This week we are grateful to the people and government of the great state of Ohio for proving that positive reinforcement works.
It wasn’t an experiment, and it wasn’t dogs that proved it. (Although our dogs prove it every day, through our commitment and philosophy.) People respond to positive reinforcement, consciously. It’s a shining example of the power of this method of training.
Deadly serious
If you watched the news this week you know that the rate of vaccination against COVID 19 has been dropping. Officials, both medical and governmental, around the nation have been scrambling for ways to get more people to overcome vaccine hesitancy and roll up their sleeves.
Getting a vaccine so you’ll be protected against a potentially deadly disease sounds like pretty good motivation. But it wasn’t enough.
Protecting your friends, loved ones, and people who you come into contact with is another good reason. Again, not enough.
Being able to ditch the mask, go places, and do things is an excellent reason to get vaccinated. And it still wasn’t enough.
We’d equate it to giving your dog a pat on the head and saying “Good dog!”
What worked
The State of Ohio got creative.
The state is sponsoring five $1 million dollar drawings open to adults getting the first dose of vaccine. Sign-ups increased by 28%.
Ohio is also offering a chance at one of five full-ride scholarships to any in-state college or university for teens age 12-18 getting a first dose of the vaccine. Vaccine sign-ups skyrocketed by 94% among 16 and 17 year-olds in the state. (Here’s the Ohio Department of Health’s release about the success of the program.)
This is positive reinforcement. This is how people react to the possibility of a great reward.
Pay your dog
Yes, your dog loves you and will “work” for you. A pat on the head and “atta boy!” is nice. If you want enthusiastic, eager attention and active learning, pay your dog. The better the reward, the better the response. You’ll find the statistical proof in Ohio.
Is your dog a nut job when company comes? Do you wish your dog had better manners for greeting visitors?
It’s been especially tough during the pandemic – not many people were open to visiting. Many dogs either forgot the manners they had, or never had a chance to learn polite greetings. You can turn that around, with some basic training games to teach your dog what to do when the doorbell rings.
Doorbell behavior
It’s always easier to teach something “to” do, rather than “not to” do. If your dog learns that the doorbell, or a knock on the door, is a trigger for a specific behavior, you’re giving them a familiar goal.
You won’t necessarily be able to stop your dog from giving a startled bark. A doorbell is meant to alert the household that someone has arrived. What a learned behavior will achieve is making the aftermath of the doorbell sound into a familiar routine.
Teach “Place”
If space and your routine allow it, have a dog bed or mat in view of the door. When you teach your dog “Place” (2-Minute-Trainer.com Book 1) your dog will know that his/her “job” is to run to the bed when the doorbell trigger sounds. It’s really an ideal scenario. Your dog will be able to see what’s going on, you’ll know where your dog is, and whoever is at the door will be able to deliver your pizza without fuss.
If you’re not in the habit of getting deliveries, set up the scenario with a friend or family member when your dog has mastered “Place,” and will dash to the bed or mat as soon as you say your cue word. It doesn’t have to be “Place.” If a different word comes more naturally to you, by all means use it and teach that word to your dog so that he’ll develop better dog manners for greeting visitors.
Choose a different behavior to “do”
One of the biggest obstacles in teaching dog training is getting people to change from the “don’t” words to the “do” words. It’s natural to tell your dog “Off!” when she’s jumping on your friend. (Never “Down!” – that means lie down. Each word has only one meaning for your dog.)
But it’s not helpful. It doesn’t give your dog anything to do. “Stop” doesn’t mean anything to dogs. She’s doing lots of stuff – walking, jumping, sniffing, licking, etc. What do you want her to do?
It takes time and conscious thought to change the “stop doing that” into “Sit!” or “Touch!” Giving your dog a task to perform, one that’s familiar and is always rewarded, if more likely to be successful.
Just like kids
If you’ve ever witnessed, dealt with, or been with squabbling children, it’s a very similar situation. We’re convinced it’s how the vast majority of “road trip games” came into being. Giving them a task, like license plates to look for, is more effective than saying “Stop touching each other!” It separates the children to look out their own windows, and occupies their minds. Do the same for your dog and manners will improve!
Your dog doesn’t care whether he’s “good.” Good is not a dog goal. Dogs have no “higher purpose” or ambition in life. They have no “moral fiber” because it’s just not a dog thing. Right and wrong, good and bad – those are people things. Dogs don’t care.
What dogs really care about
Dogs do care about some things: you, food, comfort, toys, playing. All of those are tangibles. We don’t know what dogs actually think about, but we’re pretty sure it’s not good and evil.
