2-minute tip Archives - Page 15 of 28

Dog training collars are just another myth

Dog training collars don’t exist. There is no object that can train your dog. You’re the only training gear you and your dog really need.

Traditionally, choke-chain and prong collars were considered training collars. Then came the invention of electronic collars. All of these are threats of punishment, not trainers. You don’t need one to control your dog.

Real training gear

What your dog wears for your training games doesn’t matter. It can be a regular buckle collar, a harness, or nothing at all. Dog training isn’t ever about the “stuff” – although heaven knows we’ve managed to accumulate tons of stuff. It’s about your relationship with your dog. Having fun. Playing games. Building understanding. And growing your bond.

The gear you need is intangible: patience, adaptability, observation, a sense of humor. It’s being willing to pay attention to your dog and the signals he/she gives you. And the ability to try something else when what you’re doing isn’t working.

Collars have their uses

Puppy Booker wears a flat buckle collar with a leash on to begin training. It was not a "dog training collar." — Puppy Booker starting training wearing a flat buckle collar and leash.

When you begin playing training games with your dog, a collar or harness may be useful. You may need to attach a leash to keep your dog in the vicinity at first. We recommend at least a six-foot leash. And all you do is attach it and step on the end to keep the dog relatively close.

Until your dog understands that training games are a fun zone, he/she may attempt to disengage. Remember, depending on what kind of training you’ve experienced in the past, your dog may expect to be corrected or punished for “wrong” answers. To avoid that, your dog may attempt to disengage and leave the area.

In 2-Minute Training games there’s no such thing as punishment. Reward what you like, ignore what you don’t. It will take a while for your dog to understand they can try all kinds of stuff. (We talked about one of Simon’s long-awaited breakthroughs in our article “Stay positive in dog training – results come in time.”) It may not be exactly right, but that’s okay. We just try again.

Naked games

Our dogs, who wear nothing in the house, adore playing training games. When we open the door to the basement where we have our little training area, they all barrel down as fast as they can go. They sometimes try to sneak down if we’ve left the door ajar accidentally.

We love and encourage that enthusiasm. Our morning training games are the best way to start the day – having fun with our dogs. And if a particular game doesn’t go the way we wanted it to, there’s always another opportunity.

Recently, Hope decided to start teaching Torque the Utility Obedience glove retrieve. That exercise has three evenly-spaced work gloves at one end of the room. The judge decides which glove (left, center, or right) the dog must fetch and bring back to the owner. If your dog has a fetch behavior, it seems simple enough.

We learned quickly that it’s more complex than that. Torque was stumped. He had no idea what to do with the gloves – he’d never seen them before. With 2-Minute Training games, we easily adapted and took it back to basics.

Torque’s next game was just getting familiar with work gloves. Hope put them on the floor and sat close by. Torque got a click and reward for any interaction with the gloves. Looking at them. Pawing at them. Moving them. After three clicks at each stage, Hope waited for Torque to do something else. Within just a couple of minutes, when putting a paw on the glove no longer got him a click, he moved on to mouthing them, picking them up, even carrying them a step or two.

Clothes don’t make the dog

Even though he didn’t get it “right” – Torque stayed right with the game because he’s not afraid to try new things. That’s because he’s never been punished with a dog training collar, or anything else.He plays naked, as do all our dogs. He stays and plays because he loves it, not because he’s compelled.

Don’t diminish your dog’s spirit with the constant fear of being wrong. You want your dog engaged, happy, learning new things, and eager to participate in training games. It’s such a joy to see dogs fulfilling their potential, making good choices, engaging with their families. Being the family member you dreamed of when you got your dog.

Teach your dog a release word

Every “stop” in dog training needs to have a paired “go.” Otherwise, how does your dog know to stop doing what you’ve asked? Teaching your dog a release word makes it easy. It’s your dog’s “green light” to stand down from a behavior.

