# Top Commands to teach pup



## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

*What would be your top recommendations for pup (now 12 weeks old) to learn?
We do:*
Sit.
Down. 
Place.
Touch (nose to hand targets, I use this as a sort of "look at me" and make it a game).

The "stay" aspect of sit and down is slow going 😜 I want it to be an implied part of the sit or stay but of course duration for a pup is tricky. 
In "Place" she absolutely knows not to leave her bed until released and her impulse control here is getting better and better with both distance and duration. 

We play "It's Yer Choice" (just beginning stages as I understand) and she's also really grasping that pretty well for her age. 

She knows to sit and wait for release cue each time we leave the house. 
She sits to get her food. 
She waits to be released from crate. 

We started "Look At That" just in the house, very short duration as she loses interest.

Recall work is... hit or miss... However she is on a lead at all times, even in the house and she is quite velcroed to me generally. If anything I am working on helping her to accept short periods of time NOT by my side. 

Aside from distance/duration on these basic cues, what else would you suggest?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

We are working on:
Pick up - essential for a tiny puppy
Sit, because it is polite
Wait, rather than stay
Come
Where are you? for showing himself when I can't see him
Bed
Settle down

Loose leash walking is very much a work in progress...!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Impulse control, impulse control, impulse control: Look at That, Leave It, Settle, Place, Stay, Karen Pryor's Relaxation Protocol, Recall, and reward for calmness in all its forms.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

We were introduced to Drop in today's class, nicely illustrated by this video: 



As Freddy found a large chunk of onion in the carpark on the way out we will be working on this one, too!


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

Bring it, Give it, Drop it and Leave it.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Beep beep is one of the first commands I teach. The meaning is pretty obvious: get out of my way, I'm coming through. It's exceptionally helpful with two velcro dogs that insist on following me into the bathroom, lying underfoot in the kitchen while I'm cooking, and inspecting the contents of shopping bags as I'm putting the contents away.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Recall Recall Recall!!!

Impulse control and any number of those other orders get installed with games like It's Yer Choice, Look at That and such, but if your dog won't come to you when called you don't really have a dog and failure to recall is at its core a failure to have impulse control (sorry can't come now, gotta chase is a failure of impulse control). Being rock solid on a recall despite distractions is life saving.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

lily cd re said:


> Recall Recall Recall!!!
> 
> Impulse control and any number of those other orders get installed with games like It's Yer Choice, Look at That and such, but if your dog won't come to you when called you don't really have a dog and failure to recall is at its core a failure to have impulse control (sorry can't come now, gotta chase is a failure of impulse control). Being rock solid on a recall despite distractions is life saving.


So true! A couple of days after we practiced an exciting come! - handlers runs backwards game in puppy class last winter, Oona slipped out of the yard when I was taking out the trash cans. We live on a street that has school traffic in the mornings and this was one of those times. I went onto the driveway, called, Oona come! and ran backwards like we had practiced in class and she came bounding back to me. I was so relieved. Since then we've also conditioned her to an emergency whistle which has been really helpful for situations where she might get far away, or is engaged in something so exciting that my voice is not powerful enough to interrupt. I've made an effort to similarly 'refresh' her regular recall with high value treats every now and then.

One of the big lessons I've learned about training recall with this dog is keep it fun, not to drill it and to avoid challenging them for the sake of it, especially before they are ready. If she's playing with other dogs I'm not going to call her while she's really engaged unless there's a real need to. I wait for a pause in the play, for the moment before she's about to look for me anyway. It's like a piggy bank, the more they are successful and it's awesome fun, the more their recall builds up and gets more reliable over time and is more likely to be challenged successfully when you need it.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

The place and touch commands are my ultimate faves over anything else. Touch can even be used as a recall, so you could work on distance with that one too!
The commands I would add are Stand, and body handling. 
On building duration/implied stay with sit and down, the way I do this is to treat on the release (really, they are the same action). So I give the release cue and then toss the treat a few feet away, or have a 'treat chase'- basically treat is held out while I move a step or two back/side. I start with the release just seconds after the dog gets into position, but it doesn't take long to build up. Certainly once the duration is longer I might treat in position, but that is a quiet and calm delivery of treat directly to mouth. The real reward is the fun of the chase for the final treat.