It’s also a big stretch to attribute “spiteful” tendencies to dogs. So many people think their dogs act out when alone due to “spite” or “revenge.” Not true. Dogs act out either because they’re suffering from separation anxiety, or because the impulse to act is more rewarding than not. Dogs always do what they find most rewarding.
No difference between good and bad
Let’s say the dog is craving attention. She knows you fuss when she turns over the wastebasket. She’s going to turn over the wastebasket to get your attention. That’s a dog equation. Attention is all good – no difference between positive and negative. The nebulous concept of good is not a dog goal.
“I shouldn’t turn over the wastebasket because Mom told me not to” is a people thought. Dogs don’t really look into the future, or recognize consequences of their actions. A classic example is the dog who’s punished when the owner discovers a “mess” on the floor. Punishing the dog after the fact doesn’t teach the dog not to mess in the house. It teaches the dog that bad things happen when Mom discovers the mess. Therefore: hide the mess. Which is later discovered behind the couch.
Being good is not a reward
For people, knowing you’ve done the “right” thing, even in difficult circumstances, is satisfying and rewarding. For dogs, not so much. We’re constantly reminding people to “Pay Your Dog!” When your dog does make a good decision – let him/her know. Every single time.
The “pay” doesn’t have to be food. Playing with a toy, a vigorous scratch behind the ears, sincere praise all work, depending on the situation. Let your dog know that you like what he’s done – even if all he’s doing is sitting quietly while you’re busy working from home. Take the time to reward “good” behavior.
True dog goals
Your dog doesn’t care about “good.” He cares very much whether you pay attention. If you pay extraordinary attention to the behaviors you like, you’ll see more of them.
It takes conscious thought to praise your dog for doing stuff you like. If your high-alert dog finally lets a leaf blow down the street without comment, it’s easier to just appreciate the quiet than to get up, get a treat, and “mark” the behavior. But if you don’t – how does your dog know it was “good?”
Clearly communicate “good” to your dog and she’ll find it more rewarding every time. It’s not easy to remember, but it’s worth it. (We’ve talked about clarity before, and it’s still important!)
It’s even harder to ignore the stuff you don’t like. It’s upsetting when you realize that, despite what you’ve tried so far, your dog still doesn’t understand. But if you only “mark” the naughty stuff, that’s what you’ll see more of. That’s the way dogs think.
Good is not a dog goal. Being happy is. You’ll both be happier with clearer communication.
All dogs have better scenting ability than people. And all dogs are faster than humans. All dogs have the ability to learn new things throughout their lives. But some dogs are better than others at some things. What’s natural for your dog?
When people domesticated dogs and developed different breeds, dogs became specialists. Certain breeds of dogs became adept at specific tasks. Terriers are independent hunters who “go to ground” (dig) to find their prey. Scent hounds follow a trail. Retrievers get stuff. Herding dogs herd. It’s what they do.
That doesn’t mean that your Chihuahua isn’t capable of tracking a scent. It means that it’s not as natural a behavior for her as it is for a Bloodhound.
Training games take advantage of what your dog does naturally
The most successful training games take advantage of your dog’s instincts. Use what’s natural to play games your dog will understand, enjoy, and succeed with.
Like what?
We know that Boston Terriers, like Boxers, use their paws a lot. It’s how the breed “Boxer” got its name, from the breed’s tendency to stand on their hind legs and “box” with their paws. Even if your dog isn’t one of these breeds, if he uses his paws a lot, turn it into a game. There are a bunch of tricks for this, including the classic “Shake,” and/or “High Five.” If you teach both of these, be sure your hand signals are very different so you don’t confuse your dog.
Paw games work well for little games when you’re waiting around with your dog. If you’re in the waiting room at the vet’s office, you can play a paw game. Torque (Hope’s French Bulldog) uses his paws to tap her legs, alternating right and left. It’s another variation that works in tight spaces.
What else?
Some dogs are definitely more vocal than others. If your dog is chatty, why not build it into a behavior that you can signal? You can even make a game turning on and off the sounds with different hand signals or verbal cues.
Some behaviors can even turn into little skits – you can develop a dialogue, incorporating your verbal and hand signals. Perfect it, record it, and it may be the next TikTok sensation. What’s cuter than a dog seeming to understand and talk back?
They do understand
The part that you understand and many people don’t realize, is that your trained dog really does understand. She may not be able to “talk,” but dogs are capable of understanding hundreds of words, if we bother to teach them.
