Goal:

  • Have puppy put their front feet on one platform and their back feet on the other platform

What you need:

  1. Non-slippery floor

  2. Two low, stable platforms

    • Ideally the platforms are of the same height, but a small difference in height is acceptable

    • The two platforms DO NOT have to be of the same size. When we first start, It is often easier to use a larger platform for the back feet.

  3. Cookies

  4. Your puppy

What to do:

  1. Place the two platforms between you and the puppy. The distance of the two platforms should be approximately where puppy’s front and back feet are.

  2. Put a cookie on the floor or in a bowl, away from you for the puppy to eat

  3. When puppy comes back towards you and puts their front feet onto the platform further from you (i.e., back feet target), mark + treat

  4. Lure puppy forward so they step off the back feet target and puts their front feet onto the platform closer to you (i.e., front feet target), mark + treat

    • Mark + treat even if neither back foot is on the back feet target

  5. Toss a cookie away from you and the platforms

  6. Repeat steps 3-5

What the progression may look like:

  1. Both front feet on front feet target, no back feet on back feet target

  2. Both front feet on front feet target, one back foot on back feet target

  3. One front foot on front feet target, one back foot on back feet target

  4. Both front feet on front feet target, both back feet on back feet target