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## Deere (Jun 25, 2021)

fjm said:


> We are working on:
> Pick up - essential for a tiny puppy
> Sit, because it is polite
> Wait, rather than stay
> ...


I never thought of the little guys and teaching them"Where Are You". I use the Speak command so if they treeed something or I couldn't see them and I couldn't hear them they would answer. I am having a lot of difficulty teaching Ivan the Speak command, Settle and to Look Up. I also use the Wait instead of Stay.The commands I use are: Sit, Wait, Down, Off, Come, Place, Enough, OK(I use this after I check out what he was barking about), Drop It/Leave It, Look and just for fun(and for kids to ask him)Shake Left or Right, Gimme Five, Spin, Touch. Included in this list is Lead Manners and Walking! We are also a work in progress.
Note: Ivan has the basics and fun stuff down pat but he will not do anything for 1 of my sisters or anyone else except for me, the class instructor & my other sister occasionally so we will be practicing and practicing. Has anyone else had this experience? This is my 1st dog that has acted this way.


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## Deere (Jun 25, 2021)

Deere said:


> I never thought of the little guys and teaching them"Where Are You". I use the Speak command so if they treeed something or I couldn't see them and I couldn't hear them they would answer. I am having a lot of difficulty teaching Ivan the Speak command, Settle and to Look Up. I also use the Wait instead of Stay.The commands I use are: Sit, Wait, Down, Off, Come, Place, Enough, OK(I use this after I check out what he was barking about), Drop It/Leave It, Look and just for fun(and for kids to ask him)Shake Left or Right, Gimme Five, Spin, Touch. Included in this list is Lead Manners and Walking! We are also a work in progress.
> Note: Ivan has the basics and fun stuff down pat but he will not do anything for 1 of my sisters or anyone else except for me, the class instructor & my other sister occasionally so we will be practicing and practicing. Has anyone else had this experience? This is my 1st dog that has acted this way.


Apologies I forgot these were commands for a 12 week puppy. I got carried away with commands that Ivan "the teenager " and I are working on.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

fjm said:


> We are working on:
> Pick up - essential for a tiny puppy
> Sit, because it is polite
> Wait, rather than stay
> ...


Ah yes!! "Settle." I've been doing this one as well. My favourite-- I like to think I see a flicker of satisfaction on her face when she hears how pleased I am when she does this one especially well. 

I may have to find a different word for "come" as I start over on recall. This is the one area that I have struggled in as her occasional ignoring of it (when outside with distractions) was reinforced.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

fjm said:


> We were introduced to Drop in today's class, nicely illustrated by this video:
> 
> 
> 
> As Freddy found a large chunk of onion in the carpark on the way out we will be working on this one, too!


Thanks for this!


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

reraven123 said:


> Bring it, Give it, Drop it and Leave it.


Yes! Adding these and looking up "how to" now. Thus far I've been trading things she picks up that I don't want her to have, just out of a desire to avoid resource guarding or anxiety on her end. But honestly not many opportunities have presented themselves so far because she's leashed in the house and is easily redirected to toys. I think perhaps I should get ahead of it anyhow and train as preventative. It's a given that I'll need to be able to communicate those requests to her.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

cowpony said:


> Beep beep is one of the first commands I teach. The meaning is pretty obvious: get out of my way, I'm coming through. It's exceptionally helpful with two velcro dogs that insist on following me into the bathroom, lying underfoot in the kitchen while I'm cooking, and inspecting the contents of shopping bags as I'm putting the contents away.


