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Training Plan

Positive-reinforcement program. Last updated 2026-06-15. Click any skill to expand its how-to guide.

Baseline

Aerie arrived knowing nothing formal — no name response, no cues, no leash skills. She is shy / fearful and can shut down, so training is being kept low-pressure: short sessions, lots of distance from triggers, high-value treats, never force engagement. Decompression is roughly complete; active training starts the week of 2026-06-15.

Universal setup

Phase 1 — Foundations

Build the trust + communication system before asking for any "real" skills.

Name recognition ("Aerie") — looks at handler within 2 sec Status: not started
Goal: Aerie orients to handler within 2 seconds of hearing her name.  ·  Prereqs: none.
  1. Sit ~3 ft from her in a quiet room with treats.
  2. Say "Aerie" once, calmly. The instant she looks at you, mark "yes" and treat.
  3. If she doesn't look, make one small noise (kissy sound) to get the look, then mark + treat. Don't repeat her name.
  4. 5–10 reps per session. Several sessions per day.
  5. After 2 days, start saying her name when she's not already looking. Then add mild distractions.
Pitfall: repeating her name when she doesn't respond. Teaches her the name is background noise.
Reliable when: she looks within 2 sec, 8/10 trials, in 3 different rooms.
Marker word ("yes") — orients to handler expecting treat
Goal: she hears "yes" and immediately expects a treat.  ·  Prereqs: none.
  1. Hold a treat in your fist. Say "yes", then immediately deliver the treat. Don't ask her to do anything.
  2. Repeat 20 times. Mix up where the treat appears (left hand, right hand, drop on floor).
  3. Look for her head to snap toward you when she hears "yes" — that's the marker installed.
Pitfall: saying "yes" without delivering. Don't burn it on small approval.
Reliable when: she instantly orients on "yes" with no other prompt, 8/10 trials.
Hand target (nose touch) Great early confidence builder for shy dogs
Goal: she touches her nose to your offered palm.  ·  Prereqs: marker word.
  1. Offer your open palm 2–3 inches from her nose. Say nothing.
  2. The moment she sniffs or touches it, mark "yes" and treat.
  3. Repeat 10x. Move your hand to different positions each rep — slightly low, to one side, slightly farther.
  4. Once she's touching reliably, add the verbal cue "touch" just before presenting the hand.
Pitfall: moving your hand toward her face. Let her come to your hand.
Reliable when: she touches your palm on cue from across the room, 8/10 trials.
Crate comfort — settles for 30+ min
Goal: enters the crate willingly and settles for 30+ min.  ·  Prereqs: crate set up in a low-traffic area, door open.
  1. Day 1–2: toss treats into the crate, let her go in and out freely. No closing the door.
  2. Day 3+: feed her meals inside the crate (door open). Then door closed for the meal only, opened when she finishes.
  3. Gradually extend door-closed time: 1 min → 5 min → 15 min → 30 min.
  4. Pair the crate with a stuffed Kong or long-lasting chew so good things happen in there.
  5. Never use the crate as punishment.
Pitfall: closing the door too early. Panic sets the program back days. Slower is faster.
Reliable when: she enters on her own and settles for 30+ min while you're in another room.
Potty schedule — 7 days no indoor accidents Solid from day one in foster — zero indoor accidents
Already mastered. Maintain the AM/PM schedule + on-demand door signal.

Phase 2 — Leash & manners

Leash freeze is the top priority. It's a confidence problem disguised as a mechanical one.

