Basic Dog Training Online Course

Section 6: Impulse Control/Self Control

What You Will Learn:

This section covers issues that relate to our dogs learning to control their impulses and use some self control in order to get what they want. These behaviors build on Section 5’s Foundation Behaviors. You should have a good start with the Foundation Behaviors before moving on to these exercises. We also recommend having a good start to this section before moving on to Section 7.

For a well-trained dog, impulse control or self control is essential. For the well-trained dog, they will learn to follow your cues to wait to be released for meals or through doorways. They will learn to sit politely for greetings before getting permission to be petted by visitors. Most of the exercises in this section are typical daily scenarios. Some things might happen several times per day, once a day, or a few times per week. Regardless, they are regular occurrences for the most part and responding reliably to you in those situations builds us closer and closer to that well-trained dog.

For the well-behaved dog, these regular scenarios will become good habits. After some practice, the dog who has learned to sit and wait until released before meals, will begin to sit and wait without needing to be cued to do so. Remember, well-behaved means they have learned to make good decisions without needing constant reminders or prompts from us. So in a routine situation such as meals, the dog learns that using some self control without being prompted first is the good choice and will result in good things.

Handouts: The handouts below are in PDF format. Please click to open. You can save them to your device if you wish.

Video (below):

Taking Treats Gently
Body Blocking
Food Bowl Exercise
Door Wait Exercise
Door Wait: Demo Of Finished Behavior
Wait vs Stay
Stay
Jumping
Teaching Polite Greetings/No Jumping
Leave It
Leave It Advanced

What to do:

Practice these exercises throughout the day in the situations you want to use them, such as when feeding meals, going through doorways and when visitors arrive.