Mindful Puppy School

Pre-Class Self-Study Video Lessons Homework

FOCUS: "New Puppy Priorities"

Before the start of your in-person classes, you will receive information on how to access your extensive video library. These video lessons are an important part of your Mindful Puppy School program.
You are expected to use these videos to practise puppy training at home, in order to complete this course and earn your Graduate perks.

During your puppy's first weeks at home, keep their world small. Giving puppy too much freedom too soon is the number 1 mistake new puppy parents make.

Use confinement appropriately to prevent your puppy from making mistakes around the house.

Focus your efforts on teaching your house-rules and helping your puppy build confidence and make sense of the world. And, of course, continue developing a healthy, happy relationship with your puppy.
Your homework will focus on time-sensitive puppy priorities and relationship building:

• How puppies learn
• How to teach your puppy what to do (introduction to marker training)
• How to practise sensible puppy socialisation
• How to manage your puppy's environment and options to prevent mistakes
• How to develop your puppy's confidence and emotional self-regulation
• How to develop your puppy's independence and prepare for separation
• How to fast-track toilet training success
• How to deal with normal puppy nipping and biting

FOCUS: "Come When Called"

We're diving straight into training this week: teaching the all-important "Come" when called. Creating more value for you and developing that magical, invisible force-field of proximity. We'll also be introducing more basic dog training concepts and handling practice, to enable you to progress your puppy's training at home.

• "I feel confident. I can choose calmness and self-settle"
• "Whenever you call, I'll come running."
• "I love to come close and sit in front of you."
• "I love it when you grab my collar!"
• "I love to play Hide & Seek with you."
• Toy Switch Tug Game (No Rules)
• Q&A

FOCUS: "Loose Leash Walking"

Enjoying time outdoors with your puppy dog is the best! By now most of our puppies will have received their 2nd vaccination. Now your puppy absolutely needs to get out and about, if you want your puppy to benefit from early puppy socialisation, in order to prevent problem behaviours from developing in the future. That's why we'll be introducing "Loose Leash Walking" and "Stay" today. And,… just for fun, we'll throw in "The Big Challenge": Can you call your puppy away from food?

• "I will come away from food - a primary resource - whenever you call me."
• "Show me what to do, and I will follow you."
• "Paying attention to you, is the best!"
• Loose leash walking and leash handling best practice.
• Loose Leash Walking, Stop = Sit
• Q&A

FOCUS: "Dealing With Distractions"

• Can you "Stay"?
• Can you "Leave it"?
• Loose Leash Walking, Walk passed other puppies
• Loose Leash Walking, Direction Changes
• Can you "Come" away from play?
• Toy Switch Tug Game (Can you "Give" and "Get it"?)
• Q&A

FOCUS: "Real Life Skills" & "Graduation"

Let's celebrate and practice everything our puppy has learnt so far:

• "I can disengage from distractions." - Show your puppy that you don't think it's important enough to warrant a response (social referencing).
• "I can see a person and another dog without over-reacting." - Develop quiet confidence. A hyper puppy is not a happy puppy.
• "I can leave that alone." - Introduce a "leave" cue, to help puppy make better choices.
• "I can make good choices… and it's worth my while, because you notice." - Mark and reinforce every good choice your puppy makes, in order to develop and maintain these good habits.
• "I can deal with frustration and challenging situations." - Develop a love for "delayed gratification" and a default choice to calmly, self-settle.
• Q&A
• Graduation
• What's next?