behavior Archives - Page 2 of 11

Hardest skills for dogs

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The hardest skills for dogs are the ones that aren’t natural. Of course the same is true for humans. People naturally want to help their dogs succeed, so patience/waiting is the hardest part of dog training. For dogs, who want to be with their people, the most difficult skills are staying and going.

That sounds contradictory, but it’s not. Both the “Stay!” and the “Go out!” usually involve separation between you and your dog. If you have a good training relationship with your dog, they want to be near you. Always. The closer the better.

Too much of a good thing

You might think that creating a strong bond might pave the way for unwanted behaviors like separation anxiety. Instead, it actually helps reduce the issue. Dogs with strong training-game experience tend to be more confident and able to deal with everyday anxieties more easily. They’ve been taught how to make good decisions and to persevere through stress.

It’s one thing for the dog to deal with your routine absences. You probably have a familiar ritual you follow every morning as you leave. It’s probably been choreographed down to a science, with singing out “Be good!” the last thing as you sail out the door.

While dogs don’t know where you’re going or what you’ll be doing there, they never did and probably never will. You don’t miss what you’ve never known. And they don’t have an option. However, a command to “Stay!” requires that the dog actively work against their own instinct to accompany you wherever you go.

“Go out!” is just as difficult, if not more so. At least with the “Stay!” your dog is able to watch you walk away. They may not like it, but they can see what you’re up to and know they can reach you quickly if you suddenly suffer an attack of dog withdrawal. With the “Go Out!” your dog has to choose to go away from you. They can’t see you as they move away.

Fetch doesn’t count

But wait, you say! My dog runs away from me all the time when we’re playing “Fetch!” In that case, your dog isn’t actually “Going Out!” What they are doing is chasing an object in motion. Just as you’d expect any predator to do.

Both the “Stay!” and the “Go Out!” have three aspects to work on individually.

Duration – Gradually increase the amount of time the dog is on their own without rewards.This is the first thing to work on with the “Stay!” and the last thing to work on with the “Go Out!”
Distance – The first thing to work on for “Go Out!” Gradually increase the distance you put your Target for the dog. For the “Stay!,” randomize the number of steps you take away from your dog and return to the dog to reward. Remember to always reward the dog to the front – don’t make them turn to reach the reward or you’ll pull them out of position.
Distraction – Introduce all kinds of distractions. In the “Go Out!” practice with distractions both when the dog is in motion moving away from you and when the dog reaches the Target and is supposed to stay there. For the “Stay!,” use all kinds of distractions at varying distances from the dog. Even the hardest skills for dogs can be taught with patience and consistency. And distractions.

About distractions

A distraction can be anything that’s different. It can be sounds, like someone banging pots in the next room. It can be something in motion, like a tennis ball rolling across the training area. It can be a combination of both, like a sound-and-motion toy in the room.

The most difficult distraction we’ve ever dealt with was from our very first dog training teacher. For the “graduation” class, he brought freshly-made french fries and spread them around the floor, expecting us and our dogs to navigate across the room through the delicious smells. Every dog/handler team did it. You can, too. Tailor the level of distraction to your dog’s interest. Start with things they don’t care much about and increase the difficulty as their skills improve.

Make it easy on your dog. Expect perfection.

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It’s not being mean to expect perfection from your dog. It makes it easy for your dog to understand exacly what you want.

We have a friend with both French Bulldogs and Border Collies. Our friend makes us absolutely crazy because she holds the different breeds to different criteria in training. She expects the Border Collies to be perfect. The Frenchies can get away with “meh” performances. So that’s what she gets from them.

Every dog is capable of great things in whatever training you choose. Whether it’s reaching elite dog sport performance or becoming the perfect couch cuddler, it’s up to you. But you’ll do your dog a huge favor if you expect perfection.

“Good enough” isn’t

Have you ever asked your dog to “Sit!” and thought “eh, good enough” when the dog lies down? If so, you just confused your dog. The dog was showing you they don’t understand the word. Instead of clarifying it, you fed the confusion.

Unlike people, dogs don’t have a sliding scale or understand there’s an acceptable range. Dogs understand “yes” and “no.” “Maybe” is an alien concept. That’s why dogs often behave better for the “strictest” person in the family, rather than the one who’s “nice” to them. They understand what the “strict” person expects of them. Niceness is confusing.

