What to teach next?

MissyGallant

MissyGallant

Forums Enthusiast
We are going to puppy obedience with Rocket. He is too high energy and WAY too smart, so he gets to learn to channel that some. The classes won't start for another few weeks. I've taught him Sit, Down and Stay already. What should I teach him next? I haven't done an official class in ages and even then, it wasn't much of a class.
 
You could teach him to wait and watch you. Also practice loose leash walking. And try to get him use to walking on your left side. I know in class that I am in we work on heeling after the loose leash walking. You call also practice recalls. Those are all the things we are working on as well as what you are already teaching Rocket.
 
If your pup will do sit-stay-down-come at home, then take it on the road and get the same responses in a parking lot, at the park, in a retail store (home improvement stores are good for this!) Add distraction and difficulty!
 
I taught Gavin 'belly rub' at an early age. He rolls over onto his back :) And wiggles and grunts until he gets his belly rub :)
It's his favorite thing now.
 
A agree, watch (look at me) and wait are good ones, as is teaching to nose target. I'll add 'leave it' to the list.
 
I'd move "leave it" up, as it can be a lifesaver if he ever gets to something that can be dangerous. it was one of the first ones we taught Oberon. When we lived in the apartment, someone had a habit of leaving half-eaten pot pies on the sidewalks. We taught "leave it" because I didn't want Oberon getting into those as they wouldn't be good for him, and because that little paranoid piece in me was afraid someone had poisoned them because they didn't like dogs. Because he's a Sheltie, he picked it up really quickly (he was only about 3 months at the time) and after only being pulled away, told to sit and "leave it" 3 or 4 times, he realized that those things, no matter how enticing they smelled, were not to be eaten. After that, he would look a them, look at Lee or I, and if we said "leave it" would ignore it and continue walking. When we got to the "leave it" portion of our obedience class, the teacher was amazed he already knew it - she claimed it was one of the more difficult commands. Our response was, "he's a Sheltie, what do you expect?"
 
The very first thing I teach my puppy is to come happy to me - every time I call :yes:

Next is "drop" (=let it go), and as Oberon mom writes it can be a lifesaver

Third it is "leave it" = do not touch.

These three things are very important to me, - this takes no time and then they have learned it - everything as sit, lie down etc. come all by itself gradually when we learn to live together :hugs
 
I'd definitely teach watch me. I know with Piper that this is one of his big problems and had I known I'd of started teaching it early. In our early classes we were taught to teach them with us seated on the floor at their eye level however I found that this didn't teach the dog to look at your face when in heel. Now I teach it with me standing in front of him and it's so much more effective and then I work myself around him in a circle keeping his eyes on me at all times. Good luck with obedience, I love watching and seeing them learn things but watch out...once the dog has the obedience bug they won't let you get any rest. Most days Piper won't let me sit down for 5 minutes because he wants to do his 'excercize's' all the time lol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top