2-minute tip Archives - Page 18 of 28

The hardest part of dog training

What do you think is the hardest part of dog training?

There are lots of possibilities; timing, coordination, remembering, getting focus, carving out the time to play training games. But all of those are just a matter of practicing. They all get easier with experience. The more training games you play with your dog, the better you get at it.

The “Winner” is

The hardest part of dog training is doing nothing. It’s standing like a statue, not saying anything, not doing anything, while your dog acts a fool. She’s barking, jumping, biting at the leash.

The hardest part of dog training is doing nothing when your dog is misbehaving.

If you’re in public, it’s embarrassing and you want to make her stop. If you’re at home, it’s still annoying and you want her to knock it off.

The best thing you can do is stand there, hands folded, silent. When her little temper tantrum wears off, she’ll probably remember that sitting quietly gets her the attention, and reward, that she wants. It can be annoying, frustrating, even infuriating, to wait for that moment. But it’s worth it.

Let the dog decide

If we “make” our dog behave, by holding their collar or tightening the leash, we’re giving them exactly what they want – our complete attention. We’re reacting to them, instead of waiting for them to choose better and get rewarded for good behavior. Waiting for your dog to “see the light” can be a painful process. But it’s worth it. We teach our dogs how to get what they want, instead of letting the dog manipulate us.

It’s really, really hard not to snatch your hand away when your dog starts nibbling at it to get the treats. (The “Whatcha gonna do?” game in Book 4: Impulse Control.) But the motion of lifting your hand looks, to your dog, like you’re engaging in the game he chose. Yelling at your dog for barking is “playing” the barking game, seen from the dog’s perspective.

Think, don’t react

Doing nothing is the hardest part of dog training. But sometimes it’s the only way to show our dogs how to choose better. Pay close attention to your own reactions to your dog’s silly/obnoxious behaviors. Are you inadvertently encouraging it? Do you engage with your dog when he’s acting the fool?

Try ignoring it, instead. If he’s really being obnoxious, walk away. If he persists, go into the bathroom and lock him out. When he quiets down and his brain engages again, reward it! Play a rowdy game of tug, or fetch! Play on your terms, not when your dog dictates.

Right and wrong are different

Show your dog what right and wrong look like. Right should be full of energy, treats, toys, play, and fun. Wrong should be dull. Not nearly as much fun as being good.

As soon as your dog chooses wisely, reward, reward, reward! Making good choices is the foundation of game-based dog training. Love it when you see it!

Are you boring your dog? Be better than SQUIRREL!

You have to be better than squirrel to stop boring your dog.

Are you boring your dog? Gaining their interest isn’t hard – you just have to know how. Dogs aren’t aliens. But they also aren’t people. The thoughts going through their heads aren’t worries about money, family, job, health, etc. Dogs think about food, comfort, play, and SQUIRREL!

To compete with SQUIRREL!, you have to stop boring your dog. If the most interesting thing in your yard is the wildlife, you’re not going to get the attention you need and want. If your dog is always on the lookout for critters when you’re out walking, you’ll never be able to achieve loose-leash walking – Book 3: Let’s Go For a Walk.

Be fascinating

For better or worse, there are things that people can’t tear their eyes away from. Construction sites. Wrecking sites. Fireworks. Train wrecks. Depending on your personal interests, your attention is grabbed by performances ranging from football to ballet, gymnastics to roller derby, dressage to rodeo. You need to find a way to be your dog’s must-see TV, two minutes at a time.

It’s not that tough. And the more you try it, the easier it’ll be. You know which toy is your dog’s favorite. What if you snatched it up and ran away? You would have your dog’s undivided attention for the duration of the chase.

Take advantage of that! Come to a stop, spin around to face your dog, stick out your hand and ask for a “Touch!” Good dog! Reward with a game of tug, or fetch. Or turn around, run off, and do it again!

Not for endurance

We may be enthralled by a two-hour symphony performance, but dogs’ attention spans are limited. Try to do anything for too long and they’ll lose focus and wander off. Training games aren’t endurance events. The marathon you’re running isn’t today – it’s the duration of your dog’s life.

Finding an extra hour in your day is almost impossible for most people. But it’s easy to find two minutes to play with your dog. And if those two minutes are all you have, you need to get your dog’s attention and focus quickly.

