Daily Plan (Full-time Work Friendly)

BlockPlan
Morning (35–45 min)20–30 min brisk walk/sniff, 10 min obedience (sit/down/place), 5 min impulse control (door/food waits).
Midday (10–20 min)Potty + decompression walk, then 3–5 min mini-drill (name response, recall, leash focus).
Evening (45–60 min)20–30 min structured outlet (fetch/flirt pole/tug with rules), 15–20 min focused training, 10 min settle on place mat.

Core Training Rules

Weeks 1–4: Foundation + Household Control

  • Name response and eye contact on first cue in low distraction
  • Sit, down, place, leave-it, drop-it
  • Loose leash basics and calm crate routine

Graduation: Progress when first-call response is ~8/10 in low distraction and place hold reaches 60–90 seconds.

Weeks 5–8: Reliability + Controlled Public Exposure

  • Add duration, distance, and distraction to known commands
  • Start long-line recall (20–30 ft)
  • Public neutrality sessions 10–20 minutes at a time

Graduation: Progress when cue response is ~80% in moderate distraction and long-line recall is consistent.

Weeks 9–12: Advanced Proofing

  • Emergency recall cue with high-value reward
  • Heel with turns/stops in distracting environments
  • Doorbell/place protocol and patio settle behavior

Graduation: Progress when long-line recall is ~9/10 and public settling is reliable for 5+ minutes.

Weeks 13–16: Off-Leash Transition (Controlled)

  • Off-leash only in fenced areas first
  • Generalize commands across new locations/times
  • Maintain impulse control under higher arousal

Graduation: Graduation target: first-call recall ~90%+ in fenced environments before open-area attempts.

Command Language Guide (English → Belgian/Dutch)

Use one cue per behavior and keep wording consistent in daily training. Pronunciations are simplified for English speakers.

EnglishBelgian (Dutch/Flemish)Pronunciation
SitZitzih t
DownLiglihkh
StayBlijfblife
ComeHierheer
HeelVolgfolkh
PlacePlaatsplahts
Leave itLaatlaht
Drop itLoslohs
NoNeenay
GoodBraafbrahf
Free/ReleaseVrijvry
WaitWachtwakht