TRAINING SCHEDULE:

• 8 - 10 weeks Continue with HOUSEBREAKING

Socialize the pup with as many people as possible. Try to keep contacts quiet and calm. If possible, avoid exposure to very young excitable and loud children at this point.
Try to avoid exposure to strange dogs or wild animals because the pup has not been immunized against certain diseases that it can catch from other dogs and wild animals.

Start on these commands: COME, SIT, PLATZ, KENNEL, and WALKING ON A LEASH. (See "Training Tips" below.)

Check with your vet for vaccine schedule they recommend for your area. Most pups are due for second round of shots at 8 weeks.

• 10 weeks Continue with HOUSEBREAKING

Continue socializing.
Continue working on COME, SIT, PLATZ, KENNEL, and WALKING ON A LEASH.

PUPS WILL POINT NATURALLY. But they are like children in that some point earlier and some point later. These pictures will show pups pointing wings, chickens, robins, butterflies, etc, at 6-12 weeks old. If you really need to see this, your pup can be exposed to a wing on a pole. Please do not expose pups to pen raised birds at this point!

Check with vet for next round of shots.

• 10 - 14 weeks Continue with HOUSEBREAKING

Continue socializing.
Continue working on COME, SIT, PLATZ, KENNEL, and WALKING ON A LEASH.
Start with TRACKING command.
Start taking pup on walks in areas that are safe, but contain wildlife.
Introduce pup to water.

Check with vet for next round of shots. Ask if pup has had sufficient inoculations that it can be exposed to strange dogs. If so, start introducing it to dogs outside of your household.

(MORE LATER!)

TRAINING TIPS:

1. SIT. This is easy to teach. Hold a small treat in your hand and let the pup smell it but don't give it to him. Keeping the treat close to their nose, slowly lift it straight up over their head - softly say SIT - until they sit. Immediately give the treat and praise. The object is to make pup lift and move it's head so it naturally needs to sit. They learn this VERY quickly, and remember it better than the technique of pushing their butts on the ground. Give a release command to get up , for example - "LET'S GO" - or "OK" - or GOOD BOY. Be consistent with the release command throughout training.

2. PLATZ: Once they know sit (only takes a couple days), then teach PLATZ. Select a dog pad or flat rug with a non-skid bottom. Take pup to the rug when teaching this command. Ask pup to sit, but don't give them the treat. Instead hold it close to the nose again and slowly take your hand to the ground - softly saying PLATZ. They will follow the treat with their head and naturally lower their body. You will need to help them all the way down by gently pushing the shoulders until the elbows are on the ground. Give pup the treat and praise them - BUT MAKE SURE YOU GIVE A RELEASE COMMAND. PLATZ is a good command because as pup gets older you should teach them to stay in that position on the bed or rug for longer and longer periods of time. Then you can take the bed/rug to any area of the house, even to a motel room, and when you put it down and tell PLATZ, pup will go to the run and lie down. It's a great command. And will help you later on in other training.

3. COME: You all witnessed the pups come to me at 7-1/2 weeks old when called. Keep conditioning them to COME. Every time they comes you should give a treat reward. This command is one that needs a lot of conditioning. As pups get older they become harder and harder to catch, so work on this a lot. Lots of praise and lots of treats.

4. WALKING ON LEAD: They should just be conditioned to walk with a restraint now. Don't worry about HEEL yet. Just get them comfortable with the lead and walking with you.