Raising a Performance Puppy - Pan deMonium at 9 weeks

This post is a continuation of "Raising a Performance Puppy". If you missed part one, check it out HERE.

Pan, the Border Terrier that I am raising for a family member, is now 9-weeks-old! Each day, I continue to build on the four subjects I find most important for my performance puppies:

1. Luring- teach the puppy to follow the food in my hand as I lure him into a variety of behaviors. 
2. Indirect Path to Reward- I want my puppy to learn that sometimes he must move away from the treat to earn a treat. 
3. Introducing and motivating a love for retrieving.
4. Learning to "Come" when called. 

Here you can see he's getting better at luring and I've started to introduce duration on the down. I also show you how I shape the mechanics of the retrieve with food. Pan is retrieving so well, that I'm able to do a "double retrieve!"

This next session continues to build on previously taught behaviors and introduce some new ones, like circling a cone. Most importantly, I've introduced a Reward Marker, and he's learning that he has the ability to make reward happen.

In this session, things are starting to get fun! We take our recall training on the road, combine several of his skills to play a "casting" game and his retrieve continues to improve. 

And remember, socialization takes place every time you take your new dog somewhere or introduce him to a new experience. Never miss an opportunity to expose your puppy to different sights, sounds, and surfaces. This week, Pan explored several new outdoor areas, introduced himself to a caterpillar, and enjoyed a neighborhood walk with the big dogs. A passerby found it fascinating that I had four dogs on leash and a puppy in a back-pack. I explained that at 5 1/2 pounds, he just couldn't walk as long as the rest of us. Much better to pack him up than leave him at  home!

NEW!! We have launched a YouTube channel as a way to give you access to more of my training videos. View my channel HERE and be sure to subscribe so you never miss a new video.