Do what I say

The current trend in dog training is not to actually teach a “stay.” The theory is that if you’ve asked your dog to “Sit!,” they should keep doing that until you tell them to do something else. It’s an interesting idea, but there’s no way it will work unless you also teach your dog a release word.

As long as you’re consistent, it doesn’t matter what word you use: Free, Okay, Go, Cabbage. Remember what it is, and teach your dog to recognize it, your release cue can be any word in any language. Like Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass: “When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.”

Use it all the time

Roc is staying in his crate until he hears his release word. — We taught Roc his release word, so he’s staying in his crate until he hears it.

Start by letting your dog hear his/her release cue for transitions. When you release him/her from the crate, use your release word. If your dog doesn’t move when hearing it, close the crate door and step back. Come back to the crate, open the door and say the release word again. This time your dog should understand that it means “move your butt!”

When you open the door to let your dog out in the yard, use the release word. If you’re practicing a “stay” use it to let your dog know it’s time to move. When you finish a training game, use the release word to tell your dog it’s time to “stand down.” When you’re done practicing polite walking, give the release cue to let your dog know it’s time to sniff and be a dog. (Here’s an article about loose leash walking.)

Perfecting the release

To evaluate your dog’s understanding of his release word, play this stop/go stay game: Set your dog up in a sit, and say “Stay.” Remain with your dog. With a single treat in the hand closest to the dog, raise the treat high over the dog’s head and slowly lower it to him/her. If your dog remains in place, without any movement other than the head, put the treat in your dog’s mouth. If your dog moves, raise the treat up and start over.

After three or four successes, stop lowering the treat at about the halfway point and say your dog’s release word. He/she should jump up and get the treat. Celebrate! Good Dog!

Start the game again, until your 2-Minute session expires. You can vary the position for your dog’s stay – sit, down, or stand are all fine. As a matter of fact, you should practice each of the positions for the stay. Your groomer and veterinarian are always appreciative of dogs who know how to stand still!

Don’t make them think

If you teach your dog a release word, it really helps him. It clarifies behaviors. It sets the boundaries and limits – things dogs really love. If you leave a fuzzy boundary for any behavior, your dog won’t know what you want him/her to do and performance will suffer. Sit really does mean sit. Until you’re released to go about your business.

Many people worry about being “mean” to their dogs by setting strict limits. But dogs appreciate knowing the rules. Remember that dogs are binary creatures: yes or no, black or white, stop or go. They like knowing the right thing to do. Make it easy on your dog. Teach them a release word and let them know.

Build on what your dog knows

Giving your dog a strong training foundation means you don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. You can build on what your dog knows. You can start with the familiar to grow your dog’s understanding, their repertoire of behaviors and tricks, and build your partnership.

If your dog already knows “Place” (whatever you call it; mat, bed, rug), you can use that as a base for teaching your dog to Stay. (“Place” is an integral part of eCourse 1: Clicker and Place. Clicker optional.) Your dog already knows that going into the place is a good thing – he or she always gets a reward for being there. You can start teaching “Stay” simply by extending the timing between reinforcements.

It’s important to be clear about your criteria for words like “Stay!” For those of us training in dog sports, “Stay” means: “do not move any part of your body except your head!” And that’s the definition we use, whether we’re teaching an Obedience Competition stay, or “the doorbell rang, go place!” stay.

For obvious reasons, a completely non-moving stay can’t be held for too long. We use a different word for a more casual interpretation. In this case, it’s “Wait!” which means stay right about there. If you don’t need the more stringent definition, develop your own criteria for “Stay!” It could mean “okay as long as you’re in your place.” Or it could mean “no paws out of Place!” Whatever you decide, stick to it. Dogs don’t understand “maybe” – it’s either right or wrong, yes or no.

Yellow means stay

We’re always finding new uses for common, inexpensive items. One of our favorites is cheap yoga mats. We use them to cushion hard surfaces and indicate “place.” In the dog sport of Agility, the parts of the obstacles dogs must touch are colored yellow. We use pieces of yellow yoga mats to train our dogs to always touch yellow.

