Category: 2-minute tip

Notice Your Dog’s Behavior

We all know what our dog’s “normal” is. When it changes, notice your dog’s behavior and take action.

We discovered why Booker was suddenly obsessed with the basket! His behavior changed, so we had to find out why.
Booker

We keep dog odds and ends in a basket on a shelf in the kitchen. Not stuff that’s interesting to the dogs. No treats or food. Just poop bags, treat bags (empty), kongs, a long line. And our dogs know there’s “nothing to see here!” So this morning when Booker was obsessed with the basket – we knew something changed. It turned out that Simon hadn’t emptied his Kong toy the last time he got it. Treats and nut butter were wedged in there, somehow defying the dishwasher. So soggy, smelly dog treats got Booker’s attention. Thank you, Booker! Who knows if we would have seen it before it turned into an even more disgusting mess!

Change needs examination

If there’s something your dog used to do, and that changes, it’s time to dig into the mystery. If there’s something your dog never did, but now does, it needs looking at. Dogs tell us all the time about how they’re changing. It’s up to us to pay attention and find out if it’s serious, medical, silly, fun, inconsequential, or even a training break-through.

Something as simple as lighting can play a role for your dog. Tango is almost 11 now and his eyes are starting to look a little cloudy. We noticed he started to flinch in training when only hand signals were used. We changed the lighting, and our position, so that it’s brighter and shadows don’t cross his face when we gesture. A simple thing like a change of position can make a difference to your dog.

Personal preference matters

You’ll also be a better partner and friend to your dog if you notice the things your dog likes and doesn’t. We recently responded to an interview request about “things dogs hate.” There aren’t a lot of universal “hates” in the dog world (head pats, teasing), but every dog has his own list of “hates” – just like we do. Some dogs love getting their tummies rubbed. Torque thinks he’s being tortured. Simon loves getting rubbed behind his ears. Booker runs away. 

People who’ve never had dogs may not think much about dog personalities, but all dog people know that each dog is an individual – just as people are. We love most all of our dogs’ quirks. And the ones we don’t, we can teach them to change. The 2-Minute-Training method is built on creating better ways to communicate with our dogs and teaching them to make good decisions. 

Something’s different

When you notice your dog’s behavior change, examine the cause. Is it a change for the better? Hopefully it is and your training games are paying off. If not, think about the circumstance, retrace your steps, and play detective. If could make all the difference. 

Thinking is exhausting

Thinking is exhausting for dogs and people.

Do you remember school tests? Especially the hours-long standardized tests? Remember how tired you were at the end? Thinking is exhausting!

Just like us

What’s true for us, in this case, is also true for our dogs. Which is why winter is a wonderful time to play training games with your dog. Playing thinking games and asking our dogs to use their brains, is even more tiring than physical exertion. And a tired dog is a good dog! That’s an old dog-training cliche, but it’s true.

2-Minutes Training is rooted in good science. Studies have found that a dog will retain more, for a longer time, if training is concentrated on one “thing.” And when that fast, fun session is followed by a break, retention and learning skyrocketed.

Problem solving is fun

Dogs are just like us in lots of ways. They learn better when they’re allowed to puzzle through a situation, rather than having the answer handed to them. Figuring stuff out for yourself, finding the solution on your own, is more rewarding and more memorable, than any lecture. Lectures make you fall asleep. Experiments are energizing!

Another way our dogs are like us – they feel a sense of accomplishment when they “get it right.” Aside from the food, praise, or toy reward, they genuinely enjoy knowing they made the right choice. Once you see your dog prance with excitement, just because she knows she’s a good girl, you’ll want to see it over and over.

Fighting cabin fever

Winter is a great time to play training games with your dog. You may not be able to go to the park. Ice and snow may have you barricaded into your home. But you have everything you need to have fun with your dog, get her playing with you, thinking, and building a better relationship. It doesn’t take long. You don’t need much stuff. All you need are your training guides, some treats, a timer, and your dog. 

