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An intro to 2-Minute Dog Training Games

If you’re not having fun training your dog, you’re doing it wrong!

If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!

21st century dog training means having fun with your dog. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong! Dog training games are best for training, learning, and enjoying time with your dog.

Everybody, including your dog, learns better when they enjoy it! Fast, fun dog training games are the most effective way to teach your dog anything. From house-breaking to the showiest tricks, games are the way to go.

Your future with the 2 Minute Training Method

We’re Hope and Fran, creators of the 2 Minute Training method. We’ve developed this method so that in short bursts of training your dog will learn what’s expected of him and make good choices. Instead of a rowdy hooligan, he’ll be a joyful part of your family. Instead of having to lock the dog up when company arrives, he’ll be an integral part of the conversation. Your dog will no longer pull your arm out of the socket on walks. He’ll sit nicely for treats.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not!

This miracle won’t happen overnight, but it will happen, and it won’t be a miracle!

You”ll both practice to make it happen, and you’ll have such a good time you’ll want to do more.

Who we are

How do we know? Because we’re training our own dogs this way. Not traditional “most intelligent” dogs. Not Golden Retrievers. Not Border Collies. Not even Papillons or Pomeranians. These are dog breeds that are among the “smartest” and “most trainable.” Nope – Hope has a French Bulldog. Fran has a Brussels Griffon and two Boston Terriers. Not breeds you expect to see in the Obedience ring, and yet they’re advancing nicely in competition.

We also train fun stuff the same way – like “crawl,” “roll over,” and “sit pretty.” Even training the dogs to put their toys away!

Just short chunks of time. Maybe a few times a day. During commercial breaks in the evening. Or just one session before work.

Have fun with your dog!

It’s fun. We look forward to our short training sessions, and we know you will too.

Mix and Match Your Dog Training

The beauty part of slicing your dog training into small pieces is that you can put them together however you want. If you teach your dog what “hold” means, they’ll know how to hold anything, given an opportunity. You can mix and match your dog training into whatever new tricks or games you like.

One of the AKC Trick Dog behaviors is to open a cabinet or drawer. While simple for some dogs – just tie a cloth to the handle and the dog will pull on it, it’s proven difficult for Hope’s French Bulldog Torque.

But he does know some of the pieces. While he’s not great at tugging, he does know “hold” and “back up.” Put those two things together and, in theory, he should get the “Open It” trick pretty quickly.

Expectation vs. Reality

In fact, it’s taking a while to put it together. The string Hope’s using around the drawer handle isn’t at all familiar to Torque and he’s not sure what to make of it. Puzzling this out, Hope put it in with a bunch of things Torque knows to pick things up, hold, and “put away.” 

Figuring out how to communicate with your dog is more than half the battle. Using a familiar “Put Your Stuff Away” game to get him used to picking up and carrying the string was one step. Another section will be getting him to “Hold” and “Back Up!” at the same time. The only time he’s put the two together before was for the dumbbell retrieve.

Listen, don’t assume

The formal dumbbell retrieve works like this:

dog sits at heel
dog stays
handler tosses dumbbell
handler releases dog
dog gets dumbbell
dog comes to handler holding dumbbell
dog sits in front of handler holding dumbbell
dog releases dumbbell into handler’s hand on command
dog returns to heel on command

That’s always the way the dumbbell retrieve happens in competition. Everyone knows that, including the dog. When dogs always know what comes next, they sometimes skip to the end, dropping the dumbbell prematurely, or returning to heel position before they’re told.

To prevent the dog from “assuming,” we mix it up in practice. Sometimes the dog has to hold the dumbbell while returning to heel. Sometimes the dog has to heel while holding the dumbbell. Sometimes we heel with a “back up” thrown in.

That’s where Torque has learned to hold something while backing up. Now we take advantage of what he knows and expand it to hold anything and back up at the same time.

Pieces fit together

If you’ve already taught your dog pieces of any trick you want to teach, you can mix and match however you want. It’s the same “Hold!” chunk for whatever object. Dogs catch on pretty quickly when you put new ideas in a familiar context. 

Mix and match your dog training

To create new tricks and behaviors, think about the little pieces your dog already knows. You can grow all the bits by using familiar objects in new places, or with new goals. Or new objects with familiar places and goals. Either one lets you put together a whole new game, just by using a mix and match recipe.

