Positive reinforcement training ("Perfect Puppy" by Dr. Sophia Yin)

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Does anyone here have experience trying the "Perfect Puppy in 7 days" method of positive reinforcement training?  DH and I have been reading this book by Dr. Sophia Yin and the method seems pretty sound but very rigorous and time-consuming.

It basically involves rewarding the dog with treats for asking politely for everything by sitting (including affection, greetings, going out etc.), tethering or crating at all times and using very few cue words but mostly physical cues (like being on a hands-free leash).

We are expecting a litter of puppies to be born any day now so starting to look into things!

This is the book I'm talking about:

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Puppy-Days-Start-Right/dp/0964151871...

Before I compile a list/"game plan" of how we are going to go about training I wanted to see if anyone had tips.  DH is planning on taking a week or so off with puppy when we bring it home to give us a good start on training since we'll be moving a couple weeks later (yikes!).

Thanks!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Yikes!  Yeah Luna was definitely not an athlete... she never quite figured out the whole jumping thing and often asked for help to hop into the car.  She was pretty easy to contain!

I just hope that Riley's separation anxiety isn't too bad since we are getting her started early.

[Stacy]

I don't pretend to be an expert, but I think that's pretty normal puppy behavior. Remember, she's never been alone before in her life! She had all her siblings with her. I think it takes some time, but isn't necessarily indicative of a future problem. But really, that's just the thought of someone who doesn't know anything. 

I think Maggie is put together really well. She's nicely proportioned. She made her own dog door in the screen porch (don't ask.) The lower part is metal, probably 18" tall. And on the other side she dug a hole. Plus she's excited about squirrels. She jumps over the barrier and past the hole, probably 4 feet and she just seems to hang there in the air. It's such a pretty jump. I wouldn't have chosen her to do that, but every time I am impressed with her skills. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

For sure - she came from a litter of 8 and the breeder had a number of adult dogs in the house too.  

To be honest it's been a long time since we've had a puppy in the house (8 years) so we may just be misremembering how things are!

Oh Maggie, as impressive as it is I'm sure mom would rather you stayed put! lol.

[Stephanie Bowman]

Congrats on your new puppy! Not sure if you've posted pictures, but can't wait to see Riley! As for the separation anxiety-like behavior, it may be normal puppy behavior but it can also be the real thing. Our Teddy gave us a lot of red flags, such as crying anytime we left the room, and we always overlooked it, thinking it was all part of his growing pains. He's now 9 months and we've had to hire a behaviorist. He goes to daycare twice a week, but even going to dinner on a Friday night became challenging. I'd be happy to share tips I've learned with you to avoid it becoming separation anxiety.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

That sounds just like her - getting anxious/crying every time we leave the room.  We are definitely actively working on it though so hopefully it won't be a long-term thing.