New To All This...

[Maczinger]

Hi there

For my first puppy (as an adult), we got a black lab, who is now just over 15 weeks old. His name is Skeena, and for the most part, he is pretty awesome. I think he is a smart guy, so I want to do a very good job at training him.

Any ideas/suggestions about how to get him to focus more to "come" when distracted? We are also struggling with "leave it" and "drop it." (Should there even be two commands?) When it is something he reallyreallyreally wants (currently: toilet paper off the roll, the dish rag, slippers...), he won't leave/drop and might run away with the object of his affection.

Suggestions welcomed!

 

[laramie]

Welcome!

When teaching your puppy to come, make sure you're being more interesting than whatever he's looking at. Start off without distractions and make sure you have yummy treats like hot dogs. Teach him his name. Start off by saying his name and give him a treat. Do this for about 5 min. a couple of times a day. Remember to not ever use his name when you're about to do something unpleasant to him (bathing, brushing teeth, clipping nails). There are many other ways to teach come, but this one has worked the best for me. Check out the forums for other ways to teach anything.

For my dogs, drop it and leave it are two different commands. Drop is means you have something in your mouth and I want you to let it go. Leave it is don't pick it up in the first place or you can't have it until I say you can. For drop it, give him a toy and trade it for a treat. Do this a few times so that he understands before giving the command along with the trade. This will cause him to drop the toy. For leave it, place a treat on the floor and cup your hand over it so that he can't get to it and say leave it. I find the easiest way to do this is wait until the dog looks away from the treat. When he looks away, don't let him have the treat off the floor because it will teach him that he just has to wait before he snatches it up. Instead, pick it up and feed it to him. If he runs away with something he's not supposed to have, DON'T EVER CHASE HIM. He will think this is a game and will keep doing this because it gets you to play. Instead, run away and make lots of silly noises if you can't get him to come to you. When he does get to you, trade him the item he has for a treat. Again, make sure to check the forums for other ways to do everything.

I hope all of this helps and good luck with your pup.