Brilliant!!! I'm stealing that one for sure.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

lily cd re said:


> Recall Recall Recall!!!
> 
> Impulse control and any number of those other orders get installed with games like It's Yer Choice, Look at That and such, but if your dog won't come to you when called you don't really have a dog and failure to recall is at its core a failure to have impulse control (sorry can't come now, gotta chase is a failure of impulse control). Being rock solid on a recall despite distractions is life saving.


I hadn't thought of it that way, but it IS impulse control isn't it! 🤦‍♀️
Recall is the one that I know I've got to start over on... she's had too many experiences outside where I've failed at preventing her failure, if that makes sense. She's always been on a long lead, but nevertheless... Treats aren't always the most tempting in some moments, and so my answer then becomes to reel her in and get in her face... which isn't very fun or rewarding for her. But I haven't tried the running backwards as I've recently read (and @Oonapup mentions). Nor have I been thinking in terms of giving her the BEST reasons to WANT to come to me. This week I'll be doubling down. I love what you shared about your experience, @Oonapup, thank you!


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

BennieJets said:


> Yes! Adding these and looking up "how to" now. Thus far I've been trading things she picks up that I don't want her to have, just out of a desire to avoid resource guarding or anxiety on her end. But honestly not many opportunities have presented themselves so far because she's leashed in the house and is easily redirected to toys. I think perhaps I should get ahead of it anyhow and train as preventative. It's a given that I'll need to be able to communicate those requests to her.


Play the two toy game. Give her one toy, play with it a bit, then ask her to trade for the other toy (Give it). You can trade back and forth between toys until she loses interest.
Throw a toy and tell her to "Get it". Then try to get her to "Bring it" to you. Trade it for another toy (Give it). Throw it again. 
Drop a treat on the floor and when she tries to get it cover it with your foot and "Leave it". Give her a treat from your hand. She never gets the one that was dropped (you can pick it up and give it to her, but she doesn't get it from where you told her to "Leave it".


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

BennieJets said:


> Ah yes!! "Settle." I've been doing this one as well. My favourite-- I like to think I see a flicker of satisfaction on her face when she hears how pleased I am when she does this one especially well.
> 
> I may have to find a different word for "come" as I start over on recall. This is the one area that I have struggled in as her occasional ignoring of it (when outside with distractions) was reinforced.


A lot of people in my training school use "here", for the same reason. I use "here" as an informal recall, similar to "this way" or "let's go" where I just want her to engage and come my direction but I don't need a complete recall (though I will take it!) 
I have almost totally stopped asking Oona to "come" in our small yard outside of a training session. It's a small yard with a lot of foot traffic from the condo complex next door and if she's off leash and not working/training, she's looking for something to watch or bark at. So we limit her off leash time in the yard and instead take neighborhood walks for potty breaks. When she is in the yard she's either on leash or actively training or actively playing. When we are done and it's time to go in, I tell her let's go, ask her to 'hop up' the stairs for a cookie or something other than 'come'. Or I get her and bring her in without a cue and then give her a cookie. Recall is too important for safety in the wider world to have it be blown off regularly, so I've found a workaround for asking her differently rather than be a stickler about her generalizing the cue perfectly.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Starvt said:


> The place and touch commands are my ultimate faves over anything else. Touch can even be used as a recall, so you could work on distance with that one too!
> The commands I would add are Stand, and body handling.
> On building duration/implied stay with sit and down, the way I do this is to treat on the release (really, they are the same action). So I give the release cue and then toss the treat a few feet away, or have a 'treat chase'- basically treat is held out while I move a step or two back/side. I start with the release just seconds after the dog gets into position, but it doesn't take long to build up. Certainly once the duration is longer I might treat in position, but that is a quiet and calm delivery of treat directly to mouth. The real reward is the fun of the chase for the final treat.


THIS! The treat chase! Oh my she would think that is just the best thing!! I could see that being really great for recall, too! 
These are such great ideas my new-dog-mom-brain never would have come up with on my own!


