The first way weāll get him excited is with a chase game. Instead of chasing us and then biting or jumping when we stop, weāll teach puppy to sit politely instead.
First, encourage puppy to chase you. As he catches up, andĀ beforeĀ he gets to your pant-leg, youāll pop several treats into his mouth. Repeat, so that when puppy catches up with you heās thinking food thoughts instead of biting thoughts. This is the step that is demonstrated in the video. You can repeat this step for a few sessions, until you have theĀ feeding at your side as you stopĀ part well practiced.
Move on to the next step once you have puppy stopping-when-you-stop-and-expecting-treats. Instead of just feeding him a treat, ask for a sit and then reward him right away. Reward him by feeding him treats while he is still sitting. The first couple of times you might have to remind him what sit means, or ask him twice. As soon as he has swallowed the treat, release him from the sit and then start the chase game again.
With enough repetition, puppy will learn the pattern and begin to sit all by himself when you stop! If you think he might have figured it out, try stopping and waiting. If he sits, be super generous with the treats. If he doesnāt, simply remind him with the cue, and then reward when he sits.
This game can really help your pup to control his mouth and be gentle and under control around exciting things like running legs. Which is a good thing.
OptionalĀ (but awesome!) ways to Level Up this game
LEVEL UP YOUR GAME
ā Add Your Cue
Instead of just running and having puppy chase you, say “Let’s Go” before you run. You will be super-charging your “Let’s Go” cue!
ā Test the Sit
Once you have puppy sitting nicely for several treats in a row, you can start to “test” his sit, just a little bit at a time. See if you can get him to wait in the sit while you take a step or two away. Sometimes go back to him and give him another treat. Other times, reward him for waiting by saying “Let’s Go” and starting the game again.
ā Use During Exciting Times
Use this game at other exciting times. Puppy should quickly learn that when you freeze/are calm and still, that he also should be calm and still. TRY IT:
Occasionally steal the tug and hide it (under your arm, behind your back, or just cover it with both hands). When puppy sits, the tug comes back out and play resumes.
During an excited greeting with high pitched puppy-talk and arousing scratching/petting, suddenly stop. When puppy sits, the excited greeting resumes.
During any active, physical wrestling game, regularly pause to check that puppy can calm himself down enough to offer a sit. Then go wild again!