Going-Home Training Guide
Keep the progress going—one clear, consistent day at a time.
Your DogSports4u Academy reference for training at home, lesson videos, downloadable instructions, and the tools your dog already knows.
You’re part of the DogSports4u family
We’re proud of the progress you and your dog have made. Graduation is the beginning of putting those skills to work in everyday life.
I put together this guide for all our graduates. Use the instructions that match your program and what you were taught during your graduation lesson.
Start here
- Review the written instructions and save both PDFs below.
- Watch the lesson videos and use the cues and equipment demonstrated in your own lessons.
- Bring your questions to your graduation or transfer lesson so you leave with a clear plan.
- Keep practicing in everyday routines and ask for help when you need it.
I want your dog to be part of your daily life, vacations, and adventures. We’re here to continue this journey to help you keep building that relationship.
Olga Baram
Puppy graduates: keep growing together
Your puppy’s needs will change as they mature. Keep building manners, confidence, and focus around distractions, and plan the next level before adolescence catches you by surprise.
Remember, it’s better to build on the great foundation we’ve created together than to let small issues turn into problems we’ll need to fix later! Ask us about the next appropriate step—from puppy foundations toward Canine Good Citizen and beyond. Your trainer can help you choose based on your puppy’s age and progress.
Explore Your Puppy’s Next StepsAT HOME INSTRUCTIONS
We know you are excited to have your best friend back home, and so is he/she!!!! We want our students to succeed, and for success to happen, your dog has to realize the rules are always consistent and the same, whether with us at the Academy or back with you at home.
It’s important you follow everything we did here consistently so your dog will not only continue to do everything we taught them, but also will keep building more and more on this making room for more good behaviors while making the bad behaviors disappear as your relationship grows stronger each day!
Remember, your dog is TRAINED but he/she spent many months prior forming habits and only a couple of weeks here doing it right. No matter how well trained by us, It’s crucial for you to continue what we have started, STARTING FROM DAY ONE. As soon as you come home, your dog will try to revert back to his/her habits. All the excitement makes it even harder to stay on track and keep the impulse control.
Think of this first week back home as a transfer week, where your dog is settling back home but with all the new rules and without the old habits. Always have the leash (and the remote collar on if applicable) when interacting outside or at home, not only during the practice sessions, but thru all interactions for the first week. When you get busy or are not paying attention - put your dog in his /her crate or a designated area. Remember, this is not forever, this is for a week, to make sure not only the good habits are settling in, but also there is no chance to make the old mistakes anymore!
We recommend following the basics right away, and leaving the commands practice for 1-2 days later and incorporating into daily routine, on walks and at home, at least 1 session daily plus a formal 10-15 minute training session.
Your dog has learned how to communicate with humans in order to be a good dog. It is more than just obeying the commands; he/she now has a job they like to do and are proud of, and this gives them a sense of purpose and keeps their days exciting. Your pup wants to be a good dog and is waiting on leadership from you. Together, day by day, you can create a fulfilled life—just don’t forget to be a fair, consistent, supportive, and fun leader for your pack!
Here is the list of rules your pup already knows and is ready to follow, your job is to keep it consistent:
1.) Clear communication is important to avoid confusion and conflict and not create anxiety. Remember, for your dog, CLARITY and CLEAR EXPECTATIONS thru CONSISTENCY procures CONFIDENCE. There is “good” for being good and occasional random rewards (pets and cookies). Make your dog believe there is always at least one treat in your pocket !
There is a release OK, FREE which means you did well, it’s over come and now come get your reward. Reward can be a treat or a verbal praise or petting and it should vary.
There is “NO”- Correction-Command if the dog doesn’t listen from the first command. Then Second command and “Good” when executed, but no other praise, because your dog already learned our criteria - if you know it, do it right the first time!
You owe it to your dog to enforce consistency and clarity. Always be prepared to provide proper feedback - REWARD GOOD AND CORRECT BAD BEHAVIOR. If in a situation where you cannot enforce a command, then don’t give it! For instance your puppy is trained on leash or your adult dog is loose without the remote collar, so if he makes a mistake you have no way of reinforcing it, therefore opt out of asking for a behavior and find a different way to manage the situation!
2.) It is important to say No, then correct with leash or collar. This way you will continue building upon what we taught and eventually will not be relying on the collar most of the time.
3.) Self-discipline and impulse control are key and will prevent many bad behaviors. Your dog was taught to stop and sit at every door, wait and not go thru until released with “OK”. This is the easiest way for you to incorporate maintenance into your daily routine, just make it a habit.
4.) When walking on leash, catch his/her attention, say HEEL, tap your left leg and start walking with the LOOSE leash. Important not to have tension on the leash, tight leash means dog thinks you want him to pull. If you feel tension, it has to be No-Pop- Nick-HEEL-GOOD. Your dog knows to sit every time you stop, if he/she doesn’t, just remind, say Sit and pop/nick. When you want to release your dog to sniff, go to the bathroom, etc, he/she is allowed to be free. Say free, and go. Always Use the prong collar for walking.
5.) Come is most important command. When off leash, always make sure the collar is on the dog. Say COME, if he/she doesn’t start coming, continue pressing the button and go higher on the remote if need be, till the dog turns towards you, as soon as he/she does, start backing up and say GOOD. When he/she comes , they were also taught to sit in front. I recommend giving cooking and praise every time for awhile to really cement it in
6.) PLACE command is also important at home. You can point to the bed, and your dog should go and lay down and stay there. Not allowed to leave till released. I encourage giving treats to enforce it occasionally. This command is a tool of many uses.
-Use this during dinner to avoid begging, place it far enough from the table but close enough where you can occasionally reward the dog staying by throwing a treat.
- Strategically position it away from the front door and make a game with the door bell ringing and your dog racing to his place for a treat. With practice, this will become a habit and he/she will not be storming to the door barking when the delivery comes.
- Use it for short “time-outs” if the dog gets too excited
7.) All commands – the dog is not allowed to break it till you say OK or FREE. If he/she does , you have to say NO –Correction-Repeat the Command-Good
Watch the instructional videos on what to do at home
Stay Part of the Pack 🐾
Graduation is just the beginning. Your DogSports4u family is here to help you keep building on your dog’s progress, with familiar care, continued coaching, and new adventures together.
We LOVE referrals!!!
A review of our training will be greatly appreciated, this is what helps with our business and helps other dogs and their humans like it helped you🤩!
