Week 5 Of Training
Duration: 4 Weeks
Welcome to the fifth week of training with your puppy! You will be working on training goals in each of the below sections simultaneously. Though these training goals typically coincide with training a new 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 obedience training sessions via clicker training during meal times. You will work on generalizing the following cues in new environments and with added distractions: here, sit and kennel.
Developmental Goals: You will also be working on secondary goals with your puppy which include continuing to condition nail maintenance and other physical handling goals. As well as continuing to work on appropriate play behaviors and continuing to maintain the realistic expectations you set for your puppy and continue socialization. We will also continue to work on retrieving with your puppy and doing a water introduction.
Complimentary Goals: If you have hunting goals for your puppy you will also be working on introducing birds over the next couple of weeks.
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 mix of videos of GSPs, Labs and English Cockers… however, the same expectations and obedience behaviors can be applied to all breeds!
Obedience Goals
Generalize Cues In New Environments & With Added Distractions
Overview: Now that you have taught your puppy how to recall, sit and kennel and they can differentiate between those cues you are ready to generalize those behaviors in new environments. That will ensure your puppy can comply with the cues they know in a variety of environments and with additional distractions.
Frequency: You should move your training sessions to new environments each day you are training. For example, if you normally train in the kitchen, now train in the dining room, then move to the living room, then to the garage, and finally to the fenced-in backyard. We want to make sure your puppy can comply with your cues in many different environments.
Clicker Training
Generalize Cues In New Environments & With Added Distractions
Overview: You can continue to generalize the understanding of the kennel behavior to multiple places you would like them to kennel, including dog beds, klimb stands, crates and dog blinds.
Frequency: You can apply the kennel behavior to a new place each day you are training. For example, if your puppy is used to kenneling on a kuranda dog bed then move on to training them to kennel on a klimb stand, a momarsh, their crate, etc. We want to make sure your puppy can comply with your cue no matter the place.
Whistle Sit
Overview: Now that you have taught your puppy how to comply to the cue sit, we will want to transfer the cue to the sit behavior to a whistle. This will be beneficial when moving on to more advanced retrieving drills where you need to be able to handle your puppy at a distance.
Frequency: You should incorporate whistle sits into your daily training until your puppy is consistently sitting as soon as they hear the whistle.
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 time a week, spending time a few days a week continuing to get 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.
Appropriate Play
Puppy Biting
Overview: Puppy biting is a normal behavior. But even though it is normal for puppies to use their mouths to explore their world, they need to learn that biting us is not an OK behavior.
Socialization
Proper Interactions w/ Dogs & People
Overview: Puppies love to play! But it is our job to teach them how to play appropriately with other dogs and interact properly with people. It is a common thought process to “let dogs sort it out amongst themselves”. However, we prefer to help mediate those interactions and help advocate for both the puppy if the older dog is playing too rough and for the older dog if the puppy is pestering too much.
We also need to develop proper interactions with our puppy and how they interact with us. Keep in mind that anything your puppy is doing consistently they are conditioning themselves to. So if your puppy is getting attention for jumping up on you or you are allowing your puppy to get the zoomies in the evening and you don’t interrupt that behavior those behaviors are going to become habits.
Key Takeaway: Anything your dog is doing consistently they are conditioning themselves to, whether that is good behaviors or bad behaviors. So put in the time now to develop the dog you want so you can enjoy them for years to come.
“The dog you pet is the dog you get!”
Socialization/Exposure
Overview: It is important to continue exposing your puppy to new things and environments throughout their development. This will help your puppy be well-adjusted and easily able to deal with new experiences and environments without being overwhelmed. These experiences and environments can include:
~New People/Dogs
~New Environments
~New Activities
~New Smells/Sounds
Frequency: Try to incorporate a few new things a week to continue socialization and exposure to new stimuli.
Key Takeaway: Proper continued socialization is the foundation for a mentally stable and well-rounded dog. This will allow them to be well-adjusted and able to easily bounce back from startling or stressful situations. This ability to recover quickly will be very beneficial as you continue to develop and train your puppy.
Keep in mind that if your puppy does get started by a new experience do not coddle them. Comforting them and telling them “it's okay” only reinforces that what they were unsure of, or startled by, was actually scary and they exhibited the correct response to be startled by it.
Retrieving
Continue Retrieving - Keep It Exciting
Overview: Keep retrieving exciting. Some puppies will lack a little drive for retrieving. It is important to find ways to make retrieving a game, keep it exciting and build drive.
Frequency: You should be able to build up to a few more retrieves per session with your puppy as you build drive and excitement for retrieving. Typically 5-10 retrieves a session and 3 sessions a week is a good starting point.
Water Introduction
Water Introduction (Weather Dependent)
Overview: Doing a proper water introduction is very important. Do NOT throw your puppy into the water! You should find a place to do a water introduction that has a nice gradual bank and warm water. Never hesitate to get into the water with your puppy if they need that little extra confidence to get wet!
Key Takeaway: Make sure the weather has been warm consistently in order for the water temperature to also be warm enough for a water introduction. If the water is too cold for you to get in with your puppy then the water is too cold for a water introduction for your puppy!
Complimentary Goals
Bird Introduction
Proper Bird Introduction
Overview: Make sure you properly and slowly introduce birds to your puppy in order to prevent them from being startled.
Frequency: Typically you will only need to do 1-2 sessions a week with your puppy. Each session should improve on your puppy’s previous experience to build drive and desire as well as confidence with the birds.
You can start with a clipped and locked-wing bird. Then move to only a clipped wing bird that you toss into light cover and then into thicker cover so your puppy can start learning to use their nose to find the bird. Finally, you can throw the bird further and further for longer marks.
Key Takeaway: We typically recommend using pigeons for bird introductions.
Proper Bird Introduction
Overview: You can utilize bumpers, dead birds and live birds for your bird introduction and it is important to progress at your puppi’s desire and pace.
Frequency: Typically you will only need to do 1-2 sessions a week with your puppy. Your puppy should be excited to chase down the live bird and we want to encourage our puppy to pick up and retrieve the bird to us.
Key Takeaway: If at any time your puppy reacts poorly to the bird or is hesitant of the live/flapping bird slow down, take a step back and reintroduce a dead bird or keep using a locked-wing bird.
Supporting Documents
Here are some links that will be helpful for this week’s training goals:
Shopping List: Week 5-12 Of Training
Sample Training Routine: Week 5-8
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!