This eBook has been created by Positive Response Dog ...€¦ · This eBook has been created by Positive Response Dog Training (ABN: 54 282 031 516). No ... Premack’s Principle

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© Positive Response Services PTY LTD 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This eBook has been created by Positive Response Dog Training (ABN: 54 282 031 516). No

part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission from the author.

The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information within this eBook was

correct at time of publication. The author does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to

any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors

or omissions result from accident, negligence, or any other cause.

Version 1.19

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About the Author

Positive Response has collaborated with trainers who made valuable contributions to this eBook.

These trainers hold national qualifications along with other certificates or degrees.

We extend a special thank you to our trainers and office team, who not only contributed to this

material in collaboration with author Dee Scott, but who also spent hours reading, editing, and

ensuring that everything contained herein is accurate and clear to you - our reader.

These interactive eBooks may contain additional embedded video materials which provide a

visual aid to assist you in training and working with your pets.

Dee Scott Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (2014) Certificate IV in Dog Behavioural Training (2000)

Shelley Fellows Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services (2015)

Certificate IV in Children’s Services (2002)

Ingerlisa Matthews Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services (2012) Bachelor of Science in Child Psychology (2001)

Ashleigh Cheers Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services Diploma of Justice Administration (2009)

Special Thanks go to

Chuck Taco Louis Orion

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Contents

Forward .................................................................................................................................. - 5 -

How Dogs Learn .................................................................................................................... - 6 -

Marker signal ......................................................................................................................... - 7 -

Settle Cue .............................................................................................................................. - 9 -

Gentle Cue ........................................................................................................................... - 10 -

Swap .................................................................................................................................... - 12 -

Attention/ Name Recognition ............................................................................................... - 14 -

Sit ......................................................................................................................................... - 15 -

Drop ..................................................................................................................................... - 17 -

Stand.................................................................................................................................... - 24 -

Mat Training ......................................................................................................................... - 26 -

Crate Training ...................................................................................................................... - 29 -

The Recall ............................................................................................................................ - 30 -

Leave It ................................................................................................................................ - 35 -

Stay ...................................................................................................................................... - 38 -

Loose Lead Walking ............................................................................................................ - 40 -

Premack’s Principle – Active Engagement ......................................................................... - 41 -

Example: ............................................................................................................................ - 41 -

Equipment to use ............................................................................................................... - 43 -

Equipment to Avoid ............................................................................................................ - 44 -

How to Hold the Lead ......................................................................................................... - 45 -

Starting to Walk .................................................................................................................. - 47 -

Extension – Distraction ....................................................................................................... - 47 -

Curving ............................................................................................................................... - 48 -

The Gotcha! ......................................................................................................................... - 49 -

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Forward The information contained within this eBook reflects the same principles as promoted by

organisations such as the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and the Royal Society for the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

These leading Australian organisations have published the following information on the benefits

of reward based canine training. Click the logos for more information:

Positive Response Services Pty Ltd has been a leader within the field of animal behaviour

modification for over a decade. Our qualified and experienced trainers have worked with many

clients, developing behavioural modification programs to assist them. Our programs are

extremely successful, and this is reflected in the testimonials which we receive from our clients.

Our company offers behavioural and training sessions for clients located around the world.

Technology transcends geographic limits, so visit our distance/virtual training and book now

Whether you have recently welcomed a puppy or an adult dog into your household and wish to

avoid separation disorders before they start or are already experiencing separation issues with

your dog, we trust that this eBook will be an extremely useful guide for you.

https://www.positiveresponse.com.au/book-now/

https://www.ava.com.au/public/about-pets/polite-pets-month-3

https://kb.rspca.org.au/what-is-reward-based-dog-training-and-why-does-the-rspca-support-it_473.html

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How Dogs Learn

The first and most important thing to acknowledge is that dogs do not speak English! For them,

it is a foreign language, as well as any other verbal language around the world. They are non-

verbal communicators for the most part. For them to communicate with us, they need to watch

us closely. They do this by observing our body language and our tone of voice. When teaching

a dog to do something the first thing we do is teach the behaviour without verbalising.

Once they understand by following our hand signals and being heavily rewarded for doing what

we ask, only then can we add in the English word. That is how a dog links a behaviour to an

action and then to a reward. E.g. A dog knows how to sit - that is natural behaviour. However, it

does not understand that the word ‘sit’ means perform that action. Therefore, we need to coach

them using our hand actions first paired with some fantastic rewards and once they have the

action down pat add in the English word.

Humans communicate more verbally than nonverbally. We EXPECT our dogs to understand us,

often repeating words like sit, Sit, SIT! (Often our poor dogs hear the words ‘sit’ or ‘no’ so often

they think it's their name). That can be likened to yelling at a deaf person, very frustrating and

not productive at all.

If you had to travel overseas to a foreign country where English is not the first language, you

would use body language and patience when placed in these situations, so why do we not

practice this with our faithful companions?

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Marker signal

A fundamental part of reinforcement training is the use of a ‘Marker

Signal’ or ‘Bridge’. A Marker Signal is a short, sharp sound that

communicates to a dog that they have done the right thing and

that a reward will follow – essentially it ‘bridges’ an action to a

reward.

This sound can be a clicker, a whistle, or more commonly the

word “yes,” as this keeps the trainer’s hands free.

The Marker Signal is always given immediately

before a reward and becomes so closely

associated with the reward that it becomes a

semi-conditioned reinforcer. This means that the

Marker Signal elicits the same ‘happy feeling’ from

the dog as a treat, which makes it a smooth

transition to gradually remove the treats as the

training progresses. Rewards can be anything

your dog enjoys, food treats, ball tosses, tug games,

affection, walks, etc.

Ensure that your marker signal is used at the correct timing so that your dog understands exactly

what it is being reinforced for. The word “Yes” is used as soon as possible upon completion of the

desired behaviour.

Sit = Mark “Yes” as the dog’s bottom touches the ground

The pitch of your voice is essential to your success; a friendly and upbeat voice will encourage

your dog to interact and train with you, while a low tone voice may appear to your dog as a growl

and in fact, do the opposite.

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At first, your dog will have no idea what “Yes” means because it hasn’t been taught; Let’s condition

the marker signal.

Exercise:

1. Have several small treats ready to go in your hand.

2. Wait for your dog to do something that it is allowed to do. If it is jumping up, wait until your

dog has all four paws on the ground. If it is vocalising, wait for it to be quiet.

3. When your dog is doing the right thing, mark “Yes.”

4. Follow immediately with a food reward. If the food reward is given more than 3 seconds

after the marker “Yes,” the dog will not associate the relationship between the two.

5. Repeat this exercise over several short training sessions.

6. When you say “Yes” and your dog anticipates the treat, the Marker Signal has been

successfully conditioned and can now be used in training.

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Settle Cue

We often inadvertently teach our dogs how to behave

incorrectly. When visitors come we greet them excitedly

and our dogs learn to model our behaviour. It’s not

surprising that when the doorbell sounds, they bark

excitedly to say, “someone’s here.” We often forget to

teach our dogs to perform the correct and desired

behaviours.

Possibly the most important thing that a dog can do is

learn to settle in a myriad of different environments.

Teach your dog to settle correctly and you will have taught your dog a skill for life! Dogs who can

settle easily in different environments are generally more relaxed, have better focus on their

owners and therefore an increased ability to follow signals.

It’s important to ignore attention seeking behaviour such as whining or jumping up when teaching

this exercise. Do not look at them, speak to them or touch them if they do this.

Click here to see the Settle Cue in action with a puppy.

Exercise:

1. When your dog is calm and quiet, say the word ''Settle.''

2. Mark “Yes,” and reward.

3. Start to increase the time between when you say “Settle” and when you mark “Yes,” and

reward; This way, they learn to settle for longer periods of time.

4. Repeat this exercise as often as possible and in a variety of increasingly distracting

environments.

