PUPPY PUSH-UPS

INSTILL THE BASICS

Puppy push-ups are a great way to practice all the basic obedience commands and an excellent opportunity for your puppy to show you just how clever he is. This sequence has been around since the 1980s, and since there are a few variations out there, we will be exploring the full set of moves. All dogs can perform this sequence; some just take more time than others.

WHAT ARE PUPPY PUSH-UPS?

If you are new to this term, don't fret; puppy pushups are not a way to get your puppy nice and buff and ready to strut his stuff on the beach or at the local park. Instead, puppy pushups are a sequence of obedience moves intending to familiarise him with the three cornerstones of basic obedience — sit, down and stand.

Puppy push-ups are also a great way of refreshing basic obedience for dogs of all ages! So, while puppy push-ups are fantastic for young dogs to learn the ropes, you can use the format for older dogs, too, to make sure they are still comfortable following basic commands. If you've taken on an older dog with no prior training, puppy push-ups are a great place to start. Dogs catch on very quickly when it comes to learning new things, especially if getting it right results in some kind of positive reinforcement.

HOW TO TEACH PUPPY PUSH-UPS

To effectively teach your puppy these moves, they need to be able to recognise that they are all separate and individual commands. You don't want him getting confused and thinking that 'sit' means 'down' and vice versa or that 'sit' means he needs to carry out the entire sequence.

To keep things separate, ensure your dog understands the first command before moving on to the next. In the beginning, reward your puppy after he completes each command in isolation. Once he has the hang of

it, you can ask him to go through all the commands and then reward him at the end. You want your puppy to respond to your commands whether there is a treat up for grabs or not, so as he starts to get it right, you can change up the reward with another form of positive reinforcement, such as a scratch behind the ear, or a vocal command expressing how proud of him you are. To start with this exercise, you only need three things:

• Your puppy

• Some tasty treats

• A pinch of patience

LET'S BEGIN THE TRAINING!

Now that you have gathered your supplies let's go through the basic gestures and commands.

1. Sit command

The 'sit' command is the first obedience command we like to teach to all of our newcomers. The purpose of this command is to get your dog to sit and focus on you. It is normally followed with another command, such as stay or heel. Generally, we like our dogs to sit and heel on our left-hand side, but for this exercise, and to make things easier, you can position your puppy in front of you. How to do it:

1. Start with your puppy standing in front of you or on your left-hand side.

2. Place a treat in front of his nose.

3. Slowly pull your hand up and make a small arc above his head towards his tail.

4. As your puppy's head goes up, he should plop his bum on the floor.

5. As his bum hits the floor, say the command 'sit' and give your puppy his hard-earned reward.

6. If this is your first time practising this move, it might take a few tries to make it work.

After completing this exercise, you may have noticed that you are communicating with your puppy in two ways - a hand gesture and a vocal command. It's nice to teach your dog both commands, as each command works better in different situations. Once your puppy has the hang of it, try the sit gesture without a treat by raising your hand in front of your dog's face, palm facing up. Now try the vocal sit command and see if your dog sits. Don't forget the positive reinforcement when he gets it right.

2. Down command

The 'down' command teaches your puppy to lie on his tummy and should not be confused with "get down off the couch." You can teach the 'down' command from the sit or stand positions, but for this exercise, your puppy will be sitting.

The 'down' command is pretty difficult to pull off at first. It is important to gain your puppy's trust and make him feel safe in order to lie down effectively, and treats are a great aid in achieving this mindset.

How to do it:

1. Have your puppy 'sit' in front of you, or if you are more experienced, you can have your puppy sit on your lefthand side.

2. Make a loose fist and place the treat deep inside your closed hand, towards your pinky finger.

3. Place your hand in front of your puppy's nose and let him sniff out the treat.

4. He will want to stick his nose inside your loose fist and start trying to get the treat out with his tongue.

5. At this point, lower your hand under his chest and between his legs. He should begin to lower his body.

6. Once he starts to lower his body, pull your hand towards you slightly and place your fist between his front paws, he should go into the 'down' position.

7. He should still be trying to retrieve the treat from your closed fist, which should be full of drool by now.

8. Once your dog has fully lain down, you can give the verbal command 'down' and release the treat as his reward. Once your puppy gets the hang of it, and yes, it might take a few tries, you can try using just the hand gesture and then the verbal command, so he knows both. The hand gesture for the 'down' command is achieved by showing your puppy an outstretched, open flat hand, with your palm facing down and lowering it to about 45 degrees. Make sure to separate the 'down' and 'off' commands and use them appropriately, as you don't want your puppy to get confused.

3. Stand command

The 'stand' command is not an often-used signal, but it is great for getting your pup to stand during veterinary trips or grooming. Also, it’s great if you want to show your dog in a competition. In this exercise, you will ask your puppy to stand from a sitting position.

If your puppy is still in the 'down' position, you can get him to sit again by simply placing a treat in front of his nose and pulling your hand in an arc above his head and towards his bum. This is very similar to the 'sit' from stand command we practised earlier.

How to do it:

1. Have your puppy sit in front of you.

2. Place a treat in front of his nose.

3. Slowly pull your hand away from his nose, in a straight line, towards your body.

4. He should begin to move his head forward, attempting to get the yummy treat.

5. Keep moving the treat backwards until he lifts his bum off the floor and stands.

6. As soon as your puppy achieves the stand position, give the command 'stand' and reward him.

The hand gesture for the 'stand' command may take some getting used to for both parties. Place your hand at your side, palm facing forward, and fingers pointing down. Pull your hand straight back behind you in a sharp motion. Once your puppy gets it, he will be able to stand for every occasion.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Once you've taught your puppy these three basic commands, it's time to practice puppy push-ups. The aim is to get your puppy to sit, go down, sit again, and then end with a stand. Each movement needs to coincide with a hand gesture or verbal command, and only once your puppy has completed a command can you move on to the next.

This is a great way to practice all these obedience commands in one go. If your puppy is totally rocking these push-ups, take it one step further by changing

the order of the commands. Remember that when your puppy has really understood the exercise, he will be able to 'stand' from lying down or from sitting. The same goes for the 'down' command, except that he needs to be sitting or standing.

Once you get the hang of it, puppy push-ups will be your go-to for refreshing your puppy's training, plus it has the added benefit of being mentally stimulating! Basically, there's nothing not to love about this mini routine.