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

I find 'leave it' to be helpful in so many different situations. It can be lifesaving. And it's so easy to teach.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Oonapup said:


> A lot of people in my training school use "here", for the same reason. I use "here" as an informal recall, similar to "this way" or "let's go" where I just want her to engage and come my direction but I don't need a complete recall (though I will take it!)
> I have almost totally stopped asking Oona to "come" in our small yard outside of a training session. It's a small yard with a lot of foot traffic from the condo complex next door and if she's off leash and not working/training, she's looking for something to watch or bark at. So we limit her off leash time in the yard and instead take neighborhood walks for potty breaks. When she is in the yard she's either on leash or actively training or actively playing. When we are done and it's time to go in, I tell her let's go, ask her to 'hop up' the stairs for a cookie or something other than 'come'. Or I get her and bring her in without a cue and then give her a cookie. Recall is too important for safety in the wider world to have it be blown off regularly, so I've found a workaround for asking her differently rather than be a stickler about her generalizing the cue perfectly.


SUPER helpful! Workarounds, I can do that!


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Dianaleez said:


> I find 'leave it' to be helpful in so many different situations. It can be lifesaving. And it's so easy to teach.


I started out with "Leave it" with the treat in a closed hand or on the ground covered, etc. And then I switched to "It's Yer Choice" game because it was so similar.
I suppose it's a good idea to train her with both, eh? Particularly because there isn't any grey area with a temptation followed by a verbal "leave it."


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

BennieJets said:


> SUPER helpful! Workarounds, I can do that!


Reframing my training from 'control' to giving the dog opportunities to succeed (and be reinforced) has been the most powerful thing I've added to my understanding of training since getting this dog. It's helped me realize that it's much more about me making choices about how to manage myself and the situations I put us in, rather than controlling my dog. This reframing has given me a better calibrated sense of when and where I can and can't trust my dog instead of obsessing about the specific skill. Poodles are a mixed blessing because they're so smart, you sometimes have to get creative (and there are things we still struggle with, where Oona has persistently outsmarted us). But they're generally so eager to please and glad to be with us that it balances out.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

I was told leave it is only for things they can never have.

Tissues, candy dropped on the street, dropped pills...


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Possibly too young for this at this time, but very necessary are emergency commands. 
Some threads:
(9) Life Saving Emergency Commands? | Poodle Forum 
(9) What were your priority commands with your new puppy/dog? | Poodle Forum 
(9) Emergency Commands: recall vs. stay in place | Poodle Forum


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

We have a new family favourite - "Freddy Beddy!". Freddy loves it because it means something nice is about to be dropped into his bed, I love it because of the bounce, skip and flying sit he has taught himself, and all us adults love it because it means he then settles down for a snooze, the pen gate is closed, and at least an hour of peace and quiet ensues!

I think the most important behaviours to teach are the ones that are most important to you - for us, surrounded by safe off leash walks, loose leash walking is less important than it would be for someone in a city, for example, and can therefore wait awhile, as long as I take care not to reinforce pulling. Wait!, meaning pause until I tell you what to do, is more important to me than Stay!, meaning hold that position until I come back to you, as I use Wait! for exiting the car and house and as a preliminary for recall practice, while I hardly ever need Stay! Settle Down! is simply a sanity saver, as we all know... Teaching Freddy not to grab Sophy's ears is currently top of my list, and that is very specific to our circumstances!


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

Dianaleez said:


> I was told leave it is only for things they can never have.
> 
> Tissues, candy dropped on the street, dropped pills...


It can mean whatever you like, but that is a valid interpretation. Vs Drop It which is more, release what is in your mouth and I may or may not give it back.
Personally I use Leave It to mean, remove your attention from that thing (which could be food, a person, another dog, etc).


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## katmcg86 (Apr 23, 2019)

I love this thread!

