Training is fun in orange with MyLine by Anna Webb
Whether you’ve just introduced a puppy, an older rescue dog, or want to perfect a recall with your adult dog, MyLine makes training easy, consistent and fun.
With outdoor spaces busier than ever a reliable recall is the most important command to teach your puppy / adult dog. Apart from possibly saving your dog’s life one day, in an age of dog theft it’s unadvisable for your puppy / adult dog to ever leave your sight.
MyLine will help you navigate distractions and with practice and repetition, your dog will learn that a five-metre approximate distance from you is the rule.
You’re training your puppy to be focussed on you! You are the source of his fun and reinforcement. Your aim is to teach him to ignore other dogs, footballs, joggers, cyclists and picnickers.
MyLine is five metres and makes teaching boundaries indoors and outdoors a breeze. For me a 10 - metre line is too long and can become annoying for both dogs and owners.
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For puppies training begins the moment you bring him home. Puppies are like balls of clay that you can shape into stunning vases, but training must be done little and often and consistency is key.
When you turn your puppy’s world into a game based on rules and teamwork, you’ve hit the jackpot. Your aim is to build the foundations for your pup’s life that can be built upon, with the sky being your limit.
From the moment your pup arrives home it’s time to train basic skills like the recall from distractions and house rules. It’s also time to take him outdoors, carrying him at first to experience as many sights, sounds and smells as you can find.
Puppies need to learn all their basic training in the home and in the garden before they head to the park
after their second inoculations usually at 12 weeks.
Beginning indoors is important as distractions are less than in your garden. Once your puppy understands what you want transfer the training to the garden.
Toilet training is made easy with MyLine as every time your puppy wakes from his sleeps, approx. every two hours, attach MyLine and take him to your outside space. Guide him to where you’d like him to toilet, keep his focus, stand still and wait! Reinforce the ‘pee’ with praise, a tasty treat, and putting it on command with ‘go pee’.
Using MyLine indoors you begin training the recall from one end of your front room to the other. Guiding your puppy gently towards you if he decides to run in the opposite direction, or get distracted along the way. Gradually ask your puppy to recall to a different room, from indoors to your garden, and vice versa.
MyLine helps achieve consistency! Every time your puppy doesn’t come when he’s called, it means he’s learning not to ‘recall’, so making it right every time with MyLine promotes success.
Practice recall away from distractions from the get go, or from areas like a fireplace, home office desks, a flower bed in the garden with your prized bedding plants.
Cues like sit, down, stay can also be perfected with the MyLine attached on a collar indoors. You have control and your puppy can’t decide he’s bored and leave class when he wants!
Where boundaries are concerned MYLINE helps you pre-empt behaviours you don’t want and reward behaviours that you do want.
With visitors for example MyLine helps you guide your puppy correctly with visitors. Simply by standing on the long line you pre-empt the puppy rushing towards guests or to jump up.
MyLine encourages puppies to keep four feet on the floor and train a polite meet and greet.
Four feet on the floor behaviour should be extended outdoors, everywhere and with everyone your puppy meets: at the café, in the pub, in the park, on the pavement.
Polite dogs are balanced dogs and ones that people feel comfortable around and not intimidated, not least so your puppy doesn’t cover someone’s white trousers in muddy paw prints!
Perfect the ‘Fetch’ with My Line! Playing a game of fetch / retrieve is brilliant to engage your puppy, have fun, focus him and give him what he wants, but on your terms!
Similarly, with the game of tug or war. When this game is played correctly, it’s a very strong tool to build communication, trust and focus.
Both fetch and tug should feature daily as part of your proactive play sessions with your puppy. Punctuating his day constructively will tire him appropriately, work on his mouth control and positively build your relationship.
The principle of each of these games is about the GIVE command ie giving you back the ball / rope toy. For Fetch, throw the toy a short distance. Use the line to control your puppy as he runs to pick it up. Guide him back to you with the line. Hold your hand under his mouth saying GIVE once. Wait. Have a treat in the hand holding the line, so you can trade the toy for a treat. Be mindful to put the toy behind your back straight away to pre-empt any jumping or snatching behaviour.
With Tug of War engage your puppy with a rope toy. Incite his instincts to grab it. Pull gently and get your puppy playing with you. Pre-empt him pulling backwards by holding the long line in one hand. Before the game gets too ‘excited’, ask your puppy to GIVE, hold your hand under the rope toy (do not pull it out of his mouth!), wait. Trade a treat from the rope toy. Place the rope toy behind your back. Praise your puppy and repeat. Add length to the line, but hold onto it, so you’re able to ‘reel’ him in, hold the line, and repeat the Give sequence.
Trained dogs are happy dogs and make for happier owners!