# Helpful things to teach?



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

"crate time" 

"bedtime" 

"paws on the floor" (no jumping on anyone - stopped having to say it after awhile)


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Settle Down is a very useful one, as is Budge Over for making space on a chair or sofa. A generalised Wait cue is perhaps our most used cue. I ask mine to Wait in all sorts of situations - Wait to have leads on as we approached a flock of sheep today, Wait to get out of the car, Wait for bicycles to go by. I also use Stay and Be Good for when I am going out without them.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Sitting on the carpet to wait for their paws to be wiped, when coming from outside. That is a must for rainy days and all through winter !


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

"Bring me your toy!" or "Go get your toy!" is a lifesaver for Archie, as it's the quickest way to redirect him from pretty much anything he shouldn't be doing. Plus it's just cute to watch him stop, race off to pick out a toy, and then come back with it all wiggly-like.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Threshold training! No bolting out of doors... same goes with the "wait" command.
Comes in handy when you have to leave a door open to carry groceries in, or if a entrance door gets left open accidentally. Can also be used to keep a dog out of a room it is not allowed in.


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## Wren (Jul 2, 2013)

Collar Grab Game.

Call the puppy to you, grab their collar, treat. Repeat 5 times. Do this several times a day. 

Work up to: call the puppy to you, grab the collar, walk a few steps with dog and collar in your hand, treat.

Lather, rinse, repeat in all locations and places. Make sure you treat after you have a grip on the collar, not when you are reaching for the collar.Make that puppy love to have it's collar grabbed. 

This is a great thing to train so when you have to grab for that collar because of some dangerous issue, the pup won't be scared when you do it.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Good things to teach so far! Great!

I find some things following to be very useful and always teach my dog: Leave it. (it's so global)

not to go past the threshold at the door when I go out or the door is left open.

I like to work toward a good recall that involves a high level of distraction, such as prey. But that's a process. They've got a pretty good recall but there is still work to do to get where I'd like them.

Drop on recall

Halt 

watch me/ look at that

I enjoy teaching them a little trick: the walk at heel, then they stop and wait (both at stand and at sit) and then come along while I continue walking without stopping. This is something I taught my Doberman and I am starting with the Poodles. So they stop while I continue walking, then catch up to be at a heel, then wait, again while I keep walking, then catch up to heel and so on. 

We're also working on sit/stay while I go out of sight.

I enjoy teaching default behaviors when practical. And the other things I like to work it down to a very subtle hand cue...a flick of the wrist for stay...so no one notices.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Drop or sit at distance that is rock solid. I would much rather go get a dog that had gotten loose than call it back, especially if crossing a street is involved.

Settle (on your bed or in your crate).

Wait as opposed to stay should be different to the dog. For mine, stay means stay here in this position until I return to you. Wait means remain in position in this spot until I tell you to do something else (as for a recall or a start line stay in agility).

Attentive eyes (look at me, let's make eye contact).


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## Mindina (Jul 17, 2015)

"down/paws on floor" - sounds like a useful one! I have tried to teach that before though without luck with adult dogs. Maybe this time around will be different? I hope? haha I guess I just wont allow jumping from the start it will be fine. I made that mistake with puppies before.

wait - that's a good one!

budge over - I love it! do you think its possible to also teach "too close"? I visit my grandma who is in her 90's often. As well I work at a seniors home. It would be useful to teach a dog that when you say "too close!" to move away from who they are nearest to so that they don't trip them. It would be useful around children too.

waiting for their paws to be cleaned at the door - I love that! I will do that for sure. I wonder if you could teach them to wipe their paws on a carpet. That would be so cute

"bring me your toy" - I like to use that one for when I don't want to get up. hahah that way I can play with less effort 

Threshold training - super important

collar grab game - I plan to do this. I also plan to call my pup to me when on walks/playing with other dogs and grabbing the collar and clipping the leash on. Before releasing her again. That way she learns that being grabbed/being put on a leash doesn't always mean that the fun is over.

Sit/stay when out of sight - I hope to be able to teach this. I taught my horse to, so hopefully I can with my pup

Drop at a distance - I feel like this might be difficult to train, but I want to try. It would be helpful if they pick up something they shouldnt


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I have a thread that talks about how to teach a drop on recall (at distance). Here is a link.http://www.poodleforum.com/23-general-training-obedience/180362-teaching-drop-recall.html


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## snmim (Sep 7, 2015)

Something I would teach would be "place" cue or "go to mat". It's helpful when you have guests come over, incase your dog starts bounding around and jumping on them, especially when they're full grown. Also teach a release cue to this, so he/she only gets up on your command and nothing else. This should be a special place imo, not on a dog bed to make the situation more clear. Everything else that was suggested is spot on.

I also taught my dog "closer" when I call her and she sits slightly away from me, so she'll scoot closer so I can put on a leash, etc. This is a variation of "front", but that's slightly more advanced.

Note: (Something I'd like to warn ahead of time) Is to never mistake your puppy's excellent recall to be permanent. They will start to get sloppy if you don't reward consistently as they mature and start to become more independent. Good luck


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Mithy you are right, recalls and other life saver types of orders and responses should be practiced frequently and the best responses should be rewarded lavishly to continuously remind the dog what they are expected/required to do on hearing that order.


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