Training Tips | Small and Tall Puppy

When Should You Practice?

Believe it or not, we are training our dogs every time we interact with them.. It may not be a planned exercise but they are learning something from us.
You do not have to set aside a session of 30, 15, or even 10 minutes to train. Feeding time is an excellent opportunity to work on a few exercises. We have to feed our dogs anyway; we might as well use it for a practice session of Touch or Sit. You can use feeding time, walk time, and even play time as a training session.
Each session can be working on one or two or three different exercises and should not last longer than a few minutes when you're working with your young puppy. Make sure both you and your puppy are enjoying it and he does not get bored and neither of you get frustrated. End your sessions on a happy note.
Practice one exercise at a time, 5 - 10 repetitions depending on your puppy’s interest and ability. Do not jump back and forth between exercises. Get in at least 4 - 6 (or more!) sessions a day.

Why do we use the clicker for the reward marker?

We use the clicker as a way of marking a behavior and communicating with our dog that “CLICK! You just did the behavior I wanted and now You get a reward!!” I promise you won’t always have to carry the clicker. We use it until the behavior is learned, or if we need to refine it.

Why do I recommend soft food for the treat?
When you are training, you’d like your dog to be able to eat the treat as quickly as possible so that you are able to move on instead of waiting for them to chew it….. pick up all the crumbs that were dropped…… sniff around and make sure they got it all….. then, finally, hopefully, you've got their attention again
Treats are small because we don’t want our dogs to get full (or fat) while we’re training, and it’s the FACT of the treat, not the size, that matters.

But I’m not saying anything, when can I start saying the cue?
Our dogs are not born understanding the human language, therefore starting off saying a cue means nothing to them and it all becomes background noise. When we are teaching the new behavior, we don’t name it right away and we let the CLICK be our communication. Once your dog has a good understanding, and starts offering the behavior you are working on automatically, you can add the cue. For example, when we are teaching our dog “Sit”, once the dog is offering the behavior, start saying “sit”, (or down, or touch, etc), as soon as he starts to sit. After a few repetitions of this, you can then test your word (cue) by asking for it beforehand. If all you get is a blank stare, it needs a little more work. That is how you teach the cue.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Dogs do what works even if it’s only occasionally. This applies to both the good and the 'not so good' behaviors. So, keep rewarding the good stuff and use your management skills to thwart the bad.
Saying No or Uh-Uh to your dog means nothing. If your dog is doing something you’d prefer he wasn’t doing, instead of saying No - call him off of it and give him something else to do that is acceptable. You do this to keep him from going back to what he was doing or finding something else to do on his own - which may be as bad or worse.
Once your dog has a cue down pat, you can put down the clicker for that behavior. But don't put away those treats! You will want to keep it strong by rewarding it every so often.
NEVER PUNISH A GROWL! It is a warning from your dog that he is unhappy or uncomfortable with a thing or situation. If you punish the growl, you will lose your warning and all you will have left is the bite. Sort of like taking the batteries out of your smoke detector. Call me if this happens