behavior Archives - Page 9 of 9

Surprise Training Session Fail

Torque’s brain fell out this morning.

It was an absolute classic example of something we’ve talked about before, “offering behaviors.”

When you have a dog who’s learned how to learn, who’s been rewarded for trying, when his brain falls out he tries different behaviors to make the confusion go away.

Surprise Training Session Fail - Torque tries the rings

The objective of today’s game was to put the rings on the post. We replaced the rings that come with the child’s toy with dive rings because our dogs were having trouble with the size of the original rings. The hole was a pretty precise fit, which our dogs found too difficult and caused frustration. We got the bigger, thinner rings to make it easier.

From the first time we took the rings out, Torque rocked it. He got all six rings on the post in record time. Today’s game was just the third time he’d played with the larger rings. First time, he got all six rings on in record time. So Hope thought she’d ask him to do it again for video.

Not a single ring. Moments later, and he couldn’t figure out what to do. You can see the frustration as he grabs a ring and lies down. And knocks over the post. When he does get one ringer, he doesn’t seem to recognize what he’s done, even tossing the rings around.

When you see your dog having a meltdown – stop. This was a surprising one because, as we said, he’d just done it perfectly less than five minutes previously. For whatever reason, he was done. Hope took a minute to recognize it, but there was no punishment, no correction, no negative consequences for Torque. We just put that toy away and moved on to other things.

Our dogs can’t tell us what’s going on, we can only read their behavior and adjust our plans accordingly. Torque and Hope did some simple heeling exercises to end today’s session so that he could regain his composure and get treats for something good.

We’ve talked about how dogs can shut down when they’re worried about getting things wrong. Torque isn’t usually a shut-down kind of dog, but something put him off the game today. We can certainly speculate about what that was, but we’ll never really know.

What we will do, next time we play our doggy version of “quoits” with Torque is go back as many steps as needed. Reward for picking up the ring, reward for carrying the ring, reward for bringing it close to the post, reward for getting it on the post.

Or we could find that next time Torque is, once again, a rock star and knows exactly what to do and does it in record time. He’s a dog.

Actually, your dog doesn’t know better

Ceilidh looks like she's feeling guilty about something. — Ceilidh looks guilty, but…

We hear it all the time.

“My dog peed on the bed to spite me.”

“Fifi knows better – she did it because she was mad at me.”

“Phydeaux is so stubborn – he just ignores me when I tell him something.”

“Rover is so defiant. He knows he’s not supposed to do that!”

Actually – no. That’s not how dogs think. If your dog is sitting there staring at you after you’ve told her to do something, either she’s confused or she doesn’t know what you want. And, chances are, she’s afraid of making the wrong decision.

Dogs don’t think the way we do. They truly live in the moment, without comprehension of “cause and effect.” We know that, for many dogs, eating grass will result in vomiting. Dogs don’t know that. The “eating grass” is far enough removed (even if it’s minutes later) from the “vomiting” that the dog is incapable of making the connection. Even though Spot throws up EVERY SINGLE TIME he eats grass, he will never connect the two (causation) and develop a dislike of eating grass.

We humans make that connection so easily that it takes some doing to “think like a dog.” Trying to adjust your thinking, see things from your dog’s perspective, will help you communicate better with your dog.

Causation vs. correlation

Dogs learning with positive-reinforcement games are willing to try and keep trying. The worst consequences of “getting it wrong” for our dogs is lack of reward.

That’s part of the difference in thinking. Dogs are good at connecting the dots – if I do good “stuff,” I get a treat, or I get to play. They excel at association, or correlation, especially if the things (behavior and reward) are close in time. Dogs see the relationship between the two events (correlation).

It’s why the “clicker,” which is a “bridge” to the reward is such a valuable tool. It lets the dog know that, right now, I was a good doggo. Even if the reward is delayed, the dog knows it’s coming.

If, however, a dog is punished or negatively reinforced for incorrect behavior, he may develop a fear of doing the wrong thing. The consequence can be that the dog either does nothing (stares at you), or, since he can never “win,” gives up and does whatever he feels like doing (defies authority).