Get your dog’s head in the game

How do you get your dog’s head in the game? When it’s time to play training games, do you have a regular time and place? Do you put your dog’s collar or harness on? How do you let your dog know it’s time to go have some fun?

You already know that dogs love routines and schedules. You can bet that if you follow the same routine every day, your dog will know when it’s time to play. And if it doesn’t happen, they’ll probably let you know they’re not happy about it. 

But what if your life’s schedule doesn’t allow for a regular training “date” with your dog? You can still use a routine to get your dog’s head in the game. 

Start with a warm-up game

While two minutes is a great, intense training session, it’s more of a guideline than an absolute. There are games, especially those with some set-up and complex behavior chains, that are better if you play a bit longer. Other training games, once you and your dog know them, are great to play for a minute or less – like a warm-up to the main event.

Use those quickie games to start every session and get your dog’s focus on playing with you. Most of our group classes start with a timed minute of Puppy Pushups. Just that fast, random calling of “Sit!” “Stand!” and “Down!” gets your dog’s attention. The faster you play, the more rewards your dog gets, the better engagement you’ll get. It may be just an opener to the main act, but that doesn’t mean it has no value. 

If your dog is accustomed to performing familiar behaviors quickly, they don’t even have to think about it. When you say “Sit!” your dog’s butt will hit the floor fast. Likewise with “Down!” and “Stand!” If you ever do intend to indulge in dog sports like Obedience and Rally, it’s wonderful if neither of you has to worry about those commands. As soon as you say it, your dog won’t even have to think. They’ll automatically do it, just like when you play your Puppy Pushups game. 

Keep them fresh

Using the most useful games as part of your speedy warm-up will keep them front of mind for your dog. You’ll be able to use them when you most need them. “Touch!” can be a warm-up. It’s also the one you want to keep fresh when you spot the squirrel before your dog does. Or the guy comes into the veterinarian’s waiting room with a cat in a carrier. Those little training games are useful, even if you never plan on a dog sport career.

One of the many reasons to play daily training games with your dog is to make life easier. Both of you will react better if you have a fall-back to rely on in stressful situations. If it’s an ingrained habit to play “Touch!” you’re more likely to remember it when you need it. After all, habit is the most powerful force in the universe.

The timing of dog training

This week in her Beginner Obedience class, Hope’s face had an unfortunate encounter with the nails of a seven-month old Labrador Retriever. She’ll be fine. So will her face. But it made us think about the timing of dog training. If this dog’s owner had started training when he was three months old, by now he would know how to greet politely. And if he had jumped on Hope (she’s only five feet tall), he wouldn’t have been able to reach her face. Or do as much damage.

When is the right time to start training your puppy or dog? The simple answer is “as soon as you come in the door.” Dogs are learning all the time. It’s up to you to make that learning purposeful. And fun. Something the two of you can do throughout the dog’s life to enrich your time together.

It’s not a chore

If you hated school, don’t let whatever negative baggage you have color your opinion of dog training. Dogs are for fun. Teaching them is fun. The way they learn best is by playing games. So, essentially, school for dogs is just playing games. You may be the dungeon master, but both of you should have fun playing the game. 

First, decide what’s most important for your dog to know. If you’re a hermit who never goes out and never has company, you probably don’t care if your dog jumps on people to say hi. For the rest of us, it should be right at the top of the curriculum. 

It’s easy, too. All you have to do is have everybody ignore the puppy (or dog) unless all four feet are on the floor. You don’t have to insist on a “Sit!” If you want it, it comes later. All you have to do is nothing. When the dog’s front feet are off the ground, just have people fold their arms and stare into the sky. As soon as those adorable little paws are all in contact with the ground, make a huge fuss over the puppy – pets, scritches, treats. Even a game of tug if there’s a toy nearby. It’s easy to see that the timing of dog training is not a big deal when it’s fun for everyone.

When a dog jumps on someone, they’re saying “Hi! I’m here! Pay attention to me!” If the dog doesn’t get what they want, they’ll try something else. When that something else gets them what they want, they’re more likely to do that again. What gets rewarded, gets repeated. It may take a few repetitions to work. And we know it’s hard to resist those puppy dog eyes. Do it anyway. That way when your dog is as tall as you, you won’t have to worry about them scratching up your guests’ faces. Or having to hang on to their collar for dear life so they don’t jump.

