behavior Archives - 2 Minute Trainer

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

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

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

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

Better, faster, stronger

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

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

Hold it!

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

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

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

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

Push Me Pull You Dogs

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

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

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

Don’t be quiet!

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

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

Knowing is different for dogs

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

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

Answer: “Absolutely not!”

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

How does that work?

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

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

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

Dog introductions

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

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

Play different games everywhere

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

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

It’s okay to fib to your dog

It’s never okay to lie to your dog. It’s really difficult to regain their trust once broken. However, there are circumstances when it’s okay to fib to your dog. We know. We’ve been living through it this week.

But really, never lie. If you click, your dog gets a cookie. Every single time. Otherwise you chance breaking a behavior you spent time and effort teaching. Keep every promise you make to your dog. If you’re always honest, and your dog can always trust you, they’re much more likely to do what you want when you want.

Being honest with your dog includes never calling them to you for things they don’t like, like a bath. It’s a dirty, rotten betrayal to yell “Dog, come get a cookie!” and when they come, shove them in the tub. Every time you call your dog it should be for something good, or yummy, or fun. That way they’ll come every time. We talked about this most recently in an article relating to dog care behavior – with a cute picture of Simon checking out his toothbrush.

When we give this example to our in-person students, someone invariably asks “So how do you get them in the tub?” The answer’s simple. You go get the dog and bring it to the bathroom. Don’t make your dog choose in that situation.

So when can we fib?

It’s okay to fib to your dog to convince them everything’s okay. That you’re in charge, and they’re just fine. It’s okay to fib to reassure your dog that things are normal.

We’re doing it this week. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque had emergency surgery to remove his right eye that ruptured. He came home right after surgery, a bit drugged up, but pretty functional.

The best thing we can do for Torque now is pretend that everything’s okay. Nothing’s changed as far as he’s concerned. Even in the few days since the surgery, he’s adjusting. He moves his head so he can see what’s going on.

The hardest thing for us is carrying on like nothing’s happened. If we let him know that he’s changed, or even defective in some way, he’ll act like it. So as far as Torque’s concerned, it’s business as usual.

Calming consistency

Keeping to our regular routine is key. Our habit is to start every day with 2-Minute training games with our dogs. Each dog has a turn while the others are in their crates nearby. We usually train in age order.

This week Torque must wear a cone to protect his eye. He’s also supposed to stay calm and do nothing to raise his blood pressure while he heals. So heeling it is. It’s something we practice regularly. He doesn’t have to pick anything up that may contact his face. And it can also give his brain a workout without being too strenuous.

There’s all kinds of ways to make heel work challenging for you and your dog. Working on side-stepping, heeling backwards, changing directions, straight “fronts,” finishes (both left and right), are all little things that are useful, especially in Rally, and keep something as simple as walking more interesting.

Adjusting to the change

Torque is already adapting to his new circumstances. He’s turning his head more so he can see Hope when he’s in heel position. He had a little trouble aiming for the treats at first, but he’s got that one covered. He’s also gotten into the habit of bashing his cone into our legs to let us know he’s there. The bruises will heal, just like Torque will.

As we pretend that everything’s normal and okay, it becomes the truth. When you don’t quite know what to do to make everything alright, you fib like it already is. It’s not even a little white lie. It’s making it happen.

Getting your dog to think about it

How do you get your dog to think about it? To take a moment and choose well? We’ve said many times that the point of training is to get your dog to make good decisions. But what does that look like?

The biggest part of the formula is on you. Stop making all your dog’s decisions. Stop telling them what to do all the time. Stop using “No!”

Instead, when you see your dog about to choose poorly, how about you make an attention-getting sound and say “think about it.” Don’t move in unless you see your dog decide. Give them a moment to realize there’s a better choice.

Whatcha Gonna Do?

The game our students seem to play the least is “Whatcha Gonna Do?” Which makes us sad, because it’s one of the best ways to teach your dog to practice impulse control. And almost all naughty dog behavior stems from following their impulses.

