SDiT Puppy Team Wk2

This week we started training some very important behaviors that will build up to harder behaviors as the puppy grows older. Most of the behaviors are part of one or more of the other collections in the SDiT Puppy Collections so we will link them here.

We discussed the importance of doing some socialization around sounds with your puppy. Coach Penny likes to watch a wide variety of movies during the puppy stage that have various sounds. You can also find YouTube videos of sounds for dogs. Always start at a low volume and slowly turn it up, being careful not to go too loud. When your pup is a bit older, it will be important to work around sounds that produce actual vibrations at a safe distance such as a marching band, fireworks, and gun shots.

Mat Training

This is any kind of stationary object that is different than the surrounding floor. You can use a blanket, towel, raised platform, dog bed, etc for a mat. You don't need to go out and buy one for SDiT now. I keep a water resistant mat in my car at all times, but rarely use it. When Belle first started attending physical therapy with me, I brought a mat to help her know where to settle but now she is a pro and doesn't need one. You may find that your dog is more comfortable on a mat so you may want to invest with one later, but for now use something you already have at home.

In the video we demo a simple loading the mat game where puppy Doogan gets on the mat, sits and chases a treat off the mat. Coach Tammy gives 1 tossed treat off the mat and 2-4 treats for coming back to the mat and also reinforces eye contact at this time.

Find more about Mat Training in the SD Foundations Class #5 Wait/Stay Settle.

Eye Contact

We played the Up/Down Game where you drop a treat at your feet to get your puppy to look down, then wait until the moment they look back up at you to mark and reward from your hand. This is a pattern game that encourages the puppy to look to us after then finish sniffing and eating the treat.

You can check out this game in the Positively Puppy 6 Collection - Beginning with Shaping

Find Heel with Toss & Treat

This is a very simple pattern game where you toss a treat off to your side and turn slightly so when the puppy comes back to check in with you, they easily see and find a target hand waiting for them that is held in the heel position. At this stage the game is not about maintaining heel for any duration, it's about teaching puppy that good things come from the heel position so finding heel is always a great thing to do.

You can learn more about Heel and Loose Leash Walking in the SD Foundations #3.2 Heel.

Hand Targets

All the Canine Coaches use hand targets to teach other behaviors. If you practice nothing else this week, practice this! At the beginner level the game involves holding a treat on a flat hand pinching it in your palm with your thumb. The moment puppy bumps your hand, you feed the treat and repeat.

You're pup will get really good at this behavior quickly so you can shape if fairly fast into an empty hand with a treat to follow. Once your pup is good at hitting your hand every time you can move on to moving the hand target around (left, right, up, down) within your pups reach then you can slowly start presenting it further away so your pup has to step into your space to bump your hand.

You can learn more about hand targets in SD Foundations Lesson 1.3 Teaching a Nose Target

We also discussed the importance of teaching skills to help your SDiT relieve some stress. We start with the "Take A Breath" cue and the "Shake It Off " cue. We explain this in the video above and will have posts about this these skills available in the near future.