Class time

You already know that habit is the most powerful force in the universe. Gravity may be a close second, but that’s debatable. It’s easier to form a new habit with a dog than to try to break an established one. 

The point is; if you have a new-to-you dog, whether a puppy or an adult, start as you mean to continue. It may be adorable for a 15-pound puppy to jump on you, paw at you, or whine for attention. When the dog weighs 60 pounds, it’s not so cute. When Grandma comes over to visit, or your toddler nephew, there’s nothing cute about it. 

You should form a new habit, too. Pick a time for your training. Make a date with your dog every day right after you’ve had your coffee. You can use your dog’s breakfast for training treats. You get to smile at the start of the day. And your dog will be satisfied (food) and tired (had to think!) for the morning. 

Other end of the timeline

That habit will stand you in good stead for your dog’s entire lifetime. When your dog’s caught up on the house rules (house-breaking, jumping, crate training), you can spend every day playing the training games that are more fun; Ring Stacking, Put Your Toys Away, anything you come up with that makes you both happy. 

It never has to go away. Tango, Fran’s Brussels Griffon, will celebrate his 15th birthday this month. He decided to retire from the competition ring in Rally and Agility long ago – he wasn’t having fun. But every single day he still plays training games. He plays his Balance and Core Exercises. And he plays “Put Your Toys Away.” The timing of dog training for Tango is “all the time!”

Playing training games with your dog really isn’t about the training. It’s about the growth of your relationship with your dog, the understanding it builds between you, and giving your dog the biggest life you both can share. 

“Push Me, Pull You” teaches dogs “Hold it!”

All dogs are really “Push Me, Pull You” dogs. When your dog pulls on leash or tugs on a toy, they’re demonstrating what’s called the “opposition reflex.” While it may not be a real reflex, it is a trait that all dogs (and people!) have. Since it’s there, you may as well take advantage of it.

Simply put, it’s what happens when the dog resists being pushed or pulled. One way we test our dogs “Stay!” performance was to gently pull on the leash. The dogs resist the pressure to move. That uses their opposition reflex to further their understanding of what “Stay!” means. 

You can also see it at work if you ever practice a “restrained recall.” That’s when someone holds your dog while you run away from the dog, calling to them. There’s nothing that gets most dogs revved up better. When dogs seem distracted and out of focus in obedience class, we use a restrained, or chase, recall to turn that around. You’ve also seen it at the start of any horse race, with the starting gate as the restraint. The dog sport Fast CAT uses it, too. Somebody holds the dog back at the start line while the lure speeds ahead.

Better, faster, stronger

The best way to teach your dog is to take advantage of their natural instincts. Whether the opposition reflex is a physical fact doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it works and you can use it in your training.

Say you want to teach your dog to hold something. Someone we know taught her dogs to hold a white board. She got a lot of mileage out of that behavior on social media. Think of the smiles you’d get if that’s how you made an announcement – just writing it on a white board and getting your dog to hold it.

Hold it!

So – how do you get your dog to hold onto something? We wrote about one way of teaching this, but here’s another: Make use of the opposition reflex. Teach the concept of hold when you play tug. It goes along with teaching the “Drop it!” command. If you’re putting pressure on the object your dog is holding, their instinct is to hold onto it with everything they’ve got. If you release all the pressure on the object, they’re more likely to drop it. 

Start small, with something that has value for your dog, but not their favorite toy. If your dog doesn’t naturally love to play tug, start there. Most people think their dogs will be attracted to toys moving rapidly, flapped around in their faces. That’s not the way to do it. Instead, use your dog’s predator genetics and get them to stalk and pounce on your tug toy. Move it slowly, on the ground, back and forth. If your dog doesn’t respond right away, up the ante by gently touching their front paws as you sway the toy back and forth. Wiggle it, but not quickly. 

Hope’s first agility dog was a French Bulldog named Dax. Dax didn’t tug. Had no interest in toys. But tugging is a great way to get your dog amped up and ready to play with you. Also, her agility instructor insisted that dogs must play tug with their people. Hope had to find the irresistible tuggy for Dax. 

