Week 1 Luring Exercises (1) Name/Attention, (2) Lured Sit, (3) Lured Down, (4) Leave it (5) Let's Go (6) Sit Stay

Practicing these:  Keep practice short to 5 min to 10 min tops.  You can practice these by doing four of the same ones in a row as you move down the list OR you can mix them up.  You do not need to do the whole list each time.  I would limit it to 3 or 4 in each session.

EXERCISE 1  Their Name Meaning Attention to You in Distractions:

The point of this exercise is to teach your puppy that saying their name means looking at you for instruction or attention.

STEP 1:  Your puppy should be on their 6' lead and a collar.
STEP 2:   Be sure you are prepared with kibble in your hand  BEFORE giving a command.
STEP 3:  Say your puppy's name.
STEP 4A:   Immediately upon your dog looking into your face (and not glancing immediately away), say your release word "yes" and deliver the food reward as you release them.
STEP 4B:   If they do not look to you, first try calling their name again.   Give them a few seconds in between so you aren't just rapidly firing off their name.   If they are just really enamored of something other than you, you could try to gently tug on their leash and see if they will turn.   You could also try to make a silly noise after you say their name.   Usually, though, once they know what the deal is with the food reward, it does not take more than three times to get them to look at you.
STEP 5:  Repeat


EXERCISE 2  LURED SIT:

The point of the "Sit" command is to get your puppy to be still while you put their leash on them or want them to stay right way they are to avoid something (like jumping on people, or walking up to another dog).

STEP 1:  Take the treat and hold it right up to their nose (do not snatch it away if they jump or keep it far from their nose).
STEP 2:  Then you move the treat past their head and over their rump area.    Make sure they follow your hand and that you do not move it too quickly.
STEP 3:   Once their bum is on the floor and their two front feet are also on the floor, give them the food reward and say "sit".
STEP 4: Repeat


EXERCISE 3  LURED DOWN:

The "Down" command can become a stay command for a longer time than sit.  It is also a command that your dog can relax in.

STEP 1:  Start your puppy off in the sit position.
STEP 2: Holding the treat in front of their nose, move your hand down to the floor (slowly make sure the nose is following, and then on the ground away from your puppy).   If it does not work the first time, you can just set your puppy up and begin again.   Remember to move the treat slowly and near your puppy's nose.   You want your puppy's nose to follow your hand and the treat into position.   
STEP 3:   Once the puppy is in a down position, give them the food reward as you give the marker word for the end of the exercises, "yes".
STEP 4:  Repeat


EXERCISE 4 LEAVE IT:

"Leave It" is good for preventing your dog from putting their mouth on something.  This could be leaving food, leaving your skin alone, 

STEP 1:  First, have your puppy on their slip leash so they do not wander off. 

STEP 2: Take a food reward and put it in your closed fist. 

STEP 3:  Present your fist to the dog, but not all the way up to their nose. 

STEP 4: Say “leave it”.  If they are at your hand already, do not snatch your hand away.  Snatching your hand away ends up having the dog go after your hand in an unpleasant way later on. 

STEP 5A: If they leave your hand alone, say the release word, “Yes”, as you open your hand for the dog to take the food reward. (Later on, you can practice with the food in your open palm. You would close your hand if they go towards your hand and the food)

STEP 5B:  If they are licking, gnawing, or pawing your hand or in any way trying to get the treat, wait it out until they back off and stay off.   When they do that, say the release word, “Yes”, and open your hand to give them the food reward. 

STEP 6: Repeat




EXERCISE 5 LET'S GO:

The "Let's Go" command simply means move towards me. This can be useful for walking on a leash to get them to come in instead of pulling or to move them away from something.

STEP 1: You will want to hold the end of the leash for this one.
STEP 2:   In the opposite hand, you will want to be holding the food reward.
STEP 3:   Let your puppy get distracted.  When they go to the end of the line, just keep constant tension on until they turn towards you.
STEP 4A:  When your puppy starts to come towards you, say "good girl/boy" and then, when they get to you, give them the marker word "yes" as you give the food reward.
STEP 5:  Repeat

EXERCISE 6 SIT STAYS:

The "Sit Stay" is going for stationing your dog for a shorter period of time than the down stay or the place.

STEP 1:  Start with the "sit" command.
STEP 2:  If you like, you can start having "sit" mean stay, or you can use an additional "stay" command (totally owner's preference).
STEP 3: When you begin, you may just wish to start with 10 seconds or so.  You will be standing by the puppy, and you want the puppy to stay in the sit command during this time.   You can tell if you are doing too much time if getting a few in a row is very difficult (IE, the puppy gets up, slumps into a down, gets distracted).
STEP 4:  If the puppy is successful, give them their food reward and then the release word "yes".
STEP 5:   Repeat 

NOTE:  Young puppies are usually only worked until they eventually get to 30 seconds.






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