Puppy Skills Program

These are the core skills and behaviours that the pup will need to learn during puppy raising. The skills in this section are good foundational skills for any puppy, and guiding skills that the pup will learn later.

Your PDA will guide you to teach these skills. It is also important to practice regularly and to be consistent.

Start teaching these skills in a low-distraction environment and in short, fun sessions that take around five to 10 minutes. There are also lots of opportunities to capture and reinforce desired skills and behaviours in normal, everyday life. As the skill becomes more fluent, make sure you generalise to different environments and different people. You will gradually increase difficulty by adding distraction, distance and duration. Have fun!

Skills taught in puppy raising.

Name response.

What does name response look like?

The pup responds to hearing their name by looking at you.

Why do we teach name response?

This skill helps you grab the pup’s attention, either to provide another cue, to interrupt a behaviour or to redirect the pup’s attention on to you if they’re distracted. It is also the start of developing a good recall response.

Having a good name response also helps to strengthen the bond between you and the pup and will help the pup to be engaged and attentive when learning new skills.

How to teach name response:

We can teach name response by simply pairing the pup’s name with a food reward. Do a number of repetitions early where the kibble is presented immediately after saying the pup’s name. As the pup begins to learn the association, say the pup’s name and wait for the pup to look at you, then present the food reward. As the skill becomes consolidated, provide other reinforcers when the pup looks at you, such as praise, pats and play.

Check in.

What does check in look like?

The pup turns and makes eye contact with you without being prompted by a verbal cue or hand signal. 

Why do we teach check in?

Check ins can be useful for teaching the pup to ignore distractions and instead remain connected with their Handler. It can be a useful behaviour as a first step when shaping an alternative behaviour around a distraction. For example, if teaching the pup to walk past another dog calmly and without losing focus, the first step may be to reward the pup for checking in when they notice the distraction.

How to teach check-in.

Capture the moment the pup looks at you with a “yes!” and food reward. Practice around distractions, beginning with minor distractions or from a distance where the pup remains in the green (think and learn) or yellow zone.

Sit.

What does “sit” look like?

The pup sits with their rear end on the ground and stays in position until cued otherwise. We may start by teaching the pup to sit in front facing the Handler, or on the left-hand side from the heel position. For the final behaviour, we want the pup to come into the heel position (left hand side of the Handler) and sit parallel with the Handler facing the same direction in response to the verbal cue “sit”.

Why do we teach “sit”?

Sit is a foundation skill that we teach all our pups. It is important in a variety of settings and helps teach the pup patience and self-control. It can be used as for management to position the pup while you attend to something else and is also a prerequisite for other skills such as under the seat and procedures such as feeding.

How to teach “sit”:

Use a lure to position the pup into a sit. When the pup sits, mark and reward with the pup still in the sit position. You can also capture the behaviour. For example, if the pup offers a sit and it is in an appropriate context, mark with a “yes!” and reward the behaviour.

Down.

What does “down” look like?

The pup lays down in a relaxed position in response to the verbal cue “down” and stays in this position until cued otherwise. Initially, you may start by teaching the pup to lay down when they are in front of you. For the final behaviour, we want the pup to come to the heel position and lay down parallel with and facing the same direction as the Handler.

Why do we teach “down”?

Similar to “sit”, “down” is a foundational skill that we teach all our dogs. It helps teach the pup patience and self-control. It can be used to position the pup while you attend to something else and is also a prerequisite for other skills such as settling and seating.

How to teach “down”:

To teach “down”, we start with a lure. When the pup successfully lays down, mark and reward with the pup still in the down position. You can also capture the behaviour by rewarding the pup when they lay down in an appropriate context.

Stay.

What does “stay” look like?

The pup remains in a position (such as sit, down or stand) until cued otherwise.

Why do we teach “stay”?

