What is Leash Training?

This information on Leash Training is for Owners and Trainers who wish to read about different approaches to pup training and play. It is not meant to present itself as the only one true way to pup play. This is one approach. It has been tried and tested, so read on if you wish to learn to train in the Sirius Pup style.

Sirius Pup Training is not only for Pups. Those who teach and manage human pups, often called Trainers or Handlers, can need training too. The role of Handler and Trainer, even the responsibility of being a pup's Owner, is a big one. All can do better with support and knowledge on how to train well. 

Leash Training is different to the Collar Training of a Pup in that it focuses heavily on the reverse perspective - of where the Trainer is coming from. They need positive outcomes too, and to get those they must have a good understanding of what they are doing as Handlers. Every Trainer should familiarise themselves with the Collar Training as well. 

As Owner and Trainer you show the values and behaviours you want your pups to live by, modelling them yourself and setting the example for your pups to follow. Your actions are about reinforcing and instilling your values and behaviours into your pups, and teaching them effectively and well. You can do this by breaking everything on the path to puphood into small steps, giving your pups a high chance of accomplishing some steps and getting momentum to win other victories. Each success you recognise for each pup, celebrating them, and bringing pride to the pack.   

Being a Sirius Pup Pack Owner

The Owner and Trainer of a pack provides a unifying sense of purpose to the pack. As the Master, you obviously have authority. Yet your prowess should reside in your leadership and ability to inspire and encourage commitment from pups in the pack. 

It is not enough for an Owner and Trainer to set goals for his pups. You also need to provide the assistance necessary for being a good pup, whether it be gear or love. You will want to help your pups accomplish their goals in puphood and feel fulfilled. As a Trainer you also reward your pups for their successes. As a Master you keep an eye on things so that all goes as smoothly as possible and your pack is stable and fun to be in. All of this is usually more than enough work for any Owner and Trainer to feel pride in his pack as they develop, knowing he is the guiding hand. And it is fitting an Owner should enjoy the stability and comfort a pack of pups can give him. 

However, a Sirius Pup Trainer can go further, challenging the stable status quo of his pack. Actively challenging and encouraging the pack to broaden its horizons and grow in its depth of pup play is the goal. A Sirius Pup Owner wants to see his pups expand and become skilled at their ways of expressing puphood. 

As a pup Trainer you actively search for opportunities to do things better, always on the lookout for new ideas and recognising the good ones no matter where they come from. It can be a risky business pushing the pack out of its comfort zone. The common expectation is that a Master will have their own idiosyncratic methods and will stick to them. You can experiment and take risks and learn from your mistakes. You can move beyond the role of the king of the pack resting on his throne, doling out rewards, meting out punishments, and guarding a tradition of BDSM roleplaying. Instead, you can be on a journey with your pups, always leading them somewhere. 

That somewhere you are leading them to is not a physical destination, it is a vision of what the pack is meant to be. That vision may even adapt and change over time as you learn new things, but you are always talking to your pups with confidence, showing commitment and bringing them to your side as you move forward to new horizons. You need to show each pup that they have a purpose and place in the vision of the pack, allowing your pups to grow into their roles.  The pack you lead works together, cooperating and collaborating to do things. The shared experiences they have working together can create bonds, and strengthen a pup's sense of belonging in the pack.  

So as a Sirius Pup Trainer you must challenge what others currently do in pup training; inspire your pack with a vision of what it can be, enable your pups to act together, be a good example for them, and encourage their hearts to swell with pride to be in your pack. 

Advanced Leash Training

There is a lot more than the basics to creating and maintaining a pack of human pups. However, I am not releasing those notes to the general public in a hurry. It may appear in a pdf manual at some later date.