It’s not easy to adjust your thinking. People are always in “if this” then “that” mode. From the time we’re infants we’re taught to think of the consequences of our actions and to plan for the future. Dogs’ brains don’t work that way.

We can learn a lot from our dogs about how to be “in the moment” and enjoy every day as it comes. It can be frustrating at times, like when you see your dog eating grass again. And it can be joyful as every single toss of the ball is as much fun as the first one.

Set your dog up for success

An obedience student came up to Hope after class Tuesday to ask for help.

“How do I get R.J. (her 2-year-old Portuguese Water Dog) to stop counter surfing?”

“Tell me what happened, please.”

“We had some people over on Sunday and it was just embarrassing. I put the appetizers on the kitchen table and when I came back he’d eaten almost all of them.”

“Where were you?”

“In the other room with our guests.”

Hope’s student is doing great in her competition obedience class. But she hasn’t learned to transfer what R.J. is learning to everyday life. She did nothing to help her dog understand the rules of the house. R.J. isn’t the problem, his “mom,” Mary is.

What are some of the things Mary could have done to help R.J. understand how to be a good boy?

Put his collar and leash on and hold the leash
Have him “help” greet guests with a lovely sit (which he’s fully capable of)
Crated him away from the chaos
Not put food within reach
Not walk away, leaving the food within reach

We do understand that a gathering isn’t the best time or place to train your dog. That’s why we play training games every day – so when a scenario arises, our dogs have the tools to understand what we ask of them in any circumstances.

In Mary’s case, just crating R.J. away from the party may have been the best solution. They hadn’t prepared for the party and Mary wouldn’t have been able to do anything but pay attention to R.J.’s behavior. At two years old, R.J. is the equivalent of a human teenager who has no manners and no impulse control.

It turns out that R.J. practices the same bad behavior every single day. Mary said that she puts her coffee on the breakfast table, then goes to get her toast. When she comes back, R.J. is slurping away at the coffee.

Mary’s fault, all the way. Take the opportunity to give your dog a job, especially in a case like this where you are in a familiar environment, doing a routine task that doesn’t require all of your attention. R.J. knows how to sit and stay. Use that tiny interval to practice it! Have some rewards at hand and, when he succeeds, give him something better than coffee.

This is a classic case of the dog behaving in a way that gets him what he wants most. He likes coffee, knows he’s free to get it, and he gets to play a fun game of “keep away” when his mom catches him at it. Because you know she yelled at him and chased him off the table.

Dogs don’t really distinguish between “good attention” and “bad attention.” R.J. knows his “mom” is interacting with him and that’s the best thing in his world. It probably doesn’t matter that she’s yelling at him – she’s paying attention and playing with him.

Will he like it even better when “mom” learns to control the situation and he truly is being good? Absolutely! How about having R.J.’s favorite toy close at hand and rewarding his beautiful sit/stay with a game of tug? Much better! Or having him “help” you get your coffee with a beautiful “heel,” followed by top-notch treats for a reward? Wonderful.

Dogs do what’s most rewarding to them. What does your dog find most rewarding? Food? Toys? Pets? Yodeling with you? Whatever it is, make sure the best rewards are given for best behavior choices.

Give your dog a break

Did you know that dogs can suffer burn-out? Just like us? We saw a social media post today in one of our dog sports groups from an experienced trainer whose dog seemed to have “forgotten” how to do even the most basic commands in a recent trial. The advice she got? Give your dog a break!

It’s a great idea. Our dogs are a lot like us in many ways. Do you remember how tedious it was in school to do the same thing, day after day? Didn’t you prefer your classes with creative teachers who “mixed things up” on a regular basis? And didn’t you learn more? And retain it better when you were having fun?

Just like us

Our dogs are just like us. If you “drill” the same behavior every day, in the same way, sooner or later your dog is going to get tired of it. Instead of improving steadily, the behavior you’re working on may deteriorate or even disappear completely. That’s not what we want.

