Training Rex in the City, Basic Obedience for Dogs

Lesson Plan: Week 8

THE FINAL WEEK!!
This is the last week at the beginner level. You've accomplished a great deal in a relatively short time and built a great foundation. If you and your dog have enjoyed the training, consider enrolling in intermediate level classes to focus on gaining greater control of your dog under more difficult conditions.

Sit-stay
At this point, be inconsistent about the time and distance you are away from your dog. Sometimes only stay away a few seconds, sometimes a minute or more. Similarly, vary the distance. Don't be so consistent that the dog can learn to anticipate a pattern.

Once you feel the dog understands the stay command, start proofing the stays. Practise the stays, always on leash, in areas where he will experience traffic noise, people and other dogs. Correct him if he breaks the stays. To add your own distractions while the dog is on the stay, you might try gently swinging the slack leash back and forth; stepping to one side and then to the other; sitting on the ground or having someone clap. If the dog moves in any of these instances, simply return to him and put him back into the stay position exactly where he was originally left and repeat the exercise.

Sit and down on command
Practise sit and down commands from all positions. Remember to include hand signals with the verbal commands.

Down-stay

Increase the distance
As you did with the sit-stay exercise, lay out your 30-foot long line before doing the down-stay exercise. Take your dog to the end of the line, hook the line onto the dog's collar. Down the dog as usual. Give the stay command as usual. Then leave the dog to a distance of about eight feet. Over the course of this week, gradually increase this distance until you are finally going out the full 30 feet. Remember to correct the dog if he moves even the slightest bit. If the dog moves off the spot, return him to the original spot and reposition him in the down. The exercise should be repeated, but stay a bit closer. By the end of the week your dog should be able to stay for three minutes with you standing at the end of the 30-foot long line.

Optional
Proofing the down-stay
Occasionally when you return to your dog, try the following exercise. Instead of stopping when you get into the heel position, continue on. Don't release the dog, don't re-command the dog to stay. He's still under the original command. Walk to the end of the leash again, turn and face the dog and do a shortened version of the stay exercise all over again. The dog may try to follow you. If he does, reposition him in the original place, repeat the "Stay" command and hand signal, and repeat the exercise. Once the dog has stayed for a few seconds, return to him as usual, wait a few seconds, then release him and praise. Do this exercise periodically so the dog learns not to anticipate the release.

Also try varying the amount of time you wait at the dog's side before releasing him after returning to him. This simple proofing exercise will also stop his anticipating the release.

Heel on leash
Continue practising on-leash heeling. Starting this week, string the heeling skills together. Start every practice with a two to three-minute heeling drill that includes all heeling skills learned to date. Remember to make the heeling interesting for your dog. Use your voice and/or food to encourage him and to keep his interest. This week you should also start using the hand signal when you give the verbal command,"Heel."

You should teach skills such as automatic sit; right turn; left turn; about turn; and change of pace - separately as well as including them in your heeling drills. After you've completed the drill, select one or two of the skills noted above for more intensive work. Then in the next practice session, concentrate on two different heeling skills, and so on.

Practise the right and left turns. The optional heeling squares are great for practising these turns. Teach automatic sits by doing quick succession forward- halt-forward-halt-forward-halt patterns. Do several about-turns in succession, as well. Be careful though, not to do so many that you make yourself and your dog dizzy.

Come

Formal recall
Once your dog is able to do a formal recall on a six-foot leash, gradually increase the distance. Attach a long line to the dog's collar. Try calling him from a distance of eight feet. If your dog is successful from this distance five out of five times, add another couple of feet until finally the dog consistently comes from a distance of 30 feet. Remember this exercise needs to be taught on-leash so that you can follow through.

Be careful of too many recalls out of a sit-stay. They might make your dog unreliable on the stay command because he will anticipate the come. The occasional call to come out of stay is fine, but a better way to practise this formal recall is to allow your dog to walk on the 30-foot leash in the park. Once something distracts him and he's not paying attention to you, give the "Come" command and have him do a front when he gets to you. Praise him and release him with "OK!" and repeat the exercise.

Congratulations - you made it!
You and your dog have completed basic obedience training. Keep practising to maintain your skills. Obedience training is a wonderful way to form a tight bond with your dog. If you enjoyed this course, you and your dog might consider more advanced training. Contact your veterinarian for knowledgeable obedience instructors in your area.