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Gentle Cue

Mother dogs teach baby puppies bite inhibition

from as early as their first feed. If the puppies

can’t control the strength of their bite, the

Mother dog simply moves away and stops the

nursing session. Sibling puppies also play a

main role in early bite inhibition, as they learn

how much pressure they can place on each

other whilst still maintaining the play session.

When you bring your puppy home and take over the

role of the puppy’s family, you need to teach your

puppy that biting, and mouthing is not acceptable.

Your puppy will bite and mouth you initially and this is

a completely normal part of puppy’s development.

Even if your puppy does not cause any damage to

you through biting, it will likely become rougher as it

grows, and can cause damage to elderly or young

visitors with softer skin.

A puppy that learns bite inhibition will naturally bite with less force even in an impulse reaction

(reflex) to a perceived threat.

To communicate bite inhibition, we introduce a gentle cue to our puppies/dogs that teaches them

not to bite us, even when taking treats.

Watch Yoshi Learning how to be Gentle

Natural prey drive – redirecting this behaviour into games with flirt pole to exert and exhaust

energy levels biting at heels – have dog on lead, practice walking beside you so dog isn’t behind

herding, redirect with a toy when walking

Jumping – turn back, stand still and ignore if safe. Tethering dog whilst walking towards dog,

when dog isn’t jumping, mark and pay so dog learns ‘4 on floor’ when people are around.

If above doesn’t work, you will need professional

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Exercise:

1. Place a treat in the middle of your palm and fold your fingers over to make a fist.

2. Present your closed hand with the treat inside to your dog or puppy.

3. If your puppy is biting your hand, keep your fist closed.

Wait until your puppy/dog’s mouth softens and they start licking you. When this happens, say

“gentle,” then “yes” and reward.

Repeat the above steps to encourage your dog or puppy to lick more and use teeth less until

you find licking only occurs. Over time your dog will learn that being slow and soft on their

approach will present the reward.

Lay treat in

middle of palm

Fold fingers

over thumb

Place thumb

over treat

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Swap

In an ideal world, dogs wouldn’t find the need to put absolutely

everything item in their mouths. Unfortunately, we live in a world that

is far from perfect and it’s almost certain that at some stage we will

need to remove an item from our dog’s mouth. It may be an everyday

item such as a bone, or something dangerous like a cane toad or

snake. It’s essential for us as owners to be able to retrieve any item

from our dog’s mouths, regardless what it may be. Teach your dog

to swap anything that they may have; including bones, toys, balls,

your sock, etc.

To teach this exercise, you must swap the item in your dog’s mouth

for a treat. The treat must be of equal or higher value to your dog’s

resource, or the dog will be very hesitant to give the resource to you. Something delicious such

as chicken, sausage, cheese or ham will work best for this exercise. Dry dog food will most likely

not persuade Snoopy to give you his kangaroo chew.

Never snatch anything from your dog, as this can

teach them to guard their resources from you.

Resource guarding is a serious problem that puts

owners at risk of physical injury as these dogs will

growl, snap, lunge and bite to keep their resource

away from you; Resource guarding is a difficult

behaviour to retrain and it is highly recommended that

dogs are taught the “swap” properly from puppyhood

so that they don’t learn the incorrect behaviour in the

first place. This exercise is designed to teach our

dogs to be willing and comfortable releasing an item

on cue so that resource guarding never develops.

Exercise:

Scenario 1 - Dog is easily able to perform a swap

1. Give your dog a chew or bone. This is a safe, medium to high value item that they will hold

onto long enough to practise several repetitions of this exercise.

2. Hold a high value treat in between your thumb and index finger and place it to your dog’s

nose.

3. As your dog licks the treat, move the treat towards your dog’s shoulder so that their head is

turning away from you as it follows the treat.

4. If your treat is of a high enough value, the dog will drop the bone to receive the treat. As they

release the bone, say “Swap,” and pick up the bone using your other hand.

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5. When you have the bone, mark “Yes” and release the treat.

6. Give the dog its bone back. If the resource is something that the dog is not allowed to have,

simply replace it with a toy or similar.

Problem solving: If the dog is not releasing the bone with the above technique, the treat that you

have selected may just not interesting enough. Choose a treat that is more salient to the dog or

make the bone less enticing by selecting a dehydrated chew instead.

Scenario 2 - Dog is hesitant or unable to perform a swap

1. Make your current treats more interesting. You can do this by dropping several treats onto

your dog’s head to form a ‘treat shower.’

2. Say “Swap” as your dog’s attention turns to the treats and he drops the bone.

3. Trail the treats away from the bone to create space between the dog and the bone. There

should be at least 1 metre of distance between the dog and the bone, so that you can safely

pick up the bone to finish the exercise.

4. As you pick up the bone, mark “Yes” and reward.

5. Give the dog back the bone.

6. Repeat the above.

Another alternative is that your dog may have already learnt to guard its resources. It is imperative

that you organise a private consultation to rectify this issue urgently. Resource guarding is a

leading cause of aggression and needs to be extinguished immediately with the help of a qualified

and experienced trainer.

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Attention/ Name Recognition

Teaching a dog to respond to their name is an important foundation in

dog training. It precedes almost every single exercise that you will

ever teach your dog. If your dog gives you its full attention every time

you call their name, it will be able to watch for and respond to your

next signal.

Remember that dogs to not speak English, so your new puppy or

rescue dog does not know what “Snoopy” means. They need to be

taught that their name means “Look at me!” The purpose of teaching

this exercise is to teach your dog to respond to its name every single

time that you call it. Repeating the dog’s name again and again will simply teach the dog that they

don’t always have to respond to their name the first time that it is called.

Your dog or puppy may not be comfortable making eye

contact at first, as prolonged staring or ‘eyeballing’ is a

behaviour that is perceived as a threat between canines.

NEVER use a dog’s name to reprimand them as they

must associate their name with all things pleasant. This

teaches your dog that looking into human eyes is

rewarding, not threatening

You need to be able to get your dog’s attention in ANY

situation!

Exercise:

1. Call your dog’s name ONCE using a happy, upbeat voice.

2. As soon as your dog makes eye contact, mark “Yes” & reward

3. If your puppy doesn’t look at you, bring your treat down to the puppy’s nose and let your

puppy lick the treat. Very slowly, bring the treat up to your eyes in a straight line as you call

your puppy’s name a second time. When your puppy looks at you, mark “Yes” and reward.

4. Start to increase the time between when your puppy makes eye contact and when you mark

“Yes,” and reward; This way, they learn to look at you for longer periods of time.

5. Repeat this exercise as often as possible and in a variety of increasingly distracting

environments.

6. Load your partner and children up with treats and take turns in calling your puppy’s name and

capturing their attention. Your puppy needs to learn to respond to all members of the

household.

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Sit The ‘Sit’ is one of the first exercises that most dog owners

teach their dogs. Not only does it communicate good

manners to others, but it is a great safety tool to have; If your

dog is sitting nicely by your side, it can’t possibly run out onto

the road. The ‘Sit’ is also a building block for future exercises

such as the drop or the stay.

Exercise – Luring:

To teach a sit, we must first lure the dog into position and

then mark and reward the behaviour. Until your dog is

reliably following the lure, do not add the word “sit.” If you

give the signal “sit” and the dog does not sit, the dog learns

that this word is irrelevant. We add the verbal signal “sit” only when the dog follows the lure into

a sit position reliably; This is typically after three successful repetitions of the puppy or dog

following the lure into the desired position.

1. Have the dog standing up with nothing in the way which may limit its ability to sit.

2. Hold several treats in your hand, ready to lure and reward your dog.

Place the treats to the dog’s nose and allow the dog to sniff and lick the treats. This creates the

lure. Watch Chuck learning the sit with a lure

3. Slowly move your lure up and over the dog’s head, keeping the treat at a low height so that

the dog can lick the treat but is not encouraged to jump up.

4. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s bottom touches the ground; Reward the dog with the lure treat.

