Puppy Challenges

Advanced Puppy

Attention & Engagement

5 Behaviours For 1 Reward

  • Showcase your puppy doing a behaviour chain with 5 behaviours before you mark and reward

  • Try to pick “easy” behaviours your puppy knows well and has on cue (doesn’t need a lure)

  • Try to keep this fun and smooth. If your puppy is disengaging you might be asking for too much too soon.

Impulse Control

Surprise Leave -Its

  • Set up a surprise leave-it for your dog where you drop a low-level food item without setting your dog up beforehand so they are “surprised”

  • This can be and assumed leave-it or you can use a leave-it cue

  • You only have to show this once

Station Training

Proofing “Go To Mat” - 10 steps away, walk around dog

  • Showcase your dog staying on the mat while you move 10 steps away from them

  • Showcase your dog staying on the mat while you move around them in a circle

  • You can move 10 steps away in any direction, turning and walking with your back to the dog or you can back away from them and remain facing them. Steps should be even and of a natural walking size. You should return to your dog to reward them on the mat

Sit, Down & Stand

Proofing Sits & Downs - 10 Steps Away OR Walk Around Dog

  • Showcase your puppy sitting or laying down while you move 10 steps away from them

OR

  • Showcase your puppy sitting or laying down while you walk around them

  • You can move 10 steps away in any direction, turning and walking with your back to the dog or you can back away from them and remain facing them. Steps should be even and of a natural walking size. You should return to your dog to reward them in position

Recall

Recall Past Food Dish

  • Showcase your puppy recalling past an empty food dish that is directly in their path to return to you

  • Your puppy should run over/around the bowl without checking in it

  • Your puppy should look like they are excited and having fun recalling to you

Focused Walking

Ring Around The Bowl

  • Showcase your puppy walking while focused on you around a bowl on the ground with a treat in it

  • You can move backwards away from your puppy or have them moving beside you or a mix of both

  • Your puppy should look happy and connected to you, and you should be moving together. Your leash can be dragging on the ground or loosely held in your hand.

Bonus Skill

Cookies On The Counter - 1 Behaviour

  • Showcase your puppy performing 1 behaviour while you have no treats on your person (no treat pouch and no treats in your hands or pockets)

  • Mark & Reward once your puppy successfully completes the behaviour and collect a food reward from a counter or table nearby to give to them