Instilling some self-control goes a long way to curing most bad dog behavior. Give them the skill to pause and think, rather than just give in to their worst tendencies.

Totally worth it

Last week Hope introduced “Whatcha Gonna Do?” in her household obedience class. And met with the usual resistance. It’s not the game that’s most fun for people. Your hand can get all slobbery and some dogs will nibble, so there can be a little bit of pain. But it’s worth it.

The whole premise of “Whatcha Gonna Do?” is letting your dog discover that it’s rewarding to not follow impulse. The dog gets nothing as long as they’re being impulsive. The moment they choose to think, they’re rewarded.

When you start playing “Whatcha Gonna Do?” the dog doesn’t understand the rules of the game. At first they may get frustrated and just glance away by accident. Reward that. Even if it’s not deliberate. It’s the first clue your dog has to figuring out the rules of the game.

Be patient

It’s really hard to communicate with a different species who doesn’t speak your language. Who doesn’t think as you do. But you can explain things by teaching in ways they understand. Dogs learn by the timing and placement of rewards. If you’re playing “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and the dog looks away just because they’re getting frustrated, reward that.

It wasn’t on purpose, but it was what you wanted. And dogs can figure out what got them the reward. For most dogs it’s a process of trial and error. “I don’t get what I want by nibbling on mom’s hand, what should I do instead?” Or “I got a treat for turning my head. Maybe I should do more of that.”

Precepts of training

The three dog training truths to apply in all your games:

Dogs always do what’s most rewarding to them.
What gets rewarded gets repeated.
Dogs learn by the timing and placement of rewards.

Your job as a dog trainer is to be clear about what you’re rewarding. In time, your dog will discover how rewarding it is to think before they act. And they’ll do more of it.

Treat your dog’s symptoms

Treat your dog’s symptoms. You can’t know the cause.

It’s a harsh truth all dog owners must face. You’ll never know why your dog does some stuff they do. They’ll never tell. Even if you’ve known your dog since they were born, you can’t know what they’re thinking so you have to treat your dog’s symptoms.

Most of us get pretty good at reading our dogs’ unique signs and patterns. The good, the bad, and the silly. We’re pretty convinced that potty-training dogs is a combination of teaching the dog and starting to recognize your dog’s signs that urgent action is required.

Since you can’t know the “why,” you’re left to deal with treating the symptoms of your dog’s quirks.

Some don’t matter. We have no idea why Simon, Fran’s six-year-old Boston Terrier, thinks he can dry himself on the hardwood floors. He runs around rubbing himself on the floors as if there were moisture-wicking properties in wood. He does it every time he comes inside from the rain. It’s weird. But it’s harmless. We ignore it, other than to watch him, thinking how strange it is.

Not so benign

Other behaviors aren’t so benign. The dog of a training student of ours started growling and showing teeth to her 13-year-old son. The dog was only recently adopted as an almost-two-year-old. She’ll never be able to tell us why she was feeling threatened by that son, one of four in the family. But she was, so we developed a plan to treat the symptom. That son now hand-feeds the dog her dinner, plays training games with her, and always interacts positively with her.

In this case, sharp observation also helped. The owner noticed that this son was the only one who constantly wears a hoodie with the hood pulled over his head. When the son didn’t have the hood up, the dog was fine. Why is the dog threatened by people in hoodies? We’ll never know. And she’ll never tell us. We treat the symptom and gradually let the dog learn that hoodie-wearing people are okay.

Deal with the quirks

Some people think dogs are dogs. That dogs are interchangeable. We recently spoke to someone who called about classes. She urgently needs help training her 13-month old Bernese Mountain Dog / Poodle cross breed dog. In the conversation, she mentioned that her current dog isn’t anything like the dog she lost, a Labrador Retriever. Of course not. They’re completely different kinds of dogs. She said she’d thought a dog was a dog. As if only the color, size, and fur differed among dogs.

Every dog, like every person, is a unique individual. Unlike people, we have no way of communicating in words with our dogs. We can never get explanations of why they do what they do. We can only deal with and train the symptoms.

