Week 3 Resources
This week we started working on structured play, loose lead walking, long line handling for safe exploration before they have fantastic recall, and relaxation protocols with our puppies.
Teach the 'Get It' Cue
This cue is really important for all dogs to learn - don't take things from people unless you're given permission. This will help prevent accidents out in public, such as where children may be carrying toys, as well as at home.
Next week, we will be practicing the 'DROP' cue, so do practice your 'Get It' cue this week so you're prepared!
Loose Lead Walking
We have already practiced our key foundations for good loose lead walking - default eye contact, and 'let's go!' during our week 1 & 2 classes.
This week, we are wanting to progress to 10 steps in the area we are currently training in, introducing more distractions into our pups environment to increase the challenge; and troubleshooting any challenges we are having. While we are currently working on really strong foundations with treat rewards, towards the end of our puppy sessions we will be introducing alternative 'real life' rewards to maximize our puppies loose lead outcomes!
Using a Long Line
Before your puppies are acing their loose lead walking and recall, we still want to be able to exercise them and introduce them to the world safely.
To do this, we use very, very long leads! By using a long line, we can teach them how to interact with the world appropriately and calmly, often referred to as 'mooching'. Mooching is when our dogs are encouraged to use their noses to engage with the world rather than just running around mindlessly.
This skill is hugely important for dogs who are prone to getting 'hyped up' easily for whatever reason, as it facilitates plentiful sniffing and opportunities to engage back with you to get feedback.
The better you get at handling the long line, the easier the mooching will be. Practice the mooching-style lead handling without your pup before using it together. The yard is the best place to start, so both you and your puppy can get some practice in together without the environment being too exciting.
Note: We know for safety’s sake that it is really important that the long line is only ever attached to the back clip of a harness, not a collar and not a front clip.
Practice the skills in the video below this week. You can use a random length of rope, material, or even an extension cord, to get the hang of it when you're practicing without your pup.
You can also check out the one below for what we can use long lines for, however, I do not recommend the handling skills demonstrated in the video below for safety reasons.
Chill Out! With Relaxation Protocols
In 2013, Dr. Karen Overall published these Relaxation Protocols in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour. For the past 10 years, I have seen wonderful results with both puppies and adult dogs, and I'm sure your pup (and you!) will greatly benefit from doing these exercises as part of their ongoing training.
Understand that these protocols should be treated as a guide. I want you to think about the things that your puppy can't help but get involved with in your home, and begin implementing steps into the protocol to reflect that. We can discuss this as you progress through Puppy Foundations.
The purpose of the Relaxation Protocol Program is to teach dog’s how to relax and stay in a stationary position in a variety of circumstances. The sit or down cue is only a tool in the exercise and needs to be taught prior. The circumstances change from very reassuring easy ones with you present, increasing distractions, and then more difficult scenarios with you absent.
The key to making the most of this exercise? Make sure to keep practicing. 5-10 minutes, twice a day, will make the world of difference. I often start this around feeding time, where I feed the pup half or more of their meal, and the remaining portion is used as the reward for the exercise. This is because I don't want them to amp up because the special treats are so exciting!
It will teach them to relax; to defer to you when they're unsure of what to do; to enjoy earning a salary for an appropriate, desirable behaviour; and to develop patterns of foundational behaviours that allow them to cooperate with future training exercises. Your puppy can learn to rely on you for cues as to the appropriateness of their behaviour so that they can learn to act appropriately in a variety of contexts.
For puppies in particular, learning that they don't need to follow you about and staying calm when you leave is worth its weight in gold.
When your puppy is doing well, up the distraction, and start generalizing the skill to different environments. You can do this exercise before or after walks, and even during your outings once they have the hang of it, which can be a great stepping stone for them to learn how to relax out in the world too!
My personal preference are the audio files, which you can find here: https://championofmyheart.com/relaxation-protocol-mp3-files/
Alternatively, you can find the written files here: https://www.sithappens.co.nz/relaxation-protocol/