If your dog has already completed basic dog training, like obedience class, he or she may be interested in intermediate dog training. High energy dogs and those with a keen desire to work are especially well-suited for intermediate dog training. These new skills will be enjoyable for you as well as your pup. They can alleviate some of your dog’s pent-up energy and relieve boredom.
If sit and come are yesterday’s news, what’s next? The team at Union Lake Pet Services is here to get you excited about the next level of dog training.
Intermediate Training
Intermediate training may not be as advanced as training at a K9 police academy, but it is a skill your dog should learn. It is the foundation for other advanced training and is a great way to get your pup out on hikes, to the park, and other off-leash places.
Intermediate training begins with knowing that your pet will respond to every command they’ve been trained to perform. Many trainers and pet owners start intermediate training by using leashes of various sizes. You can increase the length as your pet continues to respond to the commands. Over time, and once your pet is successful at coming to you when called, you can start at a fenced dog park and let them go. If they are successful, move to open outdoor areas.
Distance Training
Your intermediate training will naturally lead to distance training. A command like drop it when your pet is 100 yards away may not get their full attention as it does when they are nearer. This is why distance training needs to be a part of off-leash adventures.
Practice teaching the commands at a distance on a leash, then gradually try it off-leash. Once your dog has mastered basic commands while off-leash and learned to respond to commands at a distance, you can increase the number of commands you teach.
As part of your distance training, circle back to your long leash and practice commands while introducing distractions. Include other pets, people, and things that might get your dog’s attention away from you (like squirrels!).
Hand Signal Training
Giving commands with hand signals may seem like an impossibility since we think of our dogs as relying on verbal cues. Actually, the words you teach your dog are interpreted by them as simple sounds. They respond to the word some the same way as they would hear and respond to come.
Hand signaling gives your pet additional ways the two of you can communicate, which is a way to encourage that human-animal bond. Your pet will need to learn the association between your command and the signal. You can choose from simple hand gestures, such as:
- Open palm, hand down as a gesture for sit
- Palm facing down, arm in L shape for down
- Cross one arm across chest to get them to come to you
You can be creative with the number of hand gestures you use in communicating with your Fido. Like any training, clear commands, repetition and reward will pay off.
Trick Training
The sky’s the limit when it comes to teaching your dog new tricks as part of their advanced dog training. Your dog will be challenged and it is another way to give them plenty of enrichment and exercise, too. Here are some fun ideas for advanced tricks:
- Bell ringing can be taught to alert you when they need to go out.
- Teach different types of agility, like jumping through a hoop, leaping over a bar, and scooting quickly around obstacles.
- Teach your dog to go to their spot (use a visual marker to train them, such as an x painted on cardboard, placed on the ground).
- Teach your dog the names of their food, favorite toy, and family members.
More About Intermediate Dog Training
If your pet is top of the class when it comes to training and is excited about learning, intermediate dog training is for you. There are so many ways to get your dog into new forms of training. One option is pet therapy training so that you and your dog can go into hospitals and nursing homes to cheer up patients. No matter what form of training you choose, you can rely on us for assistance.
If you would like more information about our training classes here at Union Lake Pet Services or would like to schedule private training, please call us.