Collar / harness acceptance
Goal: stands calmly while you put on collar or harness.  ·  Prereqs: marker word.
  1. Show her the gear, mark + treat for any neutral interaction (sniff, look).
  2. Touch the gear to her body without buckling, mark + treat.
  3. Buckle and immediately unbuckle, mark + treat. Repeat until calm.
  4. Leave the harness on for short periods (30 sec → 5 min → 30 min) inside.
Pitfall: chasing her down to put it on. Make gear application a thing she opts into.
Reliable when: she stands still or walks toward you when she sees the gear, 8/10 days.
Loose-leash walking — low distraction (5 min in a quiet area) Top priority — currently freezes when leashed
Goal: 5 min walking in a quiet area without pulling or freezing.  ·  Prereqs: harness acceptance, marker word.
  1. First: unfreeze. Attach leash inside the house, drop it, let her drag it around. High-value treats appear whenever she moves freely.
  2. Once she moves freely with leash dragging, pick it up but hold loosely. Walk in a circle indoors. Mark + treat any forward step.
  3. Move to the backyard, same drill. Pay heavily for forward movement.
  4. Driveway, then sidewalk — one new environment per day at most.
  5. Rule: any forward step on a loose leash earns a treat. If leash goes tight, stop. When she releases pressure, treat and continue.
Pitfall: dragging her forward when she freezes. Deepens the freeze. Wait her out, pay any voluntary movement, never pull.
Reliable when: she walks 5 min in a quiet area without pulling or freezing.
Loose-leash walking — medium distraction (neighborhood)
Goal: walks neighborhood loop with other dogs, people, cars present.  ·  Prereqs: reliable low-distraction loose-leash.
  1. Walk past one mild distraction (parked car, person across the street). Heavy treats while she's calm.
  2. When she notices a trigger, mark "yes" and treat before she fixates. This is engagement training.
  3. Increase distractions slowly: distant dog → moderate → across street → same side.
  4. Always be willing to U-turn and create distance if she's overwhelmed.
Pitfall: too close, too fast. If she stops eating treats, you're over threshold — back up.
Reliable when: she walks a full neighborhood loop on a loose leash, looking to you near triggers.
Sit — on verbal cue, no lure
Goal: sits on verbal cue, no lure.  ·  Prereqs: marker word.
  1. Hold a treat at her nose, slowly raise it over her head. Her butt should drop.
  2. The instant her butt touches the floor, mark + treat.
  3. Repeat 10x. Then remove treat from your hand — same hand motion, treat from your other hand.
  4. Fade the hand motion. Add the verbal cue "sit" just before the motion.
  5. Eventually drop the motion — verbal only.
Pitfall: pushing her butt down. Never. She has to figure it out.
Reliable when: she sits on verbal cue with no hand motion, 8/10 trials in 3 environments.
Down — on verbal cue, no lure
Goal: lies down on verbal cue, no lure.  ·  Prereqs: sit on cue.
  1. From sit, hold a treat at her nose and slowly lower it straight down between her paws.
  2. Slowly draw the treat forward along the floor. She should follow it down into a down position.
  3. Mark + treat the moment her elbows hit the floor.
  4. Add the verbal cue "down" and fade the hand motion same as sit.
Pitfall: if she pops up to follow the treat, you're moving too fast. Slow the lure.
Reliable when: she lies down on verbal cue from sit or stand, 8/10 trials.
Wait at thresholds — pauses at door until released
Goal: pauses at doors/gates until released. Big safety skill.  ·  Prereqs: sit on cue.
  1. At an interior door, ask for sit. Reach for the doorknob. If she stays, mark + treat. If she breaks, reset.
  2. Build duration: open door an inch, close, treat. Then more.
  3. Add a release word "OK" or "free" that releases her through.
  4. Generalize: front door, car door, gate.
Pitfall: letting her self-release sometimes. The rule has to be 100% — wait until released, always.
Reliable when: she sits and waits at the front door until released, 8/10 trials.

Phase 3 — Reliability

Skills she already knows, generalized across distance, duration, and distraction (the "3 Ds").

