Friday, April 24, 2009
Training Tip - Teaching Pup to Sit
Teaching your new Boykin Spaniel Pup to sit, is the next step in the obedience phase of puppyhood. Remember, based on our previous articles, the first habit we started with pup was the recall command, "Here". By now, the pup has been home 1 to 2 weeks and has gotten settled in and is starting to "Bold Up" nicely and has been at least dragging a leash around for at least a week.
To begin, let's look at the definition of sit: "To place your butt on the ground and leave it there until I tell you to do something else".
Now let's be a bit realistic here. This is a young pup, approximately 9 to 10 weeks of age, and young pups are not going to remain at sit for very long because they have such short attention spans. So if we are able to accomplish short sits, and repititiously and consistently work on this, before you know it, pup will on his own, start sitting for longer and longer periods of time. One other note, I do not like to use the command "Stay", because if sit is taught by the definition, then "Stay" will never be required.
Side Note: When pup reaches the point of sitting and you are able to stand off from him while he remains at sit, do not call him to you but about 5% of the time, if that much. You must always go back to pup, otherwise your pup will start creeping and this will turn into breaking for birds and bumpers. There are other ways to work on the "Here Command" at a more advanced level, but we will cover that more later on.
Teaching Sit: I prefer to get down in the floor with pup at first. You can also do this on a raised level such as a picnic table, tailgate of a truck, etc if you prefer standing to sitting (age dependent, us old folks). Using a puppy slip lead such as the Mendota 3/8" puppy walker or the Puppy Slip Lead from Sam's Dog Hut , take pup outside for a few minutes to allow him the opportunity to relieve himself but to also burn a little energy (Do not use a lead that clips to his collar). Do not take him out off lead and let him run buck wild. If you do, when you go back inside, he will be wound up and raring to go, we want controlled exercise on lead. Now sitting with pup, get rid of all distractions such as kids running around or other dogs. Make sure that the leash is riding at the base of the puppy's skull and not down low on the neck. You will have more control this way. I lightly place one hand over their rump area (this is more to control excess body movement than anything) and I pull straight up with the puppy lead, applying constant, but gentle pressure to the puppy's neck. Your Boykin pup will most likely plop his rear end down on the ground. When he does, you must immediately release the pressure from the leash and say the words "Sit, Good Boy, Sit", and pet him as praise for doing this correctly. Never give the command before the pup has placed his butt on the ground. Pups do not speak English. We are wanting him to associate an action with a sound, the sound being the command of "Sit". Also, the timing of releasing the pressure from the leash is critical. Our objective here is to teach the pup how to turn the pressure off. His putting his butt on the ground is the trigger mechanism to cut the pressure off.
If pup does not sit, do not panick and do not lose patience with him. Simply apply a gentle downward pressure on his rump with your free hand, and then when he sits, say "Sit, Good Boy, Sit" and pet him. Do no more than about 3 repititions of this the first few times you do this. You can do this multiple times per day, but never more than 3 repititions at a time. Also, after one or two days, you can use your hands, if needed, to gently hold him at sit for a brief moment. This is helping to engrain in him what "Sit" means. When finished, put puppy in his crate and let him rest for a spell. Get him out a little bit later and do this again. You can easily do this at night while watching TV. Who really watches the commercials, this is the opportune time to do this. Now by doing this "DAILY", you will find that in a very short time, the pup is beginning to understand what you are expecting of him. He is at this point sitting, whenever you are applying pressure to his neck with the leash. When he is consistently sitting without a struggle, each time the pressure is applied, you should now start giving the command first, and then apply the pressure with the lead. If you have done a thorough job on the first part of teaching "Sit", then at this point, pup will most likely sit when the command is given. If he does, then repeat when his butt hits the ground "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". Remember, timing of praise is just as important as timing of correction. Dogs think in the present, not the past or the future. So if the timing is not there, then pup has no idea of why he is being corrected or praised. All too often when the timing is not there, we are praising or correcting pup for the wrong thing. Also, do not go to overboard with the praise, you will find that it will lose it's effectiveness. For you guys, check the testosterone at the front door. Change the pitch of your voice to a high pitch happy tone. One of the ways dogs communicate is with tone of voice, so we want pup to know he has done a good thing.