Once your dog realizes it’s time for training games, he’ll dash to your regular training space and be excited for the chance to play. Dogs not only love to play with you, they also adore routines and schedules. Just reaching for your treat stash will signal “It’s time!” and get your dog’s tail wagging!

Time it out

No matter how well it’s going, or how much fun you and your dog are having, it is important to stop. You don’t have to stick to the two minutes, but more than 10 would be pushing the limits of most dogs’ attention. After that they just get too tired. And, again just like us, when dogs get tired they lose focus and start making mistakes. Keep it fast and fun. And then done. 

Smart dogs find a way

Teddy the smart French Bulldog figured out that he'll get treats by sitting on the kitchen chair. He's teaching Booker the Boston Terrier this trick.

With 2-Minute Training, you may be creating a monster! A smart dog who can solve problems all by himself! Smart dogs will inevitably find a way.

We had to laugh this week when we saw a post on social media. It was in a group for positive reinforcement dog training. This person’s Basset Hound had moved a chair up to her kitchen counter, jumped up, stole the roast she had defrosting on the counter, and eaten it. She wanted to know how to prevent her dog from doing “naughty” things when she wasn’t home.

Almost everyone responded exactly the same way – don’t leave your roast on the kitchen counter!

Be ready for trouble

When you teach your dog, as we do here in 2-Minute Trainers, to think for themselves and find solutions to the questions we ask, they will learn to apply their new abilities to other aspects of their lives. 

And you have to prepare for smart-dog behaviors you’ve never seen before, and would never have thought of! It happened to us, as well. We “stage” our dogs’ dinners in the dining room, setting their bowls on the table while we prepare our own meal. Our dining room chairs are on casters, and while we were prepping dinner we heard the unmistakable sound of those casters moving on wood floors. 

We went in to see what was happening. Simon (Fran’s year-old Boston Terrier) had moved a chair, jumped on it, and was helping himself to dinner! While we admired his problem-solving ingenuity, we also started staging the dogs’ meals elsewhere. 

Never before

None of our dogs had ever thought to do that before. So we were surprised when Simon did think of it. All his life, he’s been rewarded for thinking and coming up with new “answers” for the “questions” we ask of him. We’re the ones to “blame” for his creativity. We were proud of him for thinking of it. And we were laughing too hard to get angry about it. And we don’t leave unattended food on the table any more.

As each of our smart dogs has gotten “creative,” we’ve adapted the way we do things. No one can control a situation when they’re not there. So if you’re not there, change the situation. We can’t expect our dogs to abide by rules they don’t know, especially if we’re not there to teach them.

Smart dog kitchen rules

We were right there when Teddy, Hope’s French Bulldog, decided he would “help” us prep dinner. He was allowed to sit on the kitchen chair, but one day he decided to jump up on the adjacent table where food prep was happening. He was, needless to say, promptly removed. Although, again, there was a lot of giggling going on.

From then on, Teddy was taught to maintain his place on the chair. He was rewarded for sitting politely and observing. And got an “oopsie” (non-reward marker) for putting his paws on the table. When he sat back down, he got a treat and a “Good off!” Soon he learned the word “Off.” 

Perils of positivity

There are some who will point out that Teddy was, in fact, a very smart dog and “played” us to get the treats. That’s true, at least in part. He knew what behaviors would get him rewarded. 

That’s the deal we make with our dogs. When they do the “right” thing, they get rewarded, whether that’s a treat, praise, or petting. And, in return, we get the joy of living with smart dogs!

GPS navigation in dog training

Remember paper maps?

GPS navigation in dog training is equivalent to luring. We want our dogs to think for themselves, though.

Back in the day before there was GPS navigation, we used to figure out where we were going by using maps. Paper maps. For those of us with a sense of direction, just studying those maps gave us a sense of the place we were going, what the area might look like, how far it was, and, vaguely, an idea of whether we were in the right place. Then GPS navigation came along and none of us know where we’re going anymore. Or how to get there if we can’t “acquire satellites.” How many times have we heard news stories about people driving into places they shouldn’t because their “GPS said” turn there?

