Polite Greetings (and CGC Prep) with 12 Week GSD Puppy (Patreon)

Hey Folks!

In this video, I show you the progression of practicing polite greetings with a GSD puppy and his handler. Notice we start at a distance where the puppy can be successful, and only close the gap, or increase the difficulty once the puppy has shown that he can be successful at each level.

We want to break down the challenging and complex behavior of being talked to and/or pet by a stranger into many small increments.

• walking past the puppy at a distance

• walking past the puppy closer up

• walking towards the handler

• walking towards the handler and speaking to the handler

• walking towards the handler and speaking to the puppy

• walking towards the puppy and bending down to the puppy

• walking towards the puppy and reaching towards the puppy

• walking towards the puppy and touching the puppy

All of this is great prep for a young service dog pup who will be stared at by strangers constantly, and is the start of working towards neutrality to humans that approach.

Notice that there is a platform off to the side of the screen. This was my plan B. If the puppy was struggling with polite greetings, you can use a platform to help the puppy learn to stay next to handler. The platform helps with concrete boundaries that make it easier for the dog to understand. It also offers a choice point, meaning instead of the dog just walking away from the handler and towards the person, they have to choose to step down and off the platform.

I point all of that out, because if you're struggling, temporary use of the platform can be helpful.

However, we progressed slowly enough that Axel didn't need it.

In subsequent sessions, the handler could practice with a helper that approaches more excitedly, pets for longer, or is wearing different costumes. She'll also want to generalize locations and the types of people that approach (men, children, people in puffy coats, people with beards, etc.)

Note that I do not generally allow complete strangers to pet my puppies in normal settings. It is hard to control for what strangers will do, and they often do things that can scare a young puppy. Also, as a service dog, it is not in your best interest to have a dog that thinks they might be pet by anyone who shows interest, or anyone who makes eye contact when walking by.

Instead, I set up intentional petting practices with known people, mostly with the goal of passing the CGC, CGCA, and CGCU, along with getting them prepared to be touched at the vet, dog show, or other venue.

Note that I do let friends and family members pet my puppy, but it's specifically strangers that I am more cautious of.

Hope that is helpful to see the progression in action!

And note that this is basically 2, 2-minute training sessions. Super short for a baby pup!