Build value in focus

One of the simplest and easiest ways to get your dog’s attention is to call his/her name and “pay” every time he looks at you. Every single time – call, look, reward. The goal is to make looking at you one of the most valuable things your dog can do. If/when you get instant, enthusiastic attention every time you call, you can randomize giving a reward. Until then – every single time. Call, look, reward.

For your dog, looking at you should always be one of the best things ever. When he/she looks, tell your dog what an amazing creature he/she is! The bestest, most brilliant, gorgeous creature ever. And it’s true. Just look at those puppy-dog eyes and that sweet expression.

Attention seeking

What if your dog doesn’t respond when she hears her name? Did you get an ear twitch? Or is she single-mindedly focusing elsewhere and determinedly ignoring you?

That’s just rude. You wouldn’t put up with that kind of disrespect from people. Don’t tolerate it from your dog. But don’t get mad. Get creative! Blow on her ears! Goose her (gently)!! Slap a toy on the ground behind her – then take off! As soon as you get her attention, praise and reward!

Stop boring your dog!

When you’re home with your dog, does he/she “check in” with you every once in a while? Most dogs do, unless they’re asleep. And even when they are snoozing, either they’re in touch, or rousing periodically to look for you. When you see it happening, make eye contact, and connect with your dog. Just a simple “good dog!” or “you’re so cute!” will reinforce your bond.

It would also be a great time for a little 2-Minute Training game. Your dog will think you’re amazing if you’re always ready to play!

Dog Training Game: Get it! / Leave it!

Dogs are binary creatures. It’s yes or no. Black or white. On or off. Get it! Or Leave it! Dogs don’t have shades of gray that let them process things like “just this once,” or “sometimes.”

Once you really understand this, dog training is much easier. You’re actually not tormenting them by holding dogs to strict criteria. You’re really being precise, clear, and explaining in a way your dog will understand. And giving him/her an opportunity to get things absolutely right!

Dogs don’t like “sometimes,” or “maybe.” If you let your dog do something sometimes, it’s confusing for the dog.

Stop and go

There are times that you want your dog to do something, then stop doing it. That’s where the “Get It! / Leave It!” game comes in handy. You may want your dog to “fetch” keys you dropped. That doesn’t mean he/she needs to grab your keys every time.

This is a game to play when you’re tired and really don’t feel like being super energetic. You can sit in a chair or on the couch to play this game, with your dog in front of you. All you need is a bowl of treats and your dog.

Teaching Simon "get it leave it" with the "Whacha gonna do?" game.

Take about 10 treats and put them in your hand, palm up, facing your dog. When your dog is sitting politely in front of you (remember your “Whacha gonna do?” game? from Book 4: Impulse Control.) take a single treat from your palm and give it to your dog as you say “Get It!” As your dog is munching, especially if he/she took it nicely, you can say “Good Get It!”

Do this about five or six times. Just hand your dog a treat and say “Get It!” and praise for showing good manners.

The hard part of Leave it!

For the next treat, take it from your open palm and say “Leave it!”, closing your hand around the treat. Do not let the dog get the treat, even if you have to endure some nibbling. Most dogs will test to see if you’re serious about it. When your dog backs off, say “Good Leave It!”

Put that treat back, choose a different treat, and start again with “Get It!” “Good Get It!”

Randomize the number of “Get Its” before trying another “Leave It!” but be sure that the “Gets” far outnumber the “Leaves.”

Why a different treat?

What’s the point of discarding the treat your dog had to “Leave?” Picture using the “Leave It!” when you’re out on a walk and your dog encounters goose poop. When you tell your dog “Leave It!” it means he/she is never supposed to go near that particular thing. And that by “Leaving It!” he/she will be heavily rewarded many times with even better stuff from your hand.

Imagine your dog knowing this behavior so well that he/she never again tries for the goose poop. Instead, your dog will make sure you see that icky stuff, notice she’s virtuously ignoring it, and she expects to be rewarded. It’s a scenario that will play out if you practice your “Get It!” and “Leave It!” game.