That doesn’t mean you yell at your dog or order them around all the time. It means that you teach them what you want from them. If it truly doesn’t matter to you if your dog sits or lies down, reward whatever you get. If you actually want them to “Sit!” teach them what it means. Accept and reward only an actual sit position. If the dog lies down, wait and look at their butt. Don’t repeat the command. Just wait. As soon as they rise into a “Sit!” reward.

Keep it simple

A key to understanding dogs is recognizing that they love patterns and routines. That’s why people who say “Sit” three times (many do) when they’re teaching their dogs will always have to say “Sit” three times to get their dogs to do it.

Clarity and precision are largely disregarded and underrated. With people, you can easily clear misunderstandings with more words. You don’t have that option with dogs. While they can understand hundreds of words, they’ll only know one meaning for each one. And you’re the one who decides what each word means for your dog.

If you think you’ve confused your dog about something, it’s often easier to start over with a new word than fix the mistake. You may never know why a particular word has become “poison” to your dog. Fran had that happen with Tango. He stopped understanding his release word, which was “Go!” He didn’t.

He couldn’t tell us why. Fran could only deal with what was true. So she started over again with a new release word, “Action!” It’s still working just fine.

Maybe it’s time to switch anvil makers

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Wile E. Coyote has been trying to catch Road Runner for decades. He’s spent innumerable hours and buckets of money and nothing he tries works. And yet he persists in ordering his traps from Acme. When is it time to concede he’s put his faith and effort into the wrong thing? Agree that maybe it’s time to switch anvil makers. And how long will you stubbornly stick to something that’s not working for you and your dog?

Although its source is uncertain, we still adhere to the quote “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” The hardest part for many people seems to be recognizing when something’s unrecoverably broken and moving on. It doesn’t mean you give up on the behavior you’re trying to teach. It means you may have to approach it sideways instead of head-on.

Poisoning the well

Experience being the excellent teacher it is, of course we’ve “been there, done that.” Tango, Fran’s Brussels Griffon, has posed many challenges over the years. Since he’ll celebrate his 16th birthday this month, we can’t even count the vast number of lessons we’ve learned from him.

After Fran got him over being a snarling, hostile devil-dog (read Tango: Transforming my Hellhound, available on Amazon) , she was able to concentrate on more fun things like Rally, Agility, and Obedience. For unknown reasons, and Tango’s not telling, he stopped responding to his release word, which was “Go!” When he heard it, he visibly shrank and shut down.

For a short while, like most people, Fran tried to get him over the bugaboo. She loaded the word with treats, praised any slight movement, did all the right things to make “Go!” valuable and fun. Tango wasn’t having any of it.

Instead of persisting in hitting a brick wall, Fran regrouped, thought, “Maybe it’s time to switch release words,” and started from square one. She chose a new release word, “Action!” and taught it to Tango. Whatever negative association he had with “Go!” didn’t apply to the new word. They were in business once again.

Choose the easy way

Un-teaching something to a dog is difficult. If it’s attached to some negative emotion, it’s practically impossible. Dogs don’t just “get over it.” If some word, action, or place has become toxic to the dog, it’s often better to just let it go and approach from another angle.

A similar thing happened with one of our Rally students. Her two-year-old, rather skittish dog, became slinky and shut down if told to “Stand!” Nobody knows why. She was never abused, nobody hurt her after telling her to “Stand.” She’s a dog. She’ll never give us the answer.

We advised the dog’s owner to start over. Pick a different word and another hand motion to indicate “Stand!” And the dog perfected the “new” behavior in days. Does it look just like a “Stand!”? Yes, of course. Is it actually the exact same exercise? Yes, it is. But it’s different for the dog. And her opinion matters.

Regrets, there’ve been a few

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It’s fun having dogs who understand and know how to do stuff. If there’s something we want them to know, we figure out a game way to teach them. But over the years, there’s been some training, or lack thereof, that we regret. (Like eliminate on command.)

If you’re lucky enough to have an old dog, you know it’s not always easy. On those really bad-arthritis days, you feel like a tyrant making them get up and walk. But joints, like lots of things in life, are a “use it or lose it” proposition.

