| Duration Per Day | Places Per Day | Outings Per Week |
|---|---|---|
| 15-20 minutes total | Maximum of 1 | Maximum of 3 |
Please note: Outing duration and distraction tolerance will vary for each dog. Always be prepared to leave. Do not progress until the dog is successful at any given point.
Goal: Teach the dog to positively experience living in a human world at a crucial developmental age.
During Module 1 Outings:
Exposure focus: Expose the pup by having them observe a variety of experiences including different people, sounds, sights, and movements.
Training focus:
Cues to Practice:
Behavior focus: Dogs at this age are learning about their surroundings and how to respond to stimuli. Create a positive relationship with their environment by pairing calm reactions to exposures with rewards. It is important to help the dog understand what is appropriate.
| Outing Type | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Outdoors | playgrounds, parks, nature centers, trials |
| Quiet Stores | bank, auto parts store, libraries, post office |
| Sports Stores | REI, Dicks Sporting Goods, Cabela’s |
| Big Box Stores* | Target, Menards, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Fleet Farm, Walmart |
| Furniture Stores | Home Furniture, Ashley Homestore, Schniedermen’s Furniture, Furniture Mart, Becker Furniture World, Slumberland Furniture |
| Craft Stores | Micheals, Joanne Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, |
| Transportation | Buses, light rail, cars |
| Coffee Shops | Starbucks, Caribou, local coffee shops, Dunn Brothers |
| Grocery Stores* | Cub, Lunds and Byerly’s, Hyvee, Aldi, |
| Drug Stores | CVS, Walgreens, local pharmacy, |
| Doctor and Dentist Office | Just for an exposure experience and not for an appointment. |
| Hospital | For exposure purposes only. Should not go to visit a friend or family member. |
| Community Centers and College Campuses | For exposure only. Should not take to classes |
| Exposure Type | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Traffic and Car Noises (noises on a side street with light traffic, 20 ft away) | 4-way stop, parking lot, bikes, skateboards, buses, quiet sidewalk |
| Transitions | Stairs, elevator, doorways (hinge doors, automatic doors - no revolving doors), curbs |
| Surfaces | Sand, grass (real and artificial), carpet, tile, rubber/matted, rocks/gravel, loose dirt, pavement, puddles, |
| Nature | Water, squirrels, rabbits, birds, |
| People - In-home interactions | Kids, teens, and adults |
| People - Observing at a distance | Babies, kids, teens, and adults |
| Novel Objects | kids scooters, garbage bins, traffic cones |
| Accessibility Equipment - Observing | Wheelchairs, power chairs, walkers, scooters |
*Grocery and Big Box Stores - please refrain from training in the bakery, deli, dry foods, and pet sections of the grocery or big box store. Avoid during times of peak traffic.