Luring = GPS navigation

In dog training, “luring” is the equivalent of GPS navigation. Your dog will follow that treat anywhere – but she won’t know how she got there. And she won’t know how to do it again to get the reward. 

An agility friend/trainer/judge tells this story: Pre-GPS, she was hired to judge an out-of-state agility trial. The host club sent someone to her hotel to guide her to the trial site. She followed in her rental car, turning where they turned, stopping when they stopped. And got to the trial site just fine. But at the end of the day, she didn’t know how to get back to the hotel! She didn’t know the route, she just knew to follow her guide!

Be patient

Your dog needs you to let him figure stuff out. Be patient enough to let him fail. And reward generously when he figures it out – YES! That’s it! What a clever dog you are!

Positive Reinforcement is a process

“Fun with a box” is one of the best games for getting both of you accustomed to the positive reinforcement process. By itself, it’s not a “useful” exercise. But it gets your dog to experiment with different actions and see how you react. And it gets you to pay attention to the different things your dog does, see the variations, and reward him for trying.

Freestyling

About once a week we still go back to a version of “Fun With A Box.” We call it “freestyling.” We put a random object in front of our dog and say “Okay, dog! Got any ideas?” 

Whatever our dog does to interact with that “thing” is fine. We used a foam roller the other day. Torque got his front feet up on it and pushed it. Good boy! Then he tried to back up on it. Nice try, buddy! Tango saw a four-inch tall step stool. He bowed, he downed, he laid his chin down. It was adorable and all got rewarded. 

Not all dogs are particularly creative at first. When they realize there’s no “wrong” answer, most will be willing to try more “stuff.” We love this part the most – when dogs realize your 2-Minute sessions are all about having fun and doing “stuff” together.

Recognize stress in your dog

Do you know when your dog feels anxious? Do you recognize stress in your dog? If you recognize stress in your dog, you can deal with it.

Not the same as us

There are obvious signs your dog is stressed; panting, leaving sweaty paw prints, shaking. But did you know that lip-licking and yawning are also signs of stress in dogs? 

In terms of behavior, dogs show stress in one of two ways. Either they “stress high” or “stress low.” How your dog manifests stress depends on his personality.

High stressers

Dogs who get the "zoomies" may be exhibiting stress! These dogs "stress high." By recognizing stress in your dog, you can form a plan to deal with it.

Dogs who “stress high” get super-excited, even being described as out of control. These are the dogs who will get the “zoomies” and act out. They’re not sure what’s going on, and they know they can’t control it, so they have to move to deal with it.

It may seem odd, but dogs who stress high are actually easier to train and work with. The dog is still doing something – he just needs a focal point to expend the energy. When we compete in dog sports like agility, we actually are looking for a dog in “high arousal” who can still pay attention and work with us. It’s fun and fast – just like all the best training can be.

Low stressers

“Low stressers” are dogs who check out. These dogs seem to just shut down when the going gets stressful. These dogs are more difficult to engage and some of their stress may come from fear. Hope’s Dax was a classic low stresser – when things got too stressful for her during agility competition she would simply disengage and go off into a corner. Sometimes Hope was able to get her back in the game by inviting her to do her favorite obstacles. Familiarity is our friend with dogs who stress low.

What you can do

Have a game plan for dealing with stress when it arises. 

When you recognize that your dog is stressed, having a plan will help both of you. If you have a little routine, or trick behavior, that your dog loves, use it. Hope’s Torque adores the “tap” trick where he touches her foot (or leg) alternately with his two front paws. It’s a game they can play anywhere – including when they’re waiting to have a turn at training class, or even waiting to go into a competition ring. Try to keep it something simple like the “tap” so you don’t need any special equipment or props.