Tango is now 15 ½ years old. He’s little, so we have the option of carrying him around. But we don’t, except for stairs. He needs to move. We make him play “Put Your Toys Away” almost every day – at least he’s moving from the toy pile to the bin.

What we wish he knew: “eliminate on command”

The biggest regret is what we wish we’d taught him when he was young and spry. That’s to eliminate on command.

When Tango was young, he could “hold” for a dozen or more hours. He never messed in the house or had accidents. He also never had a predictable elimination schedule. It wasn’t a big deal then. If he had to go when he was outside, he did. If not, he didn’t.

Now, he can’t hold for a dozen hours. But he doesn’t like being out in the cold. And he doesn’t eliminate on command, because we never taught him. So he stands there, shivering (we are, too), and looking miserable. When we relent and bring him inside, he either paces around the house, or has an accident.

Think ahead

We’ve had dogs for so long that every floor is a dog-friendly surface. It’s not a big deal to clean up after Tango. But we wish we didn’t have to.

We’ve made sure to teach all the other dogs to eliminate on command. It’s easy to do – name it, praise it, reward it. Every time.

The other dogs aren’t young – 12. 10, and 6. And all of them know the commands “go poop” or “go pee.” A friend of ours used “hit it” as her dogs’ cue.

Think carefully about the name you give to your dog’s bathroom functions. And where you’re most likely to say it. If you’re in your own backyard, nobody’s around and it matters less. But if you’re in a more public place, will you be embarrassed to say “go poop?” If so, think of a lovely euphemism. Only you and your dog need to understand what you mean.

Language matters

A huge part of dog training is establishing communication between you. Dogs are capable of understanding dozens, if not hundreds, of words. Your job is teaching them the vocabulary they need.

You get to decide what every word means between you and your dog. Make your “potty” word something you’ll remember and use. And be sure it’s not a word your dog will hear all the time. That could get messy.

Dog Training Isn’t Always the Answer

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We got a rather urgent email from a long-time training student this week. Her dog had bitten a groomer at the doggy day care facility and she was rather frantically trying to deal with her dog’s sudden aggression. We had to tell her that dog training isn’t always the answer.

What’s Really Happening

Of course we called her right away to get the story. In addition to the bite, the dog had also growled and almost-snapped at her husband. The husband, who had adopted the dog from a shelter five months ago, was ready to return the dog immediately. The wife was distraught, upset both by the dog’s behavior and the thought of giving him up.

Neither of the couple is an experienced dog owner, so neither had a good idea of what was going on.

With the information the woman provided, our advice was to carefully consider the option of returning the dog to the shelter. Generally speaking, dogs adopted from shelters need at least three months before they feel comfortable in a new home and start showing their true personalities. If this dog’s nature was actually reactive, it wouldn’t be a good fit with this family. They already have a beautifully-trained Rottweiler and are planning for children in the next few years.

Getting More Complicated

The woman had already contacted the shelter about the bite. They got back to her saying that a dog with a bite history would automatically be euthanized. If they returned the dog, it was a death sentence. The shelter’s only suggestion was an introduction to another trainer to assess the dog. The options seemed to be getting narrower.

At this point, with the information we had, the choices were all bad. So we contacted the owner of the day care where the incident happened. We’re friends with the owner, and trust her opinion as a savvy dog person.

The Story Gets Clearer

It turns out that the dog has always been a happy, playful guy who’s never given them cause for concern. About a month ago, he was sidelined by illness. Kennel cough developed into pneumonia. He hasn’t been feeling great for a while now.

It was his first time back at day care, and the owners opted for a bit of a spa day – bath and nail trim. Like many dogs, this one didn’t much care for the ramp up to the tub, so the groomer was picking him up. When she touched his legs he reacted with the bite.

Talking to the dog’s owner, the incident with her husband also happened when he touched the dog’s leg.

Light Bulb Moment

The day care owner and we immediately recognized that the dog was showing symptoms of pain. Whenever a dog reacts atypically to normal things, the first thought should be “something’s going on there.”