There’s a new product that teaches dogs to “talk” by stepping on programmable buttons. We’re not sure we want to hear what our dogs have to say all the time, but we know we want them to understand us.
If your dog does something interesting, mark it, either with a clicker or a “good!” Chances are your dog will do it again. If you reward the behavior, then name it, it will become part of your dog’s repertoire and fun for both of you. Even when we’ve seen a “trick” a million times, it still makes us smile. See our tip on Trick Training – tricks are not stupid!
This week we were called upon to help a dog afraid of loud noises. It’s not your typical case. Peanut is a Mastiff. Not a toy dog, not a “lap dog.” Peanut weighs more than we do.
Peanut is about three years old now. We met him when he was a puppy, just twice as big as Hope’s French Bulldog, Torque. Peanut’s always been timid, but puppy class helped and he was doing well with consistent exposure to different situations.
Pandemic shut-down
And then the pandemic struck. Peanut and his family have had limited contact with the outside world for almost a year. For easy-going dogs, it’s probably not as critical an issue. For Peanut, it stopped his progress in its tracks.
His owners are a lovely, active couple who make sure their dog gets plenty of exercise and goes for long walks daily. They even made sure he got out in the worst weather. On truly bad days, the husband would take Peanut out for a walk and, if they got too cold or it was too sloppy, they’d call for a ride to get home.
Which is where the issue with noises arises.
Two facets of a single problem
Peanut needs a ramp to get up into their car. They can’t lift him – he’s over 100 pounds. One day last week the ramp dropped away from the car and made a loud noise on the garage floor. Peanut was terrified. He wouldn’t go near the ramp again. It took them hours to convince him out of the car.
They just didn’t know how to help their dog. They replaced the ramp with a different one, but Peanut wouldn’t go anywhere near it.
Wisely, they called for help. A single issue, the dog’s fear of loud noises, has two different training solutions. One to address the ramp issue. The second is changing Peanut’s noise phobia.
To get Peanut to use a car ramp again, Peanut has to love the ramp. Now it’s a fear object, with all the terror of the noise itself attached to the ramp.
To get Peanut over being afraid of loud noises, he has to learn to ignore them.
Learning to love again
This ramp is free-standing – you can read more about it at GollyGear.com.
The ramp aversion is the more immediate problem, since Peanut won’t be able to go anywhere if he won’t use the ramp. An added complication for them – Peanut has severe food sensitivities and is a lackluster eater at the best of times. Fortunately, he is toy-motivated and loves to play with his toys.
Since this is an intense situation, we’ve set some rules for Peanut. All of his toys, every single one, has been removed from the household and hidden in a bin only the people have access to. Several times a day, they take a toy and stand by the ramp. When Peanut puts a paw on the ramp, he gets to play tug with the toy and person. Only if he puts a paw on the ramp.
What we’re doing is attempting to transfer the value of something Peanut loves (his toy) to something he avoids (the ramp). Everybody’s going to have to be patient. Overcoming fear isn’t fast. And Peanut’s fear may be more powerful than his love for his toy at first. Ultimately Peanut will learn to love the ramp – he’ll associate the best rewards with it. (Read more on this: https://2-minute-trainer.com/2020/05/01/all-behaviors-are-equal/)
When Peanut is stepping on the ramp with a single paw fairly consistently, the next step will be to wait for two paws. And reward with play. Then three, and four. Then walking consistently.
Small steps
Peanut’s owners may also face a problem when they move the ramp. Right now it’s in their family room while they address their dog’s fear of loud noises. When they make progress, it will have to move to the garage. And the process may have to start all over again.
We’ve talked before about dogs not being able to generalize. Once people learn to use a spoon, all spoons “work” the same way, regardless of what they look like or where they are. That’s generalizing. Dogs don’t make the same mental leap. A ramp in the family room may not be the same as a ramp in the garage.
Fear of loud noises
The other part of the issue Peanut’s owners need to address is their dog’s fear of loud noises. Contrarily, we don’t want Peanut to love noise. Instead, he needs to learn to ignore it.
In separate training sessions from his ramp game, his owners are going to make their household much louder. One of them will bang pots while the other plays tug with Peanut. Or yell across the house at each other. Or play loud music, or explosion recordings, or fireworks or thunder. If Peanut learns that noise is just a part of life, his life will be less fearful, more fun, and improve immensely.
Get loud
If your dog is afraid of loud noises, try pairing noise with things your dog enjoys. If your dog is food motivated, it’s a little easier for you. Just play those loud recordings during your dog’s mealtimes. Even better if you feed by hand and ask your dog to do “stuff” during meals.