“Stay” is used to keep the pup in a position until the Handler is ready to move on. It can be a useful skill to keep the pup in position while the Handler attends to something else and can be used to teach patience and self-control, particularly around exciting situations such as play. It is prerequisite to other skills such as settling, car and door procedure and patiently waiting until a Handler is ready to move on.

"Stay" is used is when standing at the curb while waiting to cross a road, laying down for extended periods of time at service counters, sitting at doorways and gates before walking through them, and at mealtimes.

How to teach “stay”:

Capture moments when the pup has remained in position by rewarding with praise and/or a food reward. Shape “stay” by rewarding for short stays in the beginning and gradually increasing the duration of the stay before rewarding and releasing the pup from position. Begin to add the verbal cue “stay” when you want the pup to remain in position, and reward before the pup moves out of position. Remember to release the pup from the position by providing a cue for another behaviour or using “free” to release the pup to do whatever they want.

Stand.

What does “stand” look like?

The pup stands up from a sit or down position in response to the verbal cue “up-stand”.

Why do we teach “stand”?

“Stand” is often used when the Handler is ready to move on from a stationary position. It can also be a useful skill when health checking or grooming the pup.

How to teach “stand”:

Say the verbal cue “up-stand” then use a lure to guide the pup into a stand position from either a sit or down position. When the pup stands, mark and reward. This is a behaviour that you don’t want to use capturing for, as this may create popping up out of a sit and down position.

Recall.

What does recall look like?

The pup returns to you promptly and gently makes nose contact with the back of your hand in response to the verbal cue “come!”

Why do we teach recall?

A strong recall gives the Handler confidence that the pup will return to them, even in the presence of distractions. We use recall around the home and yard when we need the pup to come, and it also allows us to exercise the pup in an off-leash area and have confidence that the pup will come when called. A strong recall is also a great tool to have to interrupt the pup if it is doing or about to do something undesirable such as scavenge from the ground or if it is heading away from the Handler. The gentle nose touch to the back of the hand helps a person who is blind or low vision know that the pup has returned and is ready to have the leash reattached.

How to teach recall:

A strong recall starts with a good name response. It can be started with associative learning (such as pairing “come!” with a food reward) and can be shaped by rewarding small steps such as looking in your direction, moving in your direction to finally returning all the way and making contact with the back of your hand.

Give.

What does “give” look like?

The pup willingly releases an item to the Handler that they have in their mouth in response to the verbal cue “give”.

Why do we teach “give”?

Puppies will pick things up in their mouths from time to time and “give” is a useful skill to ensure the pup willingly releases the item to the Handler. This could be in the context of playing a game with the pup and asking them to release a toy, or because they have picked something up that they shouldn’t.

How to teach “give”:

Practice with an appropriate item such as a dog toy. When the pup has the toy in their mouth, present a piece of kibble to the pup. Say the cue “give”, then when they release the toy into your hands, mark and reward with the kibble. Gradually move to saying the cue first, then present the food reward when the pup has released the item.

Capturing the behaviour is also a good way to teach “give”. Capture the moment a pup releases an item by marking with a “yes!” and giving a food reward if handy, or lots of praise and pats if not. If it is a toy the pup is allowed to have, you can reward the give by returning the toy to the pup and playing with it. If it is an item that the pup should not have, you can still reinforce the give by redirecting to a more appropriate item.

Heel.

What does “heel” look like?

The pup moves to the left-hand side of the Handler and stands parallel with and facing the same direction as the Handler, in response to the verbal cue “heel”.

Why do we teach “heel”?

The heel position is used as the starting point for many other skills and behaviours in Guide Dog work and is a useful skill for all dogs no matter what role they end up choosing. A good return to heel allows the Handler who is blind or has low vision to line the dog up with them, so they can maintain their line of travel and the dog won’t come across them. The heel position is the starting position for “let’s go!” in puppy raising, putting the puppy coat (or Guide Dog harness) on and later, for turns and other Guide Dog skills.

How to teach “heel”:

Using a food lure, have the pup follow your hand while you move your hand slowly in a U-shape to guide the pup into position beside your left leg. When your pup is standing parallel to you and beside your left leg, mark and reward this command in position.