Watch for when

If your dog has a behavior that needs to be turned around, notice when it happens. And where. What’s going on that might have triggered it? You may not hit the nail on the head right away. But knowing how to play training games has given you the ability to break things down into small chunks. Experiment with the circumstances that trigger your dog’s unwanted behavior. When you hit on something that may be a factor, you’ll know where to start training.

In the case of the dog fearing the hoodie, they’ll start with a sweatshirt by itself. Let the dog check it out. Sniff it. Paw at it. When she no longer reacts at this stage, the son can put it on (without the hood up), sit quietly, and give her treats for being close. When she’s okay with that, he can fold up the hood a bit at a time. Step by step, treating the symptom.

We had another student whose Great Dane puppy wouldn’t go for walks without their older dog. He stopped dead in the driveway and refused to move. We’ll never know why solo walks were scary. Treat the symptom. Start even with the older dog and gradually let him (and the person walking him) lag behind. Over time, the distance will increase to the point that they’re not walking together at all. Treat the symptom.

Dog biting pants? Why it happens and how to stop it

Most first time puppy owners have identical wardrobe malfunctions.There are holes in the bottoms of their pants. Sometimes also in their legs. So your dog biting pants legs is a common malady.

So why do dogs, and especially puppies, grab onto your pants when you’re walking? And what can you do to make them stop?

The simple answer is that dogs are predators and designed to see and chase motion. Their vision may not be as acute or colorful as ours, but they’re aces at seeing movement.

Pouncing on prey

Dogs still have most, if not all, of the instincts of their wild canine ancestors. We’ve heard domestic dogs described as perpetual juveniles. They’re practicing their hunting behaviors; chasing, pouncing, and shaking.

Of course your dog or puppy has no intention to hurt you at all. That hole in your ankle where a tooth snagged was purely accidental. But it also means it’s a behavior you have to stop. It’s only cute the first time you imitate Frankenstein’s monster’s walk, dragging one foot with a puppy attached.

What to do about your ankle biter

Now that you know what’s going on, you need a plan to stop it. Since your dog is actually inviting you to play, the first option would be to have a tug toy you “trade” for your pants.

It may be a bit of a pain to have a toy stuffed in your pocket to whip out whenever your dog is “chasing” you, but it’s better than trying to mend another pair of pants.

You don’t have to play for long, and it should be a tugging game. Remember to tug side-to-side, never up and down, to avoid damaging your dog’s neck.

In time, your dog will associate your movement with playing with a toy and will get one for the game. You can encourage this by naming the toy when you toss it and tell your dog to fetch it – “Get the tuggy!”

What if there’s no toy?

If you forgot to carry a toy, the way to stop the pants-biting is to stop all resistance to the tugging. This is the same technique you use to get your dog to drop something. If there’s no tension on the object (or pants), there’s nothing to tug.

Stop moving and pulling away from your dog. If you’re incredibly agile and your balance is amazing, you can move when your dog moves, hopping to keep tension off your pants leg. We don’t know anyone who could actually do this, but it paints a funny mental picture, doesn’t it?

Another way is to walk out of your pants and leave them with your dog. If you’re not in them, they’re not interesting.

Not cute anymore

Unfortunately, pants biting isn’t a puppy behavior that dogs grow out of. They have no reason to. They get your full attention, a fun game, and you used to laugh when they did it. So your dog biting pants is not something the dog is motivated to stop.

You can get them to stop, if you take away the fun of the game. Think about what your dog is getting out of it, and remove it from the equation. If there’s a particular place in your house where your dog does it, change the way you walk there. Walk backwards (facing your dog), or remove your pants before you go there. Or arm yourself with a tug toy to have a minute of fun with your dog.

Build confidence with “What’s That?” Dog Training Game

The “What’s That?” dog training game helps your dog explore the world with confidence. It’s great for every dog, but can be life-changing for shy or timid dogs.

It also encourages you to shop in one of our favorite places for dog-training gear – your local dollar store. You’ll want a variety of different objects. Vary the size, shape, and material the objects are made from. You can certainly start with stuff you find around the house. Just be sure that nothing you use is breakable or cherished by someone.

