Dear Critter Corner: We have a young pup who we are taking to classes, but we are still struggling with a few items. Our pup is sweet, but lacks impulse control around anything that he wants. Do you have any tips on exercises to work on?
Most of our young pups lack any substantial impulse control; they tend to be of the mindset, ‘I see it, I want it.’ There are a few easy ways to get your pup started on pausing a little before moving forward after their desired target.
Teach them to stay for short periods and build on it. Start with a quiet area and ask for a sit or down and count to 5, mark the behavior, and then give them a treat along with a cue that lets them know they can get up. After they are good 5 times in a row here, start to add to it. While there are many ways to add to the exercise, we want to think of the ‘3 D’s: Duration, Distance, and Distraction’ when doing so. You might start with a longer duration or start to add a little distance or look at working in a new environment.
Another great exercise for impulse control is to teach a wait cue. This is teaching your pup to respect a threshold. Unlike the ‘stay,’ they can move, but they can’t cross a threshold or move forward. This is great for doorways and the car. Approach your threshold, and cue wait. Try to take a step or two away from your pup and wait a few seconds, and then cue them to come through. Add your 3 D’s as your pup masters this exercise, too.
Another exercise you can work on is a “leave it” cue. Here you will ask your dog not to go after a certain item, such as a treat, to start. Once they have left it or stopped trying to go after it, you can mark that behavior and then treat them with a different treat. I prefer not to let them have the one I asked them to leave. Look at ways to make this more difficult by having your pup walk past it on the ground from a distance to start, and then make that more difficult.
If you are still struggling with your pup’s impulse control, please reach out to our training department to schedule a 1:1 training session or join one of our classes to get the help you need.