Stay — 30 sec, 10 ft
Goal: holds sit or down while you move away and time passes.  ·  Prereqs: sit and down on cue.
  1. Ask for sit. Wait 1 second. Mark + treat. Build duration first: 1 → 3 → 5 → 10 → 30 sec.
  2. Once duration is solid, add distance: half a step back, return, treat. Build to 10 ft.
  3. Once distance is solid, add distractions (drop a toy, walk in a circle).
  4. Always work one D at a time. Never combine until each is solid alone.
Pitfall: reinforcing the break. If she gets up, calmly reset — never treat after a break.
Reliable when: 30 sec stay at 10 ft with mild distractions, 8/10 trials.
Recall ("come") — from across the yard, 8/10
Goal: comes from across the yard, 8/10 trials. Potentially life-saving.  ·  Prereqs: name recognition, marker word.
  1. Indoor, 3 ft: call "Aerie, come!" in your happiest voice. Mark + treat when she arrives. Make it a party.
  2. Always pay heavily for recalls. Use your highest-value treat.
  3. Build distance gradually: across the room → down the hall → across the yard.
  4. Add distractions only after distance is solid.
Pitfall: calling her for anything she doesn't like (bath, nail trim, crate). Recall must always equal good. Go get her for unpleasant things; never call her.
Reliable when: she comes from across the yard with mild distractions, 8/10 trials.
Leave it — disengages from food/object on cue
Goal: disengages from food/object on cue.  ·  Prereqs: marker word.
  1. Place a low-value treat on the floor under your hand. She'll try to get it. Wait.
  2. The instant she stops trying — even a glance away — mark + treat from your other hand (different treat).
  3. Build to placing the treat in the open and saying "leave it".
  4. Generalize to dropped food, objects on walks, etc.
Pitfall: letting her eat the "leave it" item as a reward. Reward always comes from your other hand, never the forbidden item.
Reliable when: she leaves a treat on the floor on cue, even when you walk away.
Drop it — releases item from her mouth on cue
Goal: releases item from her mouth on cue.  ·  Prereqs: marker word.
  1. While she's holding a low-value toy, present a high-value treat near her nose. She'll drop the toy.
  2. The moment she drops, say "drop", mark, treat, and give the toy back.
  3. Giving the toy back is critical — teaches that "drop" doesn't mean losing the fun.
  4. Build to higher-value items and items she's running with.
Pitfall: always taking the item away after drop. She'll learn to guard. Give it back most of the time.
Reliable when: she drops on verbal cue alone, 8/10 trials.
Place / settle on bed — 5 min
Goal: goes to her bed on cue and stays 5+ min.  ·  Prereqs: hand target or lure familiarity.
  1. Lure her onto the bed/mat with a treat. Mark + treat when all 4 paws are on.
  2. Add the cue "place" and gradually fade the lure.
  3. Build duration on the mat: 5 sec → 30 sec → 1 min → 5 min, treating periodically while she stays.
  4. Add a release word.
Pitfall: not treating during the stay. Staying on the mat is what pays, not arriving.
Reliable when: she goes to her bed on cue and stays 5 min while you do something else.

Phase 4 — Life skills

Handling, travel, and social situations. Most of this is desensitization, not "training" in the cue sense.