First step:

Get your clicker, your timer, a boatload of treats, the object you’re playing the game with, and your dog. When you’re ready, start your timer and place the object on the floor.

Typically, your dog will glance at the object. Click and reward near the thing. Looking at it is the first step. If your dog doesn’t keep looking at it, stand over the object and stare at it (like in “Boxey”). Kneel if you need to get closer. Your dog will probably be confused, especially if you’ve spent their life telling them “leave it.”

That’s okay. Be patient. Stare at the object and wait for your dog to look at it again. You’ll almost be able to see your dog shrug and think “I don’t see what’s so fascinating, but she thinks it is, so I’ll humor her.”

When your dog has received three to five rewards for looking at the object, it’s time to ask for more. It can be anything – nosing at it, pawing at it, stepping on it, mouthing it, licking it. Whatever your dog does, click and reward near the object.

You never know

Every dog is unique and despite knowing your dog well, you can’t predict how they’ll react to different objects.

In Hope’s Beginner Obedience class there are two dogs with opposite personalities. One, a Newfoundland, seems outgoing, confident, and ready for any game.

The other, a miniature Poodle mix, is shy and often tries to hide behind her mother.

Which dog do you think was freaked out by the idea of walking on bubble wrap? To everyone’s surprise, the Newfie was scared of it. The Poodle mix didn’t really even notice it was there and danced right over it.

Take it at your dog’s pace

Decide what the goal is for every object you introduce to your dog. If it’s something they can pick up, you may want them to pick it up and hold it. Something like a small white board that you can write messages on. It may be something you want them to carry, like a small tote bag. Or a foam roller you want them to push. Or a step you want them to sit on.

With your ultimate goal in mind, shape your dog’s behavior with your rewards. Remember that what gets rewarded gets repeated. If you want your dog to hold the object in his/her mouth, only click and reward for using his mouth. Every object can have its own game, but they all start with “What’s That?”

Next step

You can also let your dog guide the direction of what’s that. If you don’t have a particular goal in mind, see what your dog does with the thing and go with it. Always ask for more after your dog has received a few treats for a particular interaction. Look can be followed by sniffing, licking, pawing, etc.

If your main objective is to build your dog’s confidence, you can set up a circuit of different things around your training area. Encourage your dog to check each one out. If they’re not interested or confused, go stand by the object, stare at it, move it a little, and wait for your dog to come check it out. With patience, it will happen.

Expanding their world

“What’s That?” can be played anytime, anywhere, as long as you have rewards with you. When you’re out on a walk and your dog sees something new and different, how do they react? If they’re hesitant, it’s time to get enthusiastic and say “What’s That? Let’s go see!”

The more things your dog has the opportunity to explore, the more confident they will become. Once they’re familiar with the “What’s That?” game, they’ll know they’re safe if you’re encouraging interaction.

Dogs are Copycats

It’s not your imagination. Dogs are copycats. Your dog copies what you do. Copying is one of the ways dogs learn. And it’s not restricted to watching and imitating other dogs. Dogs mimic people, too. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if your dog starts digging in the yard after “helping” you with gardening.

Even more impressive, one study proved that dogs not only can copy what you do – they can do it with a significant delay between the time it happened and they’re asked to repeat it.

Demonstrate what you want

A while ago, when we were first developing the Ring Stacking game, Hope was teaching her French Bulldog Teddy the steps. We’d just started taking video of the sessions, so the camera was on.

Teddy had just about all pieces of the game; picking up the ring and going over to the post. The actual placement of the ring on the post was the issue. He kept nudging the post, dropping the ring in the vicinity, but not placing it on the actual post.

In the video, you see Hope showing Teddy what she wants. She probably was doing it out of frustration, rather than really demonstrating. But then you see Teddy stand there and think about it, then place the ring precisely on the post.

At the time, we didn’t know for sure that dogs learn by copying. But it paid off.

