generalizing the settle behavior
In this video, KPA CTP Lauren Kelley and her dog Gracie demonstrate how to teach your dog to generalize calm behavior to public spaces. First, Lauren ensured that Gracie had a strong understanding of the “settle” and “okay” at home. Once Lauren was confident that Gracie could offer these behaviors at home fluently, they were ready for a trip to their local pet store. To prepare Gracie for the pet store, Lauren and Gracie practice calm behavior in the car and, when ready, the parking lot. She breaks down the criteria for calm behavior into small pieces, rewarding Gracie for settle, release from settle, offering attention with and without distractions, and loose-leash walking. Lauren and Gracie weren’t quite ready to go into the pet store in this video, but with continued practice they will be venturing out with joy and confidence!
For more ideas about how to get started training your dog, check out our blogs and the Dog Trainer Foundations course! The Immersion version of the Dog Trainer Foundations course offers an even more personalized, structured learning experience plus five hours of coaching to help get you to the next step!
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