5. After three successful repetitions it’s time to add the verbal signal. Say “sit” as your dog’s

bottom starts moving towards the ground. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s bottom touches the

ground; Reward the dog with the lure treat. See Chuck learning the word ‘Sit’

Extension – Hand Signal:

Dogs learn to follow the movement of the lure. When we fade the lure into a hand signal, it’s

imperative that the movement of the hand signal is identical to the movement of the lure. This

means that the hand signal must initially start at the dog’s nose and move up and over the dog’s

head. With each repetition of this exercise, we can start to move the hand signal higher until it is

in the correct obedience position.

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1. Have your reward treat in one hand and place this hand behind your back. This will stop your

dog from paying attention to your treat hand. Your empty hand will become your hand signal.

2. Place your hand signal in front of your dog’s nose, with your palm facing upwards and your

fingers pointing towards the dog’s nose.

3. Slowly move your hand up and over the dog’s head. The hand signal will initially mimic the

movement of the lure.

4. Say “sit” as your dog’s bottom starts moving towards the ground. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s

bottom touches the ground; Reward the dog with the treat from behind your back.

5. With each repetition of this exercise, we can start to move the hand signal higher until it is in

the correct obedience position.

Teaching the Hand Signal to Chuck

The hand signal for the “sit” is palm facing

upwards with the hand moving from “thigh to sky.”

In the diagram, you can see that the hand starts

low at the trainer’s side and slowly moves

upwards, infront of the dog’s nose.

Teaching the Hand Signal - Troubleshooting

To add duration to this exercise, once the dog is

sitting, simply wait 3 seconds before marking

“Yes” and rewarding. Increase duration in short

increments until the desired duration is achieved.

Adding Duration – Puppy

Adding Duration – Adult Dog

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Drop

The drop is a behaviour that all dogs will

naturally exhibit each day. When

teaching the drop, we are simply

adding a signal to a naturally occurring

behaviour.

The drop is a comfortable position that

dogs can hold for a prolonged period. It

is a foundation exercise that leads to

other exercises that require a prolonged

hold such as the stay.

Teach your dog to drop as a substitute for problem behaviour such as jumping up, door-dashing

or leaping out of the car. The drop is an excellent blocking behaviour as a dog cannot 'drop' and

perform these unwanted behaviours simultaneously.


To teach a drop, we must first lure the dog into position and then mark and reward the behaviour.

Until your dog is reliably following the lure, do not add the word “drop.” If you give the signal “drop”

and the dog does not drop, the dog learns that this word is irrelevant. We add the verbal signal

“drop” only when the dog follows the lure into a drop position reliably; This is typically after three

successful repetitions of the puppy or dog following the lure into the desired position.

There are many different types of lures that are used to teach the drop. Certain breeds will work

better for particular lure styles, due to their bone and muscle construction which dictates the

movement of their bodies.

Lure 1 (Straight down):

Breeds that are quick to move such as herding dogs learn best with this style.

1. Signal the dog to sit; mark “Yes” and reward as the dog sits down.


3. Place the treats to the dog’s nose and allow the dog to sniff and lick the treats. This creates

the lure.

4. Slowly move the lure in a straight down motion, towards the ground. The lure should move

from the dog’s nose, down past the chest and finish between the dog’s paws.

5. Some breeds will follow the lure into a drop; If so, mark “yes” as the dog’s chest touches the

ground and reward the dog.

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6. After three successful repetitions it’s time to add the verbal signal. Say “drop” as your dog’s

chest starts moving towards the ground. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s chest makes contact with

the ground; Reward the dog with the lure treat.

The lure moves straight down to the ground and the dog moves his body into a ‘drop’ as

he follows it downwards.

Drop using the Lure - Puppy

Drop using the Lure – Adult Dog

Lure 2 (‘L’ Technique):

Other working dogs such as Retrievers, and Guardian breeds that are sturdily built respond well

to this technique.




the lure.

4. Slowly move the lure in an ‘L’ shape from the dog’s nose, to the ground and then out a few

centimetres along the ground in front of the dog.

5. This lure will encourage the dog to spread their body along the ground and achieve a drop.

Once the dog’s chest hits the ground, mark “yes” and reward.




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The lure moves down to the ground and out a few centimetres in front of the dog. The dog

moves his body down to the ground and then leans forward to spread out into a ‘drop.’

Lure 3 (Backwards ‘L’):

Dogs with small or delicate bone structures such as Poodles respond well to this technique.




the lure.

4. Slowly move the lure in an ‘L’ shape from the dog’s nose, to the ground and then a few

centimetres along the ground back towards the dog. The lure will end up underneath the dog

and the dog will bend and drop to follow the lure.

5. Once the dog’s chest hits the ground, mark “yes” and reward.




The lure moves down to the ground and then back underneath the dog. The dog moves

his body down to the ground and leans slightly backwards to follow the lure into a drop.

Watch the Backwards ‘L’ Drop

Lure 4 (London Bridge):

Even with the above luring techniques, some dogs are still not able to drop. These dogs need

some extra encouragement to learn the drop. The London Bridge is an excellent technique for

dogs that cannot drop with traditional luring techniques.

1. The trainer sits on the floor for this exercise, with one leg in front stretched out in front. The

knee is raised slightly, high enough for the dog to drop under but low enough that the dog

can’t stand up or crouch.

2. The dog starts this exercise in a standing position at the side of the trainer’s knee.


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4. Place the treats underneath your knee to the dog’s nose and allow the dog to sniff and lick

the treats.

5. Slowly move the lure back underneath your knee. The dog will follow the lure under the knee

and will have to drop to reach it. The dog’s back will touch the underneath of the trainer’s

knee, but the trainer’s knee must not push down on the dog at all.

6. When the dog’s chest hits the ground, mark “yes” and reward.


chest starts to move towards the ground. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s chest makes contact

with the ground; Reward the dog with the lure treat.

8. Repeat the above steps until the dog can easily follow the lure into a drop. Slowly move your

leg higher when luring the dog into the drop so that the leg isn’t touching the dog’s back at

all. Then take the leg away completely so that the dog is dropping in front of the trainer. The

verbal signal “drop” still comes as the dog’s chest moves towards the ground. Mark “Yes” as

the chest makes contact with the ground; Reward the dog with the lure treat.

Watch the London Bridge technique

Fading the lure for London Bridge technique




means that the hand signal must initially start at the dog’s nose and slowly down towards the

ground. With each repetition of this exercise, we can start to move the hand signal higher until it

is in the correct obedience position.



2. Place your hand signal in front of your dog’s nose, with your palm facing downwards.

3. Slowly move your hand straight down until it touches the ground. The hand signal will initially

mimic the movement of the lure.

4. Say “drop” as your dog starts to lay down. Mark “Yes” when the

dog’s chest touches the ground; Reward the dog with the treat

from behind your back.

5. With each repetition of this exercise, we can start to move the

hand signal higher until it is in the correct obedience position.

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The hand signal for the “drop” is palm facing towards the ground, with the hand moving from in

front of the trainer in a slow, downwards motion. In the diagram below, you can see that the hand

signal starts at the trainer’s front and slowly moves downwards as the arm extends.

Teaching the Hand Signal – Puppy

Perfecting the Hand Signal – Puppy

Teaching the Hand Signal – Adult Dog

To add duration to this exercise, once the dog is in a drop move your

hand signal away from the dog for a split second, and then immediately

back to the dog’s nose. Mark “Yes” and reward if the dog stays in position. Increase the duration

that the hand signal moves away for in very short increments until the desired duration is achieved.

Adding Duration – Adult Dog

Extended Duration – Adult Dog

Free shaping the Drop:

Lure training is the most effective way to teach the drop

in group classes as it has a high rate of success and

can be performed in small, controlled areas. Free

shaping is simply a different training style where the

desired behaviour is reinforced as it occurs. Because

the drop is a natural behaviour that canines will offer

many times each day, the trainer has many chances

to shape this behaviour. When the dog is laying down,

say “Drop” to the dog, then mark “Yes” and reward the

dog.