Final exam

When you think your dog understands “Get It! / Leave It!” it’s time to put them to the test. The mentor who taught us this game, many years ago, went to the ultimate extreme. He picked up McDonald’s french fries on the way to class and scattered them all over the floor. Our dog-and-handler “final exam” was to walk across that floor with the dogs ignoring the fresh, delicious fries. And every single dog was able to do it.

Don’t start with french fries. Expand your dog’s understanding by dropping the treat on the floor instead of keeping it in your hand when you say “Leave it!” When your dog succeeds most of the time, you can move on to other items to drop, or get, and other rooms and places to work in.

Most useful command

“Leave It!” is certainly a more-used command than “Get It!” in most of our lives. It can even save your dog’s life, depending on what he/she found lying around.

Practice the “Get It!” too. And if you teach your dog the names of different objects, people will be amazed when you tell your dog to “Get the keys!” and he does!

Talk to your dog

Your dogs’ ears are better than yours. Also (probably) cuter. And softer. They work great. Use them. Talk to your dog!

This week for the first time since the pandemic shut down our dog training club, we held classes. It started out really, really quiet. We think it may have been that people were embarrassed to talk to their dogs in public. After a year and a half of talking only to their dogs, they may have thought that it wasn’t okay in public.

Always talk to your dog

Aside from the fact that dogs can understand hundreds of words if we bother to teach them, it’s only polite to let the other person in the room know what’s going on.

The most egregious offenses in class were people, given the “Forward!” command by the instructor (Hope), took off without saying anything to their dogs! In most cases, they didn’t even “check in” to make sure their dogs were paying attention!

We know that most people just want their dogs to exhibit good manners when walking. Competition obedience isn’t on everyone’s radar. That’s perfectly fine. But you still need to let your dog know when you’re starting, turning, stopping, or changing speeds! If you were walking with a human friend, and you’re the one who knows where you’re going, don’t you routinely say “we turn here” or “it’s just ahead on the right”?

And it’s important to let your dog know that they’re doing a good job. Praise is one way to reward your dog – so speak up!

Letting dogs know what’s up

The sins were just as numerous on the flip side of the coin. We were appalled to see how many leashes got tight and dogs were dragged around by their necks rather than being given a chance to think and react.

Especially the first time doing something, or just learning something, or coming back after a long time away, dogs need time to process what’s being asked of them. If your dog hasn’t heard “Sit!” in a while, it may take a moment to sift through the brain cells and figure out what you’re talking about. Give your dog a chance to “answer” when you talk to your dog.

Everybody does it

It was interesting to see that almost everyone in class was exhibiting the same bad behavior, hauling on their dogs without talking to them first. Both the owners of the German Shepherd and the Chinese Crested – the long and short of our class.

If you’re training in class, it’s understandable to be a little shy about babbling excitedly to your dog. It took a long time before we were able to get over it. It helped to realize that absolutely no one in the class is paying any attention to you – they’re all occupied with their own dogs. And any spectators will be too busy watching the dogs to listen to a word anybody says.

Use your happy voice

Talk to your dog - he'll look at you and you'll have a happy working dog.

By all means practice talking to your dog in your 2-Minute dog training games at home. Prove to yourself how well it works. Try one session being quiet, and when you do speak, do it either harshly or in a monotone. Then, later the same day, try playing exactly the same game, but talking happily and excitedly to your dog throughout.

We guarantee your dog will do better and learn more in the second session. We play dog training games for many reasons. One of the most important ones is having fun with our dogs. And they love the sound of our voices.

So much dog training, so little time

Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to teach your dog? There’s so much dog training to do! Especially if you have a puppy or a newly-adopted dog. There’s just so much! From the daily routine, to potty-training, to leash walking, to jumping, barking, etc. The list goes on and on.

You don’t need to “fix” everything all at once. There’s no schedule, or deadline. Your relationship with your dog, your partnership, will grow over time and whatever issues you have will melt away as your dog’s understanding grows and strengthens.

Pick just one thing

Another consideration is how very tired you are with a new dog in the house. A new addition sucks up a lot of time and energy – without accomplishing much of anything. Or having much fun. We understand. You’re not alone.

And that’s why it’s vital to carve out those two minutes to have fun with your dog. Everyone can find two minutes to play! It doesn’t have to be the same time every day. Or the same place.

