The real world presents all sorts of challenges to your puppy’s obedience training. Prepare them by adding in distance between you and your puppy, longer time duration between commands and releasing them, and real-world distractions!

***The Puppy Academy student, London!***

What are the “3Ds”?

While the name of this training might be unfamiliar to some new owners, it’s actually not as complex or ambiguous as it sounds! Distance, Duration, and Distractions, or simply put the 3Ds have controlled exercises that will test your puppy’s new skillset and aid you to manage your puppy’s impulse control with real-world challenges!

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Introducing the 3Ds!

During this session, you’ll have your puppy performing the same commands that they already know but introduce a new challenge, the 3Ds!

We recommend that you begin this session by having your puppy do what is easiest for them. This way, you can build up your puppy’s impulse control even more with the addition of the 3Ds. First, start by having your puppy in a “Sit” or “Down”, and follow up by saying “Stay” while using your hand signal (a flat hand held out in front of you). During this step, take one to three robotic steps back and say “Good!” and walk back to your puppy to reward them. Now, you’ll repeat this process except this time say “Come” and reward your puppy. Again, repeat this process and put your puppy back into a “Sit” or “Down” and start adding the 3Ds.

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Distance

You’ve already started taking steps away from your puppy while they were on Place in a Sit or Down, so the goal is to increase the amount of space, or you guessed it, the distance between you and your puppy while holding “Stay”! Creating distance will help boost your puppy’s self-confidence to comfortably stay in one place and resist the urge to get up and move, even if they can’t see you.

Just as you did at the start of this session, use slow robotic movements and begin stepping back away from your puppy. Use the leash to help create an initial measurement of distance and work up to the end of your leash, eventually dropping your leash. Then go even further by walking out of sight such as into a different room, over the course of a few weeks.

Distractions

***The Puppy Academy students, Beau and Sunny!***

Out in the real world, your puppy will encounter many distractions from other people, dogs and objects, so this activity will help manage their impulse to follow or even chase after things that happen to go past them!

For this routine, take a step to the side rather than just backward. Try stepping back with some pep in your step or more fluidly rather than robotic to create some motivation in your puppy. This is a huge challenge in the beginning, so expect to reset your pup a few times! Now, back up one to three steps and then calmly squat down in front of your puppy. The reason behind this is because oftentimes puppies see this as an invitation to come and play so it can be a huge distraction in order to reinforce a strong command!

You can practice with other distractions from easiest to hardest to help increase your puppy’s resistance to go after them! Think outside the box such as the family or neighbors making noise, playing noises on your phone, a family member cooking, etc. And change the location where you practice to create a new environment distraction!

Duration

Lastly, introduce more varied lengths of time that your puppy is holding one particular command. The biggest difference between the duration exercise from the distance and distraction exercises is that duration needs to be mixed up and not gradually increased. So when you begin to add in different durations, start with a few seconds, then move up to twenty seconds, and then scale back to maybe a few seconds, and eventually even move up to minutes!

The 3Ds are a huge advance to your puppy’s overall retention of their obedience commands! As your puppy matures and you continue to practice, they will be able to listen to you regardless of distance, what’s happening around them, and for longer periods of time! This opens up the amazing opportunity for your puppy to accompany you to new exciting places, while you have the peace of mind that your puppy will listen to you!

BONUS: Boost Your Puppy’s Confidence with 360 Practice!

360 practice simply means completing a full circle around your puppy while they are holding a Sit, Down, or Place command (whichever is their strongest!) and have them Stay in order to simulate a real-world situation out in public! Your puppy will eventually encounter having to Stay in an environment where other people, dogs, bikes, etc., are all happening around them. And while it’s very normal for puppies to want to follow what’s moving around them, with this practice, you’ll help build up your puppy’s tolerance to those types of activities happening in their space and learn to simply exist while staying put.

