Skye - Training Update!

Well, I thought I might update you on how Skye is progressing with her training.


With puppies "little and often" is best in terms of training sessions, so I have regularly be practising our commands with Skye.


I put her jacket on her when we do training sessions so she understands it's no longer "playtime" but "working" time. She understands to behave and be calm when her jackets on now.

One of the things I have been training her to do is walk alongside a buggy. Whilst she's obviously learning to walk nicely beside a buggy, it has other benefits too; for example this will help when it comes to teaching her to walk nicely by the trolley in the supermarket. She is doing well, and walks calmly beside it.


Listed below are some of Skye's commands and how she's doing responding to them!

Stay: Needs some more work as she will often wander off unless I keep her attention.

Recall: Skye is very good with her recall, and returns to me very excited! I'd never be worried about letting her off-lead as I can trust her to always come back now.

This photo shows Amber and Skye returning to me when I called them inside.

Sit: I can ask Skye to do this with hand signals, voice commands or both. She is very good. 1 in 3 times she will get a treat.

Down: A little bit more work perhaps, but not far off. She will respond to a hand signal  but doesn't understand the voice command just yet. Puppies learn hand signals before voice commands so that's why!

Stand: Not hugely important, but I'm teaching it to her all the same. If I have a treat in my hand, then she'll follow the treat into the stand position.

Heel: Overall very good. Ocassionally she will refuse to walk but this is happening less and less. If she gets excited then she sometimes pulls, but if I show her a treat and get her attention on me then she'll stay by my side.

Settle: Skye is great at this one at home, but not so good out and about. With practice she'll get there!

Drop: She is getting quite good at this one now (especially if I have a treat in my hand!). When we play fetch, she understands that if she wants me to throw the ball again for her then she has to give it back to me, which she does willingly.

Leave It: Skye finds food hard to resist therefore this one can be hard for her. If it's not food she tends to leave it no bother when I ask her.

I think that's all of her commands. Overall she's doing great - Well Done Skye!!