All you have to do is decide. Play a dog training game around the last thing your dog did that was annoying. Or naughty. Or wonderful! You can also play games to reinforce good behavior.

It gets done – one little bit at a time

We come from a long and not-so-proud heritage of pack-rat personalities. We never reached hoarder status, but there was too much stuff. To turn things around, we just decided to do it. It’s probably the origin of 2-Minute-Trainer. Because we grabbed a timer, set it for 15 minutes, and tackled whatever mess was in front of us.

You can decide to play training games with your dog, too. You won’t “fix” everything in a day. It takes time. And the progress is incremental. But one day you’ll look around and realize – we did it! Our home was tidy! And you’ll look around one day, sooner than you think, and realize you have the world’s best dog!

Don’t even try for big chunks. Nibble away! If there’s a specific behavior you want to change, picture the change and parse it into the smallest possible steps. Work one step at a time, and soon they’ll all be done. Remember the Lao Tzu proverb: The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

So much dog training

All dog training, even little Puppy Push-ups games, address the three things we all want: better manners, increased trust, and expanded confidence in our dogs. When you have no ideas for today’s game, fall back on something your dog already knows and loves.

If you want to change it up, do it in a different room. Or outside. Just know that every single 2-Minute Training session you spend with your dog will have lasting effects. The relationship between you and your dog will grow geometrically as you play dog training games.

Dog decision making – help your dog choose wisely

Dogs, like people, are always making decisions. Which toy should I play with? Is this the best chewy toy in the house? Which bush should I pee on? She called me – should I “come?” The crux of positive reinforcement training is guiding dog decision making. Building the understanding that what you want, and what your dog wants, are the same thing.

We’ve talked before about dogs not caring about being “good.” They don’t even know what it is. Dogs will always do the “thing” that’s most valuable to them. It’s our job to build value in good decisions.

For example:

Fran’s 2-year-old Boston Terrier Simon doesn’t always love Hope’s 6-year-old French Bulldog Torque. For unknown reasons, he just rubs him the wrong way sometimes.

We watch the interactions between the two very carefully. During supervised play times, Simon wears a leash that Fran hangs onto. It’s not to drag him back, it’s to prevent contact. Torque will try and get away when Simon loses his temper. The leash is to make sure Simon doesn’t follow.

When Simon’s body language tells us that he might be taking umbrage, Fran calls him to her. She’s been doing this consistently. Last night we were delighted to see him make a wonderful decision. Simon was losing his cool, his hackles started to raise, he was staring at Torque. We saw it and Fran started calling Simon in a happy voice – one that he knows always results in rewards.

He thought about it. You could see him pause. And then he ran over to Fran, away from Torque, and was completely and thoroughly praised and rewarded.

Make it worthwhile

Simon is always rewarded for making good decisions.

Would Simon have made the same, good decision, if it didn’t “pay?” He could very well have gotten supreme satisfaction from going after the other dog. He didn’t because he knew that Fran would praise him, play with him, and give him treats for going to her. It was more rewarding to Simon to be doted on. Good dog decision making, Simon!

That’s why you never call your dog to you for something he/she doesn’t like. If your dog hates getting a bath, go and get him/her. Don’t try to fool your dog, either. Don’t call him/her into the bathroom, give a treat, and then shove him/her in the tub. Not fair.

Never too late for training good dog decision making

Positive reinforcement, and 2-Minute-Trainer training games, are all about guiding our dogs into making the best choices. Being a “good dog” may not be something dogs understand. Getting rewarded is speaking their language. Dogs will repeat behavior that’s rewarded. They’re smart enough to discard what doesn’t work for them.

Your attention, treats, and play are all rewards your dog will try to get. When you witness your dog making a good decision, be sure he/she is lavishly rewarded. You can’t “spoil” your dog with praise, treats, or playtime.

There’s no such thing as too much praise for good behavior. If you slack off, or let good dog decision making go unnoticed, you’ll lose it. Dogs are wonderful, adaptable creatures. They’re also in the “what have you done for me lately” camp. If something that used to get rewarded no longer does, they’ll stop doing it.

