Puppy Foundations Week 1: Exercises & Resources

Note as of Dec/Jan 2025: Videos in this section are from wonderful Lisa Sturm of Kiwi Canine, former colleague, resource creator and founder of Sit Happens NZ.

I highly encourage the use of the word 'cue' over 'command' - while seemingly a small thing, this will make a big difference to how you approach training your puppy.

Recall & Engagement: 'Reflex to Name'

We need a huge amount of repetitions for our pups to start responding to their name (or another sound, such as 'pup pup') in order to create a reliable cue that gets our pups attention. Repeat this as frequently as possible.

What to do? Have a bunch of treats on you and randomly throughout the day (whatever the pup is doing, standing, laying, sniffing, sleeping, sitting) say their name in a recognizably fun way and within 2 seconds after deliver a treat to their mouth.

Say your reflex word (their name, or another consistent word/phrase).
Give them a treat where they are.
When they're reliably turning towards you when they hear the sound, begin taking a step backwards and reward them towards you.
Continue increasing distance from your puppy.
We do this up to 5 times in a row. Like our other skills, we start really easy, gradually build distance, and then introduce distractions.

Yes! Using a Marker

Using a marker is the most effective way of capturing the exact behaviour you want to reward. Not only does is fast track training, it improves our communication with our puppies, reducing frustration.

You may have heard of 'clicker training', where the marker is a small device that makes sound when pressed. We can also use a word our other sound as a marker. I simply use 'yes'.

To use a marker, think of it like taking a photo to create an album of behaviours you like.

You're paying your model after each picture. This is a must - we don't use a marker unless something desirable to our puppy is provided afterwards. You can simply praise and encourage them instead.

Over time, some of the behaviours you've been rewarding will naturally become their every-day behaviour. Things you request of your puppy will be responded to more consistently, and we're working our way towards a dog who can navigate life safely and happily.

Note: A 'marker' works by being the 'bridge' between our puppies doing the behaviour we like and getting reward for it. We can absolutely reward puppies without using a marker at other times to reinforce good choices.

Default Eye Contact & Lead Walking Position

Practice your yes marker by rewarding your puppy for checking in with you.

Check-ins are important for staying connected to our dogs, regardless of whether or not they're on a lead.

Here is Otis demonstrating the exercise, using a station/platform to help him stay in position. This is completely optional, and more helpful for puppies who would benefit from more structure to understand the exercise.

Teaching Positions: Luring Technique

In most cases, luring is the easiest way to start teaching our puppies to move their bodies in different ways.

This includes

stationary positions, e.g., sitting, laying down, and standing upright.
movements, e.g., going around or over an obstacle, rolling, and weaving between our legs or other objects.

Release Cue: 'Okay!'

We want to clarify with our dogs when we're not expecting them to stay in a certain position or place. We do this when we've asked for a stationary position, as well as at thresholds such as doors, gates, and curbs for safety reasons.

To teach the release cue, follow the below steps -

1: Verbal Cue: 'Okay'
2: Gesture: One hand sweeping away to the side
- Lure: start with treat in hand, tossing the treat to the side during the gesture

Note: While we don't verbally name other cues until our puppies have the hang of the movements, this isn't required when teaching a release cue.