If your dog gets stressed walking through a crowded area, but loves toys, why not teach him to hold his toy while you negotiate through the situation? It changes other’s perception as well. Instead of seeing the hyper-alert dog ready to react, people will see the cute dog showing off his toy. A big, muscular dog carrying a little pink toy is non-threatening and adorable.

Familiarity reduces stress

We just talked to a customer whose dog was not only stressed, but hyper about getting her nails trimmed. And the owner did exactly the right thing. She arranged with the groomer to bring the dog over for “visits.” For a month, she took the dog to “visit” the groomer, who did nothing at first but give the dog treats and pets. Then they progressed to touching the dogs paws. Then they tried trimming a single nail. Now the dog is fine and looks forward to her “mani/pedi” appointments. 

Once dogs understand the rules and what’s expected of them, their stress level decreases. Just as ours does. When we know what we’re in for, we can cope with anything more easily. If holds true for reducing stress in dogs, too.

Don’t Outsource Dog Training

Have you considered a “doggy boot camp?” Don’t do it. Don’t outsource dog training. Most people hear about “boot camp” dog training and love the idea. Who wouldn’t? You send your dog away for a week or two and, when it comes back, it’s a model of canine good behavior. The problem is that your dog doesn’t behave for you. He behaves for his trainer. Be the trainer!

We had a conversation this week with one of our students. It was about outsourcing dog training, but we didn’t realize it at the time. Her question was “what was the most difficult breed of dog you’ve ever trained?”

Brussels Griffons are challenging to train…

Tango is a Brussels Griffon - the breed is notoriously challenging to train!

Thinking about it, Hope answered that the Brussels Griffons were the most challenging because they seem to ignore you entirely for hundreds of repetitions. Then, all of a sudden, they “get it” and have it forever. 

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Then it occurred to us that she wasn’t asking which of our dogs was most difficult to train, but of our students’ and clients’ dogs. Ooops.

We are people trainers!

Most people don’t realize that trainers like us don’t train other people’s dogs. We teach the people how to train their dogs. Technically, we suppose, that makes us people trainers, not dog trainers. We don’t outsource training.

The easiest explanation we have is that dogs listen to the person who teaches them. If you send your dog away to “boot camp” and someone else actually trains your dog, your dog will be absolutely obedient to that person. But unless you’re planning to adopt/marry/cohabit with that person, the training will deteriorate over time. You may have a session or two with the trainer and learn the words and motions that your dog’s been taught to respond to, but, if you’re like most people, it’ll slacken over time. 

It’s DIY!

And you’re missing all the fun! We think it’s just so sad that “training” and “playing” aren’t the same for most people. Our dogs adore our training games – and we love playing the games with our dogs. We wouldn’t let anyone steal that joy from us – the little wiggle celebrations our dogs have when they know they’ve done it right. Their willingness to “try it again” when it wasn’t so good. 

Training games are a journey you take with your dog. You both learn and grow and play. You’ll become a better communicator – with people as well as with dogs. You’ll become more adept at switching gears – especially as you recognize when you’re “losing your audience.”

Playing training games with our own dogs has made us better teachers, students, listeners, and speakers. Dogs are wonderful playmates for growth. Don’t let anyone take that experience away from you.

If it’s not working – change it

A saying attributed to Albert Einstein applies to dog training! Rather than the insanity of doing the same thing and not get results, change your method of dog training to get results.

Change is good!

You know the old saw:

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”

Or, attributed to Albert Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Dealing with your dog is no different. If something you’re doing isn’t working, it’s time to change it.

Each dog presents his or her own challenge in training

Every dog is different, presenting their own joys and challenges. When you have a multiple dog household, it’s even more important to recognize each dog as an individual and adapt to their specific personalities.

Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, is five years old. He’s an exuberant dog who loves training, treats, playing with toys, cuddling, and is obsessed with barking at the dogs in neighboring yards. In a densely-populated urban area, barking at the neighbors isn’t acceptable behavior. 