Trying to turn around an established pattern may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Take it step by step and change the fear into a trigger for something good and/or fun to happen. You and your dog will both be happier if you can overcome the fear of loud noises.
Do you have a dog who likes to play “keep away?” It’s frustrating and can be scary – especially if you’re in a heavy-traffic area.
You can get your dog to come running to you whenever you call. One of the best games for recalls (“come”) just turns “Keep Away” around! What do you think would happen if YOU were the instigator of this version of “Keep Away?”
Catch Me If You Can
This game asks that you act against every instinct you have. When your dog takes off running away from you, or dances just out of reach, everyone’s first impulse is to run after the dog, or try and grab him. It’s natural. And it’s wrong.
Instead, you’re going to work with the fact that your dog has exactly the same instinct. After all, both humans and dogs are predators. We share the “chase” reaction. So we’re going to use it.
Playing the game
In a controlled environment, where you know your dog can’t get away from you (indoors, or a fenced area), bring your leashed dog and have a pouch of really top-notch treats ready to use. If your dog is more toy than food motivated, bring the best tug toy your dog loves. If you can hide the toy so your dog doesn’t realize you have it, even better. We’ve been known to stuff toys up under our shirts if they don’t fit in a pocket.
When you get to the safe spot, without saying anything to your dog, drop the leash and take off running away from him/her. If your dog isn’t paying attention, you can yell his/her name while you run away.
Really run. No half-baked pretend running, or sideways running to keep an eye on your dog. You’ve made sure Fido can’t get away. All dogs are faster than we are. Get into the spirit of the game. Run!
As soon as your dog catches up with you, grab the dog’s collar with one hand and start shoveling treats into his mouth with the other. Or if you have that toy, whip it out and play tug. Celebrate!
A note about using toys as rewards: The reward is playing tug with you. It’s not getting the toy and playing by himself. Don’t drop or throw the toy. Keep hold of it and offer it to your dog for a game of tug. If you let your dog play by herself, you’ve undone all the good you just achieved. We’re establishing that you are a component of the reward. Without you, there’s no fun game.
Do it again
After a half-dozen treats (or so), or a minute of tugging, start the whole thing again. Take off running, away from your dog. When she catches you, reward with a jackpot of treats, or a game of tug.
Rinse and repeat
That’s all there is to it. Playing this game will teach your dog that coming to you is always a good thing. There will be treats, toys, and you!
You’ll find more fun games that will convince your dog that the only place he wants to be is with you in Book 2: Come!
Dog training is up close and personal. You can’t do it remotely. And you shouldn’t let someone else train your dog. There are gadgets that are supposed to work – but those are tools you can use. Not people replacements.
Dealing with a bad dog owner
We got a call this week from a person looking for a “thing” that would stop her dog from jumping over her fence. She had no idea what she wanted, she just wanted something that would do the “job” of keeping her dog in her yard. Her choice in dog training was not to do it.
She has two options:
A taller fence (her current one is four feet)
A leash, with her attached to the other end
She didn’t much like the options we offered. And highly resented the fact that tethering her dog in the yard is illegal. Not to mention highly dangerous for the dog, which is why it’s illegal. This person shouldn’t own a dog.
Teaching takes time
If you want your dog to understand the boundaries of your territory, you have to teach your dog where the boundaries are. If you want your dog to stop jumping over the fence, you have to teach your dog it’s not a good choice. And you have to offer your dog a more rewarding option.
That’s the key phrase, and one we can’t emphasize enough. Dogs always do what’s most rewarding. They will, absolutely dependably, choose to do what makes them happiest. It’s up to us to teach our dogs that doing what we want is the best, most rewarding, most fun option.
That’s dog training in a nutshell.
Pay your money, make your choice in dog training
Dog trainers often say that people get the dog they need, when they need it. If your dog has a behavior you don’t like, you have to decide whether you’ll become a better trainer or you live with the behavior.
If your dog is a counter-surfer; you’re either right there whenever your dog is in the kitchen teaching better choices, or you leave nothing on the counter, ever.
If your dog jumps the fence; you put a long line on your dog and go out with him every single time teaching boundaries, or you get a higher fence.
Dog’s aren’t convenient
Booker could jump over the fence. That’s why he never goes outside by himself.
We go outside with our dogs every time they leave the house. It’s not convenient. We’d rather stay on the nice cozy couch, trust them to “do their business,” and come home again.