While she didn’t care about toys, she was highly food motivated. Dax’s push-me pull-you came roaring out when Hope used semi-limp celery for a tug object. Each rib may only have lasted a few minutes, but it got the job done. 

Push Me Pull You Dogs

When your dog tugs, they naturally shift their weight back and resist your exertion. Keeping up a gentle pressure encourages your dog to hang on. Easing the pressure, without entirely letting go, turns into a “Hold it!” If your dog drops the object, start again. Try to figure out where your dog is letting go, and try to keep the pressure level just above that at first. 

When your dog is hanging on to the toy, encourage them to move with you a little bit at a time. By incrementally decreasing your hold on the toy, while getting your dog to move, you’re building the dog’s hold and carry skills. 

Once you and your dog are successfully holding and moving with the toy, it’s time to go back to the start using different objects; other toys, maybe a spoon, a tote bag with handles, and that white board. Whatever you’d like your dog to hold, introduce step by step. And we take advantage of the fact that all dogs are “push me pull you” dogs!

Don’t be quiet!

We’ve noticed that people seem reluctant to talk to their dogs in group classes. But providing feedback to your dog throughout your training game sessions is crucial. Dogs learn words by hearing them in context. Give your dog the words; “Hold it!” “Good Hold!” “That’s Hold it!” Use whatever word works for you. You get to decide what words mean to your dog.

Once your dog is fairly conversant with a new game or behavior doesn’t mean it’s time to stop talking. Keep talking to let them know you’re engaged in the game, too. If your dog drops the object, don’t repeat a command “Hold!” Instead, ask them “What were you doing?” “What’s the game?” And wait. This is the most difficult part for most people. But letting your dog think things through is essential for learning. When they come up with the right answer and pick up the toy, praise and reward.

Knowing is different for dogs

Knowing is different for dogs. You’d think that once your dog knows how to do something, you’re done. But that’s not the case. It never occurred to us that people would think that was true until we got a question at our Loose-Leash Walking Workshop this weekend. 

It was in the Q & A as the workshop was winding down. The dogs were exhausted after thinking for 90 minutes and the room was peaceful and quiet. One of the people auditing the workshop asked “Is this how we can introduce new people to our dog? Have them do the 3-Step Pattern Walking with our dog?”

Answer: “Absolutely not!”

Just the fact that she would ask the question made us realize it’s difficult for most to understand how intensely situational dogs are. Dogs don’t generalize. They can be taught to generalize, but it’s not naturally the way they think. So, knowing is different for dogs.

How does that work?

When people encounter a new object or circumstance, we can draw on all our past knowledge and experience to interpret the situation. For example; when babies learn how to walk and are somewhat proficient, they can walk on any surface, in any direction, regardless of slope, material, or shoes. 

It’s different for dogs. Have you ever seen a dog encounter a new type of flooring and hesitate to walk on it? We saw it in action up close and personal. Fran’s first obedience dog, Golly, was accustomed to working on rubber mats or bare floors. We went to the Brussels Griffon National Specialty show and Golly was showing in Obedience. The trial was in the “Show Ring” and the flooring was bright blue artificial turf. Golly had never walked on anything like it. And, even though she knew all of the obedience exercises, she couldn’t do them in that situation. She walked as if the surface was hot coals. Needless to say, Fran got some artificial turf and all of our dogs since that day have practiced on it. 

But that’s how specific dog training can be. If you are always the one training the dog, you may be the only one the dog obeys. If every member of the household plays training games with the dog, everyone has that relationship with the dog.

Dog introductions

The woman asking the questions was assuming that the dogs’ polite behavior, having learned the basics of 3-Step Pattern Walking, would be useful in a different situation – introducing her rambunctious dog to new people. It’s a perfectly logical way for a person to think. If the dog is calm and well-behaved practicing this training game, why not use the game elsewhere?

That’s too big a leap for dogs. Knowing is different for dogs. Just changing the person holding the leash makes it a completely new scenario. If that person isn’t familiar with that training game, it’s of no use. The person will feel awkward and the dog won’t know what’s going on. Faced with so many variables, the dog will get frustrated and either shut down, disengage, or misbehave.