Now, let's review. We have started out in the floor with pup, showing him the very first stages of "Sit". We then were able to stand up and apply pressure with the lead and get pup to sit, in order to turn off the pressure. Now we have moved into being able to give the command "Sit", then apply pressure if needed, and pup will sit. You should also notice by now, that pup has begun to sit longer than when you first started. Now it is time to do two things: Increase the length of time pup sits, and to start introducing the whistle. Pup by now is approximately 14 weeks old.
Lengthening Sit: First, let me digress for a moment. One thing I always tell people is that a pup running around loose in a home, is a disaster waiting to happen. There are too many things a pup can get into that he can destroy or that can also injury or kill him. Lamps have electric cords plug into a wall, that when chewed, will shock and kill an adult dog, so it definately will kill a pup. Pups, especially retrieving breeds, are chewers and we do not want them chewing on your $100 dress shoes, your briefcase, books, furniture, walls, your legs, arms, hands, etc. I will get into chew toys and my thoughts on them in my next article. Also, pups running around loose, will urinate and deficate (pee and poop) when you are not looking, thus making your job of housebreaking and crate training harder. I want a pup to understand that in the house, he is under maximum control. It is like with children when we teach them there is an outside voice and an inside voice, toss the football outside not inside. Pup too must learn that any running and playing should be outside only, inside he should be a calmer dog. Daily exercise is also paramount so that the dog does not get pent up energy and go bonkers on you. The vet I used to work for would always tell new puppy owners that anytime you cannot give the pup 150% of your undivided attention, put pup in it's crate. If you are home alone and have to get dinner started, you are unable to properly supervise pup, so put him in his crate. If you do your "Sit" training right, in a matter of time, you can have pup sitting out in the kitchen with you while you cook super, instead of sitting in his crate.
We also want to start using "Sit" areas of life. When we are about to put Pup into his crate, have him "Sit" for a moment in front. Give the command "Kennel Up" (meaning to get into something) and if needed, help pup to get into his crate. Pup should have been learning the "Kennel Up" command from the very first day home, and this should be an easy process. You should also having Pup sitting and waiting before he gets his food or water. If you need to get down in the floor with him and gently hold him in the "Sit" position, do so. Make Pup wait a moment, then give them a release command. For food and other times when I am wanting to release him from "Sit", I just use the word, OK. For water, I use the command "Water". This I find beneficial when I am afield and need to get the dog to drink in order to stay hydrated.
You should also start having pup sit at the door when going inside or out. So, Pup is in his crate. Before opening the crate door, we give the command of "Sit". I really do not push for his butt to be on the ground, but rather for him not to burst out of the crate when the door is opened. If he acts like he is, quickly shut the door and command firmly "NO - SIT", and try again. Open the crate and slip the lead over Pups' head and command "Here" and when all the way out, command "Sit". Then walk Pup to the door and command "Sit", while you open the door. At first he will not stay sitting for long due to the his short attention span, but we are beginning the show pack leadership. A pack leader always goes first, so our goal is for Pup to sit at the door while we open it, and step out. Then we command "Here" and the pup comes out and again command "Sit", while we close the door. Then we walk pup out into the yard. When taking them to the bathroom, I like to have them sit in the yard, then I give them the bathroom command. Remember, obedience is all about control.
Now at night, when I am wanting to work on lengthening "Sit", I get a scrap of carpet or a door mat and place it by my chair or sofa where I sit to watch TV. I get pup out of his crate and take him outside to relieve himself and burn the edge off his energy level. Then I go back into the house and have pup sit right in front of the piece of carpet. If you house is carpeted, make sure that the scrap piece you use is a totally different color so there is a strong contrast between it and your household carpet. This allows Pup to see a boundary, and helps him to better understand remaining on that spot or place. Down the road, when pup is over the chewing stage, we can purchase a nice dog bed, and then it can become his place. The carpet will still remain useful for when you go to another room and want Pup with you but do not want to drag the big bulky dog bed around. NOTE-Coleman Outdoor products makes a dog bed that I like for use after the scrap of carpet. It is made under the same design as their folding outdoor chairs. The bed material (machine washable) is suspended about 4 inches off the ground and better defines the boundary of place for the dog.
