Module 6.16 Middle/safe position
Teaching your puppy a middle/safe position
Video 1:
Teaching your puppy a middle, or safe position, helps them learn to come into a secure space between your legs where they can feel calm and protected. This can also be a really fun exercise to practise, and many puppies genuinely enjoy it. As your puppy becomes more confident, it can even be developed into a playful recall-style game, encouraging them to run back into position with enthusiasm.
Start slowly, each step at a time, and only progress once your puppy is confident and understanding the criteria of each step.
Video 2:
The next stage of teaching a middle position is to bring your puppy into place starting from in front of you, rather than from behind. Begin with food in both hands—use one hand to lure your puppy from the front, guiding them around one of your legs, then let your second hand take over to smoothly bring them into the final middle position between your legs.
Step by step, start with your puppy facing you. Use your first hand with food to lure them around one side of your body, keeping the movement slow and clear so they can follow easily. As they come around behind your leg, switch to your second hand to continue the lure, guiding them into the middle position. As soon as your puppy is correctly positioned between your legs, mark the behaviour with a clear “yes,” then feed 2–3 treats while they remain in position to reinforce it. After rewarding, use your release cue to send your puppy forward and reset, ready to repeat the exercise and build confidence and fluency.
Video 3:
When your puppy is understanding this movement, you can begin to fade out the food lure in your hands. Start by alternating between using a food lure and an empty hand lure, so your puppy begins to follow your hand even when they can’t always see food. As they become more confident, progress to using just an empty hand lure, guiding them smoothly into the middle position without food in your hand.
At this stage, you can also start to introduce your verbal cue just before you begin the movement, saying it clearly and then luring your puppy around your legs into position. As soon as your puppy reaches the correct middle position, use your marker word “yes” to clearly tell them they’ve got it right, then deliver the reward. Feed 2–3 treats while they remain in position to reinforce staying there. Once finished, use your release cue to send your puppy forward and reset for the next repetition. This helps your puppy understand the cue, the movement, and the reward sequence, building clarity and fluency in the behaviour.
