Goal

Positively teach the puppy to hold a position for a designated length of time.

• Distance: Handler’s position relative to the puppy. (Near, Far)
• Duration: How long the puppy must hold his position without a reward. (2 - 10 seconds)
• Distraction: Outside influences that capture the puppy’s attention. (Handler movement, dogs, people, food)

Procedure

1. One element should be worked on at a time. If focusing on duration, do not change distance or distraction.
2. Handler movement is considered a distraction, as are real life distractions. Always start with handler movement as the first distraction, then work toward real life distractions at a distance where the puppy will be successful.
3. Once the puppy has been successful with positive reinforcement with distraction, the distance between the puppy and distraction can be decreased. Set the puppy up for success!
4. Slowly increase the distance by one half step at a time. When adding distance, the duration that the puppy is expected to hold must be decreased. If the puppy moves to you, the distance is too great. Take a step back to where the puppy was successful. Building a solid foundation at a slow pace will result in a reliable happy puppy. Your puppy’s success is always the goal and focus.