Now pat your hand on the carpet and give the command "Load Up" (meaning to get onto something) to the pup. You might have to help him a little at first, but that is alright. Once on the carpet, give the "Sit" command. Now you sit in your chair or sofa with pup right beside you, but you are still loosely holding onto the leash, no pressure. Pup is sitting on the carpet and suddenly he decides he needs to get up to check something out. If your are quick to respond and he is standing, but still on the carpet, tell him "No, Sit". If your response is a bit slower, then tell him "No, Load Up, Sit" as you gently guide him back onto the piece of carpet. Doing this nightly, pup will quickly learn that in the house, whenever he is not in his crate, he is on that carpet. This I refer to as "Place Training". Once pup has learned the "Load Up" command, I am going to start replacing it with the term "Place". I do this by saying "Load Up, Place, Sit". In two or three days time, I will just be saying "Place". Why not teach pup "Place" from the start. Because "Load Up" is a command they will use in many areas down the road and we want an early introduction to it. You will be surprised how quickly pup learns this and starts sitting there for longer and longer periods of time, calmly. Then you can begin to move the carpet around. Need to do the dishes, take pup on his leash to the kitchen, place the carpet on the floor, and give the command "Place, Sit". Remember to continue to praise pup for this. Having the leash on him also gives you the means to stop him by stepping on it, should he decide to wander off, do not chase the pup. If needed, recall the pup "Here".
Whistle Sit: Once pup is sitting well each time you give the command "Sit", it is time to start introducing the whistle. Regardless if a dog is going to be a hunting dog or a family pet, whistle training is a good thing. Voices can often times have a pleading tone to them, and pup will not respond well to it. Whistles, on the other hand, do not. They have a change in amplitude, but not tone. A whistle never pleads, it simply says "Sit" or "Here".
Just as when you began teaching "Sit", you did not give the verbal command until the pups' butt hit the ground and you then immediately released pressure from the leash. It is the same with the whistle, except we are going to do a blended use of whistle and verbal commands. Give the verbal command to "Sit", which by this stage, pup should quickly respond and put his butt on the ground. It is at this exact moment that you should give one short "Peep" of the whistle, followed by "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". You will find that pup, at this young age, will quickly pick up on this and in two or three days, will automatically "Sit" each time you give the command.
Types of Whistles: There are actually many different whistles from which to choose from. Of all of these, there are two basic styles - a "Pea'd Whistle" that has the little cork or plastic ball inside it, and a "Pealess Whistle". This really boils down to a personal preference, but here is my two cents on which to use. First, strange thing about a dog, if you raise and train a dog on one type of whistle, and then down the road switch, you will find that the dog will always respond best to the one he was originally trained on. I personally prefer the pealess whistle. The one I use is the Acme 211 1/2
. There are spaniel whistles but you will find them harder to blow. I like the 211 1/2 because I can use it softly for inside or when the dog is close by and I can get louder when the dog is further away. Just like with Duck Calls, certain ones 
are easier to blow and shape the sounds that are produced than with other ones. Whistles are the same and it is for this reason I like the Acme. You can purchase this whistle from Lion Country Supply, www.lcsupply.com . You will also need to get some type of lanyard so you can hang it around your neck for quick and easy access.
Be sure and use the whistle often, we want pup to learn that he must obey the whistle above all else, that the whistle rules. More on this in a later chapter. Still use your verbal command without the whistle at times, he must never learn that he does not have to obey it or we do not want him to forget about it. Just like with all phases, repitition and consistency will pay off and pup will learn this quickly.
Waiting till the dog is 4, 6, or 8 months old to teach the whistle commands of "Sit and Here" is not good. You will find that you are having to teach "Sit and Here" all over again, and it is far easier to teach a puppy than it is an older dog. Even a dog of 5 months of age.
DO NOT REPEAT COMMANDS: Beyond the realm of when we are teaching "Sit" or "Here" (Example: Sit, Good Boy, Sit"), we do not want to repeat the commands and we do not want to give a command that we cannot enforce. So if you are on a nature walk with pup and he spies something of interest and runs off, do not start blowing your "Sit" whistle or verbally yelling "Sit". You have no way to enforce this and we do not the puppy to ever learn there are situations that you are not able to enforce a command. If commands are given only when on lead and enforceable, then pups comes to learn that he always has to obey the commands. So if pups does spy something and runs over to investigate, do not chase, blow the recall whistle or the verbal command of "Here", clap your hands and walk away. Remember that pup does not want to be left behind and will come running to you. If for any reason he does not, simply walk quitely over towards him, pick him up, and return back to your walk. Pup will forget whatever it was he saw. Side note - people often ask me: "what if pup is running towards the street and we need to stop him", my answer is simple. Always set pup up for success. Never put him in a situation of danger, that is what a leash is for. If you live in a neighborhood and have cars driving up and down your street, and you insist on taking pup in your front yard, then pup must always be on a leash and the danger aspect will be totally eliminated.
