Move This Way! Understanding Collar Cues

What is a Collar Cue?
Collar cues are like a silent language! Gentle, sustained pressure on the collar tells the puppy to move in a specific direction (e.g. in front of you, to your other side, etc.) or into a specific position (e.g. to sit or lie down). A puppy who understands collar cues is willing and responsive on leash!

From our end of the leash, it can feel natural to use the leash to move a puppy where we want them to go, but for the puppy, it’s much less intuitive! Have you ever had someone grab your arm and pull you somewhere? For most people, our immediate reaction is to pull our arm away - puppies are the same! It’s natural for pups to pull back when they first feel pressure on their collar. To unlock this (very handy!) method of communication, we need to teach the pup what collar pressure means.

Why It’s Important
Collar cues aren’t only important for managing puppies in puppy raising; they are an incredibly important skill used by our Instructors on campus to teach dogs how to lead and guide. Additionally, our clients will use collar cues when working with their guide dogs!

Level 1 – Collar Cues for Movement

Pre-requisites

The puppy has been introduced to wearing the leash and walking with you a little bit.
The pup is no longer constantly trying to grab or chew the leash.
The pup comes back when they reach the end of the leash and feel collar pressure.

What You’ll Need

A chair
Some kibble in your bait bag
Your puppy on leash
A quiet area – choose a space/time where household activity is fairly low

Collar Cues While Seated (Video: Collar Cues While Seated)
We will start by introducing the puppy to collar cues while you are sitting in a chair. This removes the temptation to move your feet!

Sit in the chair with the puppy on leash at your feet.
Put a couple pieces of kibble in one hand, and hold the leash in the other, close to the collar (about 6 inches away is good).
Use gentle, sustained pressure on the leash to guide the puppy to move a couple steps towards the hand with food.

As soon as the puppy is successful, release the pressure on the collar. Reward the pup with a happy voice and several food rewards! Repeat this a couple times, and then see if the pup can move with the collar cue before you present the food hand.

Once the puppy has this game down and is moving readily back and forth in front of you, try it standing. Just be sure to keep your feet still!

Level 2 – Collar Cues for Positions

Pre-requisites

The puppy readily moves with collar pressure from the previous activity.
The puppy has been introduced to Sit and Down and generally no longer needs the lure.

What You’ll Need

A chair (optional)
Some kibble in your bait bag
Your puppy on leash
A quiet area – choose a space/time where household activity is fairly low

Collar Cue Down (Video: Collar Cue Down)
Sustained downward pressure, straight down towards the floor. Hold close to the collar for this one!

Collar Cue Sit (Video: Collar Cue Sit)
Sustained upward pressure, straight up to the sky.

To introduce the puppy to collar cues for Sit and Down, pair the cue with a food lure a couple times before you try it with just the collar cue. As soon as the puppy is in the correct position, release the pressure on the collar, and reward the pup for a job well done with a happy voice and food reward!

Once the puppy understands all three collar cues (moving, sit, and down), you can practice mixing them up. Remember to keep your sessions short and fun!

Level 3 – Collar Cues in the Real World

There are many real-world applications for collar cues that you can start exploring once the puppy understands the basics of moving towards pressure on their collar. Here are just a few examples to try out at home before you take them on the road! If the puppy seems confused, you can support them by using a lure along with the collar cue a couple times and then fading the extra support.

Cuing the puppy to settle beside your chair for restaurant dining
Can you use collar cues to ask the puppy to settle at your left-hand side? Your right-hand side? What about under the table? Or under the chair?
Cuing the puppy to pass through a narrow space
Can you use collar cues to ask the puppy to tuck in and follow behind you? Or temporarily move out ahead of you?
Cuing the puppy onto your other side
Can you use collar cues to ask the puppy to temporarily switch from walking on your left to being on your right? This can be handy to prevent pups from getting hit by a heavy left-hinged door or when passing through a narrow space with fragile or unsafe items on the left-hand side!