Week 13 Of Training
Duration: 4 Weeks
Welcome to the thirteenth week of training with your puppy! This is typically when your puppy starts to ignore the vibrate from collar conditioning and that is why an important part of this lesson will be proofing the e-collar! Remember you will be working on training goals in each of the below sections simultaneously. Though these training goals typically coincide with training a puppy, they can also be adapted to training with any dog, no matter their age!
Obedience Goals: Over the next few weeks you will be working on proofing the collar in higher distracting situations for recall and kennel. As well as you will start using the EasyLead for heeling over the muzzle.
Developmental Goals: You will continue to work on secondary goals with your puppy which include working on more retrieving drills and continuing nail maintenance and physical handling.
Complimentary Goals: If you have hunting goals for your puppy you will also be working on flushing in the field with your puppy.
Be sure to check out our Supporting Documents at the bottom of the page for helpful links to a recommended training items shopping list, sample weekly training schedule, daily training journal and training checklist. As well as a way to schedule a video training consult.
Note: Yes, there are a few videos of GSPs and not retrievers or flushers… however, the same expectations and obedience behaviors can be applied to all breeds!
Obedience Goals
Proof Collar Conditioning To Recall
Overview: As puppies get comfortable with collar conditioning for recall they may start to ignore vibrate in higher distracting situations. That is when we need to proof the e-collar with stimulation. You will need to start this process like you did with clicker training by doing your training session in a controlled and low-distraction environment.
Collar Conditioning
Proof Collar Conditioning To Kennel
Overview: As puppies get comfortable with collar conditioning for kennel they may start to ignore vibrate in higher distracting situations. That is when we need to proof the e-collar with stimulation. You will need to start this process like you did with clicker training by doing your training session in a controlled and low-distraction environment.
Collar Conditioning Kennel During Distractions
Overview: It is important to proof your collar conditioning for kennel in more distracting environments as well. We need to make sure your puppy understands how to comply with the e-collar even in new areas and with distractions going on.
Proof Collar Conditioning To Kennel - The 3 D’s Of Place Training
Overview: The 3 D’s of place training are valuable behaviors your puppy should be able to exhibit.
~ Distance: you should be able to send your puppy to their “place” from a distance
~ Duration: your puppy should be able to stay on their “place” for longer and longer amounts of time
~ Distractions: your puppy should be able to stay on their “place” through lots of different distractions and excitement
When you are proofing the e-collar for place training make sure to incorporate all of these behaviors into your sessions.
Heeling
Heeling With The EasyLead - Over The Muzzle
Overview: Your puppy should have a good understanding of the heel behavior via shaping heel through clicker training. The next step is to work through getting your puppy comfortable with the EasyLead up over their muzzle.
Frequency: You should keep your heeling sessions short and practice in controlled, low-distraction environments. You should not just put the EasyLead on your puppy and expect to be able to go for long walks without pulling.
Key Takeaway: The EasyLead is not a magic wand for heeling as well as it shouldn’t be used as a pulling management device. It should be used to teach your puppy how to stay in a heeling position through pressure on and pressure off. Pressure goes on when they are out of position and should release when they are in the proper heeling position.
You should think of teaching your puppy how to heel like any other obedience behavior that took time and many sessions of conditioning before your puppy was mostly proficient. And just like the other obedience behaviors you taught, your puppy will struggle to comply in higher distracting situations. This is when collar conditioning to heel will come in (but not for another few weeks).
Developmental Goals
Nail Maintenance & Physical Handling
Nail Maintenance/Physical Handling
Overview: Continuing to develop a puppy that is comfortable with being physically handled will help not only with nail trims but vet appointments and tailgate checks as well.
Frequency: Though your puppy will not need their nails trimmed multiple times a week, spending time a few days a week keeping them comfortable being handled and put into a nail trimming position will help them become more tolerant of physical handling. You should work this into your weekly routine.
Retrieving
Building Drive
Overview: Sometimes you will need to think out of the box and try something new with your puppy. Not every puppy trains the same way or follows the same path, so adapting your training to help get the best out of your puppy may sometimes be necessary. What works for one puppy to build retrieving drive may not work for the next puppy.
Key Takeaway: To build drive sometimes you may need to “hold your puppy back”. This allows them to get more excited by anticipating the retrieve. If getting excited and teasing your puppy to chase down retrieves hasn’t worked in the past this training drill might be the ticket for you and your puppy!
Complimentary Goals
Field Work
Flushing & Shooting Birds In The Field
Overview: We will be expanding on the flushing fieldwork we have been doing with our puppy. Our puppy should be gaining confidence with the flushing sequence of finding their birds and also improving on their marking ability as we shoot the birds they flush for them to make retrieves.
Frequency: Typically you will only need to do 1-2 sessions with your puppy a week.
Key Takeaway: Your puppy should be more confidently flushing their birds as well as marking the shot birds for retrieves.
Supporting Documents
Here are some links that will be helpful for this week’s training goals:
Shopping List: Week 13-28 Of Training
Sample Training Routine: Week 13-16
Daily Activity Journal
Weekly Training Checklist
Schedule a Video Consult
We would love to set up a consult with you. Please sign up here to schedule a video consult. This is a great way to connect with us to ask questions about the training goals for this week or to schedule a video check in to show us where your pup is at in their training journey. We look forward to answering your questions and working with you and your pup!