How to get your dog to calm down and relax

It’s the very first thing we “work” on with puppies – get your dog to calm down. Just like human children, puppies don’t really know when they’re over-tired. They’ll fight taking a nap, just like a toddler. You can watch their eyelids droop, but they just won’t relax. As they get more and more tired, puppies can get increasingly frantic. And your frustration grows. The dog needs to nap. And you need to grab a shower and a meal!

Puppies are little tyrants. If you allow it, they’ll take over every aspect of your life and schedule. They’re selfish little beasts, only caring about their own needs and wants.

Frankly, if puppies weren’t so adorable your heart melts, there’d be no excuse for them.

Start with the basics

“Sit and accept praise” is one of the very first behaviors we teach with a new dog or puppy in the house. When the new addition gets you up at four in the morning and, after a potty break, decides it’s play time, you need a way of letting him/her know that’s not the way it’s going to be.

Many trainers would have you stuff the puppy in the crate, maybe even cover it, and wrap a pillow over your head to muffle the complaints. The ear-piercing, howling misery.

But we’re not believers in letting a dog or puppy cry itself into exhaustion. The dog doesn’t learn anything from that. Even at four in the morning, it’s time for a session of “Sit And Accept Praise.”

Not the most fun training game

Our very first dog training mentor preached this exercise, even before positive reinforcement was a “thing” in dog training. He is a good and wise man.

This is probably the only 2-Minute-Trainer game that’s not really much fun for either of you at first. But it is part of the deal we make with our dogs. They get what they want when we get what we want. It’s a simple bargain, but an important one.

How Sit & Accept Praise works

Sit & Accept Praise is easy. With your dog wearing a collar, have him sit next to you. On the couch if it’s allowed. You get on the floor if it’s not. (As an aside: we don’t understand why people have upholstered furniture their dogs aren’t allowed to get on. But we think dogs are more valuable than any “stuff.”) (By the way – we also outline Sit & Accept Praise in our Puppy Basics. If you missed that, it’s no big deal, but you might want to get the free download for more great information.)

Sit and accept praise is the best way to get your dog to calm down.

Your dog may not want to sit next to you. That’s why he/she is wearing a collar. With your arm and elbow holding the dog at your side, thread a couple of fingers through the dog’s collar. Make sure your position is comfortable and that, if the dog fusses and moves, your fingers won’t bend awkwardly. The game may not be the most fun, but it also shouldn’t hurt either one of you..

Then sit there, petting the dog with the other hand and speaking softly to him/her. Let your dog know that he’s a wonderful dog, and a good dog, and the handsomest dog in the world. If you’re a reader, read your book out loud. Just so your dog hears your voice being calm and gentle.

That’s pretty much it. It’s easy to get your dog to calm down with this technique.

Dog’s not having it

When you feel the dog start to relax, you can ease the tension in the arm holding the dog at your side. Keep talking and petting. An occasional treat is fine, too. As long as the dog doesn’t get too excited by it.

If, when you lessen the hold, your dog struggles, just go back to where you were. In time, your dog will learn that you mean it, it’s time to relax.

It may take more than one repetition for the message to get through. When your dog does relax, even lie down, give him/her a cue word that identifies the action. We use “relax,” so when our dogs’ tension eases, “good relax,” “nice relax, buddy,” “what a good relax.” That way, throughout the dog’s life, we can tell him to “Relax” and he knows what to do.

Dogs don’t judge

Afraid of doing it wrong? You don’t have to be. Dogs don’t judge.

Some people are reluctant to try new things. Especially if they’re in a public place, or if they’re being watched. We see it in our dog training classes all the time. We have to encourage people to be louder, more active, keep trying, talk to their dogs, etc. Because we’re all afraid of being judged.

Dogs don’t judge

One of the best, and most fun, things about 2-Minute dog games is that there’s never a buzzer or anyone yelling “wrong!” You can play and adapt every game to where you and your dog are right at that moment. And dogs don’t shut down or quit – they’re encouraged to keep trying.

“Try again!” is a phrase that makes our dogs wiggle their butts – it means they get to keep playing. That particular attempt may not have been rewarded, but they get to keep playing and discover what does get the cookie.

You can’t “break” your dog

Positive reinforcement training will never “break” your dog. We have seen dog victims of harsh methods who may never recover to become normal dogs. That doesn’t happen with training games. The “worst” consequences for the dog is not getting a treat. And another opportunity to try.

