Day 5 With Puppy Training

We have decided to name the puppy Amelia. It's been a while since we've had a puppy, about 4 years, and it is amazing how quickly you forget what it was like. She has become a thief, grabbing anything that looks like it would be fun to take. Our natural instinct is to run and chase the puppy down until you can corner them to take back the object. This is so much fun for the puppy because now they have a fun game and will learn to repeat this behavior because it is rewarding.

Next time your puppy takes something you don't want them to have, grab a fun dog toy and make a trade. If you start to squeak your toy that will be a great distraction and will bring the puppy for play. When they have taken the toy you can retrieve the object. The puppy will learn that leaving an object is rewarded instead of giving chase with the object.

Amelia laying down on her own.

Amelia is learning to sit, down, stand, and turn. Sit is coming more naturally and I try to remember to reward her when she does it on her own. When I'm sitting at the table sometimes she will sit on her own and I praise her often. She was able to do down once without any luring. If she doesn't respond to the command right away I use the lure so that she will be successful and receive the treat. It's amazing how fast a dog can learn what a clicker means and how fast they can learn behaviors. This is the first puppy we have had since I have really learned about dog training and it will be interesting to see how she progresses.