Now back to repeating commands. If you are standing over pup saying "Sit, Sit, Sit, Sit...." you are only teaching pup that he does not have to sit until you say it ten times. Once the "Sit or Here" command is a known command on lead, and pup is sitting consistently, we say the command one time. So if pup is beside you on lead and you give the verbal or whistle command of "Sit" and pup does not comply, then you immediately apply pressure with the lead and then give a single "Sit" or "Peep of the whistle" as soon as his butt hits the ground and release the pressure from the leash. By doing this, we are showing pup that he has to comply each and everytime he is given the command. If we are out and about with pup on lead and we stop to chat with our neighbor, Pup should be sitting by our side, not out in front, behind us, or up walking around us sniffing the ground or chewing on your neighbors shoes. He should be sitting at the heel position. Always be vigilant of where pup is and what he is doing. Take your attention off of him for moment and he knows this, and will get up and start sniffing or playing around. When he gets up, quickly correct. If he just stands up, then the correct response from you is to immediately apply pressure with the lead and command "NO - SIT" in a firm voice. If pup stands up and walks away, the correct response should be "NO -HERE" while guiding him back into the heel position at which point you should command "SIT" in a firm voice. Your neighbors by now know you have a new dog that you are training. So they must also learn to respect what your goals are. Pup must learn that because a human is there, they do not get attention. If Pup sits quitely for a few minutes, allow the neighbor to give pup a little scratch under the chin. If pup gets excited and stands up when he is petted, then the petting must immediately stop and you must correct "NO - SIT". Petting is a reward, and if pup gets up or gets all excited and we continue to pet, then we are rewarding that behavior and that is opposite of what our training goals are. We want a calm obedient dog that is a pleasure to be around and that understands his place within the pack. Sitting at "Heel" while you talk with your neighbor builds patience, it helps instill the definition of the command "Sit", and it teaches good manners by not allowing him to jump all over people or run around buck wild.
Heel Position: Heel position, whether standing or walking is at your side with Pups' shoulder even with your leg. You must choose either left or right handed Heel and stick with it for life. It is not an either or proposition, it is only one side or the other, period. If you are a hunter and you are a right handed shooter, then your dogs Heel Position is on your left hand side while a left handed shooter, heel position is on your right hand side. For pets, it is what you are most comfortable with. At this stage of the game, pup is not going to be "Walking at Heel" but he can be taught where the "Heel Position" is, but do not use the command "Heel" at this stage. This will come into play down the road. For now, when walking, we are going to focus primarily on keeping pup on the side we choose for "Heel", and if he wants to be out in front, we just use the lead and give him gentle tugs to guide him back into the general vicinity. Remember, obedience is about control as much as anything, and at this stage, the leash is what gives us that control.
Robert Milner, famed author, trainer, and founder of Wildrose Kennels titled the chapter on obedienc in his second book "Obedience is a way of life, not a 15 minute drill". These words say it all. If you are taking your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy and doing a few minutes of obedience, then releasing pup to run off and just be a puppy, inside or out, then you are sending mixed signals to pup. He is also learning bad habits that will be engrained for life. Pup must learn to be obedient everywhere and at all times. There are ways, like what I described in my topic on Nature Walks, where we can give pup a little more freedom during these early stages of life, but you must use common sense and not be lazy about this stage of a pups life. If the husband is taking pup out to the bathroom on lead and when he is not home, the wife and kids are just opening the door and shoving the dog outside or taking him out off lead, then pup is getting mixed signals. Two things will occur. 1)The husband is going to have a harder time training pup since the pup is constantly getting mixed signals. Dogs learn through repitition and consistency. 2)It will not be long before the husband will be the only one with any control over this dog. Then the wife and kids will be left wondering why the dog will not listen to them.
One of our next articles will be on teaching Heel. Be looking for other articles on Early Puppy Retrieves and an article on Advanced Sit and Advanced Heel. Good luck and Happy Training.