You also don’t have to worry about getting things right every time. Just like our dogs, we have another chance to play and try again.

This week we’re playing a new game with our dogs. We’ve seen videos of dogs riding skateboards and thought it looked pretty fun. So we got our dog a skateboard!

See what they think

Whenever we introduce a new training tool (toy!) to our dogs, we take the first session or two to see what they think of it. If it’s something that’s familiar, the introduction doesn’t take long and we can start a new game behavior quickly. If it’s something as alien as a skateboard, we want to see how the dogs react before we formulate a game strategy. That’s exactly how we start even the very first dog training game, “Boxey.”

Each of Fran’s dogs reacted a bit differently:

Booker's second time on the skateboard. Dogs don't judge - he was all about the fun.

Booker (8-year-old Boston Terrier) dashed right over, put multiple paws on the deck, and wasn’t fazed in the least when it started moving. His game will emphasize putting three paws on, then moving it with purpose.

Tango (12-year-old Brussels Griffon) doesn’t see too well at this point, but is so familiar with training games that when he noticed something new in the space, he went over to it. He sniffed it, got paws up on it, and was clearly willing to play.

Simon (2-year-old Boston) ran over to the skateboard and was in constant motion. “You want this?” “How about this?” “I’ll try this!” “One paw good?” “Three paws?” “What about shoving it across the room?”

Clearly none of them was afraid of the item itself, or its movement. And we’ll play games tailored to each dog. Booker’s game will work on refining technique. Tango will probably learn “go for a ride” with us moving the board. Simon’s game will focus on focus. That pup is smart as can be, but still has the attention span of a puppy Boston.

Dogs just want to have fun

We didn’t worry about doing something “wrong.” The dogs got to “meet” their new toy, and we were able to get an idea of each dog’s training game. The next time the dogs see the skateboard, we’ll have a plan for each one – what action will get a “click and treat,” and which one will be ignored.

The plan doesn’t always happen. Because they’re dogs. That’s okay. We don’t have to be perfect, and neither do the dogs.

You don’t have to worry about getting things “wrong” in a dog training game. Dogs trained with positive reinforcement games will keep trying, keep exploring. Rewards are great, but most dogs adore playing the game. Most will keep trying, just because playing with you is fun.

And if you click at the wrong time? Just give your dog the cookie and try again. Nobody’s perfect and your dog will forgive you. Your mistake may confuse your dog for a minute, but that’s okay. Nobody got hurt. Nobody saw. Dogs are adaptable. Dogs don’t judge. And your dog loves playing with you.

Stay positive in dog training – results come in time

It’s extremely rewarding to see the results of your training. It’s sometimes hard to stay positive in dog training and have faith that you’re making a difference. Lately we’ve had a couple of wonderful examples of how patience and positivity work. We’re changing lives, especially our own, with the power of positive reinforcement training.

By Simon, we think he’s got it!

Simon, Fran’s 2-year-old Boston Terrier is a nosey fellow. He has to check out everything that’s going on, and right in the middle is where he wants to be. Like most Bostons, he’s also incredibly friendly and wants to run up to everyone for overly-enthusiastic greetings.

Simon, demonstrating his jumping prowess. By staying positive, results come in time. — Simon, demonstrating his jumping prowess.

Our yard is surrounded by a four-foot chain-link fence. Our neighbor was out in his yard and Simon felt compelled to run over to say “Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!” And repeatedly jump, bouncing off the fence at about 3.5 feet.

The neighbor is a very tolerant man, and accustomed to living next door to dogs, so he ignored Simon entirely. Which gave Hope the opportunity to get close, say Simon’s name, and instantly reward when he turned to look at her. We could see him think about resuming the jumping, greeting craziness, but he didn’t. We could actually see him decide. Paying attention to Hope was more rewarding than greeting the man.

Laying the foundation

Simon’s good choice was something we’ve worked on forever. He’s finally becoming mature enough to make choices. Essentially, Simon is an adolescent with all the decision-making skills of human teenagers. And since he was a puppy, he’s been rewarded for choosing us over anything else.

