Teaching a Puppy Woah

[Chuckles]

I recently purchased the NAVHDA dog training book and DVD and in it they show a method of teaching woah on a bench where you basically stand the pup in front of you and hold him with a leash and a hand between his hind legs and slowly hold less saying woah, and resetting him if he moves, and continuing to work on that as the pup grows and as he gets better at it moving away from the table and walking around him (specifically behind) and eventually even pulling on the leash while saying woah so that he holds tension.

I decided to try it even though I didn't have a table and so in front of the TV in the living room on the floor a couple times a night I set Mojo up and say woah, in no time at all (the third short session) I was able to command woah and walk around the room with him being still and standing (i repeated woah, woah, woah calmly). Every time he moves I quickly move in and reset him and repeat my movement away. In the end I give an okay command and really love him up for being a good boy.

Yesterday we were out playing with the tennis ball and I gave the woah command two or three times before I threw the ball, and sure enough he stood at my side until I released him from woah, then ran to get the ball.

I know he has a long way to go before he's stopping on a dime but I really wanted to share this because I had thought woah training would be one of the hardest things I did, but in a week I feel like we have a really good start with a 20 week old puppy.

Chuck