Episode #47 A Training Challenge

The Puppy Training Podcast

In thinking about this week’s podcast, I decided to mix it up a bit and throw out a few training challenges for us to accomplish in the coming weeks.

With many people spending more time at home, here are a few basic training challenges we encounter on a daily basis for you and your puppy to complete. Really challenge yourself and your puppy to see what level can my puppy achieve?

I would love to see videos of things you and your puppy accomplish, even the novice successes as that is where we ALL begin! Let’s support each other as we work on common tasks! Feel free to share your videos to our facebook page - @theonlinepuppyschool.

Here we go… There are seven tasks - feel free to create your own as well. While we may be limited in social interactions and places we can visit with our dogs, there is plenty to fine tune within the walls of our own homes. Here are some ideas:

1. Puppy waits while you place the food bowl on the floor and doesn’t move to eat until released. How long can they wait? (See Lesson 1.9)
   1. Novice - 1-5 seconds
   2. Advanced Beginner - 6-20 seconds
   3. Intermediate - 60 seconds
   4. Skillful - Multiple Minutes
   5. Expert - I’m not moving until released!
2. Pawsfit Game - Only If You’re Nice (I & 2)
   1. Novice - Hold food in a closed hand
   2. Advanced Beginner - Hold food in an open hand
   3. Intermediate - Place food on the floor - cover with hand as needed
   4. Skillful - Bounce food around on floor
   5. Expert - Use steak or other HIGH value food reward at the skillful level
3. Puppy remaining in a sit stay while you put the leash on and again when you take the leash off
   1. See Lessons 1.8 & 2.4
4. Attention Walking - See Lesson 2.8
   1. Novice - Puppy watches you for 1-4 steps
   2. Advanced Beginner - Puppy watches you for 5-9 steps
   3. Intermediate - Puppy watches you for 10-20 steps
   4. Skillful - Puppy walks by your side (not ahead of you) for over 20 steps, checking in every few steps
   5. Expert - Puppy walks by your side for over 20 steps, turns right, turns left and sits when you stop.
5. Create your own shaping activity - What can you get your puppy to do?
   1. Paw a balloon
   2. Sit in a box
   3. Go through a tunnel
   4. Etc. Be creative & share your ideas!
6. Down stay while you open the door and invite a guest in (See Lessons 2.3 & 2.4)
   1. Novice - handler stands right next to puppy and feeds food rewards for position
   2. Advanced Beginner - handler stands right next to puppy and occasionally drops rewards
   3. Intermediate - handler stands 5 feet or more away from puppy - still tosses rewards
   4. Skillful - handler answers door - still tosses food rewards
   5. Expert - handler answers door - puppy gets reward after being released.
7. Puppy goes to their bed on cue. (See Lesson 2.11)
   1. Novice - Lure puppy onto bed and release puppy right away
   2. Advanced Beginner - Lure puppy onto bed, wait at least 10 seconds, then release
   3. Interme

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