Some people think that dogs don’t see colors. They do, although their perception is different from ours. Yellow is a color that they can see, although it’s not as vivid for them as it is for us. Your dog can, in fact, learn to differentiate among identical objects of different colors. That’s a training game all by itself!

Getting back to using what the dog knows, Fran’s Boston Terrier Simon knows to get on the yellow mat and stay there until released. And, when Simon started to understand he always has to touch yellow, she brought her piece of yoga mat to agility class and put it on the obstacle. In only one class, Simon understood the relationship and consistently touched the yellow.

Extending the reach

We brought back the yellow yoga mat piece recently when Simon was having trouble with the “stay, walk around the dog” as a Rally instruction. He kept pivoting to look at Fran as she circled around him. He’s supposed to stay in the same position she left him in as she circles.

“Fixing” the behavior was as simple as putting out that old piece of yellow yoga mat. Fran heeled with Simon up to the mat, told him to “Stay!” and walked around. As simple as that. Using something familiar in a new situation let Simon understand what’s expected of him. He got lots of treats!

Stop Your Dog from Jumping on People

It’s really cute when puppies jump up to get attention. It’s not cute anymore when the dog grows up and isn’t a cute, tiny puppy any more. So how do you stop your dog from jumping on people?

Cry for attention

How do you stop a dog from jumping on you? — A dog jumping on you is a plea for attention.

Dogs don’t generally just jump for joy. When they’re so full of energy they just can’t contain themselves, jumping up and down isn’t the usual behavior. Instead, they’ll get the “zoomies” and run like crazy. If your house, like ours, has a circular path, they’ll make it into a race track. And you’d best just stay out of the way until the zoomies run out.

Jumping, especially on people, is a plea for attention. And the best way to get it to stop is by ignoring it. Which, we freely admit, is easier said than done.

In Hope’s Beginning Obedience/Puppy classes, dogs will often jump on her as she approaches. We don’t know if you can tell from our videos, but she’s not a big person. She’s about five-foot-nothing tall, and not incredibly substantial. In one session, there was a lovely, 50+ lb. Lab puppy named Gus who adored jumping on Hope and grabbing the mask off her face. On his hind legs, Gus is about the same height as Hope, so her mask was well within reach. It’s worth noting that he really is a very nice dog – he never snagged anything but the mask.

Be prepared

Knowing when your dog is likely to jump on someone, and what circumstances trigger the behavior, is key in stopping it. Set up the situation and be prepared.

In this case, Hope had Gus’s people keep hold of his leash until she braced herself and was ready for his enthusiasm. Then she told them to release enough slack for Gus to reach her, but not go past. Gus grabbed the mask again, but Hope did nothing. She didn’t move, didn’t play “tug” with the mask, didn’t look at him, didn’t pay any attention to him. She looked past Gus at his people. And had to tell them repeatedly not to react.

And, after a few seconds of acting the fool, Gus got all four feet on the ground. Immediately, Hope told him what a good boy he was and started petting him. Which triggered his jumping.

Hope instantly returned to braced-statue mode. No reaction whatsoever. And Gus got all four feet on the ground. Which earned him the praise and attention he wanted.

Instant gratification

Timing is important in teaching dogs. If the lesson is “don’t jump on people” there has to be a visible difference. Jump = no attention. No jumping = praise, treats, and attention.

We’ve often said that doing nothing is, by far, the hardest part of dog training. (“The hardest part of dog training“) If you pay attention to behaviors you don’t want, you’re encouraging that behavior. If you remove that attention, the dog has no reason to continue the behavior – it’s not working for him.

Dogs always give you more of the behavior you focus on. If you repeatedly say “off, get off, no jump” it’s paying attention to the behavior. It works much better to emphasize when your dog is doing something you want. Instant praise, treats, or a game of tug will tell your dog he’s being “good,” that you like what he’s doing, and he’ll get more attention with this good choice.

