I just completed this puppy series. I've been rewatching videos and practicing everyday with my dog. Everything I've implemented has been so amazing and rewarding with my 3.5 month old pup!
I really appreciate these tapes that show techniques and training in a real time format. Maverick is a high-powered WL GSD, the type of dog that, during training, can say "Got it! What's next?" In his case he thinks he is "getting it" but his enthusiasm leads a bit to anticipation of reward. You demonstrate a great step-by-step process of "sticking with the program", using consistency and repetition without letting frustration show that produces results in a very short period of time letting Maverick know, learn and understand exactly what is expected of him. When Rusty and I are struggling on getting those final details ironed out, I can start overthinking things during the training process, which can actually interfere with clear communication with him. It is better to persevere and realize it may not be perfect that session. Leave on as good a note as you can, call it a day and come back to it the next. We don't all have those "high powered" dogs....and that is ok, too. 😉
Thanks for the feedback, Sylvia. As you alluded to in your comment, it helps not to put timelines on the training and rush to the end, but rather to enjoy the journey with our dogs. This approach ultimately delivers better results and motivation from our dogs. :)
I really appreciate all the work you’ve put into these videos. I do want to push back against the idea that shelters and rescues only exist because of bad breeders. The majority of dogs that end up in shelters are owner surrenders (this happens for lots of reasons, but often comes down to the fact that the owner just wasn’t prepared for the commitment that getting a dog is), accidental litters from people who don’t spay/neuter their dogs, and strays. I foster for a local rescue and can say definitively that there are tons of fantastic dogs available for adoption. You’re entitled to your opinion, but please don’t use your platform to give people the idea that only damaged dogs with bad genetics come from shelters.
@@NateSchoemer Have you ever done any "scent work" training videos? I have an imported European doberman with an incredible nose, that i would like to start on scent work.
Just wanted to say, I love your videos, you do a great job and some of the videos I watch a million times and every time they're super valuable and interesting for me. I love it! Thanks! Also, my 3-month old puppy loves playing according to your advices and we both have a lot of fun
Hey Nate, is this the last planned video for the Puppy Training Series? We've been following along at home, and I'm wondering what's the next training progression we should move onto. Training our first puppy and these have been incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the series, and I plan on adding more to it soon. You can start adding the command to all the behaviors if you like. I recommend adding the command when the dog is performing the behavior with the physical cue exactly how you want. There's a common saying, "Don't name it until you love it," because often, when you start adding the command, the dog will perform it as they currently do with the physical cue. So, if it's still slower or not as precise as you’d like, fix that before adding the command. When you do add the command, make sure it comes before the physical cue. You can see the process here for reference: ua-cam.com/video/Z-x05KZZ_mY/v-deo.htmlsi=18Gyvlgsf_Gm5eN-
Thanks so much for these great videos, they are so helpful and clear! I have two questions for you. After the dog has a perfect stay with distractions, how do I teach her to do the stay without the platform? My puppy is amazing with the stay, first she learned indoors and now she is great in a parking lot. What is the next step? Doing it without the platform or going to a park and train with the platform? Thanks for all the work you do and share!!!
Great video Nate! Loving all your videos. Thank you. May I ask what kind of treats, (name of treats please),very specifically you are giving your pup? I am getting my puppy, (my second GSD) First one, (Storm) passed last December after 12 wonderful years. I want to train my new puppy for Schutzhund this time. Thank you again for all you do. Mark
If it's within the budget, I like to use freeze-dried dog food. Often, I'll go with Steve's or Stella and Chewy's. If I'm budgeting, then I like to use N&D Pumpkin Maxi Giant size. It's a decently healthy dry dog food relative to other dry dog food brands, and the pieces are a great size for training.
