January 2022 - 2 Minute Trainer

A new spin on dog games

Torque failing the ring stacking - time for a new spin on dog training games — Torque playing the ring stacking game

It’s easy to get into a rut. We noticed we were falling into one – always playing the Ring Stacking Game on Mondays, Tuesday it’s Put your Toys Away, etc. It’s time to give a new spin on dog games.

You don’t have to look very far, or vary too much from what you were doing. For example: Simon’s Ring Stacking fell apart this week. He knows the game very well – he’s the only one of our dogs that was absolutely meticulous about getting the rings on the pole exactly right. And persisted until it happened.

Time to shake things up

This week he seemed to either not care, or lost interest. He was grabbing rings randomly, taking them off the pole, not paying attention to what he was doing at all. It could be a case of revisiting the basics to remind him what’s going on. With Simon, though, it’s more likely that he was bored with the status quo.

To shake things up a bit, Fran kept the rings on her arm, rather than laying them on the floor in a pile. She tossed them, one by one, for Simon to retrieve and take to the pole for stacking. And just like that, Simon’s interest in the game reignited. A simple change made all the difference.

Keep the plates spinning

There was an old circus/variety show act about keeping plates spinning. The performer would set dinner plates up on narrow sticks and start them spinning, one after another. By the time he got to about the dozenth, he would have to run back and re-spin the first set. We don’t remember how many were ultimately going around, but it was impressive.

Every skill you and your dog know is one of those plates. If you don’t revisit it, it’s going to lose its momentum and fall off the stick. (We used this analogy before .) Unlike those plates, skills don’t shatter. Your dog can quickly recover proficiency by revisiting the basics.

If you’re competing in dog sports, the skills needed for obedience and rally are specific and don’t allow for much improvisation. But if you’re playing dog games for fun, enrichment, and engagement, be creative!

Freshen up

Once your dog masters a trick or behavior, it’s tempting to stay with it and enjoy the success. But that’s also a way to fall into that proverbial rut.

Seeing how much fun Simon and Fran were having with their variation on the Ring Stacking game, Hope tried a new version with Torque, as well. We’re big on using “stuff” we find around the house and repurposing it in our games. Hope dug out the unused metal ring molds to use for ring stacking.

Instead of having Torque pick them up, she rolled them on their side to let Torque chase them. Instantly, more action and enthusiasm for a game that was getting stale.

Torque loves to chase the rings.

Try a new spin on dog games

If you, or your dog, are getting tired of a game, try a minor change. Add motion. Play in a different room. Use a different object. Your dog will find it familiar, with enough of a twist to energize your training. Dogs thrive when the rules of the game are familiar, but there’s a new slant that makes it interesting. And you know how happy dogs get when they succeed. With just some minor tweaking, your dog will have a whole new attitude – and new skills to show off!

It’s never okay to hurt your dog

Don't let your small dog hide. — It’s never okay to hurt your dog.

Why is it hard to understand that it’s never okay to hurt your dog? That training should never be painful? There’s always a better way.

Last week was a particularly challenging one. One of Hope’s competition Obedience students, who’s been with her class for years, had an electronic collar on her dog.

The collar was black, the dog is black, and it was about half-way through the class before Hope noticed and called the student on it.

The rationale had steam coming from Hope’s ears.

The student, we’ll call her Sharon, likes to take her dog, Phydeaux, to the dog park to run off leash. While there, Phydeaux took it upon himself to jump on an unknown woman, and failed to return to Sharon when called.

Sharon decided this was an “unsafe” situation for Phydeaux. Rather than choosing not to return to the dog park until her dog had a reliable “Come!,” Sharon contacted a different trainer, who insists on a shock collar. Phydeaux must “get used” to wearing it for two weeks, then it gets turned on. Sharon insisted it was okay for Phydeaux to wear the collar in Hope’s class because it wasn’t “on.”

Since it was flashing, it apparently was on – just with no “zapper” remote in the vicinity. Not okay, Sharon.

Just flabbergasted

All of our students know that e-collars, prongs, and choke collars are not allowed in our classes. We will allow martingales, sometimes. Sharon knew it wasn’t allowed, but thought it was “okay” because the zapper wasn’t there.