The dog doesn’t need training for this. Dog training isn’t always the answer. He needs to see a veterinarian to figure out what’s happening that’s causing him to react atypically.

We called the owner back with this news. We also advised her to give the vet’s office a “heads up” that the dog would probably need to be muzzled for the examination. All dogs are capable of lashing out when they’re in pain. And all dogs should be muzzle-trained, just in case. Of course training to put the muzzle on your dog should be approached the same way as all other training – in fast, fun, game-based sessions.

She was relieved to hear that her dog probably hadn’t morphed into Cujo overnight. She also asked something that emphasized their inexperience with dogs. “Don’t dogs show signs when they’re in pain?”

No, they don’t. Dogs typically don’t show any signs of weakness or pain until it’s far advanced. Experienced dog owners know to consult medical professionals when their dogs seem “off.” The first, subtle signs of something wrong are clues only the dog’s owner will see. Combining these owners’ inexperience and the dog’s newness in the household, it was easy to miss.

We’re waiting to hear what the veterinarian discovers. But the dog’s future looks better today than it did.

Foundation dog games #7: Off!

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“Off!” Is the word you’ll use for everything from jumping on people to counter-surfing. The actual meaning of the word “Off!” for your dog will be “four paws on the floor.” That’s too much of a mouthful for you to spit out automatically when you need it.

It also may require that you do some practicing and retraining yourself. You know dogs can only assign one meaning per word. So if you’re saying “Down!” when your dog is up on something (or someone), stop it. “Down!” means lie down. It can’t mean both.

Clear as mud

Like all behavior modification games, you have to set up the scenario. It’s not impossible to train dogs on the fly, but it’s difficult and unclear. If you’re trying to teach “Off!” when guests are arriving for a party, it’s not going to work. You’ll be distracted, not focused on training your dog. It’s just not the time, so don’t waste your breath and effort. Just put your dog on leash and manage the situation.

Devote some 2-Minute Dog Training sessions to the “Off!” Game prior to that party, if there’s time. It’s pretty easy and most dogs catch on quickly.

How to play

Get some incredibly yummy treats your dog can’t resist. This is the time to pull out the hot dogs, or cheese. Start by pulling out a chair or stool that your dog has to get on hind legs to reach the seat. Pile a bunch of those yummy treats in the middle of the seat, covered with your hand. Make it the hand farther from the dog that’s doing the covering.

If the treats are tempting enough, your dog will jump and put front paws on the seat. Don’t say anything. Don’t do anything. This is where you have to be patient. When your dog can’t get to the treats, they’ll eventually drop down with all four feet on the floor. Say “Good Off!” and give the dog one of the treats from under your hand. Keep one hand covering the treats and use the other hand to reward the dog. It has to be the dog’s decision to get “Off!” the chair. Remember that “Off!” means four paws on the floor.

If you intervene and always tell your dog what to do when they misbehave, you’ll always have to. It takes time and patience to teach your dog to make good decisions. It’s worth it. Actually letting the dog decide to be “good” will last a lifetime. As opposed to saying “Off!” endlessly and hauling on the dog’s collar every time somebody comes over for the rest of the dog’s life.

Set up the game

It won’t take long before your dog knows they’re being “set up” when you pile treats on that chair. Dogs are pretty smart that way. When your dog just sits and looks at you when you put those treats on the chair, it’s time to change the game.

If your dog is tall enough to reach a table or counter, play the game the same way in those places. Or put the treats in a bowl on the chair. Move the chair into a different room. Change the scenario so the dog understands that “Off!” is always “four on the floor.”

Simon doing his version of counter-surfing

If counter-surfing is an issue in your house, set up your “Off!” Game to mimic when that happens. If your dog tries to “help” when you’re at the counter preparing food, set up the scene. Have some treats handy and get out your cutting board, cutlery, etc. Cut up some food. If your dog’s paws get on the counter, stop what you’re doing, cover up the prep area by shielding it with your arms and torso. Don’t say anything. Don’t do anything. Wait for your dog to get “Off!” When they do, reward immediately and use that word: “That’s Off!” “Good Off!” “I like your Off!”

Most people say “Good Boy!” Or “Good Girl!” It’s nice, your dog likes it, but it’s not teaching them the word you want them to know. Try to remember to use the word you’re teaching.