If you are lucky enough to witness your dog lay down in front of you, as soon as their chest hits

the ground, mark “Yes” and pay. Your dog will likely offer several different behaviours to earn

another treat. Do not mark and pay any other behaviours except for the drop. When they drop the

next time, mark “Yes” and pay. Continue doing this until your dog is dropping time and time again

to earn the treat. Once your dog is reliably dropping, add the verbal and hand signals as above

as your dog drops, then mark “Yes” and reward once their chest touches the ground. After several

training sessions, your dog will be able to respond to your signals by offering a ‘drop.’

Fading the Lure – Adult Dog

Faded Hand Signal whilst Standing – Adult Dog

Faded Hand Signal whilst Sitting – Adult Dog

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Drop from a Stand:

Once the dog has mastered dropping down from a sitting position we can start asking the dog to

complete the exercise from a standing position.

Dogs with long legs such as Sighthounds do well with dropping from a bow. Their long legs raise

very easily into a stand when learning the drop from a sitting position.

1. The dog starts this exercise in a standing position.



the lure.

4. Slowly move the lure in a straight down motion, towards the ground. The lure should move

from the dog’s nose, down past the chest and finish between the dog’s paws.

5. The dog’s bottom will stay up in the air and the chest and front legs will touch the ground,

creating a ‘bow.’

6. This is an extremely awkward position for the dog to hold for longer than a few seconds, so

the dog’s bottom will shortly touch the ground, Keep the treat in place until this happens.

7. Once the dog’s bottom hits the ground, mark “yes” and reward.


chest starts moving towards the ground. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s bottom makes contact

with the ground; Reward the dog with the lure treat.

The dog follows the lure into a ‘bow.’ The trainer holds the lure until the dog drops completely, as

a bow is an awkward position for the dog to hold. In this diagram, the trainer holds the lure in

place and the dog’s bottom slowly moves towards the ground to form a drop.

Watch the Bow Technique

Drop from a Stand – with lure

Drop from a Stand – Without lure

Drop from Stand – Adding the word

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Drop from Stand – Perfecting the Hand Signal

Drop from Stand – Final Result

Advanced Drop – Adult Dog

Drop from a Distance:

1. Once you have taught a reliable drop you can start to ask for this behaviour whilst standing a

distance away from your dog.

2. The dog can start in a sitting or standing position

3. Handler take one step away from the dog

4. Reach forward and use an exaggerated drop hand signal and use the drop vocal cue

5. When the dogs stomach touches the ground mark ‘Yes’ and reward

6. With each repetition, the handler moves slightly further away from the dog until the dog is able

to perform the exercise at a distance.

Drop from a Distance

Drop from further Distance

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Stand

There are many situations that you will encounter with your dog where a sit isn’t a safe or

appropriate position to be in. It’s important that dogs learn stand on cue for numerous reasons

and be comfortable being handled whilst in this position.

Imagine how easy a vet visit becomes if your dog is relaxed during a full physical; Your dog will

quickly become your vet’s favourite patient. This exercise also ensues comfortable experiences

during grooming, both at the groomer’s and at home during bathing, brushing and tick checks.

Large dogs cannot be physically moved by their owners. The stand exercise gives the owners of

these larger breeds a reliable signal to communicate to the dog to stand up, and then follow further

direction. In addition, the stand is an essential safety tool as a sit or drop position may harm the

dog if there is broken glass on the ground.


To teach a stand, we must first lure the dog into position and then mark and reward the behaviour.

Until your dog is reliably following the lure, do not add the word “stand.” If you give the signal

“stand” and the dog does not stand up, the dog learns that this word is irrelevant. We add the

verbal signal “stand” only when the dog follows the lure into a sit position reliably; This is typically

after three successful repetitions of the puppy or dog following the lure into the desired position.

1. Have the dog sitting down with nothing in the way which may limit its ability to stand.



the lure.

4. Slowly move your lure forwards from the dog’s nose, in a completely vertical line parallel with

the floor. If the treat is too high, the dog may jump up and if the treat is too low the dog may

drop.

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5. As the dog’s nose moves forward to follow the lure, their bottom will raise from the ground.

Mark “Yes” when the dog’s body reaches a standing position; Reward the dog with the lure

treat.

6. Once the dog is standing, stop luring! If the lure continues moving past the point that the dog

stands, the dog will then run after the treat. Be careful that it’s communicated to the dog that

“Stand” means “stand straight up”, not “stand up and take 3 steps.” Teaching this incorrectly

can harm the dog as it learns to run straight off the vet’s table or grooming station.

Teaching the Lure – Puppy

Teaching the Lure – Adult Dog

7. After three successful repetitions it’s time to add the verbal signal. Say “stand” as your dog

starts standing up. Mark “Yes” when the dog stands completely; Reward the dog with the lure

treat.

Teaching the Word




means that the hand signal must start at the dog’s nose, palm facing towards the dog, and then

move forwards in a completely vertical line parallel with the floor.

1. Have your reward treat in one hand and place this hand

behind your back. This will stop your dog from paying

attention to your treat hand. Your empty hand will become

your hand signal.

2. Place your hand signal in front of your dog’s nose, with your

open palm facing towards the dog.

3. Slowly move your hand away from the dog in a completely

horizontal line, parallel with the floor. The hand signal will

initially mimic the movement of the lure.

4. Say “stand” as your dog starts standing up. Mark “Yes” when

the dog stands completely; Reward the dog with the treat

from behind your back.

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Mat Training Being able to settle quietly on a mat is probably one of the

most useful exercises that a dog can learn. A mat trained

dog is able to accompany their owner practically

anywhere, as they are able to stay quiet and still in a range

of environments. A mat can be anything that is a different

texture to the surface that it is placed on; A bed, a blanket,

a towel or anything that is light and portable for

convenience.

Mat training teaches self-control, so it complements the

dog’s entire training program. A relaxed dog is more capable of making positive associations with

new stimulus, so mat training can also be used successfully as part of behavioural modification

programs.

To ensure that your dog has the best chance of making positive associations with the mat itself,

it can never be used as a punishment. Do not send your dog to the mat in anger and do not ask

your dog to perform activities that it doesn’t like on the mat such as nail trimming, ear cleaning,

etc.

Exercise – Luring (go to mat):

We must first lure the dog into position and then mark and reward the behaviour. Initially, the dog

must learn to go to its mat by following the lure, and the exercise is then extended so that the dog

lays down and settles on the mat. Until your dog is reliably following the lure, do not add the signal

“Go to mat.” If you give the signal and the dog does not follow the lure onto its mat, the dog learns

that the words “Go to mat” are irrelevant. We add the verbal signal only when the dog follows the

lure onto the mat reliably; This is typically after three successful repetitions of the puppy or dog

following the lure into the desired position.

1. Have the dog standing up approximately 1 metre away from its mat.



the lure.

4. Slowly move your lure in a straight line from the dogs’ nose towards the mat.

5. Mark “Yes” when as all 4 of the dog’s paws step onto the mat; Reward the dog with the lure

treat.

See it in action!

6. After three successful repetitions it’s time to add the verbal signal. Say “Go to mat” as your

dog walks onto the mat. Mark “Yes” when all 4 paws are on the mat. Reward the dog with the

lure treat.

Teaching the Word

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Exercise – Default Sit:

1. Give the signal “Go to mat” and lure the dog onto the mat. Do not mark and reward. Instead,

extend the lure up and over the dog’s head so that it sits down.

2. As the dog’s bottom touches the ground, mark “Yes” and reward.

Teaching the Default Sit




means that the hand signal must start at the dog’s nose, move slowly towards the mat and then

move towards the ground. This dog will follow the hand signal onto the mat and then into a drop.

With each repetition of this exercise, we can start the dog further away from the mat and later

send the dog from an increased distance.

