Focusing on obedience and the “serious stuff” with a puppy often creates a dog who finds learning boring and/or too hard and we end up having to do a lot of relationship repairing as they constantly want to check out from the pressure being put on them.
Of course, it is important to teach our dogs to listen, understand, and respond to instructions reliably at some point, but it can be done at any age.
The only thing that needs your time and attention right now is shaping their emotional and behavioural responses in the environments, settings, and situations that will be a part of their future. You can build the rest on top of these solid foundations later.
“Sit” won’t prevent your puppy developing separation anxiety, over-arousal around people, a fear of dogs, noise phobia, or prevent them biting when you approach their favourite chew.
So, here are my top 13 priorities to minimise training and behavioural struggles for the future...
Crate / den training
Without them feeling happy and comfortable in a crate or den, your puppy won’t be getting the 16-18 hours of sleep they need each day and they will likely develop an unhealthy dependence on you for constant attention and entertainment.
2. Create neutral social responses
Instead of teaching your puppy other dogs and people are the best things in the world (or the scariest!) by introducing them to everyone, teach them to filter them out. Set up activities before visitors come to the house and get them searching for treats in the grass when you spot someone making a beeline for your puppy on a walk. If you don’t want them getting super excited and jumping over people as an adult, don’t leave them to rehearse it now. First learning is the most powerful.
3. Retreat / disengage patterns
Build the habit of retreating and disengaging from social interactions and back to you using a conditioned attention noise. That will minimise them developing unwanted coping strategies if they feel uncomfortable and will help you manage them if they are getting over excited. As an added bonus, it will also start to establish the neural pathways of coming away from distractions.
4. Be still / slow / calm
Working breeds don’t need anymore help being busy at 100mph, but they do need help learning how to be still, slow, and calm. Focus on activities that promote slower movement and stillness and build the habit of laying down on a mat.
5. Confidence being alone and independent
Build on their crate / den training skills by gradually introducing increased periods of separation once they feel comfortable and settled in their space. Only doing using their space when during the night or when you go out won’t do anything to build their independence when you are home.
6. Build trust around food, chews, toys, and spaces
Resource guarding is a common problem, particularly with Gundog breeds. It’s completely natural and normal for dogs to use aggression to maintain possession of a resource. Focus on showing your puppy you can be trusted around things they perceive as important.
7. Build the habit of walking with you and following you
Dogs pull against the lead if they are not taught what to do instead. It may not be a problem now while they are small, but it will turn into one. Show them that walking with you brings them all the goodies! Make sure they feel comfortable and confident in their harness and lead before adding it in.
8. Sits bring the good stuff
Your puppy will sit throughout the day oodles of times without any interference from you. Make you notice so you can show them sits get them access to everything they love - food, treats, play, attention, the garden, walks, etc.
9. Calm and confident handling and grooming
Your puppy will need their nails trimmed, coat grooming, bathing, eye drops, ear drops, wounds bathing, teething checking etc.! It isn’t fair for us to just restrain them and force it upon them, or give them to a stranger to deal with, without preparing them first.
10. Appropriate social experiences
Set up meetings for your puppy to spend time around appropriate people and dogs who will support your efforts and help guide your puppy’s social learning.
11. Exposure outings and outdoor relationship building
Stop going for a walk and start showing them the world they need to live in. Go to lots of different places each week, give them time to take in the sights, sounds, and smells. Capture the moments they look at you to check in and have lots of fun playing familiar games and activities that you’ve started at home.
12. Confidence around novelty and noise
Show them that unexpected and unusual things are a good thing because everytime they hear or see something potentially startling, good stuff arrives! Play lots of games and activities that involve noise and weird stuff.
13. Value in coming to you
Teach your puppy that coming to you brings them all their favourite things - treats, playtime, and ALL the loves!
So, it’s not a “bad” thing to start FUN obedience skills with your puppy.
BUT…
If you are spending your time on that, you’re probably not spending enough time on the stuff that's really going to make a difference.
And if this stuff doesn’t happen now, you’ll no doubt be battling with problems later in life and obedience training is unlikely to save you!
Liz Whelan GTA-AD 020 ABTC-ATI
Owner of DogScentric
Accredited instructor with the Gundog Trainers Academy (GTA-AD 020)
Accredited Animal Training Instructor with the ABTC (ABTC-ATI)
FdSc Canine Behaviour and Training (Hull University)
Comments