This is the process I use to add a command to any behavior. First, I always condition the dog to their markers. A marker is a word or sound that predicts one of the four quadrants of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. Operant conditioning involves patterns the dog recognizes as within their control, while classical conditioning involves patterns the dog recognizes as outside their control. I like to teach three markers that predict positive reinforcement: Continuation Marker: Predicts a reward and encourages the dog to continue the current behavior. Terminal Marker: Also known as a termination marker, it predicts release plus reward. For example, if the dog is in a stay command, this marker releases them and guarantees a reward directly from the trainer. Secondary Terminal Marker: Sometimes called a Premack marker, it predicts release plus reward, but the reward is away from the handler, such as a toy in the field. Markers serve two key purposes: Bridging the gap between the behavior and the consequence. Pinpointing fine details within training. Once markers are established, I introduce luring, which uses food to guide the dog into specific positions, followed by leash pressure to teach clear communication. These become our main tools for communicating with the dog. When teaching a behavior, the first step is getting the dog to perform the behavior reliably and correctly with a physical cue. The physical cue can be anything humane and effective, as long as it guarantees the desired behavior. Once the behavior is consistent, I add the verbal command. To add the command, ensure the verbal cue always comes before the physical cue. Think of it as a question (the command) followed by an answer (the physical cue). This timing allows the dog to associate the command with the behavior. When the dog performs the behavior correctly, they receive a reward. Initially, reward every correct repetition. As the dog learns, begin spacing out rewards strategically. One common mistake is pairing the command and physical cue simultaneously, known as overshadowing. When two signals are presented at the same time, the dog focuses on the more relevant one-usually the physical cue-ignoring the verbal command. To avoid this, give the verbal command about half a second before the physical cue. This gap also gives the dog a chance to perform the behavior on their own without the cue. Over time, they’ll respond to the command without needing physical guidance. Finally, consider the concept of generalization. For a dog to perform a command in different environments, you must train the behavior in multiple locations. A common mistake is teaching a command at home and expecting the dog to perform it flawlessly elsewhere. If the dog doesn’t comply, people often assume the dog “knows” the command, but in reality, the behavior isn’t generalized yet. It takes consistent practice in varied environments for the dog to fully understand. I like to follow the 80% rule, meaning I aim for the dog to be 80% successful with a command in any given environment before expecting them to perform it independently. To learn more about this process, check out this video: ua-cam.com/video/Z-x05KZZ_mY/v-deo.htmlsi=ViR7rCvtPaiTowR7 And this article: www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events I hope this helps! Thank you for watching and commenting. Cheers!
Great video. I’d love to learn more about IGP, it the first time I’ve heard of it. Ive got a 9 month old show line German shepherd. She’s doing amazing with her obedience training. Her food drive is excellent, but toy drive can be lacking sometimes, trying to get her to play with ball on a string at the moment, tug and fetch. And as for protection, she absolutely loves everybody she meets 😂 which I don’t mind. But I definitely want to get her toy drive up, just so i can play with her 😊
Hi, I just have to say that these are one of the best if not the best training videos that I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a bunch. I like the methodology, and your examples are spot on. I’ve got a personal question. I’m a veteran with a spinal cord injury. I use a wheelchair and my hand functionality is somewhat limited. In other words, I don’t have the hand dexterity that you do so it would be very difficult for me to do some of the techniques such as teaching the dog to go in reverse with the underhand technique, etc. To that end, I’mgetting a service dog. if I’m not satisfied with the level of the training of the dog, can I follow the techniques that you are showing us with your puppy with my adolescent (one and a half year-old, one year old) chocolate lab? How would you approach teaching advanced obedience, or just high-level basic obedience to a dog who you receive at the age of 1 1/2? I know this is not an ideal situation, but it is the one that I am inheriting.
my question is how many times a day to do the steps on first video, second video, third video and when will he be ready to progress to the next few steps? I know you said 5 minutes a session just wonder how long to stay on each training method throughout
Question for you: Since we have approximately 1.3 seconds to follow a behavior with a consequence, why do we need to wait 5 seconds before food after we place them back on the climb? Would 2 seconds not be sufficient? I just want to have a good answer for this for if it comes up with a client. Thanks for all your awesome content!
When I adopted my 5 year old female GSD, and got to the point where we could really start working on obedience (she's my first older adoption, and she's a very fearful dog. That said, i tried to start obedience way too soon. She would get scared just asking her to sit. And I'm sure I've made a million other mistakes in those first weeks/months. We're at 6 months now, and she still doesn't "play", and she's an extremely picky eater, and that's made it hard to find something to train with. Frozen pieces of chicken gizzards seems to be her favorite). I wanted to train the implied stay, but I think I figured out where I was going wrong, so she wasn't getting it. Had to add the stay comand😊 Does anyone out there think that if I can manage to teach it properly, that it's still possible to teach her the implied stay?
