Training

We start at home with no distractions. We find the reward your dog works hardest for, food or a toy, and reward every time they look back at you, so their name becomes the best sound they know.

Five minutes a day: say your dog's name once and reward the second they look at you. Reward any time they check in with you on their own.

We move to the yard on a long line and teach your come word as a game: call once, back up, big reward. We also go over the one rule that ruins recall, calling your dog for something they don't like.

Practise recall on the long line twice a day, 10 reps. If you don't think they will come, don't call, go and get them.

Recall and staying close with distractions: smells, toys, a new person, then a calm dog. We add a wait cue so your dog can stop at a distance.

Practise in a new place each day, still on the long line. Keep it short and end on a win.

Your dog's first off-leash practice in a safe, quiet area. We talk about what to do when they don't come back and whether they're ready to join our pack hikes.

Keep the long line for busy places for now, and keep rewarding every recall, even the easy ones.

We watch how your dog walks, check that the collar or harness fits, and start the main rule: a loose leash moves forward, a tight leash stops.

Short walks this week. Stop when the leash goes tight, go when it's loose, and reward your dog for walking beside you.

We build a reward spot at your side and add a heel word. Turns and changes of pace teach your dog to keep an eye on you.

Two 10-minute training walks a day. Heel for short stretches, then let them sniff as the reward.

We practise passing other dogs, people and squirrels at a distance your dog can handle, using leave it and turns.

Walk a route with a few distractions and keep your distance. If the pulling starts, turn and walk the other way.

We put it all together on your normal walking route, and set the same rules for everyone in the house so your dog gets one message.

Keep the same rules on every walk. Use a free word for sniff time so your dog knows when they can relax.

Figuring out what your puppy loves the most, toys, food or affection. Secondly, we want to build a strong bond and not be negative towards our puppies (avoid the word no and scolding your puppy)

Take the time too play with all different types of toys and try various different foods.

Talking about the things that will be most important too you in your home for example (jumping on people or barking inside)

Take notes all week of the behaviors you'd like too see in the home and the behaviors you no longer want too see

Before we start teaching your puppy the things we have agreed are most important, its important to have a clear line of communication.

Picking a word like yes for a way to reward the behaviors you want to see and building strength in your puppies name.

Now that we have built up a bond lets start working on some commands with your reward word we will teach him some simple basics like sit, leave it ect...

Once a day work on the Commands we have worked on in the session in 10 rep intervals.

We will continue with different commands, more complex ones, waiting at the door before going outside, recall or trick training if that's something you want.

Once a day work on the Commands we have worked on in the session in 10 rep intervals.

Discuss what the next several months will look like with your puppy and any other behaviors or commands you'd like to address.

For the past 5 weeks we've been building your program that you will continue to follow for the next 2 years.

We find what your dog works for, teach them that yes means a reward is coming, and start sit.

Say yes then give a treat, 10 times a day so the word means something. Practise sit in 10 rep intervals twice a day.

We guide your dog into a down with a treat, then fade the treat out so the word alone works.

Sit and down, 10 reps each a day, in different rooms of the house.

We build stay one piece at a time: how long, how far and with what going on, plus a release word that tells your dog they're done.

Add a few seconds at a time. Always release your dog yourself, don't let them get up on their own.

Recall indoors and in the yard. Coming to you has to be the best thing that happens all day.

Play recall games between people in the house. Never call your dog for something they don't like.

We start with food in a closed hand, then food on the floor, then toys and things you find on walks.

Leave it practice every day. Start easy and only make it harder once your dog gets it right most of the time.

Walking at your side on leash, with turns, and an automatic sit when you stop.

Two short heel sessions on your walks each day.

Sending your dog to a bed or mat and having them stay there. It's the one that helps most at the door and at meal times.

Use place when guests arrive and while you eat, and reward your dog for staying calm.

Every command with distractions in a new place, and a plan for keeping it going after the program ends.

A few minutes of practice a day. Pick one command each week to practise somewhere new.

We learn your dog's triggers, like other dogs, people or cars, how close they can get before your dog reacts, and the body language that comes first.

Keep a trigger diary all week: what it was, how far away, and how your dog reacted.

Every reaction your dog practises makes the next one easier, so we set up walks and the home to avoid them while we train: routes, walk times, gear and covering windows.

Change your walk times or routes to stay away from triggers, and reward every calm moment.

Somewhere quiet, we teach a look at me cue and a marker word your dog can count on.

Practise focus in 10 rep intervals twice a day, at home and in the yard.

Waiting games at doors, food bowls and toys, so your dog learns that staying calm gets them what they want.

Have your dog wait before meals, doors and the car every day.

At a distance where your dog stays calm, we reward them every time they look at the trigger, so it starts to mean something good.

Practise at that same distance on quiet walks. If your dog reacts, add distance and try again.

Leave it with real distractions, and a quick U-turn to get out of tight spots before your dog reacts.

Practise the U-turn on every walk, even when nothing is there.

A tight leash adds tension, so we work on loose leash walking with triggers at a distance.

Training walks on quiet routes, loose leash only.

Using place for the doorbell, visitors and barking at the window.

Send your dog to place every time someone comes to the door.

We slowly shrink the distance, including a side by side walk with a calm dog.

Only keep the new distance while your dog stays calm. If they struggle, go back a step.

Recall around distractions on a long line, and a plan for the next few months: what a setback looks like and what to do about it.

Keep the trigger diary going and keep up training walks a few times a week.