Our dogs are always rewarded for coming to us. Always. Every single time. Because we always want them to come to us when called. If they’ve been incredibly naughty, we don’t call, and we don’t say their names. We go to them for the ensuing discussion. Our dogs’ names and “Come!” always have to be linked to something good. (See “Get your dog to come dashing to you every time.“)

We always want to stay positive in dog training. There’s good reason for this. We always want our dogs to come running happily to us when called. Especially if there’s a skunk in the yard. Or the handyman left the gate open.

Positive works on people, too!

It occurred to us this week that the “stay positive” message has worked in our retail life, too.

When our current mail carrier first came on the route, he was not communicative, did his job reluctantly, sometimes didn’t bother showing up, and was generally surly and unpleasant.

Over the course of months, that’s changed. He now comes into our shop with a smile on his face, a friendly greeting, and looks out for us. He even went out of his way to learn a new way of using his equipment to help us get our outgoing packages into the postal system computer faster.

Also a dog person

All we did to change things around was stay positive. Regardless of his demeanor, we greeted him with a smile. Thanked him for everything he did. Gave him treats for his dog. Some days it wasn’t easy. Especially when he “forgot” to come back to pick up our outgoing mail, and we had to rearrange our schedules to go to the post office.

Over the course of months, our mail carrier has learned that coming into our shop will always be a pleasant experience. We’re never going to yell at him, never take our bad mood out on him, and always going to be happy to see him – even when he’s bringing monthly bills.

You may get the impression that we’ve “trained” our mail carrier to be the service person we wanted. You would be right. And all through our determination to stay positive.

Training Game: teaching your dog to tap

Teaching your dog to “Tap” is another little training game to play anywhere.

Little games that don’t need anything but you, your dog, and some treats are useful wherever you go. If you’re waiting at the vet’s office the game can help reduce your dog’s stress. If your dog obsesses on the neighbor mowing the lawn, you can get attention back by playing a game. Whenever you need to reclaim your dog’s focus, having a few games to play will make it easy. (“Touch” is another game we talked about a couple of months ago.)

Making sure that every interaction with your dog is positive and fun ensures that your dog will want to engage with you. If he/she can always count on having fun (and treats!), there’s nothing better. Not even the squirrel climbing the tree across the street.

Teaching “tap”

Does your dog use his/her front paws to get your attention? Many dogs do, and you can make use of this habit to lay the foundation for the game.

For us, Booker is the one who uses his paws the most to get attention. As a matter of fact, it’s really annoying. You’re sitting there on the couch and he comes over next to you and grabs your hand. Which is how television channels change and texts turn into gibberish around here.

Instead of getting annoyed, use the dog’s natural habit to play the game.

Tapping the shoe

Our vision of the game has the dog “tapping” the toe of a shoe with his paw. To change Booker’s annoying habit into a fun game, we brought a shoe with us when we went to relax on the couch. Teaching your dog to tap may require equally strange props!

With the shoe either next to us or on our lap, we ignored Booker pawing at us until he touched the shoe with his paw. Then he got attention, pets, and treats! That’s really all it takes to get a dog choosing to play a game. It’s fun to watch them figure out what action is triggering the reward.

Do it again!

The hardest part is being patient. Booker “patted” lots of different things until he zeroed in on the shoe. The game stays the same until the dog figures out that tapping the shoe is what gets the cookies!

Once your dog is successful about three-quarters of the time, it’s time to start asking for more. If the shoe was on your lap, can the dog tap it when it’s next to you? How about if the shoe is on the floor? Across the room? And finally, how about on your foot?

Tap dancing

The goal of the game is for the dog to tap your toes alternately, left and right. Once your dog has the idea of tapping a shoe, the rest should be relatively simple. Remember to keep moving forward, but not so fast that your dog (or you!) get frustrated. If your dog is having some trouble taking the next step, wherever you are, just go back and reinforce where she was successful. Small steps get you there!

Torque taps Hope's shins. Teaching your dog to tap is fun.

It’s okay to set your own criteria for every game you play with your dog. Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, likes to “tap” her shins rather than her shoes. It wasn’t worth it to Hope to change his mind – he’s engaged, having fun, alternating his “taps,” and playing with her. Shifting his focus down to her shoes didn’t seem important. Especially when it’s easier to see his cute little face when he taps her shins!