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Preschool Puppy Training (part 4) Reinforcing The Come Command
At this point during the beginning of preschool puppy training you should now have your puppy slowly conditioned to expect his daily 10 minute walk, while learning that praise and tasty treats go hand-in-hand.
As you continue each walk with your puppy, take notice to see if he is preoccupied with the sights or sounds around him. When this happens, repeat the following maneuver: kneel down, say your puppy's name, followed by the command “come”. Gently pull him to you, give him the tidbit and pour on the praise. You have 10 minutes, and four tidbits, to get four “come” maneuvers in during each daily walk for days 4, 5, 6, and 7 – of the pup's ninth week of age.
Why So Many Treats?
You may be wondering why it's necessary to give your puppy a treat in each instance that the “come” maneuver is executed. We don't want the tidbit reward to become the prime motivating factor in later training, as would happen if we were to give the tidbit all of the time – and for all responses.
Keep this very important thought in mind: we are teaching the puppy how to learn, knowing that praise alone just isn't that big of a payoff at his young age.
By the end of your puppy's ninth week of age, he will realize that the play toy does not get tossed for him to retrieve until he allows himself to be placed in the sitting position. The fact that you will again toss the toy becomes the prime motivating factor, with praise being secondary. Since the game must eventually end, there must be some reward at the conclusion – thus, the tidbit treat.
Because praise alone is not sufficient motivation for a nine week old puppy, we must motivate him something else when teaching “come”. For a puppy to give up his sight and scent excursion, and come running to you when commanded, it must be something more in it for him than a pat on the head, or simply being allowed to continue his walk. Therefore, the treat, of necessity, becomes the prime motivator. Again, the praise is secondary.
An ideal way to reinforce the command “come” - at times other than when school is in session – would be at feeding time. Call the puppy's name, followed by the command “come” as his food dish is placed on the floor. Don't take the food to the puppy; instead, make the puppy come to the food dish as you speak the command “come”. Don't clutter his chalkboard mind with “come on boy, it's time to eat” and expect it to reinforce the come response.
While it is necessary that you talk to your puppy to help develop his personality and vocabulary, don't use any other word except the command word when reinforcing a training response.
BONUS : Preschool Puppy Training (Part 5): The Stay Command At 10 Weeks
The next step in preschool puppy training begins at around 10 weeks of age. We are now going to introduce your pup to the “stay” command.
But first, a quick word of caution from the last training article. It involves the rewards given to the puppy when playing the fetch-sit game. As you near the end of each 10 minute game time, you may notice your puppy tiring. If he poops out and refuses to retrieve, do not give the tidbit reward and end the game. To do otherwise would be to reward the puppy for giving up and quitting. Always end each game session by commanding “sit” and placing the puppy in that position, followed by praise in the tidbit reward.
Now on to this week's training session; keeping firmly in mind that kindergarten training is primarily for teaching a puppy how to learn, we can introduce the command to “stay” when the puppy is but ten weeks of age. Thus far, we've written the words “sit” and “come” on the chalkboard of the puppy's mind.
We've given the puppy no opportunity to do otherwise when those commands have been given. Therefore, the puppy cannot have been guilty of any disobedience in response to those commands. He certainly didn't perform any of those behaviors on his own, of course, but at that age he shouldn't be expected to. We're teaching the pup how to learn, so always keep that in mind!
Introducing The Stay Command
At 10 weeks of age, and during your fetch-sit games, you can introduce the word “stay” into your puppy's vocabulary in the following manner:
With the puppy in a sitting position, and prior to throwing out the fetch toy, place your left hand on the puppy's rear to assist in holding him in that sitting position. Give the command “stay” in a firm, authoritative voice, placing your other hand (palm open) at his eye level for added emphasis. Then throw to fetch toy.
If the puppy does not move in an attempt to go to the toy, praise him immediately and release him with “Okay, get the toy.” If the puppy moves in an attempt to retrieve the toy, tell him “No!” Lead him back to the exact spot and reinforce the command to stay. Have him hold that sit-stay position for a few seconds, then release him to retrieve the toy, followed by the usual praise – and, at the conclusion of the training period, his treat reward.
The next step in preschool puppy training begins at around 10 weeks of age. We are now going to introduce your pup to the “stay” command.
But first, a quick word of caution from the last training article. It involves the rewards given to the puppy when playing the fetch-sit game. As you near the end of each 10 minute game time, you may notice your puppy tiring. If he poops out and refuses to retrieve, do not give the tidbit reward and end the game. To do otherwise would be to reward the puppy for giving up and quitting. Always end each game session by commanding “sit” and placing the puppy in that position, followed by praise in the tidbit reward.
Now on to this week's training session; keeping firmly in mind that kindergarten training is primarily for teaching a puppy how to learn, we can introduce the command to “stay” when the puppy is but ten weeks of age. Thus far, we've written the words “sit” and “come” on the chalkboard of the puppy's mind.
We've given the puppy no opportunity to do otherwise when those commands have been given. Therefore, the puppy cannot have been guilty of any disobedience in response to those commands. He certainly didn't perform any of those behaviors on his own, of course, but at that age he shouldn't be expected to. We're teaching the pup how to learn, so always keep that in mind!
Introducing The Stay Command
At 10 weeks of age, and during your fetch-sit games, you can introduce the word “stay” into your puppy's vocabulary in the following manner:
With the puppy in a sitting position, and prior to throwing out the fetch toy, place your left hand on the puppy's rear to assist in holding him in that sitting position. Give the command “stay” in a firm, authoritative voice, placing your other hand (palm open) at his eye level for added emphasis. Then throw to fetch toy.
If the puppy does not move in an attempt to go to the toy, praise him immediately and release him with “Okay, get the toy.” If the puppy moves in an attempt to retrieve the toy, tell him “No!” Lead him back to the exact spot and reinforce the command to stay. Have him hold that sit-stay position for a few seconds, then release him to retrieve the toy, followed by the usual praise – and, at the conclusion of the training period, his treat reward.
