Episode 4:

New skills for Buttons

Posted by Elizabeth Murphy

Welcome to Buttons’ Puppy Pen!

In your last official training update, we shared that Buttons had passed her first training milestone – her Puppy One Star Award. Here is our clever Labrador proudly posing with her certificate and rosette.

Black Labrador puppy sitting in bed with certificate and rosette

Buttons is now working towards her second training milestone and has been learning lots of new skills along the way. One of these is impulse control, which helps her learn to pause and think before acting on her natural puppy excitement! A fun way she practises this is by being asked to ‘wait’ while a treat is placed in front of her.

Black Labrador laying down with treat placed in front of her

With lots of positive reinforcement, Buttons is learning that good things come to those who wait. If she can be patient, she will be rewarded with praise and a well-earned treat. This is an important skill that will help her in everyday situations, like learning to ignore food she might find on the ground.

Your clever sponsor pup has also been having fun at puppy class. She recently took part in a fun agility course where she worked with her Volunteer Dog Trainer, Bridget, to guide her through obstacles. These classes are a great way to build their bond while also giving Buttons lots of mental and physical enrichment.