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!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, so today I took Jasper to the pet supply store for our new daily "going out in public to try to focus amidst distractions". 

Prior to actually entering the store, we worked on relaxing in a down-stay outside the store for a few minutes. That goes like this:

"Jasper, down". He downs, gets a treat, pops up again. Repeat 48 times until he holds the down for 30 seconds. 

(And is it any wonder he's less interested in eating meals these days, when he is getting 60 treats per training session?)

The store manager had her extremely calm and quiet 9 mo old cocker spaniel puppy lying in a shopping cart at the end of an aisle. (She does NOT use positive only methods, BTW). 

Jasper starts this piercing excited shrieking he does. There's no other way to describe it. It's not barking, it's not whining. It's not aggressive and it's not fearful. It's "OMG I HAVE TO GO SEE THAT PUPPY RIGHT NOW I HAVE TO GET OVER THERE!!!!!" Pulling while shrieking. High value treats do not exist, I do not exist. Nothing in the world exists except that puppy in the shopping cart.

Yesterday he did the same thing when a small bulldog puppy was leaving the store as we were entering. 

I am dying of embarrassment and yearning for JD more than ever.

So, positive-only people, suggestions? I can't correct it, (according to P.O. theory) and I'm sure not going to reward it. Ignoring it, even if I could, is kind of rude and inconsiderate to all the other patrons whose ear drums are being shattered. Short of picking him up and leaving the store, (and where is the lesson there?) what do I do?
If I sound really frustrated, I've expressed myself perfectly. 

[Stacy]

I know I don't have to disclaimer that I'm not a dog trainer here, so feel free to tell me I'm wrong. But I do have a couple thoughts. 

With the down stay - are you treating him immediately after he downs? I feel like a down, stay is one command. You don't get the treat until you're released from the down. If he gets the treat after he lays down then the exercise is complete and he gets up.

If you summarily pick him up and walk away when he's screeching like a banshee (and I get it, it's horrifying. But everyone should give you major props for doing the work) is it teaching him that he doesn't get what he wants when he acts like that. He wants to meet the dog. Take him outside, maybe do his down stay again and then try the store. He loses his mind, go back outside. It may take several rounds and he might not get there on the first day, but I believe eventually he will get to meet the puppy politely. 

I really wish there were some little friends for him to play with. It sounds like he just wants to be in a puppy playgroup. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, it would have helped a lot if I could have found a puppy class or play group, but I have searched and seacrhed in vain. He never gets to play with other dogs, ever. Poor guy.

And please don;t suggest daycare, I've been horrified so far by those I've visited. 

[Stacy]

No, especially after that incident at the doggy daycare over here I would never suggest that. But the daycares might be smart to offer a puppy playgroup where the moms could stay and let their puppies play in the evening. I don't like leaving my dogs with strangers. I barely like leaving them with people I trust. 

What you really want is to find the good dog people in the area and hang with them. I just don't know how you find them. It took years before I finally found a dog group where I'm happy.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, he is getting treated as soon as he downs, because he is just like his mom and has no patience. I can't even get him into a down without the treat. if he doesn;t get it, he will get up immediately.

That's out of the house. In the house, he does a full down-stay-come-sit, off leash, with one treat at the end. 

[Stacy]

So he knows what he's supposed to do. He just doesn't get that the rules are the same no matter where you go.  Keep doing what you're doing. He's going to get there. He's going to be a phenomenal dog. He has a phenomenal mom! God made puppies cute so you don't kill them when they're so naughty. The best therapy I've found for the new dog blues is to whine endlessly and let everyone commiserate with me, and then I feel better. 

I recently bought underwear. I think it was an 8-pack. I think Katie has managed to destroy 4 of them already. She will be 4 years old next month. I cannot break her of that one annoying habit. And I apparently can't be trained to put things away promptly so she can't do it. She also managed to chew a perfectly round hole in the top sheet of the new sheets I bought. Why? From this end Jasper looks like he's amazing!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, he is a really nice puppy. But in the words of his breeder, he has a hard row to hoe. He follows in the impossible to fill pawprints of the best behaved dog who ever lived. :)

[Stacy]

He has to give you a hard time now so you appreciate it when he's perfect. They do have their moments, don't they? Maggie is the easiest dog now, but if you would have told me that a few months ago I would never have believed you. I could only imagine 14 years of trying to clean puppy pee out of the carpet. Anything from this point is just a bonus. I'm confident that Jasper will live up to his parentage. He's just going to make you work for it a little bit first.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you, Stacy. It is true that we do tend to place a higher value on the things we have to work for. :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

The over-excited behavior is EXACTLY what Charlie does - think 42 pounds and 4 1/2 years old - talk about embarrassed!  I've had him for 2 years now.  Exposure has improved him, but if it had been curbed when he was 6 months old, it would have been way better. My first plan is to keep walking if he isn't tooooo excited.   Second plan is to use an object (like a parked car) to block the other dog from view and keep walking.  If appropriate I  turn and go the other way  and he gets 'drug' along until we are far enough away, he regroups. I always shorten the leash up when I need him to come with me and he is resisting.  If none of that is possible, I put him in a sit and try to get his attention on me while holding his collar tight.  I know if I was younger and spryer, I could  do a lot better job, but I'm not, so this is what I get for having an overly excitable dog. 

Charlie can slip a flat collar in seconds, we tried a corrective collar (i.e. choke chain) but he choked himself until he coughed.  We went to a martingale collar with prongs.  I felt badly about his and was 'shamed' by friends, so we transitioned him to a regular martingale collar during our last RV trip - that was short-lived as he actually did pull me over. I am sure I provided a great show to other campers! I had Ned with me also - and Ned decided to 'protect the pack' and growled, while Charlie went into his 'zone' all the while the Amerian Bull dog going by was giving my dogs the thousand yard stare. I was not hurt but my pride suffered immensely.  We went back to the prong and too bad for those who think I am mean..... i.e children (Karen).  I call Ned and Charlie my bad walking combo now.....  Charlie is very food motivated, but when he gets into his frenzy - ("I MUST MEET THAT DOG, I LOVE THAT DOG"),  I can try carrying a few around and try on our next camping trip. All my pockets are full of poop bags....

[BG and Gavin]

Do not be shamed Nancy. Right now a prong collar means that Charlie gets to go for walks. Without it no walking.  Too dangerous for you. 

[Carol and Truffle]

^^^ This!