Walking on lead.

What does walking on lead look like?

The preferred position for the pup when walking on lead is beside the Handler’s left leg, or just in front of the Handler with light tension in the lead.

Use the cue “let’s go!” to begin moving off with your pup, and “this way” when changing direction.

Why do we teach walking on lead?

All dogs are required to be on lead when walked in most public areas. The lead is an important safety mechanism to ensure the pup doesn’t run off and get hurt. The pup will need to be comfortable being walked on lead regardless of the career they choose.

How to teach walking on lead:

Establish a connection with the puppy by using their name to get their attention before you move off. Engage the puppy with verbal praise and encouragement. Capture the moment when the pup is in the desired walking position by saying “yes!” and providing a food reward. You can also shape the preferred lead walking position by rewarding smaller increments towards the goal lead walking position.

Use change of direction to help keep the pup engaged and connected with you. Get the pup’s attention by saying their name, then say “this way” as you change direction.

On your bed.

What does “on your bed” look like?

The pup will go to their bed or mat and lay down in response to the verbal cue; “on your bed” (often accompanied by a gestural cue of pointing towards the bed or mat).

Why do we teach “on your bed”?

It is important that we can place the puppies on a bed or mat in a variety of environments and contexts. For example:

• placing the pup on their bed when preparing food or eating dinner;
• when visitors arrive;
• to help settle the pup when they become over-aroused;
• whilst working, or in an office setting; or
• for sleep-time!

How to teach “on your bed”:

Say the verbal cue “on your bed” and lure the pup onto the bed (or mat). Gradually increase the distance from the bed as you give the cue. Generalise “on your bed” to other beds, mats, towels, or anything comfortable that can be clearly identified as a station where you want the pup to settle and remain.

Car travel.

What does car travel look like?

Entering the car.

The pup will remain sitting until cued to enter the car by the Handler with the verbal cue “in you get”, or “load up”.

Exiting the car.

The pup will remain in the car until cued to exit the car by the Handler with the verbal cue “out you get”. Upon exiting, the pup will remain standing by the side of the Handler until cued to “let’s go!”.

Travelling in the car.

Until around 16 weeks old, the pup should travel in the small travel crate. This can be placed on the back seat and tethered using either a car harness or the seatbelt.

After 16 weeks old, the pup may travel in the front passenger footwell, the back seat or in the rear of SUVs and station wagons. The pup should be tethered using a car restraint or by securing the pup’s leash to a fixed point in the car. Ensure the lead is long enough that the pup can stand and turn around, but not so long that the pup can roam around the car and pose a distraction.

Why do we teach car travel?

It is important that the pup does not take the opening of the car or boot door to be the cue to jump into or out of the car. This can lead to rushing and potentially harm the Guide Dog Handler or pup. The pup should wait patiently until invited to enter or exit by their Handler.

How to teach car travel:

When opening a car door for the pup to either enter or exit a vehicle, ask the pup to stay and calmly open the door. If the pup makes a move too quickly, calmly close the door and reiterate the “stay” cue. When the door is opened sufficiently and the pup has remained in place, invite them to either enter or exit the vehicle. Being allowed to either enter or exit the vehicle is the reward for the stay behaviour.

Entering the Car.

Exiting the car.

Chin rest.

What does a chin rest look like?

The puppy gently places their chin on a designated surface (such as your hand, a towel, or a vet table) and holds it there calmly for several seconds.

Why do we teach a chin rest?

A chin rest helps puppies stay still and relaxed during vet exams, grooming, or Guide Dog assessments. It builds trust, reduces stress, and allows for easier inspection of eyes, ears, teeth, and more. It can also be used for more advanced husbandry tasks such as ear cleaning and application of ear and eye medication.

How to teach a chin rest.