Play different games everywhere

If you want your dog to understand how to greet people politely, no matter where you are or who you encounter, you have to teach a greeting behavior. You decide what that looks like, then teach it to your dog. And practice it everywhere. At the front door. The back door. And at the gate to the yard. In the hardware store. In the parking lot. You’re giving your dog the information they need to expand “greeting” to wherever they are, whoever you’re meeting.

There’s a saying among Obedience competitors; “We all have Obedience champions in the kitchen.” That’s exactly right. What your dog knows at home they may not know at training class. Or at a competition. Giving your dog varied experiences will grow their understanding. “Sit!” means “Sit!” no matter where you are or who’s there with you. 

Make a game of stuff the dog hates

Everybody has stuff they have to do and don’t like. The same holds true for most dogs. Some dogs love to ride in the car. Others are fearful. Dogs don’t necessarily love getting brushed. Some do, but others just put up with it. If you make a game of stuff the dog hates, you’ll both be happier.

As adults, we all do things we find unpleasant because we either should, or must. Whether the reason is for your own well-being (like going to the doctor), or your life’s obligations (like working), you do it. You may not be overjoyed about it, but you do it.

There are also things our dogs don’t like doing. It could be tooth-brushing, getting in the car, or putting on a harness or collar. Our dogs don’t understand that all of these things are for their own good. They don’t understand long-term consequences. Dogs exist in the now. And if they don’t want to, they’ll do everything they can to get out of doing it.

Give this dog a choice

This weekend we met a dog who gets a bit mouthy and aggressive if he isn’t given a choice. He objects to being pressured into action. The most notable reaction was when he refused to get into his owner’s car after our session. He wouldn’t be coaxed or lured and got mouthy when a hand went to his collar. If Hope hadn’t heeded his warning lip-curl, she would have been bitten.

Imagine our surprise when, with both back doors open and the dog’s leash tossed to the opposite side, he hopped into the car when no one was next to him. It was his choice, so he did it. 

Some people would call it stubborn. It’s not. For reasons known only to the dog, he fears being forced into action. We’ll never know why. We can only assess what’s going on and counter-condition it. If this dog reacts badly where he has no options, it’s our job to make sure his options are all good ones.

Make it a game

We faced a similar situation (without the bite threat) with our own dogs. There was a next-door neighbor dog that would bark and fence-fight with our dogs. The neighbor was uncooperative, so there was no way for us to train our dogs not to react when they were off-leash. Our solution was to leash our dogs and “walk” them – even in our own back yard. On the rare occasion the neighbor dog wasn’t outside, we removed the leashes.

Our dogs didn’t much like it. They were accustomed to roaming the yard, sniffing and checking stuff out. When they saw us reach for their collars, they would back away trying to avoid getting hooked up. While we had no choice about leashing them, we also didn’t want them to hate it. 

So we made a game of it. Randomly, throughout the day, we would grab a collar and say “Collar!” At first, the dogs were reluctant, but they did it. We put on the collar, rewarded the dog multiple times, repeating the word “Collar!” and “Good Collar!” Then we took the collar off, repeating “Collar!” and the dog was free to go.

It didn’t take long for our dogs to understand that standing still to get their collars earned them rewards. Now when we say “Collar!” they even stretch their necks out to have it on. Just by making a reward-based game out of it, we turned the situation around. Do they love the restriction? No, but the rewards are sufficiently valuable to make it worth their while. We make everything a dog training game!

Allows vs. Loves

There’s a difference between the things your dog will let you do, and loves for you to do. Some dogs love getting brushed. Others tolerate it. Still others resist and make it miserable for everyone. If your dog falls into the last category, think about the steps you can take to turn it around. If your dog is generously rewarded every time they see the comb or brush, they’ll like seeing it. The next step might be touching the grooming tool to a non-sensitive area. And generously rewarding. Then a small, gentle swipe with the brush, gradually building up your dog’s tolerance for the activity.

We’re not saying your dog will ever love getting brushed. But tolerating it with ease is sufficient. There are things that we have to do to keep our dogs healthy and well-groomed. Like us, they don’t have to love all of it. But they shouldn’t be miserable and neither should you. And that’s why we make a game of stuff the dogs hate.

