Gates are a great training tool! To learn more about gates, click here to read the article I recently wrote about crates and gates. But for now, I want to dive into the instructions for training your puppy to remain behind a gate rather than trying to scramble up and over when it gets excited. This training might seem like something that is only needed with larger dogs, but I can assure you that some smaller dog breeds are just as capable of finding a way over a gate if they have never learned to stay on their side of it. So, let’s dive in and take a look at the steps I use to teach puppies to remain behind a gate.
What You Need
· Clicker
· Treats
· Treat Pouch
· Gate
Training Steps
Part 1 – Condition the Gate
First, you want to condition that gate so its role in your puppy’s life is clear. There are two main games you can play to accomplish this. The first is better for puppies who don’t seem too interested in the gate, and the other is for puppies who show signs of wanting to jump the gate.
For those who seem less interested in the gate, simply practice leaving your puppy behind the gate for a few seconds at a time with a yummy stuffed chew toy. Ensure there are toys and other forms of entertainment behind the gate so your puppy has all it needs on that side of the gate. The first few times you do this, leave for only a few seconds, coming in and out while your puppy enjoys its snack. Over time, you can leave for longer periods of time.
If your puppy seems more inclined to jump over the gate. Start by leaving some treats on the floor behind the gate. Let your puppy eat them while you open the gate, walk out, then close it. Toss some more treats to your puppy before it starts moving towards the gate (you may need to spread the treats out in the room so you have more time to leave and close the gate behind you). Toss a few more treats so your puppy has to go get them. While it is eating the treats, open the gate and come back in, closing the gate behind you. The goal of this game is to condition your puppy to the process of you coming and going through the gate while it is still a ways off. This conditioning helps your puppy understand that it doesn’t need to run right up to you while you are fiddling with opening and closing the gate.
Note: Puppies with separation anxiety will need a different protocol. Please get in touch with a trainer for help in that case.
Part 2 – Stop at Gate
Once your puppy is conditioned to the gate, you opening and closing it, and coming in and out through it; it is time to do a little bit of training. This training requires a little more dedication, but it is a great thing to work on with your puppy.
Step 1: With your puppy by your side, approach the gate and stop when you arrive at the gate (leave it closed). Click and treat your puppy for stopping with you at the gate. Repeat this process about three or four times.
Step 2: Next time you approach the gate, open the gate a couple of inches. Click and treat your puppy for staying right next to you. Close the gate and repeat until you can open the gate all the way without your puppy going through.
Step 3: Combine steps one and two so you walk up to the gate with your puppy, stop, and open the gate without your puppy going through. At first, click and treat your puppy for stopping at the gate and staying by you while you open the gate. After about ten tries with at least eight correct, gradually fade out the first click (e.g., approach the gate, click, and treat. Open the gate, click, and treat. Close the gate and start over. Approach the gate, then open the gate, click, and treat your puppy staying put. Close the gate and start over. For the next two repetitions, click for both the initial stop and the staying put when the gate opens, then go back to clicking for only staying put. Over time, gradually fade out the first click for stopping at the gate).
Step 4: Next, approach the gate with your puppy, open the gate, and step across the boundary. Click and treat for your puppy staying on its side of the gate rather than following you. At this point, it can be helpful to step over and turn to face your puppy all in one move so your puppy has no opportunity to move over the gate boundary with you. You can do this the first few times and gradually fade out the “turn and face” of your puppy. After you click and treat your puppy for staying put, close the gate, click and treat.
Step 5: Practice until you can leave through the gate and close it without your puppy trying to follow you. After you practice this for a few days and your puppy has at least a ninety percent success rate, begin to fade out all the clicks, except the click it gets for staying put while you close the gate.
Step 6: Now that your puppy knows about the boundary, you will change up the game. So make sure your puppy fully knows this behavior before starting on this step. Once your puppy can complete all the others at a ninety percent success rate, begin to toss treats on the ground, then leave, closing the gate behind you. Immediately return and toss treats away from the gate while you come back in. Practice this, as it will teach your puppy that it doesn’t need to always follow you to the boundary.
Step 7: Next, you are going to teach your puppy that it needs to wait for you to approach the gate when you are on opposite sides. Start by leaving some treats away from the gate. Leave the room, closing the gate behind you. Walk a few steps away. If your puppy remains where it is, click and treat. Repeat, gradually adding distance to the process. Do this both starting with you out of sight and with you in the site. Some puppies will have a harder time when you are in sight than out of sight, so you will need to start closer and work your way farther away. Do this gradually.
Step 8: It is important that the gate opening is not the cue. There will be times when you need to have the gate open, and your puppy remains on one side. So, last but not least, train the release cue by opening the gate and holding your hand out, cuing your puppy to come through and touch your hand with its nose. It may hesitate, but that is alright. Once it comes through, click and treat. Repeat, but this time, wait a moment with the gate open before you cue your puppy to come through and touch your hand. If it comes through without being cued, do not click. Reset and try again. If it waits, click and treat for the wait! Then cue it to come through a gain. Gradually fade out the click and treat for the wait, rewarding your puppy for waiting by cuing it to come join you.
Closing Thoughts
Ensure that when you are training, you give more reinforcement for staying behind the gate. You can do this by giving meals back there, chew toys, and other forms of entertainment (even if you end up leaving the gate open). Also, if you prefer to use a verbal release, simply add the verbal cue just before you cue the nose-to-hand target. Eventually, you can fade the target and just use the word. Also, make sure that your cues are extremely clear and well-proofed. In other words, use a release cue that clearly means “come through the gate.” Puppies do great with hand signals, even better than verbal cues. So, if you can use a hand signal, that would be great! The nose touch behavior is a great option.
Make sure to keep sessions short (you will not be working through all steps in one day) and reinforce your puppy at the end with some special one-on-one time so that it knows you still want to hand out with it, and the gate does not always mean you will be leaving. Also, keep it fun! Enjoy that game, and if you need help, let me know!
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