Good training classes

[cerulean]

Armanimink: our pup is 11 1/2 weeks old. Here are a couple training things, taught to us by more experienced folks, that are working for us:

1- We take her outside OFTEN to pee. When she does, she sits in front of my feet (butt on the ground) and gets a treat. She knows this routine quite well now and sometimes chooses not to get a treat (just sniffing around) but if she wants one she comes immediately over to me and always gets one, for peeing outside.

If she pees in the house we just scoop her up and run outside.

She prefers the opportunity to leisurely take her pee-and-sniff-and-treat time, rather than the frantic scooping-and-running-outside time,,,, so she is learning to ask to go outside. We hung some bells on the door so she can ring them when she wants to go out, and she does this because it works. But, she's a baby and sometimes, oops, oh well...no big deal.

2- We play a lot of games which she seems to enjoy. One is that I hold a treat near my eyes and say her name. If she comes to me she always gets a treat. Then I hold a treat out about her head height and say "sit". When her butt hits the ground she gets a treat. Then I hold a treat in my hand, palm down to the floor and say "plotz". When her belly hits the floor she gets a treat. (and so on with other cues).

We play these games OFTEN several times a day, dancing around the house and yard. Now, saying her name is like a magnet to get her attention, she's thrilled that something good might happen. So this coming weekend, hubby and I are going to start work (oops, I mean play) on an actual "come" recall with her. Wish us luck teaching it, but she's already willing to do whatever we ask for.

Hope that helps.....