TRAINING CAPTURING BEHAVIOUR
Q Is it OK to start doing some training with a puppy from the moment you get him home (at eight weeks). If so, what exercises would you teach him, and how long should each training session last, to avoid overloading him? Cormack Connery, Hampshire.
TONY SAYS:
For the first week,
I would allow the puppy to find his feet and you can start managing and puppy proofing the house (barriers/crates/ stairgates). A puppy is always learning, so you will have every opportunity to train him. All you need is something the puppy wants (a toy, piece of food, or full-on attention). As the core of all training, many trainers now teach eye contact. Eye contact is a fabulous channel of communication to exploit. It is one of the easiest and most rewarding exercises you can perform. Once the puppy is randomly looking at you, the sky is the limit as far as other practical exercises go (sit/down/ recall/walking).
You don’t have to allot any specific time for this training, but be observant. Walk around wearing a treat bag containing some dry treats or a percentage of your puppy’s dinner kibble.
When he looks at your eyes throughout the day, say ‘good’
(this precisely time-stamps the behaviour) and gently hand-feed him a piece of the food. Also, if he does something you really like (for example, goes to his bed without you asking) say ‘good’ and gently give him another piece. This training is called ‘capturing behaviour’.
It’s always a good idea to hand-feed a puppy his meals for a few weeks too. You can then build the training into these mealtimes. The process of handing him a small piece of food as a reward also teaches him that hands are good things and will not grab and prod. With these exercises in place, you can look around for a quality puppy training class.