Fading the Lure



2. Place your open hand in front of your dog’s nose, with your palm facing towards your dog.

3. Slowly move your hand towards the dog’s mat. When your dog walks towards the mat, say

“Go to mat.”

4. When the dog is on the mat, turn your palm towards the ground and move the hand signal all

the way down to the ground.

5. As your dog’s chest touches the ground, mark “Yes” and reward the dog with the treat from

behind your back.

Extension – Adding Duration:

1. After several repetitions, we can start to add duration to this exercise. Repeat the above steps,

however when the dog drops do not mark and reward straight away.

2. When the dog lays down on the mat, count to three seconds before marking “Yes” and

rewarding.

3. Add further duration to this behaviour with each repetition, just a second or two at a time, until

the dog is dropping for several minutes.

4. Give the dog a bone or chew to extend the duration even further, or when increasing the level

of distraction.

Adding Duration

Adding Distance

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Free shaping Mat Training:

Lure training is the most effective way to teach mat training in group classes as it has a high rate

of success and can be performed in small, controlled areas. Free shaping is simply a different

training style where the desired behaviour is reinforced as it occurs. Because most dogs will relax

on their mat or bed from time to time, the trainer has opportunity to shape this behaviour frequently

at home.

When your dog walks onto its bed or mat in front of you, mark “Yes” and pay. Your dog will likely

offer several different behaviours to earn another treat. Do not mark and pay any other behaviours

except for walking onto the mat. When they go to their mat the next time, mark “Yes” and pay.

Continue doing this until your dog is repeatedly going onto their bed or mat time and time again

to earn the treat.

To teach the dog to lay down and settle on its mat, simply withhold marking and rewarding the

dog until it lays down. Mark “Yes” and reward the dog when it lays down. Once your dog is reliably

doing this, add the verbal and hand signals as above as your dog steps onto the mat, then mark

“Yes” and reward when they lay down. After several training sessions, your dog will be able to

respond to your signals by going to their mat on cue.

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Crate Training

Dogs are natural den animals. A crate, while it looks like a cage, is something a dog learns to

love – it becomes their own portable bedroom! A crate is similar to a den in that it is essentially

a nice, dark, and quiet place to sleep or escape the

noise of the house and have break (great when visitors

come and your dog is unable to handle the stress of

company or have a break from an adoring child).

Tips for Crate Training

1. Pick a crate that is just big enough for your dog to

turn around in and stretch out in, this way they

cannot defecate in the corner and sleep on the

other side.

2. Put some bedding as well as something that smells

like you to add security to the crate.

3. Place the crate in a room used regularly by the

family so that the dog still feels involved even if they

are resting peacefully inside the crate.

4. When you are putting your dog in the crate to use

as confinement (for overnight or time out) you can

cover it with a blanket to create a darker, more

secure environment.

5. When you are introducing the crate it is a great idea

to give your dog its meals in a Kong while they are

in the crate. This gives them something to do and

keeps them from growing anxious

How to Assemble a Crate

Puppy's New Bedroom - Crate

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The Recall

A solid recall is a valuable behaviour for all puppies and

dogs. A dog that has learnt to come back to their owner when

called gains more freedom in everyday life.

Imagine calling your dog to “Come” and having them respond

first time, every time, regardless of where they are and what

they are doing. Teach your dog a rock-solid recall by training

slowly and accurately, using positive reinforcement.

A puppy’s developmental stage can become an aid in training

the recall. A baby puppy will naturally follow its owner

everywhere – so use this to your advantage! Begin training your recall when your baby puppy

wants to be near you, before it enters the juvenile period and starts exploring areas away from

you.

An adult dog may not respond to a recall signal. The recall may simply be untrained or trained

incorrectly. Some adult dogs have actually learnt to ignore the recall signal. This is called ‘learned

irrelevance’ and a new verbal signal will need to be chosen by the owner when the dog is

retrained.

To teach a reliable recall, follow these simple rules:

• Make coming to you as fun as possible; When your dog comes give them their favourite treat

or play a fun game.

• Never punish the dog for coming when called. This can be done unintentionally by calling

your dog to something that they don’t like. If you call your dog to a bath and they don’t like

baths, next time you call them they certainly won’t come to you!

• Stay relaxed and use an upbeat voice when calling your dog – A dog will not recall to a trainer

who appears frustrated or angry as they are worried about the consequences of coming to

you.

• Don’t call your dog if you aren’t 100% sure that they will come. If you attempt to recall your

dog from something interesting or beyond its training level, you will undo the training.

• Perfect each step before introducing the next; Don’t expect more of your dog than the step

that they are currently working on.

• Keep your dog on lead; If they are recalling from a distance, use a long line. If your dog

doesn’t come, you can use the lead to steer them back to you.

• Practise your training as much as possible when out on your walk. Recall your dog for a treat

often, and then release them again. Don’t only call your dog when it’s time to go, as your dog

will learn that the recall signals the end of fun.

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To teach a recall, we must first lure the dog into position and then mark and reward the behaviour.

Until your dog is reliably following the lure, do not add the word “come.” If you give the signal

“come” and the dog does not come to you, the dog learns that this word is irrelevant. Perhaps an

adult dog has already learnt the irrelevance or the word “come;” A different verbal such as “here”

will need to be used instead in this instance. We add the verbal signal “come” only when the dog

follows the lure back to us reliably; This is typically after three successful repetitions of the puppy

or dog following the lure into the desired position. Recall with a Lure

1. Start this exercise with your dog nice and close; sitting or standing by your feet.


3. Start your treat hand up at your shoulder, moving it in an arc as it comes down to your dog’s

nose. As the treat comes down to your dog’s nose it becomes a lure.

4. Call your dog’s name in a light, upbeat tone and take two steps backwards.

5. Bring your lure hand back to your leg. As soon as the dog’s nose touches your hand, mark

“Yes” and reward with the lure treat.

6. Extend this exercise into a default sit at the end of every recall. To do this, repeat the above

steps but now extend the lure from your leg and raise it over your dog’s head until their bottom

touches the floor. Mark “Yes” and reward as the dog’s bottom touches the ground. Adding the

Default Sit

7. After three successful repetitions it’s time to add the verbal signal. Say “come” as your dog

runs towards you, following the lure. Mark “Yes” when the dog’s bottom touches the ground

in the default sit; Reward the dog with the lure treat. Teaching the Word


Dogs learn to follow the movement of the lure. When

we fade the lure into a hand signal, it’s imperative that

the movement of the hand signal is identical to the

movement of the lure. This means that the hand signal

must initially start at your shoulder and move in an arc

past your dog’s nose, to your leg and then upwards.

With each repetition of this exercise, we can start to

move the hand signal higher until it is in the correct

obedience position.



2. Place your hand signal up to your shoulder, with your palm facing your shoulder and fingers

pointing upwards. Move the hand signal in an arc, past your dog’s nose and back to your leg.

3. As your hand comes past your dog’s nose, call their name and say “come.”

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4. When the dog follows the hand signal back to the trainer’s leg, move your hand in an upwards

motion to your chest.

5. When the dog sits, mark “Yes” and reward.

Extension – Distance:

Before your dog can recall from 100 metres, we first need to teach a solid recall from 2 metres, 5

metres, 10 metres and so on. We increase the distance for the recall in very small steps, ensuring

that the dog is successful at the current step before moving on. Always remain positive and use

highly salient treats to make learning these new skills fun and worthwhile for the dog.

When increasing distance for the recall, attach 20 metre Long Line the

dog to a long line. A long line is a very long piece of durable leash

material that attaches with a clip to the dog’s harness. The trainer can

safely give the dog more freedom during training sessions and the line

can easily be taken in and extended back out simply by the trainer

moving it through their hands. It is an essential training aid for teaching

dogs a reliable recall because it doesn’t allow the dog to ignore the

owner – If the dog does not recall, the owner can simply ‘reel in’ the line to encourage the dog

back to them.