• Start with a hand target:
  • Present your flat hand under their chin.
  • Reward the puppy when they lower their chin onto your hand.
• Increase duration.
• Add a cue:
  • Once consistent, introduce a verbal cue like “chin” or “rest.”
  • Say the cue just before presenting your hand.
• Generalise to other surfaces:
  • For example, a towel, vet table or your lap.
  • Lower your criteria and capture a chin rest of short duration when first introducing a new surface before building duration again.
• Add gentle handling:
  • While the puppy rests their chin, gently touch ears, lift lips, or check paws.
  • Continue to reward the puppy for maintaining the chin rest as you gently handle them.
• Move onto more complex health check and grooming activities, and introduction of equipment when:
  • Puppy offers the chin rest on cue.
  • The puppy maintains the chin rest, whilst remaining calm and stable, for a duration of five to 10 seconds.
  • The puppy allows gentle handling during the chin rest.

Tips for success.

• Keep sessions short and positive (one to two minutes).
• Practice daily in different environments.
• Introduce body handling in less sensitive areas, for example, the body or ears before moving onto more sensitive areas such as eyes, mouth and paws.

Troubleshooting.

• If you’re unable to capture a chin rest initially, look for any small step in that direction, for example, a head dip, or the puppy looks in the direction of the hand (or other surface).
• Don’t rush the duration. Build up slowly.
• If the puppy pulls away, reset and try again with a smaller goal.
• If the puppy loses interest, end the activity and come back to it another time.

Close.

What does “close” look like?

When the Handler is seated, the puppy moves into position between the Handler’s legs and sits facing forward, aligned in the same direction as the Handler.

Why do we teach “close”?

The close position is a useful skill for when you are in a public situation with the pup and where the pup needs to be out of the way. It also allows you to keep the pup’s tail safe, and to monitor the head of the puppy to prevent unwanted scavenging. The close position is useful in situations like when you’re seated at a bus or train station, at a bench seat or when seating is close together.

How to teach “close”:

Step one: teach with a lure.

1. Sit on a chair with your knees apart.
2. Have the puppy face you.
3. Say “close” and tap the inside of your knee twice.
4. Use a treat (lure) to guide the pup:
   • from in front of you;
   • between your legs; and
   • around so they turn and sit facing forward (same direction as you).
5. Gently guide their hips if needed so they sit in the middle.
6. As soon as they sit, say “yes!”, reward, and praise.
7. Release with “free”.

Practice until the pup starts moving into position as soon as you say “close” and tap your knee.

Step two: fade the lure.

1. Say “close” and tap your knee.
2. Use your hands to guide if needed but reduce the use of treats as a lure.
3. Reward once the pup completes the full movement on their own.
4. Practice in different places and gradually increase distractions.

What success looks like.

When you say “close” and tap your knee, the pup:

• walks in;
• turns around; and
• sits between your legs, facing forward (same direction as you).

Crate acceptance.

What does crate acceptance look like?

The pup enters the crate willingly and settles quickly. The pup can remain settled for reasonable periods of time in their crate. To differentiate the crate from the pup's bed or other areas where you use “on your bed”, you can use the verbal cue “kennel” to cue the pup into the crate.

Why do we teach crate acceptance?

A crate helps prepare pups for the inevitable times they must be left alone. Teaching crate acceptance can also help the pup remain relaxed and less stressed when placed in other areas of confinement, for example during veterinary stays or in Guide Dog training where they will spend time in a kennel and in a training van. A crate in the home can provide the pup with a safe space they can retreat to when they need some alone time. It can be a useful management tool to contain the puppy during short periods where the pup cannot be supervised.

Please note that the pup should not be left in the crate for extended periods, that is, no more than two hours at a time, and no more than four hours on any given day. It is important that the crate does not replace active supervision of the pup in the home.

How to teach crate acceptance:

Leave the door to the crate open and allow the pup time and space to explore. Capture the moment a pup enters the crate with praise and a food reward. This is a great opportunity to apply the “least intrusive” aspect of LIMA to training, as the more the pup has agency and feels they can choose to enter and leave the crate, the quicker they’ll accept it and the more relaxed they’ll be about their crate.