It also doesn’t help when one of those neighboring dogs has a history of charging the fence – bashing into it while barking ferociously. Those neighbors, through the use of unknown methods, get Chloe to return to them after that initial charge, and then retreat into their house. Which leaves us to deal with the fired-up, obsessed Frenchie, plastered nose-to-fence looking for his nemesis.

Dogs do what rewards them

Dogs always do what’s most rewarding to them. If they enjoy something, they’ll repeat it. The rush of adrenaline Torque gets from the excitement of the neighbor-dog challenge is a tough one to beat. Torque has to choose us, and what we’re doing, over the thrill of the chase.

It’s an ongoing process. Our initial reaction to the situation was based in our decades of other kinds of training. We tried to manage the situation by putting Torque on leash for every foray into our own yard. Needless to say, that got tiresome and we got lazy.

We got smarter in our dog training methods

We’ve finally wised up and changed our training method. Torque absolutely adores training sessions and is highly motivated to “do stuff” with us. Instead of yelling, or pulling on him, or shouting “leave it,” we go into training mode. You can’t train a dog that isn’t paying attention, so we get into his line of sight, quietly saying his name. Just like beginner attention training, any glance at us gets a treat. Any cessation of barking gets a treat. Coming toward us, even a single step, is rewarded.

We changed it and we’re getting there

And it’s paying off. While we haven’t achieved ignoring the fence-bashing black Lab on one side, we’re starting to disregard the vocal Husky on the other. An initial “woof” will be followed by a half-turn away. And, just this morning, Torque actually managed to turn his back on the provocation and “attend to business” in the yard. 

Don’t get down on yourself for allowing your dog’s questionable behavior to persist. Get creative about changing it. Take advantage of your dog’s “favorite things” and use them to get a different result both of you will enjoy. Stop the insanity.

Careful where you put it! – your dog’s reward, that is.

Reward = communication

Boston Terrier dog's reward is high for the "sit" command.

Your dog learns what’s “good” through the timing and placement of rewards.  The dog’s reward lets him/her know to do it again. Rewards are your training currency.

That’s worth repeating. You are communicating with your dog not only with your words, but also with the timing and placement of the rewards you give.

Notice the placement of the reward for Simon (right). We’ll talk about that in a bit.

A dog’s reward can be other than food

It doesn’t matter what the dog’s reward is – treats, toys, petting. Your dog is getting information – “That was good! Do that some more! I liked that! What a brilliant puppy you are!” Fran’s giving Simon a tiny treat above – so she can give him lots!

Timing is critical, but it takes time

Timing is something you develop. You’ll get better and better at it over time. Clickers make timing easier – you can click right away and delay the actual reward. The clicker is also called a “bridge” for this reason – it’s a way of getting from the behavior to the reward, marking the “good,” even if there’s a delay in reward delivery.

Placing the reward is key

Placing the reward properly is something you can be good at right away. The rule is simple – always reward with the hand closest to the dog – like in the picture above. 

It not only keeps things simple, it’s practical, and much safer for everyone.

Safety first!

Think about it: If your dog is on your left and the treat is in your right hand, your dog will cross in front of you to get the treat. And you’ll trip over your dog. Or kick your dog. It wouldn’t be good.

If you’re playing training games where your dog is in front of you, have treats in both hands. Then you can deliver the message “Good Dog!” randomly and not have your dog nuzzling at the “treat side.”

Reward for “Sit!”

If you’re teaching your dog the word for “sit,” reward high. When the dog’s head goes up, its butt tends to go down. It’s taking advantage of a dog’s natural behavior to play training games.

Reward for “Down!”

If you’re teaching your dog the word for “down,” reward between the front paws. If your dog has to reach for the treat, chances are he’ll get up. That’s not what we want. 

Stay is different

If you’re playing “stay” games – reward where the dog is. Don’t have them reach or stretch in any way. 

Remember – your dog learns these games through the timing and placement of rewards. Send the message clearly!

By rewarding fear, are you training your dog to be shy?