It’s a good idea to switch up the games you play with your dog. We give you several different games in the guides. Try all of them and use different ones on different days. Or work on something else every other day. Our dogs pick up on our energy and enthusiasm, too. Chances are if your interest in a particular game is less, your dog’s will be, too.

Come back stronger after a break

As an example, Hope and Torque have been playing with a toddler’s ring-stacking toy, teach Torque to take the ring, bring it to the post, and drop it on. It’s a complicated behavior, made more difficult by the fact that Torque thought the rings were great chew toys when they started. And he’s not a big fan of giving up his chew toys. He does it, but grumpily.

Hope put the game aside a while ago, since they were getting nowhere fast. Last week she picked it up again, wanting to see what Torque would do.

And it was pretty amazing. Torque picked up a ring, walked over to the post, and plopped it right down. And repeated the behavior with a couple more rings. He didn’t get a “ringer” every time, but he got a couple. Just that little break let the behavior get through. He had time to think about it, let it penetrate, and remembered the next time he saw it.

Memory games

So if you’re ever getting frustrated that your dog isn’t “getting” something, or if he had it and “forgot” it – give him a break. It could be a little break is your answer, too.

Notice Your Dog’s Behavior

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

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

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

Change needs examination

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

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

Personal preference matters

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

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

Something’s different

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

Smart dogs find a way

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

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

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

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

Be ready for trouble

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

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

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

Never before

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

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

Smart dog kitchen rules

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

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

Perils of positivity

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

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

Recognize stress in your dog

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

Not the same as us

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

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

High stressers

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

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

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

Low stressers

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

What you can do

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

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

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

Familiarity reduces stress

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

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

“Socializing” Isn’t What You Think

Do you like everybody you meet?

Nah. Us neither.

Do you think you should be friends with everyone?

No way!

Social = Polite

So why is it that we feel pressure to have our dogs “like” every person and every dog they encounter?

They don’t have to – any more than we do!

Dogs do have to learn how to behave politely in their world. That’s what “socializing” truly is. Teaching our dogs to cope with their surroundings without freaking out or behaving inappropriately.

Social = Calm and Attentive

Dogs are well-socialized when they can remain calm and attentive to you. That means you can walk down the street with your dog, go to the park with your dog, sit in your yard with your dog. And your dog won’t bark inappropriately, won’t jump on people, won’t chase cars (or bicycles, or skateboards, etc.), won’t lunge at other dogs, won’t chase bunnies (or squirrels, or cats, etc.).

We don’t know where the notion came from that dogs need to be “friends” with the world. Dogs don’t need dog friends. They don’t need to love every person. They need to know how to ignore all the distractions of life so your life together can be peaceful and calm.

We’ve always said that manners are the “social grease” that keep civilization running. We may not all like one another, we may not agree on everything. But we can all act politely and respect each other’s space.

A dog who is well-mannered in public is properly socialized. Ignoring strangers – both people and dogs – is perfectly acceptable, socialized behavior.

Finding the fix

You know how you can overlook stuff that’s right in front of you? Like the time you searched all over for your phone and you were holding it in your hand?

Traffic jam!

We’ve been suffering with a traffic jam at our house forever. We have a very narrow entryway from the back door of the house. And when we come in from the yard, all the dogs congregate in that narrow entry, waiting for their “go home!” treats.

Needless to say, with four dogs and two people trying to get into a space that’s not more than nine feet square, it got a little crowded. And a little tense.

Oh yeah, we’re dog trainers…

Then one day we remembered we’re dog trainers. We had to think of a behavior we could teach the dogs that would solve the crowding issue. And get them out of the doorway before bad weather arrives and coats, boots, and parkas are added to the mix.

It was a perfect opportunity to put our own 2-Minute-Trainer system to work.

We thought about what we wanted to accomplish:

get the dogs to move further into the kitchen and out of the doorway.
We pictured what we wanted the result to look like:
all the dogs lined up, sitting on a yoga mat.

We decided what we wanted to call the behavior:

Line Up!

We implemented the plan on our next entry.

