dog training made fun Archives - Page 20 of 24

Dog trick training – how to & why!

Why do dog trick training?

So many reasons!

It’s fun
Grows your dog’s understanding and vocabulary
Challenges both you and your dog to learn new skills
Deepens your bond with your dog
Prevents boredom
Provides an activity when you can’t get outside
Lets you give your dog focused attention in a short amount of time
Makes great videos and memories

Dog “tricks” or behaviors can be anything. Many years ago, it was almost a cliche that the dog went out to fetch the paper every morning. Of course most dogs didn’t really do it, but it was a trick that everyone thought their dog could do.

A cute new trick Torque is learning is "hide."

And there’s always something new to try! Hope and Torque just started working on “Hide!” She draped a blanket over a portable folding table, and put a target under the table. Torque started at normal heel position, and when he got his release cue, he charged right under that blanket to find the target. Click and reward!

The cutest part was when he turned around and was peeking under the blanket. That’s another benefit of dog trick training – they’re so incredibly cute!

Of course we don’t really think that Torque knows “Hide” after only one session. We’ll see what happens when we try it again. We’ll record next time so you can follow along on his progress. Just like we’ve been sharing Tango’s learning to “Go Bowling.”

You and your dog can do it

When you and your dog are familiar with the fundamentals (see Book 1: Clicker and Place), you can expand your dog’s repertoire to include any trick or behavior that you can imagine and your dog can physically perform. Lately we’ve seen quite a few videos of skate-boarding dogs. If that’s something you’d like your dog to do, go for it. Thousands of YouTube views await your awesome dog!

Going viral might be fun and profitable, but it’s not predictable. What every single dog can achieve, however, is a “Trick Dog” title. From home. Via video.

It’s true. You don’t have to leave your dog’s comfortable training space. To earn an American Kennel Club Trick dog title, all you have to do is have your dog perform 10 tricks, each one twice, on video. And, since you’re interested in dog trick training, we’d even bet that your dog already knows a few of the Novice Level tricks, which include things like:

Speak
Crawl
Fetch
Get a named object
Get in a box
Climb onto a platform or step
High five
Hold it
Jump through a hoop or over a bar
Kiss
Shake
Spin
Touch

There are more, but that gives you a good idea of the level of difficulty for the first level of dog trick training. As you progress through the five levels, the difficulty increases – but as you progress, so does your ability and your dog’s prowess!

Dog trick training

Of course your video does need to be evaluated, and you need to know someone who can do it. Fortunately, you do! Hope is an AKC CGC and Trick Dog Evaluator, as well as a S.T.A.R. Puppy instructor. If you’re interested in pursuing Trick Dog titles for you and your dog, just shoot us an email (trainers@2-Minute-Trainer.com) and we’ll get you started!

How’s your dog training energy?

Does your dog mope through training sessions like Eeyore plodding along? You can easily up your dog training energy. Last week we talked about our dogs getting tired and losing focus. This week the shoe is on the other foot! Just look in a mirror!

Our dogs reflect us in many ways, including energy level. You can change the mood in the room and your dog, by upping your own energy level.

We know there are some days you just don’t feel it. Dogs pick up on our moods and, very honestly, show us how we’re doing.

Try recording it

You don’t have to take our word for it. Set up a camera and record a session. For the first part of the session, speak quietly, move slowly, don’t celebrate. In the second part of the session, talk happily, move quickly, get energized.

You’ll see an immediate difference in your dog. If you have a “hyper” pup, you may think you need to control the energy level in the room to keep your dog focused. The opposite is true. Focus on your dog, keep the connection and the feedback flowing.

The test of your dog’s understanding of what you’ve been training is his/her ability to still listen and play with you while excited. That’s when you know you’re doing great, having fun, and being an effective dog trainer.

Energize everywhere

One key to getting your dog to play with you anytime, anywhere, is to up your own dog training energy level. This is another instance where you can, and should, “fake it ‘til you make it.”

Will your dog know you’re faking it? Maybe at first. But get louder, slap a fake smile on your face, look into that adorable dog face and remember you love playing with this dog who adores you.

Torque usually has plenty of energy when he puts his toys away.

