In this training video I cover playing with your dog and doing some training at the same time.  Who doesn’t like to do two things at once.  When you play with your dog, it is the perfect time to add in some training.  Take behaviors the dog already knows from clicker work, then add them in with some play.

An important thing to note, with most dogs you must teach them to play with you.  Dogs are not born knowing how to play with people.  One of the first things I do with a young pup is practice retrieving.  If you don’t build on retrieving skills young, it is often very hard to teach, without force, to an older dog.  You will end up with a dog who chases the toy and might pick it up, but will play keep a way instead of retrieving.  Very few poodles are born driven retrievers.  Flash and his kids are, but they are exceptions.  Your average Standard Poodle can retrieve, and does enjoy retrieving, but ONLY if you encourage them to do so as young pups.

I’ve played with Jazz many times with retrieving and tugging.  This video will show the next step after teaching the dog how you want them to play with you.  Now I am adding in terms to what we are doing and a small wait on her retrieves near the end of the video.

PLAY TRAINING: Retrieving, Tug, Take, and Drop.

~~Becky