Your expertise on puppy training please!

[Penguin_Toes]

My advice is that once they are well trained with good recall you still need to keep reinforcing the training.I do use treats with my BT, he knows they are in my right hand pocket and when he is off lead I only have to put my right hand near the pocket and I have his attention. He's also quite clever at manipulating me as I've done a lot of sit and recall work with him, if he's off lead and near to home he will sit (without me asking)and watch me walk away but won't come to me unless he thinks I have a treat for him. Unintended consequences but he's a terrier so he's forgiven.

He sounds cleverer than me!!

 

[Sandstone1]

For recall, a very very special toy that he only gets to play with with you. Its got to be a interesting toy with high value. ie you can get toys made of rabbit skin etc. when he recalls to you have a good play with the special toy as a reward. You can use a whistle and if he enjoys his food get him to wait for his food and blow the whistle as a signal he can have it. That will transfer to recall training as its a signal hes getting something nice. Extra special treats for recall only. Get him to think you are the best thing ever and more interesting than any other dog etc.

 

[Spotherisk]

I was a ‘no treats’ person until I got my lurcher, treats have made life a lot easier and nicer! I just wanted to say puppy classes for sure but as he gets older maybe try agility, mine started at 7 months with poles on the ground, a year later and we’ve had a lot of fun and rosettes from every fun competition we’ve done!

 

[Penguin_Toes]

For recall, a very very special toy that he only gets to play with with you. Its got to be a interesting toy with high value. ie you can get toys made of rabbit skin etc. when he recalls to you have a good play with the special toy as a reward. You can use a whistle and if he enjoys his food get him to wait for his food and blow the whistle as a signal he can have it. That will transfer to recall training as its a signal hes getting something nice. Extra special treats for recall only. Get him to think you are the best thing ever and more interesting than any other dog etc.

That's a great idea. I didn't know about rabbit skin toys and the like! Thank you!

 

[Penguin_Toes]

I was a ‘no treats’ person until I got my lurcher, treats have made life a lot easier and nicer! I just wanted to say puppy classes for sure but as he gets older maybe try agility, mine started at 7 months with poles on the ground, a year later and we’ve had a lot of fun and rosettes from every fun competition we’ve done!

I am absolutely desperate to do dog agility with him, I spent my whole childhood forcing my grandma's poor collie over garden cane jumps.

I didn't know I could start a bit earlier than a year old, but just like a horse, poles on the ground! Never thought of that! Will agility classes accept them before one if they don't jump/take it easy

 

[Spotherisk]

I am absolutely desperate to do dog agility with him, I spent my whole childhood forcing my grandma's poor collie over garden cane jumps.

I didn't know I could start a bit earlier than a year old, but just like a horse, poles on the ground! Never thought of that! Will agility classes accept them before one if they don't jump/take it easy

Ours did, Rew didn’t leave the ground for ages. It was all about direction and encouragement. You can see here the plank and tunnel out too, he had a solid grounding first.

 

[Morwenna]

Thank you, it puts my mind at rest that it suddenly clicks one day! I love the advice to just take my time, maybe I'll sit on a bench with him and watch the world go by a bit more

I was told by my puppy class instructor that the key is to set them up for success and not to let them rehearse the behaviour you don’t want so I started by doing exactly as you say above. Just sitting watching the world go by. We gradually upped the stakes and it is still very much a work in progress but we are getting there. We do a lot of impulse control games around the house too which all helps as that’s what the running to other people / dogs and jumping up really comes down to. I found puppy classes and the gundog training classes we do now help as well as it is teaching her and reinforcing the concept of focusing on me and working with me even with distractions and other dogs and people around.

 

[Penguin_Toes]

We had a nice sit on a bench for 20 minutes somewhere busy this afternoon and I think it was a really worthwhile thing to do. I've got loads of other things to try still from this thread as well so I'm feeling really positive. This forum is such a great resource.