To begin, let's look at the definition of sit: "To place your butt on the ground and leave it there until I tell you to do something else".
Now let's be a bit realistic here. This is a young pup, approximately 9 to 10 weeks of age, and young pups are not going to remain at sit for very long because they have such short attention spans. So if we are able to accomplish short sits, and repititiously and consistently work on this, before you know it, pup will on his own, start sitting for longer and longer periods of time. One other note, I do not like to use the command "Stay", because if sit is taught by the definition, then "Stay" will never be required.
Side Note: When pup reaches the point of sitting and you are able to stand off from him while he remains at sit, do not call him to you but about 5% of the time, if that much. You must always go back to pup, otherwise your pup will start creeping and this will turn into breaking for birds and bumpers. There are other ways to work on the "Here Command" at a more advanced level, but we will cover that more later on.
Teaching Sit: I prefer to get down in the floor with pup at first. You can also do this on a raised level such as a picnic table, tailgate of a truck, etc if you prefer standing to sitting (age dependent, us old folks). Using a puppy slip lead such as the Mendota 3/8" puppy walker or the Puppy Slip Lead from Sam's Dog Hut , take pup outside for a few minutes to allow him the opportunity to relieve himself but to also burn a little energy (Do not use a lead that clips to his collar). Do not take him out off lead and let him run buck wild. If you do, when you go back inside, he will be wound up and raring to go, we want controlled exercise on lead. Now sitting with pup, get rid of all distractions such as kids running around or other dogs. Make sure that the leash is riding at the base of the puppy's skull and not down low on the neck. You will have more control this way. I lightly place one hand over their rump area (this is more to control excess body movement than anything) and I pull straight up with the puppy lead, applying constant, but gentle pressure to the puppy's neck. Your Boykin pup will most likely plop his rear end down on the ground. When he does, you must immediately release the pressure from the leash and say the words "Sit, Good Boy, Sit", and pet him as praise for doing this correctly. Never give the command before the pup has placed his butt on the ground. Pups do not speak English. We are wanting him to associate an action with a sound, the sound being the command of "Sit". Also, the timing of releasing the pressure from the leash is critical. Our objective here is to teach the pup how to turn the pressure off. His putting his butt on the ground is the trigger mechanism to cut the pressure off.
If pup does not sit, do not panick and do not lose patience with him. Simply apply a gentle downward pressure on his rump with your free hand, and then when he sits, say "Sit, Good Boy, Sit" and pet him. Do no more than about 3 repititions of this the first few times you do this. You can do this multiple times per day, but never more than 3 repititions at a time. Also, after one or two days, you can use your hands, if needed, to gently hold him at sit for a brief moment. This is helping to engrain in him what "Sit" means. When finished, put puppy in his crate and let him rest for a spell. Get him out a little bit later and do this again. You can easily do this at night while watching TV. Who really watches the commercials, this is the opportune time to do this. Now by doing this "DAILY", you will find that in a very short time, the pup is beginning to understand what you are expecting of him. He is at this point sitting, whenever you are applying pressure to his neck with the leash. When he is consistently sitting without a struggle, each time the pressure is applied, you should now start giving the command first, and then apply the pressure with the lead. If you have done a thorough job on the first part of teaching "Sit", then at this point, pup will most likely sit when the command is given. If he does, then repeat when his butt hits the ground "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". Remember, timing of praise is just as important as timing of correction. Dogs think in the present, not the past or the future. So if the timing is not there, then pup has no idea of why he is being corrected or praised. All too often when the timing is not there, we are praising or correcting pup for the wrong thing. Also, do not go to overboard with the praise, you will find that it will lose it's effectiveness. For you guys, check the testosterone at the front door. Change the pitch of your voice to a high pitch happy tone. One of the ways dogs communicate is with tone of voice, so we want pup to know he has done a good thing.
Now, let's review. We have started out in the floor with pup, showing him the very first stages of "Sit". We then were able to stand up and apply pressure with the lead and get pup to sit, in order to turn off the pressure. Now we have moved into being able to give the command "Sit", then apply pressure if needed, and pup will sit. You should also notice by now, that pup has begun to sit longer than when you first started. Now it is time to do two things: Increase the length of time pup sits, and to start introducing the whistle. Pup by now is approximately 14 weeks old.