Dog training requires your presence

If you’re not there, you can’t train your dog. Dog training requires your presence, both physically and mentally. You can’t do it remotely, phone it in, or hire someone else to do it.

This week one of the places where we hold classes had an open house. It was a terrific event and let us talk to all kinds of people about their dogs. It’s nice to be in a place where everyone instantly has something in common. As resident dog trainers, we were able to talk about how much fun it is to play training games with your dog, how gratifying it is to see the dogs’ joy, and answer lots of dog issue questions.

The most surprising thing to us was how many people don’t understand their presence is required on a one-to-one basis with each dog. That’s a monumental difference between people and dogs. Children can learn as a group in full classrooms. Dogs need to be tutored individually. Once all your dogs know how to do something, they can practice together. Until then, it’s just not possible.

You’re the tutor 

One person asked us how she can get her two dogs to stop barking when they’re in the yard. When asked, she admitted that the dogs were out by themselves, for some extended periods of time. There’s no way to train a dog to do something if you’re not there. If the dogs are on their own, they do what they want. And if there’s more than one, they’ll probably follow the worst-behaved dog’s lead. Because that’s the dog having the most fun.

Another person asked about their dog being a terrible “host” when people come over. Their dog is dictating their social life. He was rueful about the fact that his dog has been through two board-and-train sessions and still is reactive when company comes. Then he admitted he and his partner haven’t followed through with any advice the board-and-train place gave them.

Somebody else asked about stopping their dog from eating nasty stuff in the yard – both her own and others’. And again, the dog was mostly alone in the yard. When she did have company, she wasn’t on leash and the person had no supplies to reward for good behavior.

Don’t complain – train!

If you don’t do the work, you’re not allowed to complain. When you’re down there in the trenches trying to take care of business, then you’re allowed to complain all you want. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain about the politicians. You have to participate to solve the problem, any problem.

If you want your dog to stop eating poop in the yard, you have three options. One is to pick it up immediately when it’s produced. That works for dogs’ stuff, but not rabbits’. You can take your dog out on leash, and train them to ignore it. Another option, if being there isn’t possible, is to train your dog to wear a muzzle. 

Start small

We honestly can’t understand why so many people want to hand the training reins over to strangers, or not do it at all. Playing training games with our dogs is one of the highlights of our days. We can see how much joy the dogs and people have in our classes when the team starts to mesh. Having a dog means getting to spend time and energy with someone who loves you unconditionally. And is fun. Also never talks back, rolls their eyes, or ignores you. 

Yes, dog training requires your presence. But just a few minutes a day playing training games can make your life calmer, more controlled, and certainly more joyful. Dogs aren’t hobbies that you take out and play with when it’s convenient. They’re always there, hovering at the edges of your life, anticipating the times they get to be the center of your attention. If you can’t give them a few minutes, why do you have a dog?

Is your dog training you?

How many times have you, or a dog-owning friend, joked about your dog having trained you well? Laugh all you want, but there’s a truth buried in there. Our dogs are good at training us. We just have to be better at recognizing it. If it’s something that’s cute, or good, or endearing, it’s fine to leave it alone. But if it’s something that really doesn’t work for you, it’s time to turn it around. Ask yourself, “Is your dog training you?”

It happens to all of us, especially those of us with dogs trained with positive reinforcement. Our dogs know how to push the treat button. They do something cute and they expect to be rewarded for it. And it’s difficult to resist those puppy-dog eyes.

Hope and Torque

For instance, Hope’s French Bulldog Torque thinks he ought to get rewarded whenever he sits in front of her. Even in our own yard, he’ll be watching the birds, or squirrels, and then dash over and sit right in front of her. And it worked every time. Until he started getting pushy and barked at her when she was too slow with the treats. 

Like anyone, she absent-mindedly started reaching for the treat pouch, thinking “Oh, yeah. He’s sitting like a good boy.” Then she realized what was happening. Hope almost rewarded her dog for barking at her. We all know that what gets rewarded gets repeated. She could imagine a lifetime of being barked at by her very cute, but very rude dog.

Pay attention 

If Hope hadn’t caught herself, she would have had the uphill battle of un-training a behavior. It’s actually easier to set and maintain performance criteria than it is to change things later. 

