Your puppies are displaying all the same behaviours. They are just different physical sizes, have different inherited breed traits and individual personalities.

If your puppy puts their feet on you stand up or step back so they fall off and quickly ask them for a sit.

Aim for practice in a controlled set up for short training sessions 30 seconds to 2 minutes so when you need to ask your puppy to “leave it” or “open” they understand your request. Keep up the "sit to say please" practise. It means so much more than don’t bite my hand with food in it.

If your puppy has run away with something instead of chasing them try to offer the exchange by getting a little closer. If your exchange has a strong smell, it might do the trick. If not, you can try pretending what you have is now the most interesting thing in the world and see if that entices your puppy back. When practising “open” don’t rush to pick up the item that falls from their mouth.

Remember to only practice each new behaviour 3 to 4 times each training session & say the request once

Review - Marker & Finish Cue

Really Real Relaxation

Puppies know how to be excited, but we need to teach them how to relax. With your puppy in the down position and you sitting in a relaxed manner, give your puppy 8-10 small pieces of food between their legs. Do this two more times but each time reduce the food reinforcement to say 6 or 7, then 3 or 4. On the fourth time, wait for your puppy to make a choice to lie down then highly reinforce if they choose to do this. Don’t worry if they don’t get it at first, it just means they miss out on some food reinforcement. Puppies will do what works for them and then it really should not take long for them to get the idea as we are making the down position a high valued position.   

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Holding the leash / lead

Leash Pressure

‍When your puppy is near you while there is distraction, another person, another puppy etc. Be sure to click or mark “yes” and reinforce any time they give into the leash pressure and return to you.

When practising at home ask someone to provide small amounts of distraction to proof these behaviours.

‍Walk down the lead

Walk your hands – hand over hand down the lead until you end up at your puppy’s nose. The aim is to not allow your puppy to move any further forward and you can then lure them back to you.

‍Luring (Follow my hand)

Take a piece of food and place it right next to your puppy’s nose. Lure them by slowly moving your hand about 20-30cm, enabling them to take 2-4 steps. If the puppy follows your hand mark and reinforce.

Review - Automatic check in, Focus up Focus Down & Name

Gentle

‍Place a piece of food on your open palm, tuck your thumb in close to your hand and offer it to your puppy. As your puppy takes the food from your hand, say “gentle”. If there is no teeth contact, mark they are reinforced with the food from your hand, no need for anymore food.

Sit to say please – reinforcing your puppy for manners near food

Sitting down, elbow on knee, a couple of pieces of food in hand show them the food and quickly close fist

Leave your fist (palm up) at the puppy’s nose level but not in their face

Remember they may nudge, paw, bark, whinge please don’t pull your hand away

No words – it’s a waiting game

When they pull back or hesitate, mark and reinforce by giving one piece from that closed hand.

Reinforce behaviours you like at any time. Don’t wait to have to correct your puppy when they are doing something you don’t like. They are learning all the time!

Think TEMP watch your puppy for Tail, eyes, ears, mouth, and posture.

Stick to the 3 second meet and greet with new puppies or dogs.

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