@nateschoemer hi! :) just joined your Patreon page. Are you still active there or more here in UA-cam? Shall i switch to here instead? Thanks for the great videos! i'm following your videos for my 9m old beagle. Fun adolescent age 😅 but its definitely working! Thank you!
Thank you for your support. I'm not very active on my Patreon account. It's basically just if someone wants to support the channel. I would suggest becoming a channel member instead for $1.99 a month. I release videos on occasions just for channel members. In fact, I just released a detailed five in a half hour course for my channel members. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks! ua-cam.com/video/2U9eoKv6MmE/v-deo.htmlsi=zGtQKo7qRArCPB5H
In response to a couple of comments on your view of the necessity of good breeders. I understand where they are coming from referring to people who buy spontaneously but don't have commitment. And therefore, blame the rescues and shelter needs on those people. However, a truly good breeder, the ones I believe you were alluding to, Nate, interviews the people who come to look at their pups just as much, if not more, than the people are "interviewing" the breeder and the dogs they are breeding. It actually would be interesting to see the stats on how much research people have done on the dog breed of interest, (needs, attributes and potential problems) AND then scrutinized their options for those dogs/pups from reputable breeders. How well does the breeder stand behind their "product"? Many of the exceptional breeders have a lifetime buy back policy if things go wrong or life deals a blow to the new owner of one of their dogs. The breeder we bought our WL GSD actually stated in the contract that our will would make provisions for her to be notified upon our demise. It does. I am certainly not saying you should ONLY buy a purebred dog to get a quality animal because I have seen many fantastic mixed breed dogs that were rescue dogs. A strong influencing factor there was they were lucky to be adopted by people committed to owning a dog and putting in the time, effort and necessary expense to make it all work. (Which I believe more shelters are trying to make sure of prior to allowing the adoption.) There is simply no easy answer to an ongoing problem such as this one.
Great question! You can repeat the "climb" command if you prefer since this is a teachable moment, not a correction. Here’s an article that explains teachable moments in detail: www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events
Thank you for this wonderful video (as always). I do have to disagree with your comment that shelters would be empty if there were only good breeders. I believe shelters would be empty if there were only good PEOPLE. Our rescue dogs have invariably been treated like cr*p by some idiot human and their issues all stem from that (in my experience) regardless of who bred them. Fortunately, dogs are kinder than humans and they are willing to give us a second, third, fourth, fifth... hundredth... chance to get it right.
I disagree. Good breeders is only a part of it. Good owners is even more important. I find most issues with dogs is because of the owners..... same thing applies with horses.
I disagree it’s a breeder issue, come on now! It’s people that shouldn’t have animals period!! They get them as the cute puppy and not for the commitment. You should know better as professional to not stereotype in professional environment.
he said bad breeders, not good breeders, good breeders do not allow their pups to be placed in shelters or anywhere else except with the owner and if the owner decides they cannot keep the dog - it goes back to the breeder to keep or rehome if they wish, thats for every ethical and good breeder, they legally do not allow any of their dogs to be in shelters. hes absolutely right.
I’m earning money as a dog trainer simply by following your training methods. Thank you so much for this free course 🙏
That juvenile German Shepherd is adorable❤ training good information. Thank you
He is super cute! Thank you. 😁
I just completed this puppy series. I've been rewatching videos and practicing everyday with my dog. Everything I've implemented has been so amazing and rewarding with my 3.5 month old pup!
