What is the first thing you taught your puppy?
- Thread starter HayleyMarie
- Start date
Depends on the dog. If it's a large breed that is going to grow quickly, control(boundaries, no jumping up, patience, etc) and leash manners. A more independent breed, leash manners and recall. Rescues or orphans, socialization. A good STAY comes immediately after for everyone.
Everything else, like sit, laydown, etc can be done after.
Just depends on the dog for me.
Everything else, like sit, laydown, etc can be done after.
Just depends on the dog for me.
I can't remember. Mostly we just played the first few days. We playe lots of tug and chase. I like to really reward focus on me and also to get to know the pup. I also remember sometime in the first week or two snapping a leash on Mia and her screaming bloody murder the first few times. Then there was suddenly a moment she realized the leash wasn't going to eat her.
I can't remember teaching her sit or down or stay at all. Obviously I did at some point lol.
I can't remember teaching her sit or down or stay at all. Obviously I did at some point lol.
You stole my thread idea, haha.
Wesley learned to sit first, he was such a brilliant chubby ball of puppy. He could sit on cue from 10-15 feet away at the tender age of 7 weeks *sniffle* so cute. Ohwait, technically the first thing he learned was shake, not taught at home though. The breeder's son taught it to him at 5-6 weeks, because he was the only puppy who would focus long enough and picked it up.
Right now, I'm planning on a lot of attention, impulse control, house training, getting along with animals in the house, learning to relax, playing with me, just experiencing life. Learning that I am fun and awesome (and modest...?), the world is fun, shaping and training is awesome, and being a puppy. Funny enough, I'm not really worried about the cued stuff.
Wesley learned to sit first, he was such a brilliant chubby ball of puppy. He could sit on cue from 10-15 feet away at the tender age of 7 weeks *sniffle* so cute. Ohwait, technically the first thing he learned was shake, not taught at home though. The breeder's son taught it to him at 5-6 weeks, because he was the only puppy who would focus long enough and picked it up.
Right now, I'm planning on a lot of attention, impulse control, house training, getting along with animals in the house, learning to relax, playing with me, just experiencing life. Learning that I am fun and awesome (and modest...?), the world is fun, shaping and training is awesome, and being a puppy. Funny enough, I'm not really worried about the cued stuff.
It's very individual for me. Pig was super into working with me right away and was/is able to go for longer without checking out. So with her, I kind of did so much right away. Sits, downs, stays, recalls, targeting, drive/impulse balancing and focusing on handler=fun.
Badger gets bored with things so much quicker. He doesn't have nearly the amount of natural coordination as Pig, which is totally understandable but does have to be taken into consideration while I'm training. He's obviously going to be a big dog, so we do work on impulse control and manners, but I really try to balance that with building drive.
I train broad ideas with him right now. So we work on learning that driving into me with purpose is fantastic, but I've made zero attempts to put it on cue. And I usually don't set up formal sessions like I do with Pig. I just try to break things down into different games we can play throughout the day. Also, with him handling is a big priority and gets worked on constantly. Just handling his entire body, dremeling, rubbing him with a towel, wiping his jowls, restraining etc.
Badger gets bored with things so much quicker. He doesn't have nearly the amount of natural coordination as Pig, which is totally understandable but does have to be taken into consideration while I'm training. He's obviously going to be a big dog, so we do work on impulse control and manners, but I really try to balance that with building drive.
I train broad ideas with him right now. So we work on learning that driving into me with purpose is fantastic, but I've made zero attempts to put it on cue. And I usually don't set up formal sessions like I do with Pig. I just try to break things down into different games we can play throughout the day. Also, with him handling is a big priority and gets worked on constantly. Just handling his entire body, dremeling, rubbing him with a towel, wiping his jowls, restraining etc.
There's never really been a "first" for any of the house manners, liking the crate, handling, and socialization, and such with my foster puppies. All of that is done as I go about my day with them. As for actual commands, I think that "sit" has been one of the firsts. A few of the other "first" commands: whistling as they are already coming to me with lots of treats afterward so that they begin to learn "come", teaching a basic "leave it" with treats in the hand, and teaching a basic "go kennel" by tossing treats in there. "lie down" and "drop it" have also been early on in the training.