A long line is NOT a retractable lead!

Retractable leads are thin and flimsy and commonly

cause injury such as rope burns to both other dogs and

humans. Retractable leads are detrimental to training

because they teach dogs to walk on a tight line,

encouraging the dog to pull on the lead to gain ground.

A long line is an interim to teaching a dog to work

completely off lead. The dog gains more freedom and

gets used to working for the trainer without being attached

to them constantly. At the same time, the trainer is always

in a position that they still have complete control over the dog’s

actions and know that their dog is safe even when they are several metres away.

Once a dog is recalling reliably for a far distance with a long line, the next step is to give the dog

the feeling of more freedom by making the lead lighter. A light piece of rope can be purchased

from any hardware store and attached to the dog’s harness by tying it in a secure knot. This gives

the feeling of the dog being off lead as they can’t feel the weight of the line, however once again

the trainer still has a certain amount of control over the dog. When the dog is fluently recalling on

the light line, it can be made shorter and shorter until it is completely removed. Once removed,

the dog should be worked in a large enclosed area such as a dog park during quiet period, and

then a large area away from main roads such as an oval or the beach.

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Extension – Distraction:

All new exercises are best taught in a familiar

environment such as the home or back garden. This

makes it much easier for the dog to follow the

trainer’s signals whilst learning to ignore low level

distractions.

Once the dog is responding to the trainer’s signals at

least 80% of the time and has completed the above

steps, it’s time to start increasing the distraction level

so that the dog is learns to work in new environments.

There are very minimal distractions inside the home

and back garden, and dogs habituate to the sights and sounds that they are exposed to on a

regular basis. When we enter a new training area the dog may lose focus as they try to take in all

of the new stimuli, but over time they will habituate to these also. During this time, it is quite normal

for the dog to take a step or two backwards in training until they learn to work in the new area.

Each new environment should be slightly more distracting than the last so that the dog learns to

work successfully in progressively harder environments. If the dog has successfully learnt to recall

at home, in the garden, in the street, at parks and ovals, shopping centres and the beach, a

successful recall can be expected in a highly distracting environment such as the dog park.

Emergency recall:

During the training process, there may be a time where your dog

won’t come back when called. It may be because the dog has been

allowed too much freedom too soon (i.e. working off lead before

ready) or perhaps the distraction levels are so high that the dog

can’t concentrate on the trainer; The dog may have even slipped

it’s lead and the trainer is now in a position where they need to recall

the dog quickly and effectively.

So what can we do? We can use what we know about animal

behaviour to encourage the dog back to us using the following

methods:

• Run away from your dog! Dog’s do not like to be too far away

from their ‘safety net’ and will run after you. NEVER chase your

dog to catch it as it will quickly turn into a game and the dog will

learn to run away from you.

• Lie on the ground and flap about while making inviting noises (like a turtle on your back). Few

dogs can resist this! Not very dignified, but neither is chasing your dog all around the

neighbourhood!

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• Pretend there is something absolutely amazing on the ground and it has taken your full

attention. Get your nose on one spot and pretend to be sniffing. They will come up to

investigate what is on the ground with you.

• Teach your dog a ‘find it’ cue. Say “find it” and then drop treats down onto the ground. Teach

this inside the home and then practise it randomly during training sessions. When your dog

is running past you, say “find it.” They should stop what they are doing for a second or two to

find the treats. This gives you a very small amount of time to quickly put them back on lead

or get their attention back on your with a lure or signal to recall.

Remember not to rely on these tips as your recall, use them ONLY in

emergencies. Dogs are not stupid and will learn you are having them on!

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Leave It

The leave it is a relatively simple and fun exercise to teach. It is extremely practical as it gives us some level of control over what our dogs are trying to eat, chase and smell. The “leave it” signal is only used for things that our dogs are not permitted access to. It can’t be used for their dog food or toys as it’s very confusing for a dog to be told to leave something alone for now, but then they are able to gain access to it later.

“Leave it” MUST mean “leave it now – leave it forever!”

It is a Pre-emptive exercise, meaning that the signal is given BEFORE the dog gains access to the item. If the dog already has an object in their mouth, the exercise then becomes a swap. Please refer to the swap notes for this exercise.

There are two different leave it techniques that are used and this depends solely on the leave it item. An object that is able to be picked up easily by the trainer such as a shoe or wallet can be taught using the first technique. A leave it item that the trainer cannot pick up such as a smell, a dog walking by, another animal or a large item such as a lounge must be taught using the second technique.

Leave It – Object:

1. Hold the leave it item in one hand at a

height that the dog cannot gain access

to it. Shoulder height works well for this

exercise.

2. Have some treats ready as rewards in

the other hand to the leave it item.

3. Slowly bring the item down to the dog’s

level as you say “leave it” in an upbeat

tone. Do not bring the item directly down

in front of the dog’s face as will be too

tempting for the dog to leave it alone

initially.

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4. If the dog leaves the item alone, leave the item in place as you mark “yes” and reward the

dog with a treat from the other hand.

5. It is much more likely in the early stages of teaching this exercise that the dog does not leave

the item alone. If the dog moves towards the item, simply bring it back up to your shoulder,

so that the dog loses access to the item.

6. Repeat the above step until the dog offers a different behaviour as it problem solves what will

earn it the food reward. When the dog leaves the item alone, keep the item in place as you

mark “yes” and reward the dog with a treat from the other hand. It may take several repetitions

to reach this step.

See it in action!

7. Once the dog is reliably leaving an item alone, repeat the above steps whilst bringing the item

down to the ground. Keep your hand on the item so that you can easily pick it up if the dog

does not leave it alone.

8. Extend this exercise further by making the item more interesting. This is achieved by dropping

the item down to the ground, which creates movement and noise. Watch - adding more

movement and noise.

9. Introduce scented leave it objects such as used napkins or food products. Make sure that

these items are not harmful to the dog if ingested as they may initially attempt to pick the item

up at first.

By creating scent, movement and noise, you have set your dog up to successfully generalise this exercise to more difficult objects alone such as cane toads. As the dog never gains access to the item, they are likely to leave it alone even when you are not there to give the signal. If the dog is unable to leave the item alone for more than one repetition, take a step back to the last point of success and later try again.

Leave It – Environmental:

1. Ensure that the dog is on lead and walking nicely by your side.

2. Walk towards the desired leave it item from a fairly far distance to start with. As the dog shows

the first signs of interest in the item, say “leave it” in an upbeat voice and place the treats

down to the dog’s nose to get their attention. See it in action!

3. Use the treats to lure the dog back to your side, as you walk off on an angle away from the

item.

4. When your dog falls back to your side in a loose lead walk, mark “yes” and pay.

5. With each successful repetition, slowly decrease the distance between the item and when the

‘leave it’ signal is given. This will teach the dog to leave items alone that occur close to them.

6. Decrease the angle that you retreat from the item until the dog is able to curve slightly around

it.

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1. Trainer and dog walk towards stimulus

2. “Leave it” signal is given as dog becomes interested in the stimulus

3. Trainer and dog move away from the stimulus

4. Dog returns to walk nicely by owner’s side. Owner marks and rewards

The Leave It exercise has the potential to save a dogs life – it can be used to stop a dog from running to grab dropped medication, or to leave a potentially hazardous animal alone i.e snakes, toads etc. You can start to teach a dog to leave a moving object by practicing with a moving toy on wheels.

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Stay

Teaching a dog to stay still is useful in a range of situations.

It will assist your vet in performing routine health checks and

can be trained as a blocking behaviour (i.e. a dog cannot stay

in position and jump up to greet a visitor simultaneously.) The

stay is a very valuable safety tool to have; If a dog won’t recall

to their owner, the owner can signal the dog to stay in position

until they are able to put the dog back on lead.

