Basic Obedience - Impulse Control

How is it possible that we are more than half way through the first month of 2019? It seems like it was only yesterday that we were snuggling up with cute little chocolate fur-balls of ultimate sweetness! Oh how we miss those puppies, but we couldn’t be happier that they have found such wonderful families who love them as much as we do!

This year is set to be an exciting year for us here at Ashling Place Labradors. We are making final plans for not only Riley’s next litter, but Hadley’s first litter, so stay tuned to learn more about future puppies. In addition to blessing us with beautiful, healthy puppies, our Labs are always busy training and competing. Hadley is currently finishing up her therapy dog training and has high hopes of using her Therapy Dog International certification to help others during times of difficulties and challenges. Hadley also aspires to earn her first Rally/Obedience title this year and has been working hard to master all the commands. Riley has already earned one title so far and is excited to get back into the Obedience ring and work towards earning her next title. 

All of this talk about training leads me right into the main topic of this article: Basic Training. As I mentioned in our last article, we will be tackling the subject of obedience with an overview of the core basic commands that you and your pup should be working on together. Mastering these commands will help in a number of areas both in and outside your home. 

Today I want to focus on impulse control. Helping your puppy learn how to make correct decisions is the foundation to their success in learning all other commands. There are a number of ways to work with your pup on impulse control, including having them wait at the door before rushing through and waiting to eat their food until you give a command. Here is a step-by-step description on how to work with your dog on “impusle control”:

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Riley & Hadley practicing impulse control with their favorite treat...blueberries!

Tools Needed:
Yummy Treats

Directions:

1. Take a handful of treats, and with your hand closed over the treats, hold it at your puppy’s eye level. Be sure to have a treat in your other hand, out of your puppy’s sight. Allow your puppy to sniff and paw at your hand. 
2. The moment your puppy stops sniffing/pawing at your hand (even if just for a second) - give him the treat from your opposite hand. Never treat from the hand holding the treats.
3. Repeat several times.
4. Once your puppy is consistently ignoring the closed handful of treats, open your hand in front of him. If your puppy sniffs or paws at your hand, close it and ignore the behavior. Do not say anything. When he stops sniffing/pawing, give him a treat from the opposite hand. Try to open your hand again, repeating the above steps until your puppy is able to ignore the treats in your open palm. As soon as he ignores the open hand of treats, give him a treat from your opposite hand. When your puppy can do this consistently, you are ready to move onto the next step.
5. Now that your puppy has been able to demonstrate some level of impulse control, you are ready to move forward. Sit on the ground next to your puppy and place several treats on the floor in front of him, keeping them covered with your hand. Again, your puppy may sniff at your hand that is covering the treats. If your puppy ignores the treats under your hand, then give him a treat with the opposite hand.
6. Once your puppy can ignore the treats under your hand, try uncovering them. If your puppy tries to get the treats, cover them again and treat him only when he ignores the treats on the ground. Continue this until your puppy can successfully ignore the treats on the floor without your hand covering them. You can advance this practice by dropping the treats on the floor (while still sitting there) and covering only if your puppy sniffs at them. Only treat when your puppy ignores the treats on the ground.
7. Once your pup has mastered the above step, it is time to stand up and practice. This will really show you whether or not your pup is able to make the correct decisions. Now, keeping your dog in place, put the treats on the ground. If your puppy sniffs or tries to get the treats, cover them with your foot. If he ignores the treats, be sure to reward him with a treat from your hand. DO NOT allow him to get the treats from the floor! Once he has consistently ignored the treats on the floor, you can try dropping treats on the floor, only covering if he sniffs or tries to get to them. If your pup is able to master this, he has made the connection that if he ignores the treats on the ground, he will get a treat from you!

Working on impulse control, not only helps your dog learn how to make good decisions, but also is an excellent step towards creating trust between you and your dog. Once he has mastered the above steps, check out this article from AKC “Teaching Your Pup Self Control” and learn more about other ways to help your dog perfect the art of impulse control.

As always, Stay Calm and Hug your Labrador!

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