Wow. Thank you! I really appreciate that. I’m going to be releasing a 5 hour instructional for channel members this week, if you’re interested. 😁🐶
I really appreciate these tapes that show techniques and training in a real time format. Maverick is a high-powered WL GSD, the type of dog that, during training, can say "Got it! What's next?" In his case he thinks he is "getting it" but his enthusiasm leads a bit to anticipation of reward. You demonstrate a great step-by-step process of "sticking with the program", using consistency and repetition without letting frustration show that produces results in a very short period of time letting Maverick know, learn and understand exactly what is expected of him. When Rusty and I are struggling on getting those final details ironed out, I can start overthinking things during the training process, which can actually interfere with clear communication with him. It is better to persevere and realize it may not be perfect that session. Leave on as good a note as you can, call it a day and come back to it the next. We don't all have those "high powered" dogs....and that is ok, too. 😉
Thanks for the feedback, Sylvia. As you alluded to in your comment, it helps not to put timelines on the training and rush to the end, but rather to enjoy the journey with our dogs. This approach ultimately delivers better results and motivation from our dogs. :)
I really appreciate all the work you’ve put into these videos. I do want to push back against the idea that shelters and rescues only exist because of bad breeders. The majority of dogs that end up in shelters are owner surrenders (this happens for lots of reasons, but often comes down to the fact that the owner just wasn’t prepared for the commitment that getting a dog is), accidental litters from people who don’t spay/neuter their dogs, and strays. I foster for a local rescue and can say definitively that there are tons of fantastic dogs available for adoption. You’re entitled to your opinion, but please don’t use your platform to give people the idea that only damaged dogs with bad genetics come from shelters.
That's the best stay video on video RN. Thank you nate and your GSD is so adorable 😊
Thank you! 😊 🙏
@@NateSchoemer
Have you ever done any "scent work" training videos? I have an imported European doberman with an incredible nose, that i would like to start on scent work.
Just wanted to say, I love your videos, you do a great job and some of the videos I watch a million times and every time they're super valuable and interesting for me. I love it! Thanks!
Also, my 3-month old puppy loves playing according to your advices and we both have a lot of fun
Hey Nate, is this the last planned video for the Puppy Training Series? We've been following along at home, and I'm wondering what's the next training progression we should move onto. Training our first puppy and these have been incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the series, and I plan on adding more to it soon. You can start adding the command to all the behaviors if you like. I recommend adding the command when the dog is performing the behavior with the physical cue exactly how you want. There's a common saying, "Don't name it until you love it," because often, when you start adding the command, the dog will perform it as they currently do with the physical cue. So, if it's still slower or not as precise as you’d like, fix that before adding the command. When you do add the command, make sure it comes before the physical cue. You can see the process here for reference: ua-cam.com/video/Z-x05KZZ_mY/v-deo.htmlsi=18Gyvlgsf_Gm5eN-
Fantastic! Thank you for such a good lesson.
Thanks so much for these great videos, they are so helpful and clear! I have two questions for you. After the dog has a perfect stay with distractions, how do I teach her to do the stay without the platform? My puppy is amazing with the stay, first she learned indoors and now she is great in a parking lot. What is the next step? Doing it without the platform or going to a park and train with the platform? Thanks for all the work you do and share!!!
Great video Nate! Loving all your videos. Thank you. May I ask what kind of treats, (name of treats please),very specifically you are giving your pup? I am getting my puppy, (my second GSD) First one, (Storm) passed last December after 12 wonderful years. I want to train my new puppy for Schutzhund this time. Thank you again for all you do. Mark
If it's within the budget, I like to use freeze-dried dog food. Often, I'll go with Steve's or Stella and Chewy's. If I'm budgeting, then I like to use N&D Pumpkin Maxi Giant size. It's a decently healthy dry dog food relative to other dry dog food brands, and the pieces are a great size for training.
@NateSchoemer thank you Nate!!
This is really helpful. Thank you so much 😊
Heyy! Can you please make a video of how to teach your dog the free command?❤
You make e it look so easy ! Thanks for sharing !,,,,
Awesome video as always!
I took Nino's build drive course because of your referral. Do you train dogs with a ball on a string?
I hope you got a lot of value from the course. Yes, I do use a ball on rope for training. :)
Do we only need to say climb/place the 1 time at the start? Will the dog remember that is the verbal command he’s performing?
This is the process I use to add a command to any behavior. First, I always condition the dog to their markers. A marker is a word or sound that predicts one of the four quadrants of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. Operant conditioning involves patterns the dog recognizes as within their control, while classical conditioning involves patterns the dog recognizes as outside their control.
