First things to train 10 week old pup?

[TwyfordM]

So Miek is just turning 10 weeks and has well and truly settled into home life but the energy is full on and he's getting mentally bored. So starting to pinch anything unattended for 5 seconds

Decided to have a go yesterday to encourage him to sit rewarding with a piece of his food, quickly picked it up after 5 mins or so, then got bored (as I expected) so figured I'd do little 5 min sessions. He's doing it like he's been doing it all his life today, recognises the voice command of sit after 2 5 min sessions.

So I'm now concerned about the level of genius in this teeny package he's an absolute agent of chaos. Which I expected as dad is very much the typical Prague ratter. Mini dobe, very work driven, praise motivated and high energy.

So where do we go from here, I'm keeping play times as low impact as possible, introducing claw clipping, general things like coming to call etc

But he's bored, so I need some things to train that will keep his mind busy. He's doing well on toilet training etc has 2nd jabs next week so can start going out and seeing the world a bit more after that.

He's very toy and play motivated as well as food motivated.

 

[DiNozzo]

I taught my mothers Yorkie a lot of nonsense to keep his brain busy. Spin, weave (between legs), touch, roll over, paw, bow, up/down (steps and sofas!), lie down. Touch my hand has probably been the most useful outside of sit/paw/down. We use it to distract him on the few occasions we’ve needed his focus solidly back on us (other badly behaved dogs and buses). Leave and drop as separate commands too. He isn’t massively toy orientated so we had to teach him to fetch, but he does also now ‘go find a toy!’.

I wish we’d started teaching heel sooner. He’s pretty good, but I think it would have been easier if that had been introduced earlier.

 

[Spotherisk]

I haven’t taught this but have seen it done, ‘touch ties’. Start with ‘middle’, dog stands between your legs facing forwards, reward. Then in time learns to stand on your toes from that position.

 

[skinnydipper]

Stay. When he is keeping his bum on the floor until you release him you can begin to teach stay. Or if you want you can teach stay in stand but I think sit will be easier.

Ask him to sit, take a step away from him, then return and reward Build up distance slowly with heaps of praise and reward.

I use hand signals as well as verbal when asking for sit, down, stay, come, etc.

 

[alibali]

One thing I wish I had taught my dog was look at me.

 

[Morwenna]

Hand touches, look at me, recall to his name. They say the things they learn first they learn best so think about what behaviours you want to be absolutely solid throughout his life.

 

[twiggy2]

Recall the most valuable thing he will ever learn, always make it worth his while.
Wearing a collar and trailing a really light lead (under supervision).
Take him everywhere carrying him, let him see the world from your arms.
Travelling in the car.
See people in hats, hoodie, big coats, with umbrellas, winter clothing can be a worry for some young dogs if the hit a fear period when the weather changes.
See traffic by sitting on a bench watching it drive past.
Go on a bus/train in your arms, in shops, cafes for a coffee.
Exposure will set you up to succeed more than training just now as the pup will just soak it all up from the safety of your arms.
Trying wise, searching and passive scent work can be really tiring mentally but easy on the body so that's a really good one.
I tend to try not to over do the stationary work with pups as it can in some cases make them switch off a little, a bit like too much school work can make young horses sour.
He can socialise qith vaccinated dogs, if you want him to be a bit steadier around other dogs you can just expose him to the idea of other dogs by allowing a vaccinated dog to explore your garden then letting the pup explore once the other dog has gone.

 

[Morwenna]

A tip I was given from the trainer we did puppy classes with was to count out 10 rewards (whatever you use) as that limits the number of reps as it’s easy to get carried away. Do one thing then have a break and next time train a different behaviour to keep it interesting.

 

[SDMabel]

One thing I am really glad i taught both of our dogs when young pups, was boundary lines .

If the front door is opened they know not to pass through it till given a command to , same applies for garden gate and car boot .

We've had delivery drivers leave our garden gate open numerous times and if they weren't taught this they'd have gotten on our ( admittingly quiet ) but 60mph road.

Also did the usual recall work, all of ours start life off the lead and then are introduced to a lead , so that being off isn't too exciting.

 

[rabatsa]

Sit/down/stand are all really useful. Hands all over, lift legs, dry paws, clean teeth, again all really useful.

Teach him that he has a place to chill and relax, a bed or mat if you are anti crate.

 

[Umbongo]

Lots of great suggestions.
Also "give"....so that he is happy to give you his high value item if asked eg: if he was to pick up a packet of ibuprofen one day.

 

[FestiveG]

I would teach that you can touch him absolutely everywhere: eyes, ears, inbetween pads, bottom, genitals, the lot. Then if he requires any ear cleaning, claw trimming etc etc, later in life then it's not an issue

 

[CorvusCorax]

Engagement/relationship/focus. Then everything else will be much easier to train. Keep everything really short, 5-10 minute sessions.

 

[Love]

Purdey is 14 weeks and we trained most of the commands above to keep her mind busy - she absolutely loves to learn and is so engaged.

Another thing that seems to tire her little brain out that isn't training as such is snuffling for kibble in the lawn - she absolutely loves it and it chills her right out!

 

[TwyfordM]

Lots of great suggestions.
Also "give"....so that he is happy to give you his high value item if asked eg: if he was to pick up a packet of ibuprofen one day.

This is a good one, he currently legs it under the sofa when he picks up something naughty to hide it

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Recall.

Hand signals for us were really useful, Brig went deaf so it was brilliant to just be able to crook a finger and he knew to recall, no need to shout. Bear does the same, youngsters not so great yet, but we haven’t really bothered to do it with them. They all recall to the whistle too.