Another to add that I believe is as important as “come” is “stop”/ “whoa”/ “halt.” I personally don’t like “whoa” since it sounds like “no.” I use when we stop to look both ways to cross streets or when the dog is trying to get in the way. Example: I broke a candle in a glass jar the other day. Dog heard the commotion and was coming to see what’s up. Since it wasn’t safe, I used “stop” so that he didn’t walk all over the glass before I could get him to a safe place.

Another is the “ok” or “free” command to help build duration. How long do I have to sit before I can do something else? Until the human says “free.” I think it’s good for them to know when they’re done working.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Has someone mentioned 'wait?' 

Wait - humans go through doors first. Wait - human gets to navigate steps first.


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## Meisha (Sep 21, 2020)

cowpony said:


> Beep beep is one of the first commands I teach. The meaning is pretty obvious: get out of my way, I'm coming through. It's exceptionally helpful with two velcro dogs that insist on following me into the bathroom, lying underfoot in the kitchen while I'm cooking, and inspecting the contents of shopping bags as I'm putting the contents away.


My friend looks at me like I'm crazy when I "beep beep" but Meisha got that one very quickly. Since she likes to stop short when we go out the door to sniff the air, I use it a lot.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Socialization, good experiences, and offleash recall/attention are the most important things to me with a young pup. Sit, down, tricks, etc, can all be taught later and aren't priorities for me. I do like working on trade games and 'leave it!' though.

Offleash recall and hiking manners was VERY important to me. 12 weeks is an ideal time in puppy development to work on getting your dog to watch you when off leash - if the dog doesn't pay attention, you might disappear behind a tree, or a bench, or start running away in the wrong direction ! When pup finds you, make a big fuss, give an awesome treat, etc.

I started this a week after bringing my girl home (13 weeks). It was nerve wracking (I didn't have a fence) but I took my girl to a local empty field and playground. Recall,high value treat and happy goofy praise, then let the puppy offleash, moving away from my pup, playing with a toy, etc, to keep her attention and keep her following me. And I took her to some relatives houses in the country to walk on trails in the forest too. I clipped on a long line when she hit adolescence and recall went out the window. Foundations for recall (getting the pup following you and watching you) are more important than any sort of formal 'come'. 'come' really is just short for 'awesome stuff over here!'


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Wait! is top of my list - I too broke a glass recently (or rather Tilly-cat did) and Wait! kept all three dogs away until I had made the area safe. And I am with FWoP on building foundations rather than specifics with very young puppies - I had Freddy more or less off leash from the first (trailing a 10 foot leash, as he played keep away until he learned the Pick Up cue). A general expectation of good stuff happening around humans (sometimes just for being there with no tedious stuff to do first), of fairness (give me that thing you have and I will give you something better or make it come alive so you can chase it), and safety (if in doubt, head for the space between the human's feet) go a long way.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

fjm said:


> We have a new family favourite - "Freddy Beddy!". Freddy loves it because it means something nice is about to be dropped into his bed, I love it because of the bounce, skip and flying sit he has taught himself, and all us adults love it because it means he then settles down for a snooze, the pen gate is closed, and at least an hour of peace and quiet ensues!
> 
> I think the most important behaviours to teach are the ones that are most important to you - for us, surrounded by safe off leash walks, loose leash walking is less important than it would be for someone in a city, for example, and can therefore wait awhile, as long as I take care not to reinforce pulling. Wait!, meaning pause until I tell you what to do, is more important to me than Stay!, meaning hold that position until I come back to you, as I use Wait! for exiting the car and house and as a preliminary for recall practice, while I hardly ever need Stay! Settle Down! is simply a sanity saver, as we all know... Teaching Freddy not to grab Sophy's ears is currently top of my list, and that is very specific to our circumstances!


This is my favourite-- what an adorable cue. What do you drop in his bed? I've been giving Bennie treats in her crate to increase her appreciation for it, but I'd love some ideas! She loves her yak cheese and antler but honestly they lose their appeal when she's expected to be penned up.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Dianaleez said:


> Has someone mentioned 'wait?'
> 
> Wait - humans go through doors first. Wait - human gets to navigate steps first.