Other dogs show them how

It’s true that puppies learn from an older dog in the house. Potty training is much easier when the newcomer has an example to follow. Same with other household rules – most puppies will follow the lead of the established dog. That’s a big reason that two dogs are easier than one, although not if both are the same age. Or littermates. For most people, getting littermates isn’t a great idea.

It’s optimal to play training games with only one dog at a time. But that doesn’t mean training in isolation. With four dogs in the house, three are in crates at the side of the training area, watching the proceedings.

Did you teach him that?

Sometimes when we’re ready to introduce a dog to a game another dog knows, we’ve been surprised. While performance isn’t perfect, the dog already knows the game. It prompts a discussion that goes

“Did you teach him that? I didn’t teach him that!”

“Wasn’t me!”

“Oh, he got it from his brother!”

Try it for yourself

Think of something to do that your dog can copy. In the research we read, one of the things owners did in the lab was stick their heads in an empty bucket. A vast majority of the dogs in the study were able to copy the action after seeing it only once.

Make sure the demonstration is something the dog is physically able to do. Our dogs are too short to get their heads in a five-gallon bucket, so we’ll use something lower. Give the action a name, like “Copy!” using it for all kinds of different actions.

That’s how you teach the dog to mimic you, rather than performing a specific behavior. We’ve even seen it in action with the dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, Florida. The trainers there use a specific signal for “Imitate!”

In no time, you and your dog will be playing “Simon Says!” with all sorts of behaviors. Be sure to get it on video – you’ll need proof of your dog’s genius!

Teach your dog care behavior

It’s good sense and good dog guardianship to teach your dog care behavior procedures, like eye drops, ear cleaning, tooth brushing, even nail trimming.

If your dog is resistant to their face, ears, eyes, or mouth being handled, go slow. Since you’re preparing for the future, you don’t need to push your dog past his/her comfort level.

Prepare for some day

There will probably come a day when you have to give your dog eye drops. Especially if you have active dogs, dogs with short snouts, or who sniff, or who play/wrestle with other dogs. It’s almost inevitable, so it’s a good idea to train it before you need it.

Routine dog care chores will also be easier if your dog understands what’s going to happen. And knows what’s expected of them.

Since you and your dog already know how to play training games, breaking down dog care behaviors should be relatively easy.

Ready for eye drops

If you are the only person caring for your dog, you know it can be challenging to give any kind of medicine or drops. Getting your dog to cooperate can be difficult, as well as frustrating.

Most important: Never lie to your dog. If you try to disguise, or fake what you’re doing, you break your dog’s trust. Their part is cooperating. Yours is doing what you’ve said you would. Stick to it.

Don’t try to hide the medicine, toothbrush, cotton swab, gauze, whatever. If your dog wants to sniff the stuff, let them. Keep a firm grip so they can’t steal and eat anything, but show them it’s all benign stuff.

Simon is our wariest and most curious dog. Nothing happens to him unless he checks it out first. You’d think, after five years, that he knows what’s happening when we load a brush with toothpaste and turn to him. He still has to sniff and okay it. Every single time.

That’s okay. By asking him to help in his own care, he gets to choose. Every single time.

Teach the chin rest

The first thing to teach your dog is a chin rest. If your dog already knows “Gimme Your Face,” you’re most of the way there. For eye drops, you’re probably going to need two hands, so your dog should know a chin rest on a towel, mat, or even a small pillow.

Have a bunch of treats in a bowl nearby. If you have a small dog, sit on the floor. Put the towel across your lap and hold a treat in one hand on the towel. When your dog comes over to take the treat, keep feeding as long as their head is over the towel. If they back off, stop feeding. When they come back, keep feeding. Establish the pattern so they’re always rewarded when their head is over the towel.

Moving on

When your dog starts understanding this step, after a couple of treats use your dog’s release word and toss a treat to the side. If they come right back after getting the treat, you know it’s time to move on.

The next step is to wait for your dog to rest his/her chin on the towel. Hold the treat as far down as possible, and as close to you as possible. Feed as long as your dog’s chin is on the towel. As soon as their head comes up at all, stop. When the chin contacts the towel, feed. When it comes off, stop.

