This is a video showing the first steps to teaching leash walking in heel position. The puppies are 9.5 weeks old. I am about a week behind where I normally wish to be at this age but we have been very busy with work thankfully so catching up as I can. This is a Puppy Culture technique from the workbook Chapters 8-9-10. Thank you to Jodie B. for the idea of using the long cream cheese spoon trick instead of treats. It works much more easily for me too. All the puppies did so well.
Sure, there’s a lot to criticize here – handler error – but instead focus on what’s being done correctly and effectively and see how each puppy is focusing a little more with each distraction. We didn’t video the first session without a collar and using an adult dog in heel position and having the puppy follow along. This 2nd session used a collar first, then the leash but notice I haven’t yet picked it up. That comes tomorrow. Keeping each training session very short – watching each puppy to see how his attention span is to determine the length. Always using positive only in my voice inflection and tone, plus loads of praise and the clicker . . . . . and of course yummy cream cheese which is something they only get for the more difficult of training sessions.
My Movie 1 from L Caswell on Vimeo.