 

[Teaselmeg]

Swap is one of the first things I teach, always changing up, so you are offering a higher value reward for dropping what they have. Comes in very handy when the puppy has something 'illegal', and makes it no big deal to give it up.

 

[JBM]

My pup is currently 12 weeks
He can sit, paw and doesn’t go to eat his food until he hears “ok”
His recall is improving put not perfect
My 2 year old does all the above then
Roll over, speak, whisper, stay, stands on his back legs, paw with both paws, lay down, in between the legs, bed, down, give(let go)

Lots of car rides currently to get him used to behaving in the car
Introducing the bath, brush and toothbrush as well

I think that’s it

 

[Jenko109]

I have not read all replies. So sorry for any repeats.

First I would teach a watch command. To teach the dog to make eye contact with you on command. IMO this lays your foundation.

From there I teach all the usual; sit, stay, down etc, however I always implement that watch command. I want the dog to be watching me while in a down. Not looking around at distractions. So a reward does not come until the focus is on me.

A good heel position, including some stays walking in front of your dog with your back facing them, then calling into a heel. Then calling into heel from a wait and walking off a few steps. Luring with a treat in the early stages.

Leave it. Dropping a treat and not allowing the dog to get it until released.

 

[anguscat]

I have a bit of a confession: I’ve had dogs all my life, usually in pairs as in litter mates or maybe a year or so difference in age, but I’ve never consciously gone through any training of them.
They’ve all been pretty well-behaved. Friendly to people and other dogs. Good on lead. Recall pretty reliable. Notably fantastic with vets. Trustworthy with livestock and horses. I’ve had a range of types of dogs from terriers to collies and labs. Almost all bitches though. Labs notably slow to get house trained which I’ve done just by very regular ‘putting-out’. One small dog a bit jumpy-uppy but remedied if you bent down to say Hello. A terrier was a bit of a nuisance for vanishing down holes. They’ll sit and mostly stay if asked to. Good to travel. Understand not jumping on furniture or beds eg staying away can be trusted not to jump on a bed if told not to and left in room themselves with their own bedding on floor. Can leave them in our house without problem (but my rule is they’re left alone no more than a morning or an afternoon or an evening). Never crated.
They’ve/they’ll not understand any fancy requests eg agility, twizzling around legs sort of thing.
None have been hyper but shown ‘normal’ anxiety to eg thunderstorms, fireworks sort of thing.
They do have plenty of space and on top of that are walked several times a day. They live alongside me and family in house and we’re quite quiet. I can only guess that the dogs are sort of cottoning-on somehow to what we want and how we live.
Neither can I remember my parents training dogs of my childhood.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I start teaching sit from day 1!, Stay happens because they are not allowed through every door after me but like Angus cat, they learn what they need to learn in the context that they need it. We almost always have littermates too.

 

[anguscat]

I start teaching sit from day 1!, Stay happens because they are not allowed through every door after me but like Angus cat, they learn what they need to learn in the context that they need it. We almost always have littermates too.

Yes…I think I must be doing unconscious training as they slot into the household. I’d certainly be asking for sit when I thought I needed them to, but I wouldn’t be actively having a ‘we’re now training sit’ session.
Bit garbled but I expect you know what I mean.

 

[Chucho]

I second handling all over, including putting nose in confined spaces (for muzzle training prep), putting on fake bandages, desensitising to emergency collar grabs, crate training, washing feet, foundations for clipping nails. Proximity to handler training (so lying on the floor and scattering food all over and around you, are they prepared to calmly climb all over you to get it?) All so if/when they have to go to the vet (or groomer) they are totally chilled. We do basic manners as part of day to day life as above, so 'wait' before every meal is put in front of them, say please by sitting and eye contact, middle as a safe space.

We really emphasise calmness. So at all our mealtimes they learn to go on their bed and practise lying down and being calm. At that age they are in a crate, but graduate to an open bed as they get older. Lots of sniffing, licking and chewing activities in their own space on their own as a foundation for being left home alone. Time away from our other dog in the house too.

Car training too, we get them used to coming out for short journeys and not doing anything exciting at the other end. We feed and train in the car too to make it a safe space.

 

[Clodagh]

Yes…I think I must be doing unconscious training as they slot into the household. I’d certainly be asking for sit when I thought I needed them to, but I wouldn’t be actively having a ‘we’re now training sit’ session.
Bit garbled but I expect you know what I mean.

Before I worked my dogs I was exactly the same as you. They tend to live up or down to your expectations and if you don’t want anything too complex, well, simples!

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's horses for courses though isn't it, I don't consider fireworks or thunderstorms 'normal anxiety', I expect my dogs to ignore those things, without having to train it.

 

[Clodagh]

I would add I’ve never bought a multi breed mini terrier type dog either, so I’m probably not planning around those energy levels! .

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It's horses for courses though isn't it, I don't consider fireworks or thunderstorms 'normal anxiety', I expect my dogs to ignore those things, without having to train it.

We find that if the humans don't make a fuss about fireworks etc, the dogs dont.
We like to car train from the beginning, too. A regular short trip to somewhere they like to go.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would add I’ve never bought a multi breed mini terrier type dog either, so I’m probably not planning around those energy levels! .

We had a pair of JRTs - never again!

 

[kathantoinette]

Recall
Off i.e not jumping up at me or anyone else
Wait i.e not following me through every door
Sit-currently doing this for all treats
And trips out in the car to nice places!

 

[anguscat]

We find that if the humans don't make a fuss about fireworks etc, the dogs dont.
We like to car train from the beginning, too. A regular short trip to somewhere they like to go.

Yes I agree that they can pick up anxiety. But I think it can come from within the dog too. We’ve got our first one in all my dog owning years that is really upset by fireworks or thunderstorms.