But we don’t have robotic dogs. We have dogs that, without supervision; eat dirt, bark at the neighbors, bark at the neighbors’ dogs, bark at cars, and eat rabbit poop. To prevent all of those things, we’re right there. And when we see our dogs make good decisions, like glancing at the neighbor and looking back to us, we’re right there to reward that good choice to be quiet.
Choices in dog training include the “battles” you choose to fight, and those you’d rather just manage. If your dog goes digging in the bathroom wastebasket all the time, we completely understand moving the wastebasket rather than dealing with the issue. Some things just aren’t worth the effort to train. (Here’s another post about that choice: https://2-minute-trainer.com/2020/03/24/set-up-for-success-no-more-counter-surfing/)
Along with that choice comes the realization that your dog is going to do some stuff that aggravates you and you’ve chosen to live with it. If that’s your decision, it’s also up to you not to get angry or yell when your dog does it.
We have a saying for that: “Train, don’t complain.”
Every once in a while, do you just want to be alone? Especially in the shower?
Everybody has those days. And, over the last few months with more time at home, things that normally wouldn’t have bothered you are now getting on your nerves. It’s okay. It’s normal.
Perspective is everything
We saw a cartoon on social media the other day. In the first panel two people were talking on the phone. One said to the other something like “2020 was the worst year ever. Stuck at home for months!” In the second panel, two dogs are sitting together and one says to the other “2020 was the best year ever! My person was home all the time!”
For people, dogs are an important part of our lives, but they’re not our whole lives. We have family, friends, work, school, social groups, etc. Our dogs have us.
Best life for everyone
We certainly don’t have to feel sorry for any of our dogs. They have fantastic lives, with little, if anything, to worry about. They have food, shelter, companionship. And no bills to pay.
For us, the responsibility gets to be a little much sometimes. Especially if we’re feeling stress in other aspects of our lives. We don’t mean to take our feelings out on our dogs, but sometimes they do get in the “line of fire” for our worries. Every once in a while, they just get on our nerves.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, as we all do sometimes, it’s okay to take a break from your dog. It doesn’t mean you don’t love them. It means that you need some time to yourself. And, certainly, don’t start a training session when you’re feeling that way. (See this post: “Only 2 emotions allowed in dog training.”)
Take the time you need
For some of us, going for a walk with our dogs is a chance to relax, unwind, and be in the moment. We don’t have to think about anything, or pay attention to anything but breathing in some fresh air and meandering along. For others, it’s just as stressful as anything at home – you have to pay attention to traffic, or other people/dogs, etc.
It’s okay to take a walk by yourself.
A friend of ours has been working from home since March, 2020. She has two dogs that she adores and who adore her. And for the sake of her sanity, she employs a dog walker to take her dogs mid-day.
Partly it was to help the dog-walker, who lost a good chunk of her business when the stay-at-home orders took effect. But the other part was our friend giving herself permission to be alone. Sometimes she takes a walk by herself while her dogs are out. Sometimes she just relaxes. But she takes the time for herself and her equilibrium.
Appreciating togetherness
Some difficult days we don’t even want to get out of bed. We want to pull up the covers and cuddle with our dogs. Because our dogs are much loved and important members of the family. Those are the days we need comfort and surround ourselves with those we love, including our dogs.
There are other days we want to be alone. Every interaction feels like an intrusion. Those are the days when you grab your coat and keys, head out by yourself and take the time you need. Your dog will be waiting to greet you enthusiastically when you get back.
Do you dread having to take your dog anywhere? Does your dog’s car anxiety stress you out, too?
Over the past year, most of us have been spending more time at home. We’ve haven’t been going much of anywhere, and neither have our dogs.
Our dogs familiarity with travel and car rides has lessened, and even those dogs who were accustomed to going places and doing things may now get nervous.
Name of the game
Pre-pandemic, Booker and Tango frequently rode in the car with Fran to trials and on road trips.
Familiarity is the key. Dogs, like us, get nervous in unfamiliar situations. Car rides with dogs qualify, especially if the only place the dog goes is scary.
Think about it from the dog’s perspective. If the only time he/she gets in the car is to go someplace where scary and/or painful things happen, you’d hate the car, too. Veterinary care and grooming are both necessary for our dogs, but neither is fun for the dog. Hope and Fran knew when they got puppies that as grown-up dogs they would be spending a lot of time in the car – going to obedience, rally and agility trials as well as on road trips, so they translated their crate training from the house to the car.
To turn things around and achieve stress-free car rides, start slowly, from the beginning.
