Rowan's Cheese Retrieve (Retrieving a stick of string cheese without the plastic wrapping on it)

Petra's Cheese Retrieve

Rowan has a cold

Fire Safety-- Rowan demos "Stop, Drop, & Roll"

Petra learning "Roll Over"

First, put the loop of the leash over your left thumb, and then loop some of the extra leash over your thumb, too.

Close your hand over the looped up leash in your hand.

When the dog pulls so there is tension on the leash, open your fingers a little bit like this...
 

Then close your fingers like this...
 

(Please ignore the fact that Petra was sitting in that last picture-- it was hard to get her not to turn right back to me when I pulsed, so I had to have her sit still.)

As it says in the book My Smart Puppy, it is a squeezing action with your fingers, as if repeatedly squeezing and releasing a sponge or one of those relaxation squeeze balls. It is finger action, not your whole arm, as you can see in the pictures of me.

At the same time as you're squeezing, back up and cheerfully praise your dog. The backing up and praising are very important for helping her to turn her attention to you. The pulsing on the leash is to keep her from bracing against it, as she could if you were applying steady pressure.

You only do this when the dog is applying tension to the leash, not when the leash is slack. When the leash is slack, just praise the dog!