Once they learn how to sit, they quickly start learning that sitting is the way to get most everything in life - which translates pretty easily over to basic house manners. Jumping is ignored, sitting is rewarded, coming is rewarded. Life in and of itself is socialization, so as long as I try to get the puppy out and about to different places where it can see different things and people, I don't stress too much about specifics. With my last foster pup, I'd toss treats into the crate whenever we came inside so that he would associate it with good and yummy things. Body handling also was just a regular thing. While holding and petting, I'd rub all over, including the ears, tail, and paws, making sure to play with the nails.
In short - most everything that the puppy learns early on is just a product of everyday life and making sure to incorporate the puppy into it. If I had to pick a specific command, "sit" would be the first. With that as a default behavior, it's pretty easy to start working on impulse control and manners.
Once they learn how to sit, they quickly start learning that sitting is the way to get most everything in life - which translates pretty easily over to basic house manners. Jumping is ignored, sitting is rewarded, coming is rewarded. Life in and of itself is socialization, so as long as I try to get the puppy out and about to different places where it can see different things and people, I don't stress too much about specifics. With my last foster pup, I'd toss treats into the crate whenever we came inside so that he would associate it with good and yummy things. Body handling also was just a regular thing. While holding and petting, I'd rub all over, including the ears, tail, and paws, making sure to play with the nails.
In short - most everything that the puppy learns early on is just a product of everyday life and making sure to incorporate the puppy into it. If I had to pick a specific command, "sit" would be the first. With that as a default behavior, it's pretty easy to start working on impulse control and manners.
Does teaching my puppy not to poop or pee in the house count? That's my number one objective with a new pup. Or, to pee and poop outside, if you prefer to look at it that way. I am so glad my husband hasn't thought yet to record me doing the happy idiot dance that I do when puppies pee or poop outside-you know the one that makes them dance around like 'Oh! I dunno what I did just yet but wow we are having fun!'...and I usually treat for pottying outside in the beginning too.
My second objective is usually sit, followed by other commands-and using them along with NILIF.
Poop and pee come first though, always poop and pee.
My second objective is usually sit, followed by other commands-and using them along with NILIF.
Poop and pee come first though, always poop and pee.
First? His name.
Beyond that, I really remember working on recall. I dunno, for this breed, that's such an easy task because they naturally want to know what your doing. So recall training was fun and easy.
I really think so many things are taught at this age simultaneously that there really isn't a 'first' so to speak.
I mean first, have fun. At this age, just have fun with your puppy and let that lifelong relationship take shape while still showing them 'rules' (don't nibble me, crying all night won't get you out, trying to get on a potty schedule, etc).
Beyond that, I really remember working on recall. I dunno, for this breed, that's such an easy task because they naturally want to know what your doing. So recall training was fun and easy.
I really think so many things are taught at this age simultaneously that there really isn't a 'first' so to speak.
I mean first, have fun. At this age, just have fun with your puppy and let that lifelong relationship take shape while still showing them 'rules' (don't nibble me, crying all night won't get you out, trying to get on a potty schedule, etc).
I suppose recall started out right away because well.... no fence and I have pictures of her off leash that first day. Maybe that wasn't a good idea but the paps have always stayed close naturally. We really did just have fun though. I don't like to stress about puppy learning really. Just start up a good relationship foundation.
Sit is the first behavior I teach, just because it's easy and quick to teach, so it lets the pup learn that their behavior can earn them rewards. And here's Pirate's first training session, at 7 weeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnqUxatWqcs
He was "Turtle" at the time, because that was his litter name. I hadn't made my selection yet at this point, so the pups just had temporary names.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnqUxatWqcs
He was "Turtle" at the time, because that was his litter name. I hadn't made my selection yet at this point, so the pups just had temporary names.