If the pup appears comfortable with the crate, you can also begin the process of putting it on cue by saying the cue “kennel” and luring the pup into the crate, gradually fading the lure over time.

Use shaping to build duration in the crate. For example, close the door for only short periods in the beginning, and gradually increase the time the pup remains in their crate (while you gradually move further away and out of sight of the crate).

As the pup accepts and feels comfortable with their crate, add the cue word “kennel” and lure (if required) or gesture toward the crate.

Door and gate procedure.

What does door and gate procedure look like?

The pup sits (or stands still) while the Handler opens their door or gate and only proceeds through when the Handler cues them to.

Why do we teach door or gate procedure?

Teaching a proper door or gate procedure helps improve Handler and pup safety by preventing the pup from rushing through when a door or gate opens. It can also help teach the pup patience and self-control to improve manageability.

How to teach door and gate procedure:

Ask the pup for a “sit”.  Then open the door or gate, keeping your hand on the handle. Turn and face the pup and invite them through with a “let’s go”. Once the pup is safely through, close the door or gate. This is a good example where you can use a life reward to reinforce the behaviour, as the invitation to come through the opening can act as the reward for the “sit”.

If you find it hard to get the “sit” beforehand, allow the pup to stand and ask them to “stay” while you open the door or gate. This can still teach some impulse control and ensure the pup doesn’t rush through the opening.

Food bowl manners.

What do food bowl manners look like?

The pup sits and waits while you lower the food bowl and stays in place until released with a verbal cue “free”.

Why do we teach food bowl manners?

Dinner time is a good opportunity to reinforce “sit” and “stay”. Teaching some patience and impulse control when preparing and delivering the food bowl to the pup will also improve safety for their future Handler, ensuring they can bend over, place the bowl on the ground and stand back up again without the adult dog jumping up on them.

How to teach food bowl manners:

In this instance, dinner is obviously a big reward so you can make access to dinner contingent on a "sit and stay” beforehand. If the pup pops up out of a sit before you have stood back up, simply lift the food bowl and start again, reiterating to the pup to “sit”, then “stay”.

Some shaping will be required, that is, initially a very short sit may be rewarded with the food bowl, gradually raising the criteria to include slowly placing the bowl on the ground and standing back up again to full height before releasing the pup with the cue “free”.

Food refusal.

What does food refusal look like?

When walking on leash with a handler, the pup notices food on the ground and calmly walks past. They may offer a check-in to the handler as they have learnt that ignoring food on the ground may result in a reward.

Why do we teach food refusal?

It’s common knowledge that Labradors love their food (or other people’s. They’re not fussy). Scraps of food on the ground are commonplace in the environment. However, a Handler who is blind or has low vision may not know when there is food on the ground in their vicinity. Without prompting, a Guide Dog must be able to pass by this food (or other items) without lunging or pull towards the food and without scavenging food from the ground. Scavenging food from the ground can be a safety risk to the Handler or cause them to lose orientation.

How to teach food refusal:

“Name response” and “check in” are pre-requisites and should be established before entering environments with distractions such as food on the ground.

Start by placing some food scraps on the ground in an otherwise low-distraction environment. With the puppy, retreat to a distance where you can get the pup’s attention using their name when they notice the food. When the pup sees the food, say their name then reward them with a “yes!” and food reward when they look to you. Repeat this a few times, then wait for the pup to check-in unprompted when they see the food. Then, reward the check in.

Gradually decrease the distance between yourself and the food, continuing to reward the pup when they look at the food and check in. If you move too quickly and they pull or lunge, that’s okay, simply retreat a few steps and start again. The pup will soon learn that pulling towards the food only increases the distance.

Move to walking past the food at a distance where you can be confident the pup will check in rather than lunge toward the food.

It is important that the pup does not successfully scavenge from the ground, as this acts a big reinforcer to this behaviour.

