When I got my first dog I took her to puppy classes at Petsmart and we learned the lure/reward method of training. This is hands down the best way to train a pet dog. It surprises me when seasoned dog owners don't use it. Today we would like to show you an exercise the Dark Moon puppies are learning called puppy pushups. This exercise introduces lure/reward training.
A lot of people don't want a trained dog, they just want a pet. But teaching simple tricks and games actually teaches him to communicate with you. When the two of you can cooperate in the sit, down, and stand the dog gains confidence, knowing he did the right thing. Without this training your pet will not understand what you want. He makes mistakes and you end up punishing him, weakening your bond of trust. Just a little work together will make your lives much easier, so take the time to practice this simple exercise!
Today two of the puppies are demonstrating Puppy Pushups. They stand, sit, lie down and stay, following hand signals and getting lots of treats. First is Runner, a quick study who has the makings of an obedience or agility champion. She love to play games where you cooperate and her athleticism really shows!
Judith starts with a pocketful of treats- we use the same kibble they get at mealtimes. (A nice way to bond with your new puppy is to feed them their meals as part of a training session rather than from a bowl!)
Start by getting the puppy's attention
This can be the most difficult part of the session.
A room without the other cats and dogs will be very helpful!
Runner decides on her own to sit
She has learned a hand signal that tells her we want her to sit.
Judith holds a treat in the other hand, ready to lure her into position if she is confused or distracted
She gets a treat for sitting on the signal
Another hand signal tells her to lie down. This time Judith uses the treat as a lure in the same hand that is doing the signal. Runner follows this lure using her nose until she is on the floor.
This is what a good down position looks like.
She is on the floor and doesn't look like she will jump right back up. In this picture, licking the nose is a sign that she is thinking and has an accepting state of mind
Runner doesn't remember the signal for stand yet, so we use the treat as a lure. Let her smell the treat, then follow it until she is standing. Then she gets the treat!
Because she is doing so well on sit and down, Judith asks her to stay
This "stop sign" hand signal has to have a lot of focus with it.
Judith backs up just a few steps, keeping runner's attention, then moves right back to give her a treat! In the stay you have to time it carefully so they don't move before you can get back to reward them.
Runner's session ended with several beautiful stays in the sit and down position. We spend about 3 minutes working with her this morning. We will work on the puppy pushups with her one more time today. Twice a day will be often enough that she will remember the last session, but not so much that she will get bored with them.
Ghost is our deaf puppy, and for some
reason he has more trouble,
so he will illustrate how you do this
when they don't understand as well.
Since Ghost can't hear, other senses are used
to get his attention- here Judith makes vibrations by
thumping on the floor. She is also in his line of sight
so he can use his eyes. Smells and gentle touches
can also be used.
He approaches and asks for the treat by placing a paw on Judith's lap. This isn't what we want so he doesn't get a treat until he sits.
Judith lures him by putting the treat right above his nose so he can smell it without letting him have it. She then moves it back over his head, keeping it very close to him so he doesn't stand on his hind legs to reach for it. As soon as he sits he is rewarded by getting the treat!
His attention is wandering
She gets his attention back before his body can follow it by using the treat in front of his nose to lure him into a down position
This is harder than the sit, but he earns his treat!
Ghost keeps bouncing up from his down, so a gentle hand on the back guides him into position and keeps him from jumping up too easily. It can be tempting to force him into position, but this will not teach him to cooperate with you or to think for himself. Instead it will weaken your bond of trust. You cannot use force to teach a dog how to do something themselves.
another sit gives him a little break
Lure into a stand
Every day brings its own particular challenges. Because down is hard for him today he gets to practice down with lots of petting and extra treats
His focus is really good when he can ignore the cat!
Ghost chose to sit facing out when he needed a break. As you get to know your dog you will know when he needs a break like this to sort through what he has been learning. He is still calm and is not distracted, he just needed a moment to think. Letting him have this moment is a way to show that you understand his needs and individuality.