I like to teach three markers that predict positive reinforcement:
Continuation Marker: Predicts a reward and encourages the dog to continue the current behavior.
Terminal Marker: Also known as a termination marker, it predicts release plus reward. For example, if the dog is in a stay command, this marker releases them and guarantees a reward directly from the trainer.
Secondary Terminal Marker: Sometimes called a Premack marker, it predicts release plus reward, but the reward is away from the handler, such as a toy in the field.
Markers serve two key purposes:
Bridging the gap between the behavior and the consequence.
Pinpointing fine details within training.
Once markers are established, I introduce luring, which uses food to guide the dog into specific positions, followed by leash pressure to teach clear communication. These become our main tools for communicating with the dog.
When teaching a behavior, the first step is getting the dog to perform the behavior reliably and correctly with a physical cue. The physical cue can be anything humane and effective, as long as it guarantees the desired behavior. Once the behavior is consistent, I add the verbal command.
To add the command, ensure the verbal cue always comes before the physical cue. Think of it as a question (the command) followed by an answer (the physical cue). This timing allows the dog to associate the command with the behavior. When the dog performs the behavior correctly, they receive a reward. Initially, reward every correct repetition. As the dog learns, begin spacing out rewards strategically.
One common mistake is pairing the command and physical cue simultaneously, known as overshadowing. When two signals are presented at the same time, the dog focuses on the more relevant one-usually the physical cue-ignoring the verbal command. To avoid this, give the verbal command about half a second before the physical cue. This gap also gives the dog a chance to perform the behavior on their own without the cue. Over time, they’ll respond to the command without needing physical guidance.
Finally, consider the concept of generalization. For a dog to perform a command in different environments, you must train the behavior in multiple locations. A common mistake is teaching a command at home and expecting the dog to perform it flawlessly elsewhere. If the dog doesn’t comply, people often assume the dog “knows” the command, but in reality, the behavior isn’t generalized yet. It takes consistent practice in varied environments for the dog to fully understand.
I like to follow the 80% rule, meaning I aim for the dog to be 80% successful with a command in any given environment before expecting them to perform it independently.
To learn more about this process, check out this video: ua-cam.com/video/Z-x05KZZ_mY/v-deo.htmlsi=ViR7rCvtPaiTowR7
And this article: www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events
I hope this helps! Thank you for watching and commenting. Cheers!
Great video. I’d love to learn more about IGP, it the first time I’ve heard of it. Ive got a 9 month old show line German shepherd. She’s doing amazing with her obedience training. Her food drive is excellent, but toy drive can be lacking sometimes, trying to get her to play with ball on a string at the moment, tug and fetch. And as for protection, she absolutely loves everybody she meets 😂 which I don’t mind. But I definitely want to get her toy drive up, just so i can play with her 😊
Hi, I just have to say that these are one of the best if not the best training videos that I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a bunch. I like the methodology, and your examples are spot on.
I’ve got a personal question. I’m a veteran with a spinal cord injury. I use a wheelchair and my hand functionality is somewhat limited. In other words, I don’t have the hand dexterity that you do so it would be very difficult for me to do some of the techniques such as teaching the dog to go in reverse with the underhand technique, etc. To that end, I’mgetting a service dog. if I’m not satisfied with the level of the training of the dog, can I follow the techniques that you are showing us with your puppy with my adolescent (one and a half year-old, one year old) chocolate lab? How would you approach teaching advanced obedience, or just high-level basic obedience to a dog who you receive at the age of 1 1/2? I know this is not an ideal situation, but it is the one that I am inheriting.
How come the middle door doesn’t have stairs?
😂😂😂
😂
my question is how many times a day to do the steps on first video, second video, third video and when will he be ready to progress to the next few steps? I know you said 5 minutes a session just wonder how long to stay on each training method throughout
Question for you: Since we have approximately 1.3 seconds to follow a behavior with a consequence, why do we need to wait 5 seconds before food after we place them back on the climb? Would 2 seconds not be sufficient? I just want to have a good answer for this for if it comes up with a client. Thanks for all your awesome content!