When out and about, be observant. If you notice food on the ground, be sure to capture successful check-ins from the puppy and use it as a training opportunity. When you are caught by surprise and the pup moves towards food that you haven’t noticed, quickly shorten the leash and retreat or change direction to ensure the pup is not successful in taking the food.

Get dressed.

What does get dressed” look like?

When presented with the opening of a piece of equipment, such as a puppy coat or collar, and asked to “get dressed”, the pup willingly puts their head through the opening.

Why do we teach “get dressed”?

“Get dressed” can be used to ask your pup to put their head through a collar, puppy coat, raincoat, Elizabethan collar, or other clothing. As a working Guide Dog, the dog will be required to put their head through the opening of their harness.

How to teach “get dressed”:

Allow the pup to check out the item before trying to put it on them. Begin by practicing with a large loop or opening such as an oversized collar. Hold the equipment in front of the pup, say “get dressed” and lure the pup’s head through the opening. Release the food reward when the pup’s head is through the opening. Practice doing up and undoing the equipment (such as, clips on a puppy coat) and removing the equipment back over the pup’s head.

Generalise to other items as the pup shows fluency in the skill. The goal is that the pup will willingly put their head through the opening of a collar and puppy coat when asked.

Passing other dogs on lead.

What does passing other dogs on lead look like?

When walking with the Handler on lead, the pup observes other dogs in the environment, maintains calm, confident body language and remains “connected” to the Handler, that is, responsive to verbal cues and engagement from them.

Why do we teach passing other dogs on lead?

One of the main reasons a dog may be reclassified from Guide Dog training is “dog distraction”, or excessive reactivity around other dogs. It is important that a Guide Dog can maintain focus, remain connected to their Handler and guide a person safely in the presence of other dogs.

How to teach the pup to pass other dogs on lead:

To set yourself and the pup up for success, distance is your friend. Start at a distance where you can successfully engage with the pup and redirect their attention from another dog onto you.

When the pup sees the dog or dogs, say the pup’s name and mark and reward when the pup looks to you. Repeat this a few times, then, when the pup checks in with you unprompted, mark with a “yes!” and reward. Use shaping to gradually increase the duration between rewards and reduce the distance between yourself and other dogs.

If you can, try and find an environment where you can control the distance between yourself and other dogs, like a path where people walk their dogs, but you have room to retreat and move closer as required.

Often, you will encounter other dogs on walks, and it won’t always be in a controlled environment. Try to anticipate potential distraction caused by other dogs and if possible, pass at a distance that you can maintain control of the pup. If not possible, engage the pup with verbal praise and encouragement and keep the pup on a short leash as you pass any other dogs.

Polite greetings.

What do polite greetings look like?

When people approach to greet the puppy (with your permission), the pup remains calm, has comfortable body language and keeps four feet on the floor. The pup does not jump up on or pull excessively towards the person.

Why do we teach polite greetings?

Ensuring the pup can greet people politely and not become over stimulated will help improve manageability and safety for their Handler and others.

How to teach polite greetings:

This is a great skill to teach using “life rewards”. The Handler’s attention is the reward. When the pup has four feet on the floor and is behaving in a calm manner, say the cue “say hi!” and allow the pup to greet the person or dog. If any paws leave the ground or the pup becomes over-stimulated, the person removes their attention (or moves away from the other dog) and waits until the pup has calmed down and all paws have returned to the ground before resuming.

Road crossing procedure.

What does the road crossing procedure look like?

The pup stops and waits for five seconds at the road edge before crossing with their Handler. Note: the pup is not required to sit and wait at the road edge, and they can simply stand and wait. To move forward and off the road edge, use the cue “let’s go!”.

Why do we teach road crossing procedure?

Ensuring there is a pause at a road edge, even if there is no traffic, helps prepare the pup for one of the most important Guide Dog skills it will learn, which is to stop reliably at a road edge.

