, AND IT WILL BE EASIER IF YOU DO IT THIS WAY FOR BOTH YOU AND THE DOG.

NOTE 9:  ALSO, AS DISTRACTIONS GET HARDER, YOU CAN HELP YOUR DOG WITH FOOD REWARDS AS WELL.  BE SURE YOUR DOG IS NOT TOO EXCITED TO EVEN FOCUS ON THOSE THOUGH, IF YOU DO THIS.  YOU WANT TO SEE HE CALM DOWN AND IS FOCUSING ON YOU.  NOTE: WITH A DOG FUDGE'S AGE, IT IS BEST TO KEEP GOING WITH THE FOOD REWARDS ON EACH COMMAND, UNTIL IT FEELS SILLY EASY.

NOTE 10:  DON'T FORGET TO USE YOUR MARKER WORDS AS APPROPRIATE.  GOOD = GOOD JOB AND KEEP GOING (IF YOU SAY THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF A STAY COMMAND, THE DOG IS NOT EXPECTED TO RELEASE)  NO = THAT IS NOT WHAT I WANTED TRY AGAIN  YES=GOOD JOB AND NOW YOU ARE ALL DONE (YES IS A RELEASE COMMAND AND SOMETIMES AN INDICATOR THAT A FOOD REWARD IS COMING).

NOTE 11: I USE THIS ATTACHED SHEET TO TRACK WHAT I WORK ON.   IDEALLY, YOU WILL BE DOING AN HOUR A DAY, WHILE REMEMBERING THAT OBEDIENCE EXERCISES ARE USUALLY KEPT UNDER 15 MINUTES.  ON WALK,S YOU CAN USUALLY GET AWAY WITH MORE, BECAUSE THEY ARE HAPPY TO BE OUT AND ENGAGED.

JUST COPY IT TO YOUR COMPUTER, OR YOU COULD EVEN USE IT WHERE IT IS.  ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU WANT TO PRINT IT OUT WITH THE GRID, THEN YOU COULD UPDATE IT MANUALLY.

TRAINING WORKSHEET

NOTE 12:  TEXT IN BLUE GOES TO DIRECTIONS AND VIDEOS.


Behavioral Calming Exercises:

NOTE:  ROTATE THESE EXERCISES EVERY OTHER DAY (ALTHOUGH IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE THAN ONE, YOU WOULDN'T BREAK ANYTHING. (SO FOR INSTANCE MONDAY SIT ON THE DOG, TUESDAY LONG PLACE, WEDNESDAY RELAX FOR EXAM, AND SO FORTH).

  1. Sit on the Dog 30 + minutes  Goal:  To have your dog able to settle into a down (not the down command, your dog's chosen position) in less than five minutes inside AND (weather permitting) outside. This exercise can be done in parks with benches. Set up a little out of the way from people, and it takes longer.   Done in distractions like a new outdoor place, busy with people, and other dogs.  





  2. Long Place 30 minutes  Goal:  To have your dog able to stay on their place for a half hour while you sit (you can occasionally get up and do things too at this point), and other things may be going on around the house.   Eventually, you want to build this to include more distractions.  That is for later, though.    NOTE:  THIS IS BOTH A COMMAND AND A BEHAVIORAL EXERCISE.  PRACTICE WITH HIM INSIDE FIRST AND THEN MOVE TO THE YARD.  







  3. Relax for Exam 15 minutes Goal:  To get your dog very used to being touched by their family all over.   This is not the same as being at a groomer or a veterinarian, but it will prepare them for handling from other people later.  If you do this really well, he will probably go to sleep while you are doing it.   



Basic Obedience Luring Exercises:

NOTE:  YOU CAN WORK A FEW OF THEM AT ONE TIME (SIT, DOWN, LEAVE IT, LOOK, OFF, SIT STAYS) WITH MEALS FOR 15-20 MINUTES.  WHEN I AM WORKING IN 15-20 MINUTE SESSIONS, I AM NOT SPENDING TIME WORKING TOWARDS SO MANY IN A ROW; IT IS MAINLY PRACTICE.  I TRY TO PRACTICE OUTSIDE AS MUCH AS THE WEATHER PERMITS AT THIS TIME.   YOU STILL NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME PRACTICING INSIDE THOUGH AS WELL.

I ALSO SOMETIMES WORK ON ONES WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH FOR 5-MINUTE SESSIONS.  IF I DO THEM ALONE, I LIKE TO GET 3 SETS OF 4 IN A ROW, AND THEN I STOP THAT EXERCISE, WHICH COULD BE LESS THAN 5 MINUTES.

IF YOU ARE DOING INDIVIDUALLY, THERE IS NO NEED TO DO ALL OF THEM IN ONE DAY.   YOU CAN ROTATE THEM OR CONCENTRATE ON SPECIFIC ONES IF THE 15-20 MINUTES INDICATES THE NEED. ALSO IF YOU ARE DOING 15-20 MINUTES, YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO THEM ALL BUT YOU CAN, IF YOU WANT TO.

  1. Sits First Command 5 minutes or less (if just focusing on this exercise)  Goal:  To get three sets of 4 in a row on the first command.

  2. Leave It 5 minutes or less (if just focusing on this exercise)  Goal:  To get three sets of 4 in a row on the first command.

  3. Attention to Name 5 minutes or less (if just focusing on this exercise)  Goal:  To get three sets of 4 in a row on the first command.

  4. Off  5 minutes or less (if just focusing on this exercise)  Goal:  To get three sets of 4 in a row on the first command.

  5. Lured Down with Handler Standing  5 minutes or less (if just focusing on this exercise)  Goal:  To get three sets of 4 in a row on the first command.

  6. Sit Stays   5 minutes or much less (if just focusing on this exercise) Goal:  Four in a row of stays at whatever time you are working on.  Remember that the four in a row is more important than the time he does it.  That being said, the goal time for his age is 30 seconds for each sit stay.  NOTE:  WE MADE IT TO 25 SECONDS.

  7. Let's Go 5 minutes or less Goal:  To get 3 sets of 4 in a row.   NOTE:  I APPARENTLY DID NOT GET A VIDEO OF LET'S GO WITH FUDGE.  SO I AM PUTTING A VIDEO OF ALFIE DOING THIS INSIDE.

Place Commands (long place is below behavioral exercises):

NOTE:  YOU CAN INCLUDE THESE WITH A SET OF LURING EXERCISES ABOVE IF YOU WANT TO.
  1. Send to place 5 minutes or less Goal:  To be able to get 3 sets of four in a row. 

  2. Circle Place  5 minutes or less  Goal:  To be able to get four well-done 1-minute circles in a row.  If you have more time or want more difficulty, you can build these into 5-minute circles. 


Leash Training for Walks and Additional Exercises on Walks:


Walks Outside (or inside) 15 + minutes (remember you can work on sit, sit stay (remember as distractions increase you will have to decrease the time and build back up), let's go, downs, leave it, off, and attention to name)  Goal:  To get your dog used to walking on a loose leash.  Also, to get the dog and owner working like a team. The methods on here are (1) Slack Leash Moving and Tight Leash Stand Still,(2) Practicing Sit and Sit Stay (especially if he is excited and charging to the end of the leash), (3) Luring to the Left Beside you.

  1. Using let's go, sit, and luring him to my left side. 


  2. Slack leash handler moves forward, taunt leash by puppy in the front handler stops.  If your puppy is stopping behind, keep walking.






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