Yeah, that makes sense, but 5 seconds feels like a safer buffer for me, so that's what I go with. :)
When I adopted my 5 year old female GSD, and got to the point where we could really start working on obedience (she's my first older adoption, and she's a very fearful dog.
That said, i tried to start obedience way too soon. She would get scared just asking her to sit. And I'm sure I've made a million other mistakes in those first weeks/months. We're at 6 months now, and she still doesn't "play", and she's an extremely picky eater, and that's made it hard to find something to train with. Frozen pieces of chicken gizzards seems to be her favorite).
I wanted to train the implied stay, but I think I figured out where I was going wrong, so she wasn't getting it. Had to add the stay comand😊
Does anyone out there think that if I can manage to teach it properly, that it's still possible to teach her the implied stay?
Yes, you can definitely still teach the implied stay. 😁
@nateschoemer hi! :) just joined your Patreon page. Are you still active there or more here in UA-cam? Shall i switch to here instead? Thanks for the great videos! i'm following your videos for my 9m old beagle. Fun adolescent age 😅 but its definitely working! Thank you!
Thank you for your support. I'm not very active on my Patreon account. It's basically just if someone wants to support the channel. I would suggest becoming a channel member instead for $1.99 a month. I release videos on occasions just for channel members. In fact, I just released a detailed five in a half hour course for my channel members. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks! ua-cam.com/video/2U9eoKv6MmE/v-deo.htmlsi=zGtQKo7qRArCPB5H
In response to a couple of comments on your view of the necessity of good breeders. I understand where they are coming from referring to people who buy spontaneously but don't have commitment. And therefore, blame the rescues and shelter needs on those people.
However, a truly good breeder, the ones I believe you were alluding to, Nate, interviews the people who come to look at their pups just as much, if not more, than the people are "interviewing" the breeder and the dogs they are breeding. It actually would be interesting to see the stats on how much research people have done on the dog breed of interest, (needs, attributes and potential problems) AND then scrutinized their options for those dogs/pups from reputable breeders. How well does the breeder stand behind their "product"? Many of the exceptional breeders have a lifetime buy back policy if things go wrong or life deals a blow to the new owner of one of their dogs. The breeder we bought our WL GSD actually stated in the contract that our will would make provisions for her to be notified upon our demise. It does.
I am certainly not saying you should ONLY buy a purebred dog to get a quality animal because I have seen many fantastic mixed breed dogs that were rescue dogs. A strong influencing factor there was they were lucky to be adopted by people committed to owning a dog and putting in the time, effort and necessary expense to make it all work. (Which I believe more shelters are trying to make sure of prior to allowing the adoption.)
There is simply no easy answer to an ongoing problem such as this one.
Yes, I agree. And even when breeders take all the right steps, that doesn't make it a perfect system, but it certainly helps.
When he steps off and you say "wrong," can I ask why you dont give the command "climb" again before leading him back to the platform to stay?
Great question! You can repeat the "climb" command if you prefer since this is a teachable moment, not a correction. Here’s an article that explains teachable moments in detail: www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events
Thank you for this wonderful video (as always). I do have to disagree with your comment that shelters would be empty if there were only good breeders. I believe shelters would be empty if there were only good PEOPLE. Our rescue dogs have invariably been treated like cr*p by some idiot human and their issues all stem from that (in my experience) regardless of who bred them. Fortunately, dogs are kinder than humans and they are willing to give us a second, third, fourth, fifth... hundredth... chance to get it right.
Which breeder?
I disagree. Good breeders is only a part of it.
Good owners is even more important. I find most issues with dogs is because of the owners..... same thing applies with horses.
good breeders=good dogs
No, good training=good dogs
Zaif dizayner 84
I disagree it’s a breeder issue, come on now! It’s people that shouldn’t have animals period!! They get them as the cute puppy and not for the commitment. You should know better as professional to not stereotype in professional environment.
He's right
He didn't say breeders, he said bad breeders didn't he?
he said bad breeders, not good breeders, good breeders do not allow their pups to be placed in shelters or anywhere else except with the owner and if the owner decides they cannot keep the dog - it goes back to the breeder to keep or rehome if they wish, thats for every ethical and good breeder, they legally do not allow any of their dogs to be in shelters. hes absolutely right.