I do have her sit until released with an okay while I lead her. But I think a wait command is a good idea for sure.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Socialization, good experiences, and offleash recall/attention are the most important things to me with a young pup. Sit, down, tricks, etc, can all be taught later and aren't priorities for me. I do like working on trade games and 'leave it!' though.
> 
> Offleash recall and hiking manners was VERY important to me. 12 weeks is an ideal time in puppy development to work on getting your dog to watch you when off leash - if the dog doesn't pay attention, you might disappear behind a tree, or a bench, or start running away in the wrong direction ! When pup finds you, make a big fuss, give an awesome treat, etc.
> 
> I started this a week after bringing my girl home (13 weeks). It was nerve wracking (I didn't have a fence) but I took my girl to a local empty field and playground. Recall,high value treat and happy goofy praise, then let the puppy offleash, moving away from my pup, playing with a toy, etc, to keep her attention and keep her following me. And I took her to some relatives houses in the country to walk on trails in the forest too. I clipped on a long line when she hit adolescence and recall went out the window. Foundations for recall (getting the pup following you and watching you) are more important than any sort of formal 'come'. 'come' really is just short for 'awesome stuff over here!'


This is a really important reminder for me. I haven't braved off leash yet- we have zero fence as well- but I do use a long lead. Last night I took her to an empty beach dragging the long lead and let her run, calling her back every so often. But you know what I got from this? The reminder that I need to be the focus of attention and not the other way around. In other words, letting her run and calling her back is risking that she'll find something better and decide "Nah. Don't need you, lady."


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

BennieJets said:


> This is a really important reminder for me. I haven't braved off leash yet- we have zero fence as well- but I do use a long lead. Last night I took her to an empty beach dragging the long lead and let her run, calling her back every so often. But you know what I got from this? The reminder that I need to be the focus of attention and not the other way around. In other words, letting her run and calling her back is risking that she'll find something better and decide "Nah. Don't need you, lady."


Exactly! I worked really hard to teach Annie it's her job to watch me, not my job to make sure she stays with me. 

Be warned, you may feel like a monster the first time you hide from your puppy and they have a mini panic attack trying to find you. But now hide and seek is one of Annie's favourite games.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

BennieJets said:


> This is a really important reminder for me. I haven't braved off leash yet- we have zero fence as well- but I do use a long lead. Last night I took her to an empty beach dragging the long lead and let her run, calling her back every so often. But you know what I got from this? The reminder that I need to be the focus of attention and not the other way around. In other words, letting her run and calling her back is risking that she'll find something better and decide "Nah. Don't need you, lady."


Totally get this worry. It can be helpful instead of thinking of it in terms of keeping her focus on you 100% of the time, to think in terms of making it super rewarding to come back to you or to check in with you without being called. One game you can play to help with this is a recall game with two people who call the dog back and forth, and you can move further and further apart. Puppies get really into this game and one person can hold the puppy's leash or collar until the other person calls them. This helps make the distance part of the game, as in the further they are from you, the more exciting it is to come back. It helps build that confidence that they can and will come back even from far away.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Wait is definitely a useful command for safety. I make a point to practice it:

At the door to the house (no slithering past me out the door when guests come, or when I'm signing for a package)
At the top of the stairs (no dragging me down my front steps)
When I open the car door (no hurtling into a parking lot where drivers aren't expecting a loose puppy)
At cross walks and intersections (no stepping in front of oncoming cars)


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

BennieJets said:


> This is my favourite-- what an adorable cue. What do you drop in his bed?


Bed treats are anything from some of his usual kibble to some from samples or home made chicken treats and chews. Sometimes I put them in a puppy Kong. Freddy doesn't mind his pen - he is usually only in there to sleep during the day, and whenever possible I let him out as soon as he wakes up. He is the first of my pups to settle happily in a pen and it is a bit of a revelation.