Making good choices

Everyone, dogs included, is sufficiently selfish to do what works best. If jumping on people results in attention, even if it’s “No, No, bad dog,” it’s working. Dogs don’t discriminate between negative and positive attention. To your dog, anytime you focus on them, it’s a good thing.

If you ignore the behavior you don’t want, your dog has no reason to continue doing it. The dog’s behavior isn’t working, so they stop doing it.

If your dog is jumping on someone, have them stand like a statue. Fold their arms across their chest and stare at the ceiling. It may take some repetitions, but your dog will learn that jumping gets them nothing they want. Dogs particularly hate it when you don’t look at them. So make a point of looking away.

Flip side

The other side of the coin has to be just as fast and clear. If the dog has all four feet on the ground, meet their eyes, praise them mightily, and give treats, pets, toys. For as long as the good behavior lasts. Be ready to stop in mid-word if the jumping starts.

It may take some time for the lesson to sink in. Each time the dog gets the same message, the “right” choice penetrates deeper into their personality. By the end of the class session, Gus sat whenever Hope came over to see him. Good boy, Gus!

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!

Looky-Loo Part II (Dog Training Game)

Looky-Loo is a dog training game that reminds your dog that the two of you are a team, doing things together. It lets dogs be dogs – investigating their surroundings, being aware of the world around them. While always maintaining a “check in” mentality. The fun continues as long as your dog remembers to “check in” with you.

This applies whether you’re out for a meandering walk around the neighborhood or running a competition agility course. The invisible connection between you and your dog is an important part of your relationship. In unfamiliar circumstances, or if your dog’s unsure, your demeanor when your dog checks in will help determine how interactions proceed.

Next step in Looky-Loo

In the first phase of Looky-Loo you held a toy or other object behind your back, showed it to your dog briefly while saying “Look!”, and then hide it again. When your dog looked at your face, rather than for the toy, you clicked and rewarded. After just a few sessions, your dog should realize the object of the game is to focus on you.

The next step is to keep the toy visible. Only say “Look!” once when you first show it. If it’s a particularly desirable toy, it may take a while until your dog remembers to focus on you. As soon as they do, click and reward. The reward can be a treat or even a game of tug with the “Look!” toy. Focusing on you has to be the most rewarding part of the game. The click-and-treat comes when the dog looks at you, not at the object.

Timing is important

The click-and-treat comes when the dog looks at you. That’s the goal of “Looky-Loo.” Getting your dog to return his/her gaze to you after something distracting happens. (See last week’s tip: Looky-Loo Part 1.) It’s not the end of the world if your timing is off sometimes. It happens to everyone. When it does, and it will, give your dog an “Oops! Cookie” and reset the game. Just keep the goal in mind and watch your dog’s eyes.

Dogs learn through the timing and placement of rewards. Some people, playing attention games, even start holding the treat by their noses to bring their dog’s focus up to their eyes. That lures the dog to look at their face, rather than rewarding the dog’s decision to watch. “Watch me!” is a phrase you might hear a lot in dog training classes. It works sometimes. It doesn’t teach the dog that watching is more interesting than that speck on the floor.

Upping the game

The next step, before you take “Looky-Loo” out on the road, is to get your dog to look at distractions in the environment and still choose to look at you. Rather than holding the object, it will be on the floor where you’ll be passing by it.

It’s time to move the game someplace where you have space to move a few steps and place a distracting object to the side. Place an object that isn’t very interesting to your dog on the floor. Holding the dog’s leash, try to walk by the object, saying “Look!” Keep walking, and when your dog’s focus is on you, click and reward. If the dog’s attention stays on the object, go back to the last step, using the same object. Your dog will let you know when they’re ready to move on, or if it’s not quite time.