Handling — paws (for nail trims)
Goal: tolerates paw handling and nail trims calmly.  ·  Prereqs: none.
  1. Sit with her, touch one paw briefly, mark + treat. Just touch, don't hold.
  2. Build to holding paw for 1 sec, 3 sec, 10 sec — each step over multiple sessions.
  3. Introduce nail clippers as an object she can sniff. Treat for any neutral interaction.
  4. Touch clipper to nail without cutting, treat. Then trim one nail per session, end with a jackpot.
Pitfall: trimming too many nails in one session. One nail per session is faster long-term than a forced full trim that scares her.
Reliable when: she offers a paw and stays calm through a full trim.
Handling — ears, mouth, baths
Goal: tolerates ear checks, mouth exams, and baths without struggle.  ·  Prereqs: none. Baths have been a struggle so far — slow down here.
  1. Ears/mouth: brief touch + treat. Build duration the same as paws.
  2. Baths: stop trying to wash her. First, get her comfortable with the tub. Treats in dry tub. Then a damp washcloth. Then warm water on paws only. Then full bath in tiny increments over weeks.
  3. Use a lick mat with peanut butter stuck to the tub wall during baths.
Pitfall: forcing the bath because she's dirty. Tolerated baths now save a decade of struggle.
Reliable when: she walks into the tub voluntarily for a full bath without struggle.
Car rides — loads willingly + settles
Goal: loads willingly and settles during drives.  ·  Prereqs: none.
  1. Park in driveway, doors open. Feed meals near the car, then in the car. No driving.
  2. Once she'll sit in the parked car calmly, close door, treat through window, open door. Build duration.
  3. Short drives (around the block) ending somewhere good (yard, park).
  4. Always pair car with positive endings — never use it only for vet visits.
Pitfall: long first drive. Motion sickness or panic on a first ride sets the program back weeks.
Reliable when: she loads on cue and lies down for the drive.
Meeting new people calmly For Aerie this is a fear edge, not arousal — train for confidence
Goal: no jumping, no shutdown.  ·  Prereqs: marker word.
  1. New person stands sideways, ignores her. Mark + treat any voluntary approach from Aerie.
  2. New person crouches low (her established trust posture). Lets Aerie come to them.
  3. New person can drop treats on the floor — never reach toward her face.
  4. Use Koda as a social bridge when possible — he runs up first, she follows.
  5. Always give her the option to retreat. Choice builds confidence.
Pitfall: strangers reaching over her head or moving toward her. Brief everyone in advance.
Reliable when: she greets new people in a relaxed body posture, no shutdown.
Meeting new dogs neutrally — calm leash greeting
Goal: calm leash greeting with a new dog.  ·  Prereqs: reasonable leash skills.
  1. Start with parallel walks — same direction, 20+ ft apart. Build down the distance gradually as both dogs stay calm.
  2. If both dogs are loose and relaxed, brief 3-second sniff, then "let's go" and walk away. End on calm.
  3. Prefer mellow, smaller dogs (Koda profile) for first intros.
Pitfall: on-leash greetings with a tight leash. Tension travels down the leash and creates conflict.
Reliable when: she meets a new dog on leash with relaxed body, no reactivity.
Alone-time tolerance — 2+ hours Already a 5/5 strength — maintain
Goal: relaxed alone for 2+ hours. Prereqs: none.
  • Maintain the existing routine — she settles on the couch and explores alone without distress.
  • If you add crate training, make sure crate-alone-time is just as relaxed as loose-alone-time before counting on it.
Reliable when: already there.
Vet handling — accepts basic exam without sedation
Goal: accepts basic vet exam without sedation.  ·  Prereqs: handling foundations (paws, ears, mouth).
  1. Practice "exam-style" handling at home: stand her, run hands down her body, lift ear flaps, check teeth, hold paw — each one rewarded.
  2. Visit the vet for "happy visits" — walk in, treats, leave. No exam.
  3. Coordinate with vet for low-stress handling protocols on real visits.
Pitfall: only going to the vet for shots/blood draws. Build positive associations first.
Reliable when: she accepts a basic exam (temperature, ears, teeth, paws, listen) without restraint or sedation.

Tricks (bonus)

All optional. Great for confidence and bonding once foundations are solid.

Shake
  1. From sit, hold a treat in a closed fist near her paw. She'll paw at it.
  2. The instant her paw lifts, mark + treat (with treat from your other hand).
  3. Add the cue "shake" and shape until she lifts her paw on cue without the fist lure.
Spin
  1. Lure her in a circle with a treat at her nose. Mark + treat when she completes the circle.
  2. Fade the lure to a finger circle, then add the cue "spin".
Roll over
  1. From down, lure her nose to her shoulder. She should fall onto her side.
  2. Continue luring across her body — she rolls. Mark + treat each progression.
  3. Add the cue "roll over" once she's reliable.
Speak / quiet
  1. Capture: wait for a natural bark, mark + treat. Add the cue "speak" when she's offering barks for treats.
  2. For quiet: ask for speak, then wait for her to stop. Mark the silence with "quiet" + treat.
Pitfall: only train if her baseline barking is already low. Don't make a barker.

Methodology

Positive reinforcement only: marker word "yes" paired with a treat the moment Aerie does the right thing. No physical corrections, no aversives. Short sessions (3–10 min) several times per day.