Since you will need some duration for care procedures, be sure to practice varying lengths of time that your dog stays with their chin on the towel. And be sure to release him/her before they’re tempted to do it themselves.

Next step

When your dog is staying with chin on towel for a good while, at least five seconds, add touching your dog to the game. At first, just touch them lightly, around the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Again, build up the amount of time, and use your dog’s release word.

The next step is to actually mimic the action of putting drops in your dog’s eyes. Holding the upper eyelid briefly, then letting it go. Both eyes.

If you have an eye dropper, introduce it to your dog and let him/her sniff it. Hold it in one hand while touching the eye lid with the other.

If your dog is comfortable this far, you can go ahead and fill the dropper with sterile saline solution and put a drop in each eye.

Go slow

If your dog is resistant at any step, just go back one or two and build back up. If there’s no urgent need, take the time your dog needs to be comfortable.

It’s probably going to take a lot of treats. Remember you can always use your dog’s food for part of the “trail mix” of treats you use in training.

This kind of dog training is called “cooperative care.” It’s certainly easiest, once learned, to have your dog help take care of themselves.

Don’t even bother telling your dog to “calm down”

Telling your dog to “calm down” is ridiculous. It means nothing to the dog, unless you teach a calmness protocol. And the absolute worst time to try to achieve calm with your dog is when they’re excited.

One of our favorite quotes is from science fiction author Robert Heinlein. “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”

What you can do

Calm is not a dog goal. If you wanted a calm pet, you should have gotten one that either purrs or is stuffed with cotton batting. Dogs, even some senior dogs, are pets for activity. Whether that’s hiking, biking, canoeing, or strolling around the block.

Can you teach your dog to act politely, even when over-stimulated, stressed, and excited? Of course you can! And that’s the actual goal. You don’t want your dog to be calm. You want your dog to listen and remember their manners even when they’re excited.

Again: your real goal is for your dog to listen and behave everywhere, no matter what’s happening around you. Your objective is a dog who thinks and acts appropriately, even in a state of high arousal. Even if there’s a squirrel running across the street. Especially when a bicyclist zooms by. Definitely when your child’s entire 2nd Grade class is shrieking through the house playing “Hide and Seek.” So telling your dog to calm down won’t work.

How to get there

Dog issues seem to clump into clusters. We’ll hear about the same issue from several people within days, then nothing about that for months. This week it was definitely getting dogs to “calm down” in the presence of stimuli on walks.

And most people seem to think that calm is achieved by redirecting or distracting your dog. It’s not. It’s letting the dog see what’s going on, learning that it’s really not all that exciting, and choosing to get on with life. Two of our students this week mentioned their dog going nuts watching squirrels while out on walks.

We asked them what they did when their dog started lunging and pulling to chase the squirrel. Both pretty much said they dragged their dog off in the opposite direction. So the dogs learned absolutely nothing other than how strong their people are, and which buttons to push to annoy the heck out of them.

Changes in attitude

Instead of redirecting, distracting, and dragging, how about letting your dog watch the damn squirrel?
Try to get far enough away so your dog can watch calmly without pulling. Then just stop and let your dog watch. Squirrels are kind of fun to observe for a few minutes. Your dog will, in time, tire of it. If your dog isn’t chasing, the squirrel’s probably not going to do anything all that interesting.

Just wait. If your dog sits, great! Give him/her a cookie. Don’t tell them what to do. You don’t even need to talk to him/her. This would be the time to check your phone. Let your dog have a couple of minutes to do dog stuff.

When your dog is done watching, or at least staring intently at the squirrel, say something like “Okay, let’s move on!” and go. This is another instance where distance is your friend. Be far enough away so your dog can see, be seen, and still listen to you, a little bit.

Chances are the next squirrel won’t be as fascinating as this one was. Will your dog ever not notice squirrels? You hope not! It’s one of the things dogs are meant to do. Will they be able to glance, recognize, and ignore? In time, as long as you teach them that’s the proper way to behave in public.