Make it fun
Start where your dog’s anxiety begins. If he/she is nervous getting near the car, walk him her around the car, chattering calmly to your dog and delivering treats. Or play with a favorite toy near the car. Open and close the doors, all the while playing or rewarding for calm behavior.
Don’t force the dog to get closer, let them take it at their own pace. Coddling isn’t required – it’s not okay to be scared. Speak calmly and encourage exploration, but don’t force it and try not to get frustrated. You know there’s nothing to worry about. The task is to convince your dog that’s true.
Step by step
Like all 2-Minute training games, after a couple of minutes, you’re done for the session. You can come back to it later, but give your dog time to absorb the fact that he/she had fun near the big, scary, noisy thing.
When your dog is fine around the car, have him/her get in it. Again, give treats or play with a toy for a couple minutes. Reinforce for your dog that the car is a positive place.
When your dog can enjoy the treats or toy in the car, hook him/her up to whatever restraint you use in the car and have another play session. At this point, if you have another person who can help, one of you get in the driver’s seat while the other plays with, or gives treats to your dog.
Noisy scary
The next step is to have the dog in the car and turn on the engine. Make sure you’re outside, or the garage door is wide open to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Play or treat for a couple minutes. If you don’t have a helper, give your dog a treat-filled toy. Use a high-value food stuffed in the toy – peanut butter or spray cheese work well for most dogs.
If your dog is able to focus on his/her chew or treat toy, you’re well on your way to stress-free car rides with your dog. Take a short ride around the block and back home. As you’re able to take your dog in the car for longer periods, try going to a park or somewhere dog-friendly and playing a fun training game as we discussed in the post, “Take it on the road …”
Building on success
Stay at whatever step as long as you need to. If your dog is too nervous to take treats or play, stay there until she gets more comfortable. A nervous glance, then back to the game is fine. Rejecting the treats/toy due to nerves means your dog has reached his/her limit and you may even need to go back a step.
When you are able to progress to actual trips, be sure you go fun places where nothing bad happens. Take your dog to a park and go for a walk. Or a pet shop and let him/her choose a new toy. Then straight home.
Accentuate the positive
You can replace anxiety with anticipation if you teach your dog, step by step, that there’s nothing to worry about. As your dog gets used to new things, they’re less scary. If you make car rides routine fun, you’ll have stress-free car rides with your dog.
You’re having fun playing a training game with your dog. It’s going great and you’re having fun. And all of a sudden, it seems like your dog’s brain has fallen out of his skull.
Stuff your dog knows is just gone. It’s like you’re speaking a foreign language. What’s your dog trying to tell you?
Case in point
It happened to Hope and Torque recently. Fran, watching the session, saw the sudden drop-off in focus and precision. It took her observation “I think he’s tired” for Hope to realize it was time to call it a day.
We play training games with our dogs every day. And, since we expect that competitive obedience, rally, and agility will be back one day, some of the games are preparation for that day.
We set specific criteria for all the games we play. When we’re playing “put your toys away” the toy has to go in the bin. For our version of “Quoits,” the ring has to go over the post. And for our Obedience and Rally games, we aim for “perfect” execution of each exercise.
Sloppy is not acceptable
“Perfect” means that on the recall or “come,” our dogs sit directly in front of us, not shifted to either side. It’s one of Torque’s best things, after lots of recall games over his lifetime.
On this particular day, Hope and Torque were well into their session, and it had been going great. His recall was fast and his sit in front of Hope was straight and square. Then, all of a sudden, he was lining up by her “cookie” hand. He lost focus and got sloppy.
Give it a rest
Hope’s first thought was “try again!” But, with Fran’s observation, she knew it was the wrong thing to do. Piling more on top of sloppy achieves nothing. It’s tempting to keep going and try to “fix” things. But if your dog is tired and loses focus, you can’t fix anything.
That’s one of the reasons it’s better to quit, or change gears, than keep going. You don’t have to end on a good note. Our dogs don’t know the session didn’t go well. They just know that game is done for now. They may not have gotten as many rewards as they would have liked. But that’s always their opinion.
Also – you’re the one who knows your dog best. You know when he’s being sloppy and losing focus. At the other end of the spectrum is Fran’s Booker, who always has trouble focusing (see our post “Special dogs need routine even more.”)
Good information
Even the dog training games that don’t go well give us good information. In this case, Hope learned that Torque has a limit for recalls. In future sessions, she’ll sprinkle other games between the recalls. Varying the games, even in a short, two-minute session, keeps everyone fresh and interested.
