Teaching Puppy to Tuck In Behind Handler in Narrow Spaces (Patreon)

Hey Folks!

In this video you'll see some raw training footage of working with a young SDiT at a hardware store. I came across a ladder obstacle which provided the perfect opportunity to teach the puppy how to tuck in behind me when approaching these narrow spaces. I actually pushed the obstacle out a bit so there was no question of whether we both could fit or not. We had to proceed single file. The more clear we can be when we first start this, the better. 

I recommend you read the training notes and then watch it through again to see the training. Note that this whole session took about 1.5 minutes total of training and then we moved on. These little obstacles are great opportunities to introduce a skill for a solid puppy. 

I definitely could have been more clear about my marking and reinforcing. Specifically, I should have been marking the moment he tucked behind. Aren't we all so lucky that our dogs pick up on things so quickly despite our own sloppiness sometimes! 

If the puppy was nervous at all about the tight space, the best course of action would be to teach this skill at home with familiar barriers. But since this puppy is pretty solid, and the opportunity presented itself, we were able to set  up the training session on the fly. 

Happy Training!