Stages and Learning

149.Though your dog knows obedience commands, there is no “magic manners” button to push for results. When you want your dog to do something, pick up the leash and give him a formal direction like you would in a training session. This is a very successful way to communicate a need and direction to your dog. It is also faster than waiting for the magic remote control to appear.

150.Don’t expect that once you’ve picked up the leash a few times in real life that your dog will automatically know what to do by himself. It takes many months of using your dog’s skills in public to fully create good manners in your dog. Once you’ve taught the skills, keep using them in real life until your dog does it by himself.It can take a few months to develop some behaviours. 

151.All of the skills that are taught at the onset of each stage may take the completion of that stage or moving on to the next stage to fully set as behaviours. Keeping a working knowledge of just how long it takes to build behaviours will make you a more patient teacher and owner. Create a road map of “stage-appropriate skills” for your dog’s journey through the stages.

Cooperation 

152.In early stages of training, you may want to let your dog release some energy by running and chasing a ball before you do obedience training. Younger dogs have less patience and usually cooperate better if they can release first

153.In later stages (puberty on up), make sure that training comes before play. If your dog earns his play, you will be setting a wonderful precedent for good behavior and cooperation. If, as your dog grows up, you only train after play, your dog may see training as an invasion into his playtime. 

154.Always make your dog earn things.By asking him to do things for you (and for rewards!) at these early stages, you will develop cooperation as a concept very early in his life.If you begin having your dog do small tasks for everything, he will not ever know what it is to be spoiled. 

155.Play charades! Have your dog SIT as a way to gain things that he desires. If he wants a treat, make him SIT. If he wants to be petted, ask him to SIT first. If he wants to go outside, have him SIT at the door to put his leash on. Your dog will understand to SIT next to that which he desires. Soon you will have a dog politely communicating his desires to you through charades. 

156.When leaving in the morning, don’t “apologise” with vocal tones or body language for crating or leaving your dog. Very casually walk him into his crate, give him a treat, and thank him for his cooperation in your daily schedule. Say goodbye in a casual manner and leave for your business.

Patience Building 

157.Start obedience training shortly after five months or after the completion of teething, whichever is later. At seven months old your dog should be able hold a thirty-second SIT and a ten-minute DOWN.At nine months your dog should hold a one-minute SIT and a twentyminute DOWN.This “ramping-up” effect plateaus when your dog is around one year old. At this point your dog can hold a two-minute SIT and thirty-minute DOWN. This is a set of small goals with realistic timeframes. 

158.Distraction training (described in chapter 8) begins after completing the initial obedience-training plan. Younger adolescents will have some difficulty with distractions. As your dog’s ability to concentrate for longer periods develops, distractions will become easier to resist. 

159.Puberty is the time to begin teaching Applications. You may expect your dog to learn DOWN while the family eats at the dinner table. Similarly, your dog can learn, with your guidance, how to greet people by holding a SIT (although he may not be able to do this totally on his own for some time). Begin teaching applications in this stage and continue to reinforce until he has mastered them himself.