How to teach road crossing procedure:

As you approach the road edge, slow and come to a stop with the pup on your left-hand side in the heel position. Keep the lead relaxed but hold it so it’s a bit shorter for safety reasons when you’re near a road. You can use the cue “stay” to help keep the pup into position before using the cue “let’s go!” when it is safe to cross.

Roll.

What does “roll” look like?

The pup lies calmly on their side with head, shoulders and legs relaxed on the floor.

Why do we teach “roll”?

Guide Dogs need to be comfortable being handled by different people for health checks, grooming, and veterinary care. Teaching your puppy to calmly roll onto their side by choice helps build trust and reduces stress.

How to teach “roll”:

Introduce “roll” when the pup is settled and rested. Sit or kneel on the floor with the pup and allow the pup to settle and lay down near you or cue the pup to lay down.

From the down position, say the verbal cue “roll” and lure the movement by moving the treat from the pup’s nose slightly toward their shoulder, encouraging them to tip onto one hip or side. When their body shifts sideways, mark with “yes!”, and reward the pup. Continue to shape the behaviour by rewarding each movement that brings the pup closer to the side position. Gradually fade the lure and use the verbal cue and hand signal to prompt the roll from the down position.

Practice getting the pup to roll onto both sides.

Slowly introduce gentle touching of the paws and tummy while the pup lays calmly on their side.

Seating at a café.

What does seating at a café look like?

The pup lays comfortably and settles. The Handler must ensure the pup settles in a position where they do not cause a hazard to staff and other patrons.

Why do we teach seating at a café?

A Guide Dog will often be required to guide their Handler to an environment such as a café, restaurant, work meeting, or other public place. It is important that the Guide Dog is comfortable in this environment and can settle.

How to teach seating at a café:

Before seating, identify where you’ll position the pup so they aren’t in a walkway or in a position that may cause a hazard or inconvenience to others. When seated, lure the pup into this position and cue them to lay down. Whilst seated, reinforce the pup laying down intermittently with calm praise and/or a food reward. If the pup pops up out of the “down” position, calmly redirect them back to the “down” position.

With a young pup, you may need to take a Nylabone or some other chew toy with you, and a towel or something the pup can identify as a place to settle.

Settle.

What does “settle” look like?

“Settle” refers to a behaviour where the pup waits patiently for their Handler in a relaxed and calm emotional state for relatively long periods of time.

Why do we teach “settle”?

It is important that Guide Dogs can “switch off” for periods as well as work in harness. This could be because the Handler has stopped to talk to somebody, is shopping or at a restaurant, or the dog could be required to lay patiently while someone is at work or in a university lecture. There are all sorts of reasons why a Guide Dog might be required to switch off and wait patiently until their Handler cues them otherwise.

How to teach settle?

Look for opportunities where the pup is required to settle, for example when having coffee with friends or stopping to talk to someone and be ready to capture the moment the pup settles into a relaxed lying down position with some quiet verbal praise and long, calming petting strokes.

Stairs.

What does walking up and down stairs look like?

In puppy raising, we want the pup to be confident walking up and down stairs, and for them to be relaxed and not rush, pull excessively or baulk.

Why do we teach walking up and down stairs?

A Guide Dog will encounter stairs in many environments, so they will be taught to stop and indicate the stairs for a person who is blind or has low vision. However, in puppy raising the main thing is that the pup learns to negotiate stairs with confidence.

How to teach walking up and down stairs:

Begin with a short flight of stairs (three to four steps) or start close to the top or bottom of a longer flight of stairs. Allow the young pup to explore and master the stairs independently. If using a lead, keep it loose and relaxed. Provide encouragement without applying too much pressure. If required, you can use shaping and provide a food reward for each small increment towards the goal behaviour. You can also use a “jackpot” of food rewards and praise when the pup successfully negotiates the steps (by getting to the top or bottom of the flight of stairs).

Surfaces.

What does being comfortable with different surfaces look like?