Lengthening Sit: First, let me digress for a moment. One thing I always tell people is that a pup running around loose in a home, is a disaster waiting to happen. There are too many things a pup can get into that he can destroy or that can also injury or kill him. Lamps have electric cords plug into a wall, that when chewed, will shock and kill an adult dog, so it definately will kill a pup. Pups, especially retrieving breeds, are chewers and we do not want them chewing on your $100 dress shoes, your briefcase, books, furniture, walls, your legs, arms, hands, etc. I will get into chew toys and my thoughts on them in my next article. Also, pups running around loose, will urinate and deficate (pee and poop) when you are not looking, thus making your job of housebreaking and crate training harder. I want a pup to understand that in the house, he is under maximum control. It is like with children when we teach them there is an outside voice and an inside voice, toss the football outside not inside. Pup too must learn that any running and playing should be outside only, inside he should be a calmer dog. Daily exercise is also paramount so that the dog does not get pent up energy and go bonkers on you. The vet I used to work for would always tell new puppy owners that anytime you cannot give the pup 150% of your undivided attention, put pup in it's crate. If you are home alone and have to get dinner started, you are unable to properly supervise pup, so put him in his crate. If you do your "Sit" training right, in a matter of time, you can have pup sitting out in the kitchen with you while you cook super, instead of sitting in his crate.
We also want to start using "Sit" areas of life. When we are about to put Pup into his crate, have him "Sit" for a moment in front. Give the command "Kennel Up" (meaning to get into something) and if needed, help pup to get into his crate. Pup should have been learning the "Kennel Up" command from the very first day home, and this should be an easy process. You should also having Pup sitting and waiting before he gets his food or water. If you need to get down in the floor with him and gently hold him in the "Sit" position, do so. Make Pup wait a moment, then give them a release command. For food and other times when I am wanting to release him from "Sit", I just use the word, OK. For water, I use the command "Water". This I find beneficial when I am afield and need to get the dog to drink in order to stay hydrated.
You should also start having pup sit at the door when going inside or out. So, Pup is in his crate. Before opening the crate door, we give the command of "Sit". I really do not push for his butt to be on the ground, but rather for him not to burst out of the crate when the door is opened. If he acts like he is, quickly shut the door and command firmly "NO - SIT", and try again. Open the crate and slip the lead over Pups' head and command "Here" and when all the way out, command "Sit". Then walk Pup to the door and command "Sit", while you open the door. At first he will not stay sitting for long due to the his short attention span, but we are beginning the show pack leadership. A pack leader always goes first, so our goal is for Pup to sit at the door while we open it, and step out. Then we command "Here" and the pup comes out and again command "Sit", while we close the door. Then we walk pup out into the yard. When taking them to the bathroom, I like to have them sit in the yard, then I give them the bathroom command. Remember, obedience is all about control.
Now at night, when I am wanting to work on lengthening "Sit", I get a scrap of carpet or a door mat and place it by my chair or sofa where I sit to watch TV. I get pup out of his crate and take him outside to relieve himself and burn the edge off his energy level. Then I go back into the house and have pup sit right in front of the piece of carpet. If you house is carpeted, make sure that the scrap piece you use is a totally different color so there is a strong contrast between it and your household carpet. This allows Pup to see a boundary, and helps him to better understand remaining on that spot or place. Down the road, when pup is over the chewing stage, we can purchase a nice dog bed, and then it can become his place. The carpet will still remain useful for when you go to another room and want Pup with you but do not want to drag the big bulky dog bed around. NOTE-Coleman Outdoor products makes a dog bed that I like for use after the scrap of carpet. It is made under the same design as their folding outdoor chairs. The bed material (machine washable) is suspended about 4 inches off the ground and better defines the boundary of place for the dog.