Fran and Simon have a variation of Looky-Loo:

Moving on

Remember, there’s no timetable for dog training games. Dogs learn at their own pace. And some games go more slowly than others. If your dog is extremely curious, this may be a tough one for them.

The next steps would be to change the object used as a distraction. We started our Looky-Loo dog training game with something that the dog didn’t really care about. Make the distraction more desirable in gradual steps. Work your way up to things that your dog loves. Can your dog still “Look!” and come back to you? What if it was a favorite toy? Or a bowl of food?

Taking it to the streets

When your dog is fairly proficient at “Look!” and focus, it’s time to move the game to places you may actually need it. When you do, start the game with a quick reminder of where the game began – hide an object behind your back, show it briefly while saying “Look!” and hide it again. Just a quick refresher helps the dog know what game you’re playing.

Simon is distracted - we need to take a step back in the Looky-Loo dog training game. — Time to go back a step in the “Looky-Loo” dog training game…

When you’re out and about, you can make anything the subject of “Looky-Lou!” Just tell your dog to “Look!,” whether it’s a squirrel, a person walking, or a dog being walked in the distance. When your dog looks back at you, click and reward.

Be ready

Your dog is learning to gauge their reaction to “stuff” by your response. Stay calm, tell your dog to “Look!” and wait for them to pay attention to you. Be sure you’re watching your dog’s face so you can tell the exact moment their focus is on you. Be more excited by your dog watching you! That’s the tremendous accomplishment – celebrate it with enthusiasm!

Dog Training Game: Looky-Loo (Part 1)

Dogs are nosy creatures. Some are almost obsessive in their curiosity about what’s “over there.” You can indulge your dog and still maintain focus with the dog training game Looky-Loo!

Torque can play "Looky-Loo" and look at things he hears, then turn his focus back to Hope. — Torque can look around at things he hears, then turn his focus back to Hope.

Realistically, none of us lives on a solitary island. Our dogs, whether they’re just walking around the neighborhood or competing in dog sports, need to be familiar with their surroundings. That means being able to look around, take in the sights and smells around them, be calm, and get on with what they were doing. (We talked about this earlier, in our article, “Be Better Than Squirrel!“)

That’s the crucial part. The dog has to take in his/her surroundings without reacting negatively. Seeing, recognizing, and bringing attention back to “business.”

Looky-Loo set up

Like all 2-Minute-Training games, it starts in a quiet space with no distractions. Dogs have to learn how to play this new game before introducing distractions.

What you’ll need:

Training timer
Your dog on leash and collar
Treats
An object / toy your dog likes, small enough for you to hold easily
Clicker (Optional, but recommended

Playing Looky-Loo:

Session 1 – Set your timer for 2 Minutes. Turn it on. Stand with your dog close in front of you. If your dog doesn’t have a decent “stay,” step on the leash. (Note: the leash should be long enough so your dog can stand up, sit, lie down, or move around, but not leave the area). Facing your dog, hold the toy in one hand behind your back. Swing the toy out so your dog can see it, say “Look!” and hide the toy behind you again. If your dog looks at your face, click and reward.

That’s it for the first session. You’re teaching your dog to look, then return focus to you. Looking at you is the goal of the game. Imagine how much better life would be if your dog looked at that squirrel, then back at you? And then calmly continued on your walk?

Keep in mind:

Some dogs will understand and start immediately looking at you after glancing at the object. Other dogs may take a while to get it. That’s okay. Stay at the first step as long as you need to for reliable understanding. When your dog gets it right about 75 percent of the time, then it’s time to move on.

Your dog glancing at the “look” object is good. We want our dogs to see what’s around them. But it’s not the point of the game. Dogs look at stuff, especially moving stuff. We expect the dog to look at the toy when we show it.

The objective of the game is bringing the dog’s attention back to you after the toy disappears again. That’s when the click and reward come – when your dog’s eyes meet yours.

Next week: Looky-Loo Part II