# Training ideas



## Kermit_days (Sep 24, 2012)

Ruby is 12 weeks old. We've been training her little and often but her socialisation/basic training class doesn't start for another 4 weeks. We've been doing lots of training with her several times a day but it's starting to feel like we're just practicing the same few things. Does anyone have any ideas for new things we can try?

This is what she can do:
Sit
Lie-down
Leave (a treat in front of her until she's told she can have it)
Fetch, bring (back), Sit (drops toy and sits). We've just started working on bringing items back - very early days.
Come
Roll over (if she's in the mood)
Down (as above)
Touch (your hand with her nose)
Paw (either paw or 'both')

I think that's about it.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

How about "drop it." Miles tends to lie down in sphinx pose, so we also taught him "settle" which is where he kicks him hips over to one side.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Take your pup to a busy park and work on the same exact commands she already knows. It will be a good challenge for both of you.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Good list! I'd definitely add the 'drop it' and working the commands in a new environment.

You might also consider...Find, Wait, Catch, Jump, Off, CheckItOut, Heel, Through (going through a narrow space before you), Load Up (into the car or truck), Under (when she is allowed to duck under a wire fence or something similar), Crate (or bed).

I have a few others to make vet visits and medicine a bit easier: Ears, Treat, Stand, Here (when she needs to stand on the scale or someplace in particular), Open (her mouth)

At 12 weeks all the commands - even the useful ones - are games. Enjoy!


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## jcbuch (Oct 15, 2009)

Kermit_days said:


> Ruby is 12 weeks old. We've been training her little and often but her socialisation/basic training class doesn't start for another 4 weeks. We've been doing lots of training with her several times a day but it's starting to feel like we're just practicing the same few things. Does anyone have any ideas for new things we can try?
> 
> This is what she can do:
> Sit
> ...


 wow i think you have done a ton already at 12 weeks. Dont forget to let her be a puppy.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Ker being a hunter I would break her to live birds then the gun - till you see a V in the field you will never know what they were bred for


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## Miles (May 18, 2011)

I take my Miles (my V isn't the only Miles in the world?! ) to a park where there are sometimes bikers so I've (mostly) taught him "down" down from a distance- that way if he's coming back from retrieving and a biker is going to pass at the same time I can try to stop him from being hit. I think it has other uses too. 

I think we both also like "wait" when I throw the ball until I tell him "you're free!".


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## Kermit_days (Sep 24, 2012)

wow i think you have done a ton already at 12 weeks. Dont forget to let her be a puppy.
[/quote]

Thanks. She picks things up incredibly quickly so she has plenty of puppy time. We've been for a walk today and she has only just been wrestling her huge stuffed lion round the room (it used to dwarf her but she's catching it up).

She normally has three 1 to 1 sessions a day. They include training, playing and of course lots of cuddles. The rest of the time she's integrated with the family, which seems to keep her occupied. When she's getting into mischief I've found that giving her something constructive to do is far more effective (and less stressful) than barking orders at her. She seems to quite enjoy it, so I'm making the most of it.


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

I also like Here, wait (remain in place until next command), Stay (until I get back to you), Off, Up (on to couch, car, etc), back up (bec your in my way or its too crowded and we need to retreat), Eat (release for meal time), Take it. There are tons you can do! But I also agree with taking the ones she knows and practice somewhere else like your front yard, the pet store, the park.

Great job so far!


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Oh and have you taught a release command so they know when they are done such as Free Dog, All Done or something. Don't use OK bec we and everyone around us/ you says it too much. You'll be in a conversation with someone and the dog sitting and then someone says "ok, we'll..." And digs hears it and breaks sit. Just sayin'.


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## Kermit_days (Sep 24, 2012)

We haven't intentionally done a free command but we do tend to say 'go on then' which has the same meaning.

Thanks for all the replies. I've got some great ideas to work on. I'm trying to focus on the ones that make my life easier first, I like backup command (or something similar). 

She's turning into a lovely dog. We just had an engineer pop round (strange man she's never met). She came over, had a sniff and a stroke, didn't jump up or mouth once, and went back to get bed. Granted she's not always like that but she's getting much better with her self control.


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