At first, Stay for your dog needs to be short and in a low

distracting area. Teach a perfect novice stay before adding

distance, duration or distraction. This is the only exercise where

distance and duration must be added simultaneously. After all,

you can’t add distance by walking away from the dog without also adding duration in the time that

you’re away. When distance and duration are added, work in very slow successive

approximations to achieve success.

Stay must mean “stay where you are in the same position

until I physically release you.”

They may be able to turn their head and look around but their body must not move. To

encourage the dog to stay in position, always return to the dog’s front before you mark “yes” and

reward. If you are not in front of the dog when you do this, the dog will likely break its stay and

hurry over to be rewarded. A dog must learn “sit”, “drop” and “stand” as foundations before

introducing these positions into a stay.

As with all training, until your dog is reliably following the directions of the hand signal, do not add

the word “stay.” If you give the verbal signal “stay” and the dog does not stay, the dog learns that

this word is irrelevant. We add the verbal signal “stay” only when the dog can show that they are

able to stay in position; This is typically after three successful repetitions of the puppy or dog

performing this exercise.

Exercise:

1. Place the dog in a “sit,” “drop” or “stand.”

2. Have treats ready in one hand. The other hand will signal a stay using the universal stop sign;

Palm facing towards the dog with fingers spread. Show the hand signal for 1 second and then

remove it. Mark “yes” and reward the dog if it does not move. Repeat this step several times.

3. Once your dog is reliably holding a stay for one second, you can start to add the verbal signal

“stay” at the same time as you present your hand signal.

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Extension – Movement:

4. Add movement; Signal “stay” to the dog and shuffle your feet for approximately three seconds.

Immediately mark “yes” and reward the dog with a treat.

5. 5. Turn your body slightly away from the dog without creating distance, then return to face the

dog and mark “yes” and reward. Build up to turning away from the dog at a 90 degree angle.

A trained dog has learnt to follow you! It will take many small steps to teach them to stay in

position while we turn away, so present this step in very small increments.

Adding Movement

Further Movement

Extension – Duration and Distance:

6. Take 1-2 steps away from your dog, immediately returning to their front and mark “yes” and

pay. Continue to add distance up to a space of approximately 10 metres.

7. Once your dog is able to stay in position while you are at a far distance, move out of sight just

for 1 second. Return to the dog and if they have not broken position, mark “yes” and reward.

8. Extend the time in very small increments that your dog is able to “stay” while you are out of

sight.

Stay Extension

Extension – Distraction:

9. Practice the stay in environments of increasing distraction levels.


stay successfully in progressively more distracting environments. Start training the stay at home.

Once the dog is reliably staying in the home environment, work them in the back garden. The

garden offers more interesting distractions than those found within the home, but it isn’t too big of

a step that it’s overwhelming for the dog. Once you’ve mastered the back garden, work the dog

in the front garden and then up and down the roadside. If there are two trainers available, attach

the dog to a long line and practise stays across a quiet road. It’s easy for a dog to lose focus on

their trainer when the distraction levels are increased, so offer your dog more rewards for less

distance and duration to keep them working for you.

Each time the dog masters the distractions in one training area, MOVE ON! Find a nice quiet park

to train your dog to start with. Practise outside a shopping centre, at the local markets, along the

beach, parallel to a dog park, around a sporting oval during an event, etc. Use your imagination

to find environments within your area to reinforce this behaviour so much that your dog can stay

and wait for you anywhere that you ask them!

https://vimeo.com/266901167/6f47ac4c19

https://vimeo.com/266903036/89f4a2a525

https://vimeo.com/266887894/f05dd308c7

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Loose Lead Walking

Loose lead walking is one of the most important life skills that a dog can learn. You and your dog

can enjoy regular, STRESS FREE! walks if loose lead walking is taught correctly.

Pulling on lead is the number one complaint among dog

owners. It’s very easy for a dog to learn to pull and

usually the owner has accidently caused this problem

by allowing their dogs to get into this habit in the first

place!

Too often we see dogs dragging their owner down the

road, which almost always leads to the dog being

walked less and less frequently and then eventually not at

all. Refraining from walking your dog is not the answer as this in turn creates more excitement in

the dog when it is finally let out of the house, increasing the behaviour.

If you don’t let the dog out of the house at all, guess what? It’s probably going to take itself for a

walk by escaping from the garden or slinking past you when you open the front door!

A puppy should start learning how to walk correctly during their socialisation period (before they

reach 16 weeks of age). Due to the immaturity of the dog’s bones

and growth plates it is not recommended to walk a baby puppy for

long periods of time or on hard surfaces such as concrete paths.

We recommend training this exercise in short sessions within the

home and garden as this encourages a puppy to learn in a low

distraction environment.

Many juvenile and adult dogs come from rescue organisations and

their original owner did not teach this importance of correct walking

during puppyhood.

It’s important to recognise that these dogs may take slightly longer

to learn the correct behaviour, as they are also trying to unlearn the

incorrect behaviour at the same time!

Set your dog or puppy up to learn successfully by immediately implementing the

following into your walk.

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Premack’s Principle – Active Engagement

Premack’ s Principle (Premack, 1959, 1963) states that more-probable behaviours will reinforce

less-probable behaviours. It was derived from a study of Cebus monkeys but has explanatory

and predictive power when applied to humans. This is evidenced by the fact that therapists use

the principle in behaviour modification. Premack’ s Principle suggests that if a student wants to

perform a given activity, the student will perform a less desirable activity to get at the more

desirable activity.

In behaviourist terms, activities become re-enforcers. Students will be more motivated to

perform an activity if they know that they will be able to partake of a more desirable activity as a

consequence. If high probability behaviours (more desirable behaviours) are made contingent

upon lower probability behaviours (less desirable behaviours), then the lower probability

behaviours are more likely to occur. More desirable behaviours are those students spend more

time doing if permitted; less desirable behaviours are those students spend less time doing

when free to act. Mothers use this very well. "You have to finish your VEGETABLES (Low

probability) before you can eat any ICE CREAM (High probability)"

We can use this principle when training our dogs; what your dog wants to do (called a high

probability behaviour) can be used to reinforce what you want the dog to do (low probability

behaviour).

Example:

You can reward your dog by giving him access to do what he wants after he does something

that you want. (Come to me when I call you, then go off and have a sniff). This takes the conflict

out of training. If your dog wants to sniff a patch of grass badly rather than grabbing the lead

and forcing the dog away or using the word no, grab the dog’s attention and reward for a

moment then let the dog return to sniffing the grass. That way you have reinforced him for

paying attention and taken the conflict out of the sniffing of grass, by allowing him to do it.

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(https://theautismonion.com/2013/02/09/premack-principle/, n.d.)

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Equipment to use

A treat pouch is a must when walking as the training treats are easily

on hand at all times.

Front loaded harness (Harmony

Harness) – The Harmony Harness is the

recommended piece of walking equipment for ALL dogs. It is

suitable for all ages and breeds, can be made to measure, and

grows with the dog by allowing for maximum adjustment.

The lead attaches at the front of the harness, so the dog is unable

to put their weight into pulling. This stops pulling from paying off as

the dog no longer gains ground by pulling; instead its attention is

directed back to its owner. It encourages a dog to walk by its

owner’s side, providing a chance for the owner to reinforce the

desired behaviour.

The Harmony Harness is also suitable as a car harness as it has

a secondary clip on the back for secure tethering. It comes with a

double-ended lead which extends to allow the dog extra distance

during training sessions. Overall, it is a highly recommended multi

purpose training tool and is available for purchase through Positive

Response Dog Training.

https://www.positiveresponse.com.au/shop/harmony-harness/

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Equipment to Avoid

Flat collar - If a dog pulls whilst wearing a flat collar, the collar places

pressure onto the dog’s neck. This pressure not only causes injury to the

dog’s neck but also encourages additional pulling as the dog tries to ‘pull

away’ from the initial pressure. A flat collar can be slipped quite easily if

the dog stops and backs away. A flat collar should only be used to attach

council registration and identification tags to your dog.

