Sadie West Highland Terrier ( 11 weeks old ) September 2017 |
OMG! I am soooo impressed.
Sadie "waits" as she is told when I go out the front door and exits with "through". Great. BUT.... I wanted to put all of the cushions back outside on the front deck - many trips. I didn't want Sadie on the deck or following me back and forth. I said "wait" when I went out the first time. She went and sat down by the chair and watched me go in and out 6 times dragging cushions. She sniffed a couple but never made any attempt to go through the door or follow me. I did say "through" when I was done and she came out. I took her right back in (I don't want her on the deck). I am absolutely astounded. She only had to be told once and she waited patiently with the door wide open! Fantastic!!!!!! ( this was sent to me two days after Sadie left Puppy Boot Camp) September 2017 |
Testimonial since Sadie has gone home.I cannot tell you how thrilled and impressed I was with her. Especially Saturday once we both got settled. She was beyond amazing. Truly. She was completely free. I had the front door open all day and she came and went as she pleases. She followed me around the garden or went to her mat on the sidewalk with her toys or chased butterflies or went into her crate of her own choice and napped. She was amazing. If I said leave-it she did. She waited at the door when asked to come or go if I wanted her to. She came running whenever I called. She completely ignored the cat even when the cat gave her a good five minute test if following her around and passing in front of her nose. ... she was so incredible. No nipping. No chewing on anything. She kept getting pieces of mulch from the garden but she would give them to me and she was starting to learn "out of the garden" as a command. No accidents. Come. Sit. Wait. Leave it. Let's go!
T. Thompson September 2017 |
Meet "Sadie"
Here are videos of "Sadie's" week at "Puppy Boot Camp"!
Teaching Sadie how to stay out of any room in your home.
It took less than five minutes to teach "Sadie" the command "Go" but it will take being consistent every time she tries to enter the room to reinforce this lesson. Once she understands this command you can use it for other things. To start this lesson I "Claim" the room using spacial pressure.
Reinforcing the command to "GO"
It is about three hours since I taught Sadie to "Go" so now I am going to work on reinforcing the command.
Creating a "NO puppy zone" in your home
When you make a room "Off limits" to your puppy that doesn't mean that other people, dogs or even the cat can't use that area. The great thing about designating a room or space a "no puppy zone" is it creates a safe place for both children, cats and even other dogs to go where there is no puppy. This is especially good for an older dog that wants to rest and not be bothered for awhile. Older dogs need to have a place where they can go and hang out without the fear of a puppy launching at their head or play nipping at them. So by creating a spot that is a "no puppy zone" you are creating a safe place for everyone in the family.
Teaching Sadie to go to a designated spot called "Place"
It is the third day that Sadie the 11 week old Westie has been with me at Puppy Boot Camp and today I want to teach her the word "Place". "Place" means to go to a designated location and remain there until I give her a second command which is the release word "Free". "Place" should be the best location in your house. It it is a place filled with toys and where your puppy can also receive the occasional treat. Once your puppy is familiar with this you can go to family or friends and ask your puppy to go to "Place" and they will happily trot off and be content on their designated spot. Place can be anything you want it to be, a coat on a floor, a towel, a dog bed etc. It is anything that at that moment you are now calling "place".
Making "Place" a good thing where your puppy wants to be
"Place should always be a large enough location that your dog can get up move around and lay down without leaving "Place". I tell my students to think of anything around place like "quick sand", to think in their mind that it is dangerous for their puppy to leave that location until they call them off with the command "Free", until then that is where they must stay to be safe. The reason I love this command is that this is not the word stay, your dog does not have to remain in one place for long periods of time, instead they can do whatever they want as long as they don't step one foot off their "Place". That means that your puppy is not stressed and you can relax knowing your puppy is safe.
Sending your puppy to place with just a voice command
Today is the second day that I have been teaching Sadie about "Place" and now I can use just a voice command.
Sadie LOVES to go to "Place" and runs as fast as she can to get there after only two days of training.
Sadie looks forward to me giving the command "Place". This is my favorite video. She learned this in only two days and now when she hears me say "Place" she runs to her mat.
Using "Place" when you are away from home.
Yesterday I was invited to a family member's home and I not only took Chloe but "Sadie" the 11 week old Westie that is here at "Puppy Boot Camp" with me as well. I brought her crate that she sleeps in and her green mat and toys. I have made this video to show everyone how useful the "Place" command is when you travel with your puppy. Even though there was a kitchen full of people visiting with Chloe I was able to call "Sadie" to me in another room and send her to "place". Sadie not only responded to the command right away but did it happily. My family seemed very impressed with how well Sadie behaved but even better was that Sadie herself was able to enjoy freedom that without this kind of training she would not have been able to do.
Does "Place" have to be the same mat every time?
The location and kind of object that you want your puppy to go to as a designated location that you are going to call "Place" can change anytime you choose to designate something different as place. If you are out and all you have is your towel, mat or even your coat that can now become their "place" to go to be safe when you are not able to watch your puppy or if the environment is unsafe for you puppy to wander around.
Sadie learning to "go pee" on command
Once you are in the area where you want your puppy to use then just stand in one spot and let your puppy move around you. The important thing is that you don't walk around because then your puppy will get more interested in you and what you are doing then what they need to do. Using this method it becomes very easy for your puppy to start to put together the fact that when you stop moving and repeat "go pee" that it is time for them to go and once they do then you will start moving again and then they can play, sniff all the scents or receive praise. My own dog Chloe knows that as long as I am still moving we have not got to the spot that is ok for her to use but once I stop moving and say "go pee" then this the where she is to go.