The pup can comfortably walk across different surfaces including grass, concrete, dirt, gravel, service coverings, and sealed roads. If the pup approaches a surface covering when walking along a footpath, they should confidently proceed across it if it’s in their line of travel and practical to do so.

This doesn’t mean walking across surfaces that would clearly be aversive or likely to cause injury, such as grass with bindies or a metal surface covering on a hot day (you can check the surface temperature of a metal, concrete or road surface by placing the palm of your hand on the surface. If you can’t comfortably hold your hand in place for more than five seconds, the surface is too hot for the pup).

Why do we teach the pup to be comfortable with different surfaces?

A Guide Dog will be required to reliably and comfortably guide their Handler across a range of different surfaces. This includes guiding a person along a grass verge or along a road edge if there is no footpath, along dirt or gravel paths and in indoor areas with shiny surfaces. When guiding a person along a footpath, the Guide Dog is required to maintain a straight line unless there is an obstacle. The Guide Dog should treat surface coverings as an extension of the footpath, not an obstacle to be avoided, as this may cause safety issues for the Handler.

How to teach the pup to be comfortable with different surfaces:

Allow the pup to explore different surfaces from a young age. You can capture when a pup walks on a different surface with praise or a food reward. Allow the pup to explore surfaces off lead independently of their Handler, or if using a lead, make sure to keep it loose and relaxed so you don’t force the pup onto a surface. If the pup shows some reluctance to cross a surface, you can provide a 'jackpot' reward when they do by being very enthusiastic with your praise while you provide a high value food reward.

Managing distractions.

When you take your pup out into the world, they will encounter many new and exciting things. Other dogs, people, food on the ground, and smells can be very distracting. Learning how to manage these distractions is an important part of preparing your pup for their future role.

Why it matters.

Guide Dog pups need to learn how to stay calm and make good choices, even when something interesting or exciting is happening nearby. By helping your pup manage and ignore distractions now, you’re setting them up to cope confidently in more challenging situations later.

Strategies for managing distractions.

1. Increase distance.

• Why it works: distance reduces the intensity of the distraction.
• How to apply: if your pup is too focused on a distraction, calmly move further away until they can respond to you.
• Tip: think of distance as a "volume dial", so you will turn it down until your pup can think.

2. Use a High Rate of Reinforcement (HRR).

• Why it works: frequent rewards keep your pup engaged with you.
• How to apply: rapidly reward calm behaviour, eye contact, or checking in with you when distractions are present.
• Tip: use high-value rewards that you know the pup likes in distracting environments.

3. Prevention through management.

• Use equipment like a Halti or harness for better control.
• Avoid known high-distraction areas until your pup has more experience.
• Keep training sessions short and successful.

4. Train in gradual steps (desensitisation).

• Start in low-distraction environments.
• Gradually increase the level of distraction as your pup succeeds.
• Always return to an easier level if your pup struggles.

5. Teach and reinforce alternative behaviours.

• Reward behaviours like:
  • eye contact;
  • loose leash walking; and
  • sitting when a distraction appears.
• These become default behaviours over time.

The engage-disengage game.

This is a powerful technique to help puppies learn to notice distractions without reacting.

How it works.

• Engage: the pup notices the distraction (for example, another dog).
• Disengage: the pup voluntarily looks away from the distraction and back at the Handler.

Steps to play.

1. Start at a safe distance where your pup can see the distraction but isn’t overwhelmed by it.
2. Mark and reward when your pup looks at the distraction (for example, “yes!” then provide your pup a treat).
3. Wait for your pup to look back at you, mark and reward them again.
4. Repeat, gradually decreasing the distance as your pup becomes more confident.

Why it’s effective.

• Builds emotional resilience.
• Encourages voluntary focus.
• Reinforces calm, thoughtful behaviour.

Tips for success.

• Always reward calm behaviour, even small wins.
• Avoid punishing or scolding; it can increase stress and reactivity.
• Keep sessions short and end on a positive note.
• Practice frequently in different environments.