A good example is a smart young Labrador Retriever in our Rally class. She has been rewarded often and well for lying down. Her “Down!” is excellent. It’s also her default behavior when she doesn’t understand what her person is asking. When she’s not sure what she’s supposed to do, she lies down. Which always gets her a smile and a treat from her person. That’s fine, if they’d asked for a “Down!” It’s not okay when she was asked to “Stand!” or “Stay!” or “Sit!” By rewarding a behavior they didn’t want, their dog has trained them to do what she wants. 

Still the hardest part of training

The most popular tip we ever wrote was called “The hardest part of dog training.” It’s still true. The most difficult part of dog training is waiting. Waiting for your dog to do what you asked. Taking the time for them to learn to make good choices. Being patient while they think through the situation.

In our Novice Obedience competition class one of the absolutes for dogs is they must sit automatically when you come to a halt in heeling. Every single time. There are no exceptions, so an automatic sit is one of the first things we work on. In class this week the atmosphere was charged. There were major storms in the area and everybody’s phone kept blaring with weather alerts. The dogs (and the people) were all a bit unsettled. 

We were doing run-throughs to simulate an actual obedience trial. One of the dogs, normally a rock-steady performer, lost her automatic sits during heeling. Her person was all ready to tell her to sit. But that’s not allowed in competition, so Hope told her to just wait. Look at the dog’s rear end and just wait. For a good 15-20 seconds (seems like a lifetime), the dog just looked at her. And then the dog remembered and sat. 

Don’t let them train you

It holds true in this situation, too. If you repeat a command, help your dog, or accept less than what you wanted, ask yourself, “Is your dog training you?” Dogs are really smart and most are excellent at finding the easy way to do things. It’s easier for them to have you do the work. Ask them to step up and be your partner.

Training Game: Teach your dog “Off!”

“Off!” is a difficult concept for dogs to grasp. It’s not a specific action, like “Sit!” and it’s used in all sorts of situations, like when they jump on people, put their paws on the kitchen counter, or even start humping something. We humans use the word in all sorts of scenarios, although it means the same thing to us. Here’s how to teach your dog “Off!”

Dogs don’t understand that a single word can have multiple meanings. Remember that dogs are specific and don’t generalize. If someone uses “Down!” when a dog is jumping on them, instead of “Off!,” it can confuse the dog. To clarify things for your dog, use “Down!” for lie down, and “Off!” for get off of something.

And then, once your dog starts to understand what “Off!” means, you have to expand it to all sorts of things – the person, the table, the chair, the counter. Whatever your dog gets on, needs reinforcement for “Off!”

It can be done

Now that you understand how big training “Off!” can be, it’s time to start very small. For this game you’ll need treats that are irresistible to your dog, a small bowl you can cover with your hand, and lots and lots of patience. 

Try your best not to use “Off!” as a command until your dog has some idea what it means. Dogs are capable of understanding hundreds of words, if they’re clearly defined and consistently used. But you’re just wasting your breath and confusing your dog if you use a command they don’t know. 

One of our instructors had a rule about that. You couldn’t use a command unless you’d bet a paycheck that your dog knows it and would do it. If you’re not sure, stay quiet. 

Step one

Place the bowl with the incredibly good treats on the seat of a chair, a stool, or any stable solid surface that your dog can reach by standing on their hind legs. Keep the bowl covered with your hand so the dog can’t get any treats. If the treats are good enough, your dog will put front paws on the chair seat. Don’t say anything. Wait. 

Just wait.

Keep waiting. 

Your dog is going to paw at the bowl, snuffle at your hand, scratch the surface the bowl is on, pull out every trick they have to get those treats. Don’t say anything. Don’t do anything. Just wait.

Eventually, the dog will get tired of things that don’t work and get off the chair. IMMEDIATELY say “Good Off!” and let them know they’re clever, good, genius dogs.  Without uncovering the bowl, reach in and give your dog a treat. As long as they stay “Off!” keep praising and rewarding that wonderful “Off!” Now is the time to use the word, when they’ve just done it and continue to do it. 

If your dog is like most, when they get a treat they’ll hop back up and try to get more. As soon as their paws leave the ground, be quiet and wait. The time it takes for the dog to get “Off!” should be shorter the second time. As soon as they’re off, continuously praise and reward. Be sure to use the word “Off!” frequently to teach them the word. The association between the action and the word has to be immediate.