When we called the dogs into the house, we immediately moved over by the mat for the Line Up! We called the dogs over, saying Line Up! As each dog stepped on the yoga mat we told him to “Sit!,” gave him a treat, and said “Good Line Up!”

All the dogs lined up, out of the entry way. — Simon, Booker, Torque, Tango

All of the dogs still sitting on the mat got a treat each time another dog joined the “Line Up.” So the first dog on the mat got the most treats! Now all the dogs dash over to the mat when they hear “Line Up!” And we go down the line rewarding each dog multiple times. When everyone’s inside and we’re done, we give our dogs their “release cue” – “Go!”

We solved the problem in just two days. So far we haven’t asked the dogs to maintain a particular order in their “Line up!” behavior, but that would be an easy addition if we want to add it later.

Dogs love routine and love knowing what they’re supposed to do. Giving them a better choice has reduced the aggravation of coming in the house. Seeing them all lined up, sitting like good boys, lets us enjoy coming home every single time.

My puppy has a temper

He’s great, but …

It’s not easy learning that your puppy, in addition to all his wonderful qualities, has a temper and can be aggressive toward other dogs. Simon just turned one year old. He’s a tiny little thing, but has a HUGE personality and a hair-trigger temper. Once he’s had enough play (usually with my sister’s French Bulldog, Torque), it’s almost as if he says, “That’s enough! I’m done with you!” and turns into a snarling little demon.

It’s my job to fix that.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I have experience with turning an aggressive dog around. Tango, my 10-year-old Brussels Griffon, is much better now, but when I got him (at 11 months old) was reactive towards everyone. When Tango was young he hated everyone that wasn’t me. Even my sister. Since we live together, that was a big problem. Hope hand-fed Tango his dinner for weeks until he accepted her. He still wasn’t crazy about her, but we could all live together.

Work in progress

Day after day, week after week, month after month, even year after year, Tango’s training was a top priority. I knew that he could be an excellent agility dog but I didn’t want him branded as aggressive. We had to be able to walk together through crowds, down the street, through a parking lot when I had my hands and arms full of crates, treats, toys, and other paraphernalia. So, while we were going to class for agility fundamentals, I was also training him to be a good pet.

It was essential to keep him focused on me at all times. I was vigilant about our surroundings and noticed what was going on around us at all times. If anyone was approaching, I made sure to start a focus behavior. At first the approaching person / people / person and dog had to be at a significant distance. As Tango started accepting that other beings were allowed to exist on the planet, the distance could be slightly reduced. This was not a matter of days or even weeks, but months.

Focus phrase

A key phrase that I used to keep him focused on me was, “Cute dog!” I did not say anything at first – remember that we were at a significant distance. When Tango looked at me, I’d say our focus phrase and give him a yummy treat. If he kept looking at me, I’d give him another treat and say something like, “Yes, you’re the cute dog!” Eventually I could say the phrase when he wasn’t looking at me and Tango’s eyes would latch onto my face.

Why the phrase “Cute dog?” Even though Tango is small, I didn’t want people to see him as aggressive. People look at aggressive dogs differently. Their posture is different. But when someone sees a little fuzzy dog and hears that phrase, they’ll have a smile on their face.

Tango and I competed in agility for quite a few years, and he advanced to the Master level. We walked confidently through crowds at trials and Tango kept his attention on me. I still don’t trust him completely. I’m always watchful when we’re out and about, but he’s worlds better than he was as a puppy.

Phrase that pays – again

So now I have to train Simon to keep his attention on me. I’ll be training the “Cute dog!” cue and I’ll also be doing other small tricks to keep him engaged when we’re waiting for a red light on our walks.

Those small tricks? Fun stuff for treats, like hand touches, spins, simple position exercises.

And Simon is learning to come to me when I call him. That’s proving to be very useful when I see him starting to ramp up in his play.

I know that it won’t be done in a day, and Simon may never play nicely with dogs that aren’t in the family, but that’s OK. He doesn’t have to play with other dogs. And there’s no deadline for having a nice dog.