Training Your Puppy

by Jac Harbour

When you first get the puppy, teach it that the click means food rewards. Start clicker training for come, sit, come into heel position, down and show stand if conformation is in the cards.

Begin fun fetching with anything the pup will pick up and carry, do it in a hallway so pup will come back towards you with the object.

Teach tricks like sit-up or shake a paw to have fun with c/t and food.

Progress as the pup understands and before it starts getting creative. Add down, then sit from the down and stand and stay. Introduce a puppy bumper for fetching and wings occationally. Try a few retrieves outside using its favourite toy, and in different rooms of the house, but keep it to only two or three retrieves. If pup does not bring it back or loses interest just do one in a new location.

Lots of practice with recalls on a long line so pup learns to come everytime to you, and always have a tasty treat or toy reward.

If weather permits introduce the pup to water. If not, use a bath tub intoduce to water in a fun way, throw some pieces of food that float in or its favourite toy or the wings.

If pup is fetching for you quite well have someone else throw for you, having a long line on the pup is always a good idea. Introduce a dead pigeon and a live one, and other types of game birds. Introduce go outs, progress to short sight blinds. When pup is sort of steady on stay introduce overs. Throw retrieves in short cover and very occationally in a little longer cover.

Play find the food or toy to help teach the pup to use its nose.

If its warm enough for swimming then encourage pup to follow you in deeper water and/or throw objects further out for the pup. Have pup go into running water further and further to help build confidence going further away from you into an "ocean" that is not swimming depth.

All this is done as fun games not serious training, poodles learn with fun, positive lessons better and faster.

Other training can be done as well like agility etc.

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