Back loaded harness – These harnesses attach along the spine which

allows the dog to pull with their core strength. They are usually padded

or made of soft material which makes pulling comfortable. These

harnesses are not suitable for loose lead walking, in fact they set the

dog up to do the complete opposite!

Check chains/ prong/ shock collars – These

collars are a form of negative reinforcement, which

is not only highly unethical but can also damage a

dog both physically and mentally.

They were originally used many years ago to

‘correct’ behaviours in obedience, long before we

had access to today’s knowledge of animal learning

law; They were never intended to teach loose lead

walking. Prong collars are now illegal to import and

hopefully soon, all three collars will be banned in Australia.

- 45 -


How to Hold the Lead

You can walk your dog on your left or right side (if you wish to compete in obedience trials in

future, you should train your dog on the left). It’s a good idea to teach your dog to walk on either

side. Choose one side per training session and stick to it; Changing sides frequently will confuse

your dog. By teaching your dog to walk on either side, you can position them as needed to walk

on the opposite side to oncoming traffic, roadworks, other dogs, etc.

The technique given for this example will be a loose lead walk on the left; however, this

can be modified by reversing the technique for walking right.

• Attach your dog to the lead and hold the lead in your left hand. To achieve maximum control

over the lead with minimal exertion, please use the below safety grip.

Hold your hand out straight and spread your

fingers apart. The handle end of the lead rests

between your thumb and index finger, draping

over your thumb.

Position the end of the lead under your middle

three fingers, so that it pops up over your ring

finger and pinkie.

Close your hand into loose fist.

https://vimeo.com/258069214/a81a9e16e4

https://vimeo.com/258069214/a81a9e16e4

- 46 -


Holding the lead like this aids in the “take and release” (nicely asking your dog to change direction,

continue walking etc.) by squeezing the lead tighter with thumb and ring finger, then slightly

releasing the hold and repeating.

Do NOT hold the lead like this! Your dog can easily pull the lead straight

out of your hand. Holding the end of the lead will also give your dog too

much length, enabling them to pull forwards or to the side.

Do NOT wrap the lead around your wrist! If your dog suddenly lunges, the

lead will trap your hand, possibly causing serious injury. Many people have

broken or dislocated their wrist, elbow or collar bone by holding the lead this

way.

• Ensure that there is a ‘J’ in the lead. This creates the loose

lead, which teaches the dog to walk with slack. Too much lead

and the dog will be able to move too far away from the trainer. A

tight lead teaches the dog to pull and creates tension on the walk.

As all dogs and owners are different sizes and heights, the length

of lead required will be different for each couple.

• Stick your lead hand to your left hip or leg. This creates one set

area for your dog to walk in and gain reinforcement. Moving your

hand around constantly will change the reinforcement area and

confuse the dog. If you find that you hand keeps moving away,

tuck your thumb into your pocket or waist band to keep it in one

place!

https://vimeo.com/258071719/d864b580e4

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Starting to Walk

• Take your right hand and put the treat to your dog’s nose. Let them sniff the treat so that when

you move your hand back to your chest your dog is looking up at you. If your dog’s attention

is up at you, they are not looking at other distractions in the area.

• As you start to move your hand back up to your chest, call your dog’s name.

• Take your first step as you say your walking word (‘walk’, ‘heel’, ‘let’s go’, etc.) Teaching a

Walking Word.

• Make sure that you are taking SMALL steps to begin with.

• After one step, when your dog is by your side, mark “yes” and reward the dog with a treat

from your right hand.

• After several repetitions, once your dog is reliably taking one step on a loose lead, take two

or three steps before marking and rewarding.

• Continue to increase the steps you take but remember to only increase by one or two steps

each time so that your dog is challenged but still able to achieve success.

Extension – Distraction

All new exercises are best taught in a familiar environment such as the home or back garden.

This makes it much easier for the dog to follow the trainer’s signals whilst learning to ignore low

level distractions.

Once the dog is responding to the trainer’s signals at least 80% of the time and has completed

the above steps, it’s time to start increasing the distraction level so that the dog is learns to work

in new environments. There are very minimal distractions inside the home and back garden, and

dogs habituate to the sights and sounds that they are exposed to on a regular basis. When we

enter a new training area the dog may lose focus as they try to take in all of the new stimuli, but

over time they will habituate to these also. During this time, it is quite normal for the dog to take a

step or two backwards in training until they learn to work in the new area.


walk on a loose lead successfully in progressively harder environments. Start training loose lead

walking at home. Once the dog is reliably walking next to the trainer in the home environment,

work them in the back garden. The garden offers more interesting distractions than those found

within the home, but it isn’t too big of a step that it’s overwhelming for the dog. Once you’ve

mastered the back garden, work the dog in the front garden and then up and down the driveway.

Only when your dog is walking perfectly in these environments should you attempt to walk out

onto the road. On the road there are cars, motorbikes, buses, pedestrians, skateboards - and

more! It’s easy for a dog to lose focus on their trainer when they step out onto the street, so offer

your dog more rewards for less steps to keep them working, and walk for short distances each

side of the driveway.

https://vimeo.com/258075162/24c4649bf5

https://vimeo.com/258072944/45e788c054

https://vimeo.com/258072944/45e788c054

https://vimeo.com/258076117/1899d8bf53

- 48 -


Each time the dog masters the distractions in one training area, MOVE ON! Find a nice quiet park

to train your dog to start with. Walk them outside a shopping centre, to the local markets, along

the beach, parallel to a dog park, around a sporting oval during an event, etc. Use your

imagination to find environments within your area to reinforce this behaviour so much that your

dog can walk on a loose lead anywhere that you ask them!

Curving

Curving is a technique to use to walk past a distraction (other dogs/animals, people,

objects, etc) when there is no opportunity to turn away from it.

Curving is about giving the dog enough space between themselves and the distraction whilst

walking past.

1. Start at a distance so that the dog is not overly distracted and ensure its focus is on you.

2. As you approach the distraction, curve in the shape of an egg away from the distraction.

3. Heavily reward the dog for following you around the distraction.

4. If the dog is struggling to ignore the distraction it is important to move further away from the

distraction to find the dogs threshold.

https://vimeo.com/258019469/aef98bcdea

- 49 -


The Gotcha!

It is inevitable that at some point you will need to be hold onto your dog by their collar or harness;

The problem is that we tend to just grab our dogs with no warning whatsoever! This startles the

dog or may frighten them.

By introducing the Gotcha exercise we teach our dogs that when they hear word Gotcha they will

know we are about to grab them or pick them up and that something fantastic will follow such as

a treat or a cuddle. By practicing this, the dog learns to stand still and calm when hands are

coming down towards them. This is a great skill to practice at random intervals.

Exercise:

1. Place a treat in one hand and have your other hand ready to touch/hold the dog

2. Say the word ‘Gotcha’ in an upbeat, friendly voice as one hand reaches down lightly towards

the dog’s collar.

3. Mark ‘Yes’ and pay

4. Practice this on different parts of your dogs body i.e. back, paw, ear, etc.

Extension:

1. Place a treat in one hand and extend the exercise on body parts that the dog may not be as

comfortable having touched i.e. the bottom and tail areas.

2. Ensure that the reward is given to the dog as soon as your hand touches the dogs body to

minimize a startle reflex.

3. Off Leash Extension

4. When your dog is wandering off lead in your home or backyard, practice gotcha at random

intervals to solidify the exercise.

Out of the home Extension:

Practice in as many different environments as possible as dogs are poor generalisers. Ensure

that you are starting from the very beginning when teaching in a new environment.

- 50 -


Phone 07 3459 2121

Mobile 0424 058 450

Email [email protected]

Website www.positiveresponse.net.au

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.positiveresponse.net.au/

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This eBook has been created by Positive Response Dog ...€¦ · This eBook has been created by Positive Response Dog Training (ABN: 54 282 031 516). No ... Premack’s Principle