To do this, take a couple of minutes to get your puppy focused and in a ready-to-work mindset! Practice a little warm-up session by having your puppy go to “Place”. Once there, say “Come” and move a few steps away from your puppy. Reward your puppy for “Come” or, to add a little more challenge, pattern to another “Place” cot, or your pup’s “House”. Throughout this short session, keep your energy up and use food lures to get your puppy motivated for their upcoming 360 routine!

With your puppy on their “Place”, say “Good!” and reward them with food. At this point, ask for a “Stay” and use your hand signal (a flat hand held out in front of you) and take a step back. Now, begin to move to one side and if you need to, reinforce “Stay” each step you take as you make a circle around your puppy. If they are staying, mark the correct behavior with “Good!” and reward your puppy with food every other step or so. Continue to complete the circle and for the next repetition, go in the opposite direction!

This can be a challenging effort for new puppies in the beginning so don’t be discouraged if your first-ever attempt ends up with only a half or even quarter circle around your pup! It's normal for them to get up or change their position to see you when you go behind them when they're first learning! Remember to use slow, robotic steps first, then transition to more natural flowing walking motions as your pup gets better. Practice this activity over the course of a few weeks until your puppy can remain still as you move around them, then start adding in the 3Ds to this as well!

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April is Heartworm Awareness Month! Approximately two hundred and fifty thousand dogs are infected each year, according to DVM360. Here’s what you need to know to keep your puppy healthy!

***The Puppy Academy student, Freddie!***

As puppy parents, our puppy’s health is a top priority! Many veterinarians recommend starting them off from an early age with proper vaccinations and medication regimens to ensure their long-lasting well-being. Still, there are many puppy owners who aren’t familiar with heartworm or realize that they should be considering a preventive plan for their puppy.

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What is Heartworm?

Heartworm is a parasite that is transmitted through mosquito bites to dogs and other pets. The larva circulates through the bloodstream and infects the heart, lungs, and arteries of the host. The larva takes up to six months to mature into a full worm and then can live in the host as long as seven years all while producing more offspring!

According to the American Heartworm Society, it is believed that heartworm is prevalent across all fifty states whereas originally it was only considered a concern in southern states. Due to this, now many veterinarians recommend that puppies and dogs all take preventative medication to avoid getting infected.

When Should My Puppy Start Heartworm Medication?

Generally speaking, puppies can start heartworm preventative medication by eight weeks old and will continue to take the medication year-round. The first heartworm test is usually administered anywhere from ages six to eight months and will be done once a year.

For these types of questions ideally, when you take your puppy for the first official veterinarian visit, your vet will give you a recommended vaccination schedule along with advice on when to start your puppy on other preventative medication. Talk with them about what heartworm preventative to give your puppy, what type (preventative medications come in monthly chews, topical ointment, or injectable shots) the dosage, and a maintenance schedule.

Learn all about what to ask your puppy’s veterinarian on their first visit in our blog!

***The Puppy Academy student, Archer!***

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What are the Effects of Heartworm Disease?

Earlier we mentioned that heartworms not only infect the heart but also the lungs, arteries, and kidneys of the host. Unfortunately, heartworms can cause lasting damage to your puppy’s heart, cause inflammation of the lungs and blood vessels, and create proteins that can inflame and damage a pup’s kidneys. If left untreated, a dog with heartworm can have lasting health issues and irreversible damage to their organs which may shorten their lifespan.

Thankfully knowing the facts and starting your puppy on preventative medication can help avoid infection! And, thanks to regular heartworm exams, your veterinarian can detect infection early on and get your puppy started on treatment right away, and get cleared faster!

What are the Other Benefits of Preventative Medication?

Did you know that heartworm preventative medication can also act as a monthly dewormer? That’s right! Some heartworm preventative medication can help against a whole slew of parasites: roundworm, hookworm, fleas, and tapeworm. While there are specific medications for each, your veterinarian can pinpoint which ones, and preventative medication can help keep your puppy safe from all these pesky invaders!

The days are getting hotter and that means, depending on where you live, mosquitoes are coming in force! Arm yourself with the facts, talk with your veterinarians, research which preventative medication is available for your puppy, and help keep them happily romping for days to come with a clean bill of health!