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Puppy Fun and Focus - Week 4

The DROP cue is part of the Resource Guarding Prevention. If your puppy is happy to give up what they have in their mouth you don't need to scare them and everyone is always safe. Pay them good for doing so. Just like everything in Level 1 class, it is a must basic to have.

Enjoy the videos and explanations of week 4.

A quiet body means there is no unnecessary extraneous movement by the trainer. This allows the dog to most readily catch the movements that do matter: prompts, cues and reinforcer delivery. So, start off very calmly.

No-Reward-Marker

"OOPSIE" - The opposite of our "YES"!

We use it to let our dogs know 'that's not what I was after'. It's not about getting angry, the NRM is not a 'startler' or 'distracter' and certainly not supposed to frighten the dog, therefore the choice of the word 'Oopsie' said in a non-punitive tone of voice (hard to say that word in an angry way :)). In order to prevent frustration, we also need to make sure not to overuse the NRM; in the ideal world we set training up for our dogs to succeed, but mistakes do happen sometimes. So, the NRM lets the dog know that the reinforcer is being withdrawn, a good thing is going away.

Timing is just as important with your NRM as it is with your YES-Marker. It says, “What you did in the exact instant you heard the ‘Oopsie!’ is what caused you not to get a reward”. Let's take the 'STAY' as an example. When you have asked your dog to stay and they get up, you want to say "Oopsie" in the split second they are getting up and then you redirect them, bring them back on the same spot in the same position, but this time set them up for success by making it easier on them. The NRM is not to be used repeatedly as a threat or warning.

We will have a look at your ‘Downs’ next week.