A plan of attack

Sounds so serious. But I do have a plan for how I'm going to approach this training with Axl. Tomorrow I start laying the groundwork. First it's "stuff the puppy" - I love that name :) With this you give the dog a treat while saying their names - not before, but while they have the treat in their mouth. You say their name all kinds of ways happy, sad, loud, quietly, angry, etc. This way they associate their name, no matter how it's said, with treats. I have to do this until their looking when I call their name is a complete knee jerk reaction. It has to be something they don't think about and just do. This way if we are out and another dog comes along I can say Axl's name and he will just immediately look at me. I think the book said I have to do this like 5,000 times, so it will be a process.

Tomorrow also begins the clicker training. I read in the book about free-shaping. In this you click when ever the dog does something you like. For example if they lie down when someone else is barking I would click that and give a treat. This basically has them build behaviors that you want all by themselves. Once they know they will get a treat for doing it they will do it over and over.

Both of these things require doing these things in a variety of locations under a variety of conditions. So you start in the house and then move from room to room, then take it outside. I should also wear different things sunglasses, hats,maybe even pirate costumes - who knows.....

It all begins tomorrow.....