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PLYMOUTH DOG TRAINING CLUB
Kennel Club Registered
Founded 1957
President – The Lord Mayor of Plymouth
Puppy Socialisation Class
WEEK TWO
Puppy’s name: ...............................................................
PLYMOUTH DOG TRAINING CLUB
Kennel Club Registered
Founded 1957
President – The Lord Mayor of Plymouth
Puppy Socialisation Class
WEEK TWO
Puppy’s name: ...............................................................
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Puppy Class – Help Sheet
Practise this week’s exercises little and often throughout the coming week. Always keep your training fun and don’t be predictable.
Good luck!
Next Week:
Bring in a socialisation aid, e.g. sunglasses, crash helmet or rustling raincoat
Vocabulary List
Puppy Class – Help Sheet
Practise this week’s exercises little and often throughout the coming week. Always keep your training fun and don’t be predictable.
- Practise getting your puppy to follow you off lead. Make it fun; go in and out of different rooms, go around the garden, walk slowly and jog a little, also change direction and encourage your puppy to follow you. Remember to make it really fun and reward well.
- Continue to teach your puppy the 3 positions;
- SIT,
- STAND
- DOWN.
- Practise the recall, try it in different places around the house and in the garden, but make sure that you keep up the handling exercise and try to encourage visitors to do the same. The more people that do this now, the better they will cope later on.
- Start to teach the puppy that you holding their collar is a good thing and reward
- every time you do this. It could be vital in an emergency.
- Read the handouts and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Good luck!
Next Week:
Bring in a socialisation aid, e.g. sunglasses, crash helmet or rustling raincoat
Vocabulary List
- WATCH Me or LOOK AT ME! Get your dog to focus on you and make eye contact.
- PHEWY/OOPS! /WRONG! Wrong Choice – the dog blew it. This should be said in a low, firm tone of voice.
- OUTCH or IEEE! Stop that mouthing it hurts. When your dog bit down too hard on his litter mates they yelped at him and stopped playing.
- GOOD DOG/WHAT A GOOD BOY/GIRL! This should be said in an upbeat, happy tone of voice. You want the dog to know that wheat he did was wonderful and he should keep doing it.
- SIT! The most basic of all commands. Can be practiced before eating, at street corners, in elevators or whenever you need to get active control of your dog.
- DOWN! This means lie down. Down is a very subordinate position so some bossy dogs may not readily comply. To be used when you want your dog to be comfortable or when you need control of a dog throwing a tantrum. Do not confuse this with “Off!”
- OFF! Use this for when your dog jumps up at people, on furniture or worktops. Don’t confuse this command with “Down”
- STAND! Use this when you want the dog to go from a sit or down and stand with all four feet on the ground. This is very useful at the vets, when being groomed or at the curb on a rainy day.
- STAY! This means do not move from whatever position you are in. You may ask your dog to “sit stay” or “down stay”.
- WAIT! This means do not move until I give another command. This could be a release from the car, crate or leaving the front door calmly for a walk. Also used for a controlled recall.
- COME! When your dog hears this command, he should leave whatever he is doing an d come to sit in front of you. Because this can be a lifesaving command, you should always give it in the most cheerful, inviting tone. Reserve a very special treat for teaching it and never use it to call your dog to you to do something he does not like.
- HEEL! This is a very precise position at your left side. The dog walks along beside you. If you stop, the dog stops. Heel is a good command to use on very crowded streets or when you want your dog very close, such as when there is broken glass in your path.
- TAKE IT! Teach your dog to take food or toys using this command. The dog should wait until you give the “TAKE IT!” command before putting the offered object in his mouth.
- DROP IT! /OUT! /GIVE! This means that the dog should spit out whatever is in its mouth. It is important to teach this command using a reward system or you can create an overly possessive dog.
- LEAVE IT! This tells your dog DO NOT EVEN THINK about picking up the object, to look away from the object, other dogs, cyclists etc.