Now pat your hand on the carpet and give the command "Load Up" (meaning to get onto something) to the pup. You might have to help him a little at first, but that is alright. Once on the carpet, give the "Sit" command. Now you sit in your chair or sofa with pup right beside you, but you are still loosely holding onto the leash, no pressure. Pup is sitting on the carpet and suddenly he decides he needs to get up to check something out. If your are quick to respond and he is standing, but still on the carpet, tell him "No, Sit". If your response is a bit slower, then tell him "No, Load Up, Sit" as you gently guide him back onto the piece of carpet. Doing this nightly, pup will quickly learn that in the house, whenever he is not in his crate, he is on that carpet. This I refer to as "Place Training". Once pup has learned the "Load Up" command, I am going to start replacing it with the term "Place". I do this by saying "Load Up, Place, Sit". In two or three days time, I will just be saying "Place". Why not teach pup "Place" from the start. Because "Load Up" is a command they will use in many areas down the road and we want an early introduction to it. You will be surprised how quickly pup learns this and starts sitting there for longer and longer periods of time, calmly. Then you can begin to move the carpet around. Need to do the dishes, take pup on his leash to the kitchen, place the carpet on the floor, and give the command "Place, Sit". Remember to continue to praise pup for this. Having the leash on him also gives you the means to stop him by stepping on it, should he decide to wander off, do not chase the pup. If needed, recall the pup "Here".
Whistle Sit: Once pup is sitting well each time you give the command "Sit", it is time to start introducing the whistle. Regardless if a dog is going to be a hunting dog or a family pet, whistle training is a good thing. Voices can often times have a pleading tone to them, and pup will not respond well to it. Whistles, on the other hand, do not. They have a change in amplitude, but not tone. A whistle never pleads, it simply says "Sit" or "Here".
Just as when you began teaching "Sit", you did not give the verbal command until the pups' butt hit the ground and you then immediately released pressure from the leash. It is the same with the whistle, except we are going to do a blended use of whistle and verbal commands. Give the verbal command to "Sit", which by this stage, pup should quickly respond and put his butt on the ground. It is at this exact moment that you should give one short "Peep" of the whistle, followed by "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". You will find that pup, at this young age, will quickly pick up on this and in two or three days, will automatically "Sit" each time you give the command.
Types of Whistles: There are actually many different whistles from which to choose from. Of all of these, there are two basic styles - a "Pea'd Whistle" that has the little cork or plastic ball inside it, and a "Pealess Whistle". This really boils down to a personal preference, but here is my two cents on which to use. First, strange thing about a dog, if you raise and train a dog on one type of whistle, and then down the road switch, you will find that the dog will always respond best to the one he was originally trained on. I personally prefer the pealess whistle. The one I use is the Acme 211 1/2
. There are spaniel whistles but you will find them harder to blow. I like the 211 1/2 because I can use it softly for inside or when the dog is close by and I can get louder when the dog is further away. Just like with Duck Calls, certain ones are easier to blow and shape the sounds that are produced than with other ones. Whistles are the same and it is for this reason I like the Acme. You can purchase this whistle from Lion Country Supply, www.lcsupply.com . You will also need to get some type of lanyard so you can hang it around your neck for quick and easy access. Be sure and use the whistle often, we want pup to learn that he must obey the whistle above all else, that the whistle rules. More on this in a later chapter. Still use your verbal command without the whistle at times, he must never learn that he does not have to obey it or we do not want him to forget about it. Just like with all phases, repitition and consistency will pay off and pup will learn this quickly.
Waiting till the dog is 4, 6, or 8 months old to teach the whistle commands of "Sit and Here" is not good. You will find that you are having to teach "Sit and Here" all over again, and it is far easier to teach a puppy than it is an older dog. Even a dog of 5 months of age.
DO NOT REPEAT COMMANDS: Beyond the realm of when we are teaching "Sit" or "Here" (Example: Sit, Good Boy, Sit"), we do not want to repeat the commands and we do not want to give a command that we cannot enforce. So if you are on a nature walk with pup and he spies something of interest and runs off, do not start blowing your "Sit" whistle or verbally yelling "Sit". You have no way to enforce this and we do not the puppy to ever learn there are situations that you are not able to enforce a command. If commands are given only when on lead and enforceable, then pups comes to learn that he always has to obey the commands. So if pups does spy something and runs over to investigate, do not chase, blow the recall whistle or the verbal command of "Here", clap your hands and walk away. Remember that pup does not want to be left behind and will come running to you. If for any reason he does not, simply walk quitely over towards him, pick him up, and return back to your walk. Pup will forget whatever it was he saw. Side note - people often ask me: "what if pup is running towards the street and we need to stop him", my answer is simple. Always set pup up for success. Never put him in a situation of danger, that is what a leash is for. If you live in a neighborhood and have cars driving up and down your street, and you insist on taking pup in your front yard, then pup must always be on a leash and the danger aspect will be totally eliminated.
