Raising a Performance Puppy - 14-16 weeks

foundation puppy Nov 01, 2021
Training a competition puppy foundation obedience

I consider all of the exercises in the sport of obedience to be included in five skill sets. That is,
1. Heeling skills,
2. Recall skills,
3. Stationary skills,
4. Jumping skills, and
5. Retrieving skills.

Using concepts like luring, indirect path to reward, and Reward Markers, Pan is now demonstrating that he has already been introduced to skills in each of those five skill sets, and he is only 16-weeks of age!  

In the first video, I begin to shape the behavior of heeling , as well as practice his retrieving and jumping skills. Additionally, I start to teach him to sit and stay, as not being able to do a Sit Stay will soon be keeping him from progressing on his jumping exercises. 

Learning to come is the most important skill for your puppy to learn. 
At 16-weeks, I am practicing "Come" on a long line, using other dogs as a distraction.

In this final video, Pan is practicing his Scent Work. He is learning how to maintain a stable alert. Additionally, he is not only ignoring distractions inside the incorrect containers, he is also ignoring distractions in his environment.


I have spent the last 9-weeks raising Pan for a family member. Although it is quite sad for me to say goodbye, it brings me great joy to see the wonder and excitement that is waiting for him in his permanent home.

I hope you have enjoyed these videos as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. I also hope they have inspired you to try some of these skills with your own puppy. You will never regret the time you spend with your puppy in these early stages of development. You can set the stage for a lifetime of learning.

For more information about raising and training your new performance puppy, check out the Performance Puppy Primer. The primer will guide you through 8-weeks to 6-months. Get started laying a foundation that will last a lifetime! 

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