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THE VERSATILE GOLDEN
RETRIEVER Part 3 Time is
marching on. My pup, Stoney, is now
7 months old. Yet, in these articles
we are still back at those early weeks when talking about the training I did
with him. Because I do feel that the
young pup is like a sponge, capable of absorbing so much during his first
months, I tried to begin the molding process early on.
Establishing a firm foundation will pay off in the long run.
Most of us will find there are times that we concentrate on one venue
more than another. The foundation
you build by the time the pup is 6 months of age will stick with the pup, even
if you focus on only one or two venues at certain points of his development. Before I
list some additional specifics of what I have done to encourage the potential in
my pup, let me list those things I included in training during the first 6
months. Remember, each of these is
incorporated in a manner appropriate for a young pup.
Attention span and growing body govern how each skill is introduced.
Time is spent teaching, not correcting.
Training is geared to keeping things fun and as stress free as possible,
while instilling solid basics necessary for later training.
My goal is to encourage the pup to work willingly and happily for me. Attention
(focus on handler)
Finish to the right Sit/Stay
Finish to the left Quick Sit
Turns – right, left, about, 270, and 360 Random Sit
Turns in place Down/Stay
Mark Random
Down
Go
Outs Quick Down
Take it (Fetch) command Stand/Stay
Carry metal and leather articles Pop Stand
Carry
glove Stacking
Carry dumbbell Self-stacking
Carry bumper Signals
Carry
bird Fronts
Retrieve toy, ball, and bumper Heeling
Scent
games Gaiting
Touch Circle to
the right
Working on handler’s right Circle to
the left
Intro
Channel weaves Side step
to the right/left in heel position
Intro contact obstacles/tunnel Side step
to the right and left in front
Figure 8 work Back up in
heel position
Wraps Back up in
front
Beginning right and left recognition (for Quick
recall
both directed jumping and agility) Basic
manners necessary for a good canine companion are also included.
The pup is taught not to pull while on lead, not to jump on people, not
to surf counter tops, and to wait patiently Let’s
look at the way I start some of this initial training. RECALL When the
young pup awakes from a nap, I am the one who takes him outside to potty.
The pup learns early on that going out after meals or a nap is for a
specific purpose. He is taken to a
specific area in the yard and not allowed to play until after he has
successfully completed his mission. I
stay with the pup, praising him when he accomplishes his business.
This is also where I lay the foundation of a dog learning to come to me
when called. When the
pup completes his task, most often he will look towards me as I praise him.
I will squat down on my haunches and call “Pup, Pup, Pup”.
As the puppy begins moving towards me, I open my arms or pat the ground
to encourage him to come quickly towards me.
He is lavishly praised on arrival, and I spend a few minutes playing with
the pup. After a few days or a week,
I will add the command, “Stoney Come”. However,
I wait until the pup has committed to moving towards me before I issue this
verbal command. Once the pup
reaches me, he is praised lavishly and receives a bit of play once again.
It doesn’t take long for me to be able to stand up and issue the come
command. Because the pup is praised
and receives some play or physical stimulation, he is eager to come to me.
(Remember though, if you are going to issue a command, then your It is
important to remember a couple of basic principles here.
First of all, never call the pup towards you and then scold him.
That does not encourage a pup to want to come to you.
Why should he choose to come to you if he will be reprimanded?
It is your praise for his coming to you that encourages repetition of the
desired behavior. Secondly, do not
issue a Come Command unless you can enforce it.
That is why during these early weeks I make sure the pup has committed to
moving towards me before I issue the command.
My goal is to encourage an immediate and quick response to my come
command. As your
pup matures and gains more confidence, he may well decide that the leaf blowing
in the wind offers more immediate self-satisfaction than coming to you.
My goal is to teach my pups to respond to the first command I
give. You do not develop a reliable
response if you issue a Come Command multiple times.
If your pup does display some “independence” and chooses to ignore
your first command, then it is important that you issue a Come Command only when
you can In
developing this beginning understanding of the come command, I also use a couple
of other A tunnel
is another valuable tool for teaching a puppy to come towards you. (In addition,
the tunnel exposes the pup to a different surface and “sounds” as he travels
through it. He also learns he can
navigate a confined dark space with no harm coming to him.)
Again, you will need a helper for this exercise.
Start by folding the tunnel on itself so the pup only needs to travel a
short distance (you will be able to extend the tunnel to a 6-8 ft. length
quickly once the pup knows there is nothing to fear)
The Helper holds the pup while you go to the opposite end of the tunnel
and get down on your hands and knees to be at the pup’s level as you call to
him. You issue the “Puppy
Come” command and talk to the pup (“That’s it!”. “Look at you!”,
etc) encouraging him to come through the tunnel and towards you.
Once the pup arrives, he is told how wonderful he is!
Remember…you issue the come command only once.
Initially you can use encouraging words to help motivate him to come
towards you, but if you keep this fun, the pup will quickly learn to quickly
travel through that tunnel to come to you. A
Wandering Come is also helpful to teach a pup what is meant by the Come Command.
This can be done with a slip lead or a leash and nylon collar.
Let the pup wander towards the end of the lead and become interested in
something. As his attention is
diverted, issue a playful ”pop” followed by an immediate release of tension
on the lead. The firm but playful
pop is given at the level of the puppy and is designed to teach him that he
should immediately come towards you when called.
Once the pup begins to move towards you, take a few steps backwards,
talking to the pup, encouraging him to come quickly towards you.
You will need to “reel” in the lead, hand over hand, at the level
of the pup to prevent him from jumping on you.
Once he arrives, praise him lavishly.
You have control because the pup is on lead, so this exercise helps
develop an understanding that the pup should come toward you when called. Next month
teaching the Stand will be discussed. I
will also discuss the initial ways I encourage Hope this
has been helpful! Pat Quinn Everlore |
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