One of the most rewarding parts of training a young dog is watching everything start to come together. Behaviors that were once unfamiliar begin making sense, engagement improves, and the puppy starts approaching training with more confidence and enthusiasm.
That's exactly what we're beginning to see with Mikey!
In this episode of Training Sessions, we're continuing Mikey's Board & Train program at Primal Canine by building on his foundational obedience and introducing the first steps toward what will eventually become his front position.
For those who have been following Mikey's progress, you know he didn't arrive as the most confident little guy. Initially, even getting him comfortable enough to participate in training took some patience.
Now, we're seeing a puppy who's becoming more willing to engage, follow a lure, and learn new behaviors.
And with each session, that progress continues to build.
Starting With Familiar Luring Exercises
Before introducing anything new, we begin this session with some of the basic luring exercises Mikey has become familiar with.
These exercises have been an important part of his training from the beginning.
Food luring allows us to guide Mikey through different movements and positions while marking and rewarding the behaviors we want to see.
For a puppy who initially struggled with confidence, these familiar exercises also provide an opportunity to settle into training before introducing something more challenging.
We're reinforcing several important foundations:
Engagement: Encouraging Mikey to actively participate and pay attention to the handler.
Following the lure: Developing his ability to follow guidance into new movements and positions.
Confidence: Creating successful repetitions that help Mikey become more comfortable participating in training.
Communication: Using consistent markers and rewards to help him understand which behaviors we're reinforcing.
Willingness to work: Continuing to build positive associations with training and interacting with the handler.
Although these exercises may look simple, they're helping create the foundation for more advanced obedience.
The more comfortable Mikey becomes with the learning process, the easier it is to begin introducing additional skills.
Introducing the Foundation for the Front Position
Once Mikey was warmed up and engaged, we moved into introducing a new exercise: the foundation for his front position.
In dog obedience training, the front position typically involves the dog moving directly in front of the handler, facing them, and maintaining a designated position.
Depending on the training goals, this can become an important component of recalls, obedience routines, and more advanced positional work.
But before we expect Mikey to perform a finished front position, we need to teach him where we want him to be.
For this first introduction, we're using food luring to guide him into the general position while marking and rewarding successful attempts.
We're not concerned with having a perfectly finished behavior right away.
Instead, we're focusing on helping Mikey become familiar with the movement and understand that positioning himself in front of the handler is rewarding.
As he develops a better understanding of the exercise, we'll be able to refine his positioning, build duration, and eventually introduce a verbal command.
The foundation comes first. The finished behavior comes later.
Why We Shape Behaviors Before Naming Them
Something we emphasize in our training programs is building an understanding of a behavior before attaching a verbal command to it.
When we first introduce a new exercise, the dog doesn't automatically understand what we're asking.
Repeating a command before the dog understands the associated behavior can create confusion and make communication less clear.
Instead, we focus on creating the behavior through luring, shaping, and reinforcement.
Once the dog consistently understands the movement or position, we can begin pairing that behavior with a verbal cue.
This is the same general process we've used while developing Mikey's heel position.
We initially spent time building value in the heel position before introducing its name. Now we're beginning a similar process with his fronts.
By approaching each new exercise this way, we're giving Mikey the opportunity to learn at a pace that supports both understanding and confidence.
Building Confidence in a Nervous Puppy
One of the biggest parts of Mikey's training journey has been developing his confidence.
When Mikey first arrived at Primal Canine, he was extremely hesitant in unfamiliar situations.
He was uncomfortable moving away from his handler, unsure about engaging in exercises, and would sometimes attempt to avoid participating altogether.
Rather than immediately pushing him through a demanding obedience program, we focused on helping him become more comfortable with the environment, the handler, and the learning process.
That included simple engagement exercises, food luring, exposure to new experiences, and plenty of opportunities to succeed.
Over the last couple of weeks, we've watched those experiences begin to add up.
Mikey is becoming more comfortable moving around the training environment, more willing to follow the lure, and increasingly engaged during sessions.
We're also seeing improvements in his body language and overall willingness to participate.
These changes are important because confidence and learning often influence one another.
A puppy who feels overwhelmed or uncomfortable may struggle to focus on new information.
By helping Mikey become more comfortable, we're creating better opportunities for him to learn.
Why Small Improvements Matter in Puppy Training
Progress doesn't always come in the form of a perfectly executed command or a dramatic change in behavior.
Sometimes the most meaningful improvements are much smaller.
A puppy who previously hesitated to approach the handler begins moving confidently toward them.
A dog who struggled to follow a lure starts moving more freely.
An exercise that once required considerable encouragement becomes something the dog willingly participates in.
These are the types of changes we've been seeing with Mikey.
And while we're excited to begin introducing new obedience behaviors like the front position, we're just as excited about the improvements in his overall confidence.
Each successful training experience gives us another opportunity to build on the progress we've already made.
For Mikey, those small improvements are starting to compound into noticeable changes in how he approaches training.
The Importance of Working at the Individual Dog's Pace
Not every puppy progresses through training at the same speed.
Some dogs arrive confident, highly motivated, and ready to jump into new exercises.
Others need more time to become comfortable with the handler, environment, and expectations.
Mikey has definitely been a puppy who benefits from taking things at a more gradual pace.
But that doesn't mean we stop introducing new challenges.
Instead, we adjust the difficulty of the exercises to match what he's ready to handle.
As he becomes more confident and successful with familiar behaviors, we can introduce new movements and gradually increase our expectations.
The important part is recognizing when the dog is ready for additional challenges and when it makes more sense to reinforce the foundation.
Good training isn't about rushing to the next command. It's about developing a dog who understands the exercises and is comfortable performing them.
What's Next for Mikey's Obedience Training?
As Mikey continues improving, we'll keep building on the foundation for his front position.
That means gradually refining his positioning, rewarding successful repetitions, and increasing his understanding of the exercise.
We'll also continue developing his heel position, engagement, and confidence while introducing new challenges as he's ready for them.
Eventually, these foundational behaviors will become part of a larger obedience program that we can begin applying in different environments.
For now, we're happy with the progress Mikey continues to make.
He's starting to put things together, becoming more comfortable with training, and showing us more of his personality with every session.
It's been awesome watching him develop, and we're excited to see how far he continues to progress!
Puppy Training and Board & Train in Gilroy, California
At Primal Canine, we understand that every dog comes into training with different experiences, personalities, and needs.
Whether we're working with a confident young puppy, a nervous dog who needs help becoming more comfortable, or a dog developing advanced obedience skills, our approach focuses on building clear communication and a strong foundation.
Our training programs cover a wide range of behaviors and goals, including:
Puppy training and early obedience foundations
Confidence building and engagement
Basic and advanced obedience
Off-leash training
Behavioral training
Working-dog development
Based in Gilroy, California, Primal Canine serves dog owners throughout Morgan Hill, San Jose, the Bay Area, and surrounding Northern California communities.
If you're interested in building a better foundation with your puppy or need help developing your dog's confidence and obedience, we'd love to hear from you.
Learn more about our training programs at primalcanine.com.
And be sure to follow Mikey's journey on our YouTube channel, where we share full training sessions and the process behind developing more confident, capable dogs.