Grow the behavior

If jumping on people is your dog’s issue, you’ll need a volunteer to help you teach this expansion of “Off!” Set up the situation where your dog usually jumps on a person, and re-create it with your volunteer.

You stand by, ready with those yummy treats. When the dog jumps up on the person, have them stop moving, cross their arms at their chest, and stare at the ceiling. Again, don’t either of you say anything, or do anything. Just be still. When the dog gets all four paws on the floor, you and your volunteer can start petting and talking to the dog, remembering to say “Good Off!” This is often sufficient reward – the dog was asking for attention. You can also give a treat for “Off!”

Most dogs will jump right back up on the person as soon as that person moves. Your volunteer should immediately go into statue mode – arms folded, staring at the ceiling. How many times? As many as it takes to convey the message to the dog. Or until that training session’s time is up. How long it takes will vary widely from dog to dog. Some get it right away. Others have to be convinced over time.

Be consistent: “Off!” means four paws on the floor every time

Lots of people like to teach their dog to jump up on them when asked. They’ll pat their chest and say “Up! Up!” That’s perfectly fine. It doesn’t interfere with learning “Off!” because it’s a trained, invited behavior. It may actually help the dog understand the difference.

If “Off!” means four paws on the floor, don’t ask for more than that. Your dog doesn’t have to “Sit!” as part of “Off!” Acknowledge and reward the “Off!” before moving on to other commands. Reward good decisions as your dog makes them. You’ll discover it leads to more and more of those good choices.

Dog’s trust is easily broken

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Your dog relies on you to be a dependable partner. If you always deliver what you promise, so will your dog. But be careful what you promise. A dog’s trust is fragile. If you don’t follow through, or if you try to deceive your dog, it’s over.

According to our TikTok audience, Torque (Hope’s French Bulldog) must be AI (artificial intelligence) rather than a real dog. Because Frenchies don’t ever listen, let alone obey.

As Colonel Sherman T. Potter (M*A*S*H) would have said, “horse hockey!”

Torque listens, obeys, and looks like a genius because Hope never lies to him. Ever. That’s the entire secret of getting your dog to be a canine Einstein. Be absolutely reliable.

What do you mean?

We just saw a story about a canine study testing whether dogs could tell if a person was lying, or a bad person. In the first part, the dog was told to go to a container full of treats. All of the dogs did it. For the second part, the dogs were re-sent to the container which was empty. Again, they all went. In the third part, none of the dogs went to the container. The dogs’ trust had been broken.

We’ve all heard the old saying “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” This is a true-to-life example that dogs are not fools. You can certainly fool them once. But that’s it. They’ll never fall for the same lie twice.

Take a good look in the mirror

Let’s face it. Dogs are easy to fool. And their looks of puzzlement are really adorable when you pretend to throw the ball and there’s no ball. But every time you trick your dog, you’re eroding their trust in your relationship. They may fall for the fake toss a couple of times. You’re the one who will pay for it in the end when your dog stops being happy to play with you.

Some dogs have a sense of humor and can tolerate being teased. Others don’t understand and it can even upset them. Torque is a good-natured dog who will go along with any silly thing Hope dreams up for him.He’ll give it his best try. And he’ll try repeatedly. He knows that when he gets it right he’ll be generously rewarded.

When Hope has no treats with her, she shows her empty hands to her dog so he knows. If she has really primo treats, she lets him sniff to be sure he knows what’s available. And when he gets it right, he gets that primo treat.

Build a solid foundation

If you like teasing your dog, or playing pranks on them, that’s going to define your relationship. Your dog is still going to love you. They’ll forgive you. They may even join in the humor of the joke. But your dog is never going to hang on every word you say, or do what you ask them to do when you ask them to do it. Because once too often you’ve called your dog for “Cookies!” and then shoved them in the bathtub.

If you truly want your dog to listen, you have to be worth listening to. If you call your dog’s name and they ignore you, it’s probably because there’s no reason to listen. Next time you complain that your dog doesn’t pay any attention to you, try seeing it from their point of view. What’s the difference, for your dog, between paying attention and not? It’s up to you to define it.

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

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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

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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

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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.