Now back to repeating commands. If you are standing over pup saying "Sit, Sit, Sit, Sit...." you are only teaching pup that he does not have to sit until you say it ten times. Once the "Sit or Here" command is a known command on lead, and pup is sitting consistently, we say the command one time. So if pup is beside you on lead and you give the verbal or whistle command of "Sit" and pup does not comply, then you immediately apply pressure with the lead and then give a single "Sit" or "Peep of the whistle" as soon as his butt hits the ground and release the pressure from the leash. By doing this, we are showing pup that he has to comply each and everytime he is given the command. If we are out and about with pup on lead and we stop to chat with our neighbor, Pup should be sitting by our side, not out in front, behind us, or up walking around us sniffing the ground or chewing on your neighbors shoes. He should be sitting at the heel position. Always be vigilant of where pup is and what he is doing. Take your attention off of him for moment and he knows this, and will get up and start sniffing or playing around. When he gets up, quickly correct. If he just stands up, then the correct response from you is to immediately apply pressure with the lead and command "NO - SIT" in a firm voice. If pup stands up and walks away, the correct response should be "NO -HERE" while guiding him back into the heel position at which point you should command "SIT" in a firm voice. Your neighbors by now know you have a new dog that you are training. So they must also learn to respect what your goals are. Pup must learn that because a human is there, they do not get attention. If Pup sits quitely for a few minutes, allow the neighbor to give pup a little scratch under the chin. If pup gets excited and stands up when he is petted, then the petting must immediately stop and you must correct "NO - SIT". Petting is a reward, and if pup gets up or gets all excited and we continue to pet, then we are rewarding that behavior and that is opposite of what our training goals are. We want a calm obedient dog that is a pleasure to be around and that understands his place within the pack. Sitting at "Heel" while you talk with your neighbor builds patience, it helps instill the definition of the command "Sit", and it teaches good manners by not allowing him to jump all over people or run around buck wild.
Heel Position: Heel position, whether standing or walking is at your side with Pups' shoulder even with your leg. You must choose either left or right handed Heel and stick with it for life. It is not an either or proposition, it is only one side or the other, period. If you are a hunter and you are a right handed shooter, then your dogs Heel Position is on your left hand side while a left handed shooter, heel position is on your right hand side. For pets, it is what you are most comfortable with. At this stage of the game, pup is not going to be "Walking at Heel" but he can be taught where the "Heel Position" is, but do not use the command "Heel" at this stage. This will come into play down the road. For now, when walking, we are going to focus primarily on keeping pup on the side we choose for "Heel", and if he wants to be out in front, we just use the lead and give him gentle tugs to guide him back into the general vicinity. Remember, obedience is about control as much as anything, and at this stage, the leash is what gives us that control.
Robert Milner, famed author, trainer, and founder of Wildrose Kennels titled the chapter on obedienc in his second book "Obedience is a way of life, not a 15 minute drill". These words say it all. If you are taking your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy and doing a few minutes of obedience, then releasing pup to run off and just be a puppy, inside or out, then you are sending mixed signals to pup. He is also learning bad habits that will be engrained for life. Pup must learn to be obedient everywhere and at all times. There are ways, like what I described in my topic on Nature Walks, where we can give pup a little more freedom during these early stages of life, but you must use common sense and not be lazy about this stage of a pups life. If the husband is taking pup out to the bathroom on lead and when he is not home, the wife and kids are just opening the door and shoving the dog outside or taking him out off lead, then pup is getting mixed signals. Two things will occur. 1)The husband is going to have a harder time training pup since the pup is constantly getting mixed signals. Dogs learn through repitition and consistency. 2)It will not be long before the husband will be the only one with any control over this dog. Then the wife and kids will be left wondering why the dog will not listen to them.
One of our next articles will be on teaching Heel. Be looking for other articles on Early Puppy Retrieves and an article on Advanced Sit and Advanced Heel. Good luck and Happy Training.
# posted by Clay Black @ 6:48 AM 
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i just wanted to leave you a comment and tell you thanks for your blog i haven't got a pup yet but i have been reading and takeing note and this stuff is great thanks
Nick
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Nick
# posted by 
: May 5, 2009 12:12 AM
: May 5, 2009 12:12 AM << Home
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