Step 5 - Building Difficulty

Prerequisite Skills:

• Marker Word

• Place cue (Verbal or Hand signal from Step 1)

• Step 1, Step 2 (15 sec min), Step 3 (5 steps out of view min)

Gear:

1. Treat pouch with treats

2. Place bed

Set Up:

• Bed Location: Select a single location for each specific training session

• What is difficult and how difficult something is will be unique to each dog. Understanding what is easy, medium, and hard difficulty challenges (may require some experimentation) will help you determine where to reset criteria to in order to set them up for success.

Reminder: Anytime you work on something new make everything else easier. Keep the duration, movement away, or distraction to a minimum to focus on the current criteria. Continue to practice the full loop of cue, criteria, release

Phase 1: Sitting Down

Teach your dog to stay on their Place bed when you sit down

Step	Reward Criteria
1	Build distance required to reach a sitting spot
2	Sit 1/4 of the way down
3	Sit 1/2 of the way down
4	Fully sit down for a fraction of a second
5	Fully sit down for 1 second
*	Build duration in your seated position
*	Repeat in various seating options
*	Incorporate durations and various levels of difficulties

Phase 2: Food & Toys

Teach your dog to stay on Place with food and toy distractions

Step	Criteria
1	Gently place a treat or toy on the ground
2	Decrease distance until it's directly next to the dog
3	Drop a treat or toy on the ground
4	Decrease distance until it's directly next to the dog
5	Toss/Roll a treat or toy on the ground
6	Decrease distance and increase intensity of toss to generalize the behavior

Reminder: Utilize the Criteria Setting skills you've practiced prior to this stage to break down the difficulty and duration to determine how often/when to reward so that your dog is successful

Phase 3: Answering the Door

Teach your dog to stay in Place while answering the door

Step	Criteria
1	Work through approximations of door knocking
2	Work through approximations of the door bell
3	Work through approximations of opening and closing the door
4	Work through approximation of walking out the door
5	Work through approximatios of conversations at the door

Phase 4: Generalize to Daily Activities

Teach your dog to stay in Place through normal daily activities

#	Examples
1	Meals (Prep and Eating)
2	Cleaning
3	Games
4	Showers/Bathroom Time
5	Folding Laundry
6	Visitors entering/staying
*	Get Creative! This doesn't have to be 100% of the time, for 100% of the activity and it shouldn't feel like a punishment. It's a challenge that can be rewarded by both food and inclusion