Be patient and consistent

Simon was naughty, jumping up, then was rewarded for "Off!"

Try to sustain the behavior. The last thing you want to create is a “jack-in-the-box,” constantly hopping up and sitting down. The way to teach your dog “Off!” is to deliver multiple rewards, one at a time, as long as the dog has four paws on the floor. Most people neglect this step and wind up with a one-and-done dog, when they get the treat they think they’re done with the behavior. 

That’s it for the first session. The second time you play “Off!” your dog will probably be much faster to get with the program. When you hit a game session where, as soon as you put the bowl on the seat (or before!) your dog sits, you’re getting there. That’s the time to take your game elsewhere. Use the same method with the bowl on a different chair, on a table, on the kitchen counter. Play exactly the same way. This is how to teach your dog “Off!”

The ultimate step is to be able to hold the bowl at your waist or higher. If your dog doesn’t jump on you to get the treats, you’re getting there! Now you can use the word “Off!” preemptively to keep your dog politely on the floor. Play the “Off!” game wherever, and with whoever, your dog was likely to jump.

Boxey revisited: let the dog do the work

For whatever reason, Hope wasn’t feeling very inspired with training games this week. Her French Bulldog Torque is always an eager participant, but Hope just wasn’t feeling any creative spark. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Go back to the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start. And let your dog do the work for you.

Hope dug out a big old cardboard box, sat on the floor with a bowl of treats and told Torque to go for it. He’s been playing “Boxey!” since forever, but it’s been a while since Hope hauled it out.

The dog did not disappoint! He came up with two new games in just five minutes!

Let the dog do the work

Whoa! How did that happen?

If you need a Boxey refresher, it’s one of the first games we use to teach dogs how to learn and create. You just get a box, large enough and shallow enough for your dog to get into, and wait. You sit there on the floor near the box and let your dog figure stuff out. Whatever your dog does gets rewarded. (Except for trying to eat the box.) Every time they do something different, you throw a treat in the box. 

That’s it. Simple enough. And yet there are still people who try to “help” their dogs. Yes, you may talk to your dog, encourage your dog, even pet your dog. You’re not allowed to tell them what to do. Let the dog do the work. Whatever they do is perfectly fine. Just be sure the box you use was headed for the recycle bin anyway.

Why so strict about not instructing your dog? Because the point of this game is to have your dog be creative. Whatever they come up with will give you some insight into what they understand, which games they like the most, how creative they can be, and how much they enjoy learning.

All that from a box

Dogs who aren’t trained with games and positive reinforcement from puppyhood may take a while to engage with the box. All their lives they’ve been strictly monitored and told what to do, when to do it, and how to act. They’ve never had to make a choice, so they don’t know how to choose. Some sit for the entire session, staring at the box. Their dogs are afraid to make a “wrong” choice, so they do nothing.

If that describes your dog, dig deep and call on all your patience. You can certainly talk to your dog. Be upbeat and keep up the chatter. Just don’t give them commands, orders, or instructions. If you’ve got nothing else to say, sing a song, share a poem, recite the Gettysburg address. It doesn’t matter, as long as you let your dog know you’re not upset or angry with them. The tone should be encouraging and happy.

It doesn’t matter

Whatever your dog does with the box is fine. It gets rewarded. Once they catch on to the game, they’ll love it. They get to play with their people and have fun. Because there’s no goal to the game, it takes the pressure off everyone. 

You’re probably wondering what new games Torque made up with his latest Boxey session. The first was an extension of something we’ve done out of the box. He jumped into the box and went into his “Stomp!” behavior. It was adorable and we wish we had video.

“In and Out”

The second was brand new. When he’d been rewarded for “Stomp in the Box!” a few times, Hope said “We’ve seen that. What else?” He tried a few familiar behaviors (sit in the box, bow in the box), but Hope asked for something else. He moved his two back feet out of the box and then in again. Torque’s new game is “In and Out!” Like all new games, it needs some more practice before it’s polished. And Hope knows she truly has a partner. When she couldn’t come up with something new, he did. That’s the beauty of playing training games with your dog. Sometimes you let the dog do the work. And the partnership is always amazing.