No, Sharon. Not just in class. It’s never okay to zap your dog.

We understand the concept behind the e-collars. Punishing dogs for doing something you don’t want them to dates back long before these torture devices. That doesn’t make it a good idea.

Think of it this way

On the spur of the moment, we weren’t able to come up with an analogy that would clarify our stance to Sharon. Since she thought it was an okay idea, she’ll probably never understand. But here it is, for you:

Let’s say you adore chocolate. And there’s a wonderful chocolate shop that we take you to enjoy. You can have anything you want, we’ll get it for you. As much as you want.

At some point during the visit to the chocolate shop, you will violate a rule. The rule wasn’t explained to you beforehand. You have no idea what it is. The consequence of violating that unknown rule is that you’ll be zapped with a taser.

You don’t know when it’s coming. You don’t know what triggers its use. You have no idea what you’ve done to deserve it. And yet, you’re flailing on the floor.

So tell us – how do you feel about visits to the chocolate shop now? And about going somewhere with us?

Other options

Sharon could have spent the time and energy teaching Phydeaux a perfect recall. It doesn’t take long with the 2-Minute Trainer course “Come!” She could have used a long line to keep a measure of control. She could have stopped going to the dog park. There are lots of things she could have done.

She chose to hurt her dog, rather than teach him. We used to have some fondness for Sharon. She and her dogs have had some success in our classes, and in the Obedience and Rally trials we’ve prepared her for. If she can so easily cast aside all the tenets of training we’ve shared, that relationship’s changed forever.

News flash: Nobody’s perfect. No dog is perfect, either

Nobody’s perfect. No dog is perfect. Perfection isn’t possible for people or dogs. So stop worrying about it!

The other day we were watching the finals of the U.S. Men’s Figure Skating Championships on tv. Nathan Chen, who is the top-rated competitor in the world, fell on his ass during a (relatively) simple step sequence. Did he become enraged? Did he stomp off in a huff? No. He shrugged, smiled, and laughed it off.

Everybody messes up sometimes. And while we all wish that our public performances were perfect, playing with dogs in any public space has taught us that anything can happen. And far from being derisive or humiliating, the vast majority are sympathetic and understanding. The dog world is full of “been there, done that” stories. And since we all love to talk dogs, you’ll get to hear lots of people’s “Life’s Most Embarassing Moment” stories in dog venues.

No dog is perfect, but here Teddy showed good form jumping. — Teddy showing good form.

Like the time Hope was competing with Teddy in Agility and she tripped over the first jump. On the positive side, it removes all pressure when you mess up before you even start. You still get to go home with the best dog. And, unless you tell him/her – your dog will never know anything’s wrong at all.

Pure souls

We do encourage everyone to train their dogs and find an outlet for that training. It all adds up to living the biggest life possible with your dog. It could be you’d love to do therapy work, or frisbee (disc dog), or Scent Work, or one of our favorites: Rally, Obedience, or Agility. There’s tons of “stuff” to do with dogs, all surrounded by communities full of worth-knowing people.

We’ve mentioned many times that Fran’s Boston Terrier Booker is very special – not in a good way. But he comes close to normal, and thrives, in Rally Obedience class. It’s a happy place for him, where all he has to do is pay attention to his mom and show off “stuff” she’s taught him how to do. He positively prances through the courses – ears up, a bounce in his step.

It’s not about the ribbons, or the competition. It’s about creating an inter-species understanding that’s based on commitment and love. Dogs are really honest creatures. If they don’t know what you want them to do, they’ll either try everything they know to please you, or shut down. If they get it right, they’re thrilled with themselves. If they mess up – they don’t know unless you tell them. Don’t tell them.

“My Bad” Morsels

For every time we mess up in training, our dogs get “My Bad” morsels. We never want our dogs to know that something’s not right. When our attention wanders, we say the wrong thing, we turn the wrong direction, anytime we get it wrong, our dog gets a reward. Why? Because everybody, when they realize they made an error, tends to say something like “Darn!” or worse. And your dog has no way of knowing that disappointment isn’t aimed at them.