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## TuttoBene (Apr 23, 2021)

fjm said:


> We were introduced to Drop in today's class, nicely illustrated by this video:
> 
> 
> 
> As Freddy found a large chunk of onion in the carpark on the way out we will be working on this one, too!


I second “Drop it” , “Wait “ and “Leave It”. I like to inspect things that he’s picked up in his mouth. Somethings are “OK”. Somethings are a hard “Leave it.”


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

The breeder said Not to let my Spoo puppy jump on me (or others) - as many don't bother and then their dog grows big and is still jumping. So within the first 24 hours taught him not to jump on me (off command), then to jump on me, and the next day the same with furniture. I also started recall the first day. I had picked him up in my tiny trailer which we stayed in for about 3 weeks. As I was unstable on my legs so tripped easily I next taught him to wait at the door/top of the stairs for me to go down and give him permission to follow.
It's amazing what a little pup can learn in a few days.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

kontiki said:


> The breeder said Not to let my Spoo puppy jump on me (or others) - as many don't bother and then their dog grows big and is still jumping. So within the first 24 hours taught him not to jump on me (off command), then to jump on me, and the next day the same with furniture. I also started recall the first day. I had picked him up in my tiny trailer which we stayed in for about 3 weeks. As I was unstable on my legs so tripped easily I next taught him to wait at the door/top of the stairs for me to go down and give him permission to follow.
> It's amazing what a little pup can learn in a few days.


The no jumping thing has been so tricky for me. I knew it was important right from the outset because in the past I have found dogs jumping at me to be startling at worst and annoying at best. Mind you, these have never been my dogs so I never had the context of "oh they're excited to see me, it's a natural response for them." I just saw it from my own perspective and that was it. That, and I have pretty young kids still. My son may be taller than me (he's only 12 and I'm certainly not short, so goddess help me 😜 he's going to be a giant), but I have a five year old who is pretty small yet. It's scary for her when dogs jump up. Anyhow we've been working on it with Bennie, but the impulse at 13 weeks is certainly still there. I am finding keeping a house line on her to prevent her from practicing the behaviour helps, but mostly it's training the people she interacts with. She's jumping less in the house and listens immediately to "off" but out in public when folks approach and shrug me off with "It's fine," I find I have to back away or insist to them that no it won't be fine as she becomes a larger dog. I'm also working on getting her to sit at a distance and settle before I let others approach to say hi. It's all a work in progress.

They do learn quick don't they?! Bennie started offering sits on her own at the door, and it was then that I realized "This is actually what I want!" She knows to wait for a her release there. Same too with sitting and waiting for a release command in her crate.


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## Phaz23 (May 31, 2020)

BennieJets said:


> *What would be your top recommendations for pup (now 12 weeks old) to learn?
> We do:*
> Sit.
> Down.
> ...


honestly I would work on focus/look at me and settle on a mat in a variety of environments more so than any other come cue. I feel like those skills and IYC are the foundation of just about everything especially with poodles.I feel like they pick up new cues lightning fast but that environmental overstimulation isn’t so easy to handle


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Phaz23 said:


> honestly I would work on focus/look at me and settle on a mat in a variety of environments more so than any other come cue. I feel like those skills and IYC are the foundation of just about everything especially with poodles.I feel like they pick up new cues lightning fast but that environmental overstimulation isn’t so easy to handle


Such a good point. We do a lot of settle and place using a mat and she's pretty brilliant at home. I was shown exactly what you speak of when taking it outside 😂 
We did do some look at me and settle today when taking my five year old to a new park. A squealing running five year old and poodle = my face in palm. So I had her settle a ways away from where my kiddo was playing, and we did a lot of look at me with treats while she observed the surroundings. Muuuuuch better. Dog ownership and poodles are so new to me. Glad to have this forum!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Sounds like a great time! 😆


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