FE145 First Things First - Puppy Foundations for a Bright Future

First Things First is the new puppy owner's guide to building strong skills and social behaviors -right from the start!

Course Details

First Things First is the new puppy owner's guide to building strong skills and social behaviors -right from the start!

With a progression based on my board-and-train puppy program, this sequence of layered skill building and cultured exposures will help you start working with your puppy from the moment you bring him or her home, in a way that promotes learning fun and prevents overwhelm for both of you. Whether your puppy is destined to be a beloved family pet or a future competition star, a foundation that focuses on building communication, confidence and life skills is the first step to a bright future. The class is ideal for puppies in the 2-5 month range but would also provide a great framework for any older puppy or dog that is new to your household or experiencing structured learning for the first time.

The class topics will include reinforcement skills (food and toys), building productive patterns, socialization strategies, and confidence building exercises. Interwoven throughout the lectures and demos will be discussion around ways to help discover your puppy for the amazing individual that they are, as well as strategies for how you can help meet their unique needs and thus allow them to blossom!

Check out this trailer for a sneak peak on some of the skills we'll be working on:

Teaching Approach

Lectures are released at the beginning of each week. Written instructions for each exercise are accompanied by short video demonstrations. Video demonstrations are primarily with baby puppies in the learning process so- REAL learning happens in the demos! Occasionally, older puppies in the learning stages are also used to demo specific exercises.

Many exercises build on skills learned in previous weeks as the class goes on, in a layered approach to learning. Many exercises involve being able to get down to the puppy's level, bending to deliver reinforcement or play games.

Feedback is detailed and is primarily written, but occasionally may contain photos or diagrams for improved clarity. Gold and Silver students can expect to receive individual adaptations to exercises as needed to best suit the handler or puppy. All students will find value in following the homework threads and in sharing experiences with each other through the discussion forum or facebook student group.

***This class has a teaching assistant! ***

Syllabus

(Subject to adjustments)

Week 1 -Essential Skills

Training A Lure
Cookie Toss
Room Service
Luring Tricks
Potty Training Tips
Leash Walks
Toy Preferences
Hand Target and Cookie Hand Cue

Week 2- Conditioned Emotional Responses

Name Game
Tiny Tug & Switch
It's Your Choice
Crate Fun
Hand Target 2
Chill Mat
Bravery Game
Loppy Training
Trick- Leg Weaves

Week 3- Skills, Shaping and Socialization

Charging the Clicker and First Game
Positions: Sit
Vito Game
Positions: Down
Middle
Position: Stand
Good Posture
Dish 2
Checkins and reward position
Expanding the Comfort Zone

Week 4- Precedents, Predictions and Patterns

Heel Position
Baby Stays
Stays from Middle and Heel
Trade
Pivot
Crate + Dish + IYC
Shaping a Platform Sit
Recalls
Doing Dog Things

Week 5 -Discrimination and Generalization

Place Plus Dish
Tiny Tug & Trade
Pivot plus Heel and Front
Collar Grab and Collar Give
Sit or Down Loops
Paw Target
Noise is Good!

Week 6 Body Handling and Awareness

Happy Handling
Muzzle Training
Mouth Exam
Gentle Restraint
Back up
The Box Game
Final Tips!

Prerequisites & Supplies

No Prerequisites! Equipment: Platform (a Cato Board works great for medium and larger breed puppies, Smaller breed puppies could use something like a foam puzzle mat cut to size (large enough to easily get on and sit). The ideal platform is slightly elevated off the ground, but not much higher than the puppy's wrist. Traffic cone, Toilet Plunger, or Jump Standard (only need one of these) Mat- large enough for puppy to lie on, and a different texture than your usual training surface. Two identical toys, that are suitable for tugging and tossing. Most puppies like fuzzy, soft toys. You can add a string to each toy if they do not already have a longer handle. Two dishes or bowls that are not tippy (ceramic or glass or rubber bowls work great!) A variety of treats that your puppy will readily eat and can swallow quickly. Large dry crumbly cookies are not ideal- smaller store bought treats, small cubes of cheese, thinly sliced/cubed cooked chicken or hot dogs work great as higher value treats. In some situations you can also use your puppy's regular meals to train with but you will want easy to feed, higher value options, available. A metal pan (dog dish?) that is big enough to fit a spoon lengthwise inside and low enough for puppy to eat out of. We will also creatively use a few random household things throughout the class. When these come up, don't worry too much if you don't have the exact item- I'll always give ideas for substitutes and you can just use what you have on hand!

Sample Lecture

We're going to combine some recently learned skills- the vito game, and our stand with the front paws on an elevated target, in order to introduce pivots in a really fun way!

For this session, you'll need your two dishes, and a front foot target. Nothing too high- about wrist height or a little less is perfect. The dishes will be placed next to your sides, so you can easily drop in cookies to each one, while the front foot target will be centered in front of your body, about a foot or so away from you (if your puppy is quite large, you may need it a bit further back). Sitting on the floor works great, or sit in a chair!

Diagram showing a clipart human sitting on the floor, with a food dish on each side. A front foot target which is an upside down bowl is directly in front of the person.

By now your puppy is likely pretty magnetized to the front foot target so be ready for your puppy to get up there when you bring it out. Mark their front paws up on it with your room service marker a time or two and feed directly to your puppy's mouth. Then, give your Dish! marker cue, and place the cookie in dish 1. They'll go right back to that target- room service marker and feed in place again, and then cue dish cookie in dish 2. Keep this pattern- feeding your puppy in place a few times, then alternating which dish you place the next cookie in.

What you should start to see is your puppy beginning to pivot a few steps as they go from the dish to the pivot and moving their rear legs into place so that they are facing you. Those room service cookies that you feed while they have their front paws up should be delivered from the center of your body, encouraging them to face you.

Here is little Cookie learning this for the first time- she's a busy one, but she catches on quickly that going to the target after each Dish cookie is a good choice.

Here's how it looks a session or two later!

Instructors

Erin Lynes

Faculty

Erin (she/her) is a lifelong dog enthusiast from Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Erin is certified as a Karen Pryor Academy Training Partner, a Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer, a Licensed Family Dog Mediator, and as a Cani-Fit Leader, ...

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