Couple cuddling a small dog and possibly rewarding fear

We all want to protect the ones we love from the evils of the world outside. Are you going too far? By rewarding fear, have you accidentally taught your dog to be shy? Are you actually discouraging your dog from exploring the world? Have you been rewarding your dog for being fearful?

A classic example of this happened in the shop recently. A very nice man with his one-year old little terrier mix came in to get a harness and some goodies for his dog. The dog, named “Precious,” was hesitant. Many dogs are. Coming into a new place can be reason for caution. And our tile floors are somewhat reminiscent of a vet’s office. 

We get it – that’s why we generally give the newcomer some time to check stuff out, sniff around, get used to the place. At first, we speak gently and don’t approach until the dog is ready. Then we might put a hand out, ready for the dog to sniff, if it seems interested. We never run up and start petting.

Rewarding fear: exactly the wrong move

Instead of encouraging Precious to check out the shop, sniff the toys, see where the treats are stashed, her owner picked her up at the first sign of retreat. He spoke soothingly to her. And told her it was okay.

He rewarded her timidity.

What would you do?

Instead of removing her from the “scary” stuff, Precious’s owner could have given her the time to get used to things. If she “asked” to be picked up, he could have encouraged her to explore. He could have rewarded her for being willing to check things out, instead of denying her the opportunity to try.

It’s sometimes a little tough for us to keep our “retail” hats on, instead of immediately switching to “trainer” mode. We tried – offering a treat to Precious and talking gently about letting her explore, but he focused on getting his puppy a harness and wasn’t really open to other discussion.

The writing on the wall

Unfortunately, we can see the writing on the wall. If he stays on the path he started, Precious will become more insulated and her world will contract. He will stop taking her on jaunts to the local pet shop because she doesn’t enjoy it. Instead of teaching her to cope with the little stresses of life, he will remove them.

Are you protecting your dog from stress instead of teaching them to deal with it? If your dog is afraid of something, do you encourage him/her to check it out? And reward for every step closer? 

Give them the world

Dogs learn from us all day, every day. If we teach them that something’s frightening – it will be. Just as, if we reward them for exploring, they’ll learn that the world is a fun place to check out. Every outing can be a new adventure – depending on how you teach your dog to react.

Take it on the road – train everywhere

Don’t by shy!

Take your 2-Minute Training Games on the Road! Train everywhere you go.

For our dogs to really understand any behavior, we “take the show on the road” and train everywhere we go with our dogs. It’s one thing for your dog to know “sit” in the kitchen. Someplace else is different. 

Generalization is key

Dogs have to be taught to “generalize” stuff. We see it with our obedience students all the time. They come into class swearing up and down their dogs know “sit.” So we tell them to hand us the leash, step away from their dogs, and tell the dog to sit. Rarely does it happen

And the student thinks we’ve “set them up” for failure. Not at all. We’re trying to explain that dogs naturally absorb the context along with the specific behavior. Sitting at home, with a set routine, in a particular place, at a particular time, is all part of it.

So to complete your dog’s understanding of anything you’re trying to teach, you have to change all of it. Not all at once, but in stages to expand your dog’s comprehension. One of the barriers we find is people being shy about playing training games in public.

Eyes are everywhere

These days we all know there are eyes everywhere.

But if you’re out with your dog, nobody’s watching you. They’re watching your dog. How cute he is. How much fun she’s having, and how adorably he watches you. And how incredibly well-behaved she is. And how much they wish their dogs paid attention to them the way yours does with you.

So don’t be afraid to take your show on the road. Train everywhere. Go to the local park. Or the pet store. Anyplace dogs are allowed. Try your 2-Minute Games wherever you are. 

You and your dog should be proud of what you’re learning, doing, and accomplishing. Eventually you’ll take for granted that your dog can go anywhere and be a welcome guest. 

Take the first, brave step to ditch your “stage fright” and take your dog on a 2-Minute training game “date.” You’ll go further, faster, when you start the journey sooner.