Training Exercises

To teach your dog a new exercise

Stage 1	Start with a lure using several different pieces of food from the middle of the 1 - 10 scale. 40 - 50 repetitions over 3 - 6 sessions.
Stage 2	Now add the verbal command just before the lure. 20 - 30 repetitions over 2 - 4 sessions.
Stage 3	The bribe. Show the dog the food. Give the verbal command and a hand signal (which should be a reduced version of the luring). Success, give the food. Failure, eat it yourself, put it back in the container or give it to another dog. 3 failures in a row, go back to Stage 2. 40 - 50 repetitions over 3 - 6 sessions.
Stage 4	The reward. Give the command and the hand signal and reward from your pocket or etc.
Stage 5	Do all of the following randomly. Show the dog the food, command & signal but do not give the food. Praise lavishly. Command & signal with an empty hand and immediately (and magically) produce a reward from thin air! Command & signal with an empty hand and reward from the other hand. Show the dog the food and then put your hand (and the food) behind your back and give a verbal command only. Do not repeat the command. Wait for a response. Give the food for success.

If you have worked through all 5 stages successfully then your dog has learnt this exercise but only in the familiar place with no distractions!

Now reteach it starting again at Stage 1 in every environment that you would like your dog to respond to you. The greater the distraction (or the reward for non-compliance!) the higher the reward on offer must be.

With each new situation you should need less repetitions at each stage.

Rewards should be varied and given randomly once the dog has learnt the exercise.