*Important *
Words to incorporate at home now
Use your words carefully....as they are the building blocks for training an obedient dog. Be careful of the words you use when training a dog. For instance, the following words not only mean a position as they mean a specific position in relationship to you.
PLEASE...find another name to call your dog when you are talking about your dog, but not talking to your dog. Since this program is structured around the dog's name/command, it is critical you do NOT overuse your dog's name when speaking about the dog. If you use your dog's name, in its presence, without a command, you teach the dog to ignore you. So, find another name to use when you are speaking about the dog in its presence, i.e. black dog, or old dog or GSD or yellow dog, etc. Have everyone in the family learn to use the dog's informal name.
Words like - Come, Fetch, Heel, Sit, Stay, Down, Stand, Place are reserved for teaching a dog correctly where it needs to be and what positions it needs to take when it gets there. So, for now, be careful of the words you use. Don't rush ahead of the training we are giving you by doing 'extra training'.
Each week, each command, and each exercise are building blocks of a piece-by-piece, layer-upon-layer methodology that works well for any dog - when it is followed exactly as it is instructed. For now, here's a few word substitutions that will make things easier for your dog to understand. The hard part is teaching you and your family to use the right words. Here's a couple of word substitution suggestions.
1. Formal Command - "Come" as taught in the Week 5 as part of a formal Recall." Instead use - “Let’s go” as an informal way to move dog from place to place
2. Formal Command - "Fetch" as taught in Week 1 of the Open Class. Instead use informal command of "Get it"
3. Formal Command - "Heel" means Heel and you must ALWAYS step off on your LEFT foot and your dog is ALWAYS to be on your LEFT side. For now, until Week 2, say "Let's go."
4. Formal Command - "Down" means your dog lays down - it does NOT mean get 'down' from a couch or exiting a car or cease jumping on you. Instead use "Off".
Other words you will need to use consistently include a word meaning:
A) "YOU JUST CROSSED A LINE THAT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE#!@XX#!" and it isn't just the word used, but the association of your tone that conveys to your dog 'this is a HUGE VIOLATION OF OUR RULES'. For instance, one student here uses "Yuck" to her dog while I use "Phooey" to all my dogs. Have you picked your word yet and are all your family members using it?
Another word you will need is for your dog going to the bathroom on command:
B) A potty word…use the same word for it to empty itself. Some people use “Go Potty”, some use “Go Pee”, some use “Empty”..it doesn’t matter which word you use., just that you choose one word for this exercise and everyone who handles your dog is consistent with the word. ALSO, dogs like routine and pee/poop time is a great time to establish a particular spot at home to take your dog every day – at the same time each day. This will make potty training easier.
C) A release word such as "Free" or "OK" to tell your dog that the exercise you are working on is over. Many people, including me, use "OK". Whatever release word you use, everyone in the family household needs to use the same word.
Have fun... Roxanne
PS: Also, take pictures, videos and upload on this blog.
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