To deflect that worry, and let your dog know everything’s okay, deliver a “My Bad” morsel. You can certainly say “My Bad” as you give the treat. That teaches your dog that saying “My Bad” actually means “Good Dog!” You’ll avoid the shut down that can happen if your dog thinks they screwed up.

Be like Nathan

The sooner you learn to shrug, smile, and laugh off the mistakes, the happier you and your dog will be with your training. The more you laugh in training, the more your dog will repeat what made it happen.

This can have unintended consequences. Fran laughs every time Simon “rolls over.” It just makes her giggle. So Simon started rolling over every time she told him to “Down!” It was adorable, but she had to stop giggling if she ever wanted to compete in Rally or Obedience with him. It was a delightfully funny “problem” to solve.

Don’t worry, be happy

2-Minute Training sessions with your dog should be the times every day when you can relax, play with your dog, and forget about anything else that’s causing stress in your life. Each session doesn’t have to be productive, or even particularly purposeful. At least once a week we try for a “Freestyle” session and just let our dog interact with some “stuff” however they want. Everything they try, from nudging a box to batting at a drum, gets a click and a cookie. If there’s some particularly good and creative stuff, it may show up in a training game later. If not, the dog got to have some fun, knock stuff over, get clicks and treats.

No dog is perfect

There’s a saying among dog trainers that every dog is trained to his owner’s level of comfort. The gist is that if it doesn’t bother you, you won’t train your dog not to do it, whatever “it” may be. Dogs require clear explanations of what’s “allowed” vs. not. They learn through the timing and placement of rewards. But we don’t have to be perfect. We just have to get it right most of the time. And our dogs will, too.

Setting your dog training goals

Most people seek out dog training help when there’s a problem they want to solve. Or because they’ve acquired a new dog and realize it’s been a while and need a refresher.

Providing solutions for those immediate dog training goals may be how you found us. We hope you’re staying because we’ve opened your eyes to how amazing it is to have a training-game routine with your dog.

Setting some dog training goals

We often say that there’s no deadline for dog training games, and no one but you and your dog should set the pace for your progress.

But say you do have a specific dog training goal. And a timeline you’d like to achieve it. Absolutely go for it!

Once you and your dog are familiar with the 2-Minute-Training method, you can set your own schedule and play games that will let you achieve your goal. You can play as often as you like, tailoring your games to emphasize the skills your dog needs.

Like what?

Participating in the "Reading to Dogs" program is a great dog training goal. — Participating in the “Reading to Dogs” program is a great dog training goal.

Let’s say your goal is to do therapy work with your dog. There are many programs for helping people from children to seniors; from “Reading to Dogs” to hospice or comfort-animal therapy.

For many of these programs, getting your dog’s certification as a therapy dog starts with getting the Canine Good Citizen title from the American Kennel Club.

There are 10 specific “tests” a dog must pass to earn the CGC:

Accepting a friendly stranger
Sitting politely for petting
Appearance and grooming
Walking on a loose lead
Walking through a crowd
Sit and down on command, stay
Come when called
React calmly to another dog
React calmly to distractions
Calm during supervised separation

Every single one of these “tests” can be the focus of a 2-Minute-Training game. If you’re able to play training games multiple times a day, you can change which one to work on – or focus on one or two through the day. For specific requirements of each test, check the AKC website, or look for an animal-assisted therapy group near you.

Competitive goals

Some of us get so addicted to playing training games with our dogs that we’re just itching to find a place to show off their skills.

It’s become apparent that Hope’s French Bulldog Torque is adept at the skills required for Rally Obedience – and he just loves doing all the stuff. Hope’s goal for 2022 is to find, enter, and compete in Rally Trials. Her long-term goal is for Team Torque to earn a Rally Championship title. She has no timetable for that goal. Time, the pandemic, and financial considerations will all impose constraints.

Those constraints don’t matter to Torque. All he knows is that he gets to play fun games with his mom every single day. He doesn’t care whether it’s “Stack your Rings” or “Figure 8 with distractions” – it’s all fun and games for Team Torque.

What’s your team name?

Get serious about having fun with your dog. Call yourselves “Team (Insert Dog Name Here)” Be intentional with your training games. If your only goal is to have fun, and build your relationship with your dog – that’s a great goal. Commit to your team. If you design a logo – we’d love to see it!