Hope saw it just the other day with Torque. They were playing “put your toys away” – a game Torque normally loves. But he was distracted and moving slowly, if at all, between the toy pile and the bin he was supposed to put them in.

At first, Hope said “Torque, what’s wrong with you?” Then she realized that her dog was reflecting her attitude and demeanor. She was low energy, and her dog mirrored it.

So she got loud, smiled, and moved faster. The change in Torque was instant. He was into the game right away and put all the toys away with a smile in his step. Hope’s energy level mattered. Yours does, too.

The closer your bond with your dog, the more closely he/she will reflect your mood and energy level. There are some days all you want to do is snuggle on the couch and stare at a screen. But we promise you’ll achieve calm faster if the cuddle session follows a high-energy, 2-Minute-Dog-Training game session.

Training is tiring

Remember that thinking is as tiring as physical activity. Using your brain requires just as much effort as using your body. Sometimes it’s even more exhausting. Training games that call on your dog to use his brain, solve problems, and remember, are the equivalent, in less than five minutes, of a half hour of “fetch.”

By all means exercise your dog. We encourage all kinds of physical activity, as well as exercises like stretching and balancing to keep your dog fit. But exercising their minds is just as crucial – it keeps even old dogs young when they’re always challenged to learn new things.

Because as we all know – you can teach old dogs new tricks.

Tired dogs lose focus

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.

This is an example of Torque's perfect "front." He's perfectly straight and looking up at Hope.

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.

Lots of ways to reward your dog

Some people think that reward-based training will result in fat dogs. Or that dogs trained with rewards will “work” only when treats are visible. These concerns may make those people reluctant to embrace training that’s solely reward based – even though it’s proven more effective than any system that includes punishment.

Know your dog

Depending on the dog, some rewards are more valuable, and therefore more motivating than others. (Read more about the timing and placement of rewards.)

Some dogs love toys. Knowing that being “good” will result in a short tug session is the ultimate reward for these dogs.

Others couldn’t care less about toys, or tugging. For them, only food will serve as a reward.

Still other dogs, although we’ve never had one, are thrilled with praise and petting. Just that attention from their people is all they need for reinforcement.

Knowing your dog and what motivates him/her lets you create a unique “tool set” for rewarding your dog.

Hierarchy of rewards

The "Moople" rubber toy has lots of value for Simon.

If you have a toy-driven dog, you also know which toys are his/her favorites and which are playable if nothing else is available. If your training session is at home, with no distractions, the less-favored toy is fine. Using that will let you get back to training after just a few seconds of tugging.

If you’re out with your dog in a place with distractions, use a toy that’s more valuable. If it’s someplace your dog gets stressed, “up the ante” even more and bring out the favorite toy.

We’ve never seen a dog that didn’t have preferences with toys. Some dogs are fanatics for balls. For these guys, be sure to get balls on ropes so you can be part of the fun. The last thing you want is for your dog to grab the toy and dash off during a 2-Minute-Dog-Training session.

Other dogs like ropes, or plush toys. Some are into vinyl or latex toys. It shouldn’t be a problem to have a variety on hand. And keep the “reward” toys separated – use only for training sessions. If and when they become stale, you can switch them out for others. We always have a bin of toys hidden away because toys the dogs haven’t seen in a few months are equivalent to new. And new toys are always best.

Food works the same way

If your dog loves food rewards best, a “trail mix” of goodies works for every training session. Most dogs see dry food every meal, so it’s not as exciting. But it makes a great mix-in with Cheerios, bits of cheese, or even small pieces of hot dog. If your dog never knows what the next morsel will be, he/she will stay interested and motivated.

Again, if you’re playing where there are no distractions, chances are the kibble will be fine on its own. In a high-stress place, or with lots of distractions, the ratio should slant heavily toward your dog’s most-favorite bite.

You know your dog best and can adjust the “trail mix” accordingly. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque thinks celery is the most wonderful food on the planet. It may be weird, but it works for them.

Praise as reward

We’ve never had a dog that was satisfied with just praise as a reward for a “job well done.” They always look at us like “yeah, that was fine. Show me the money (toy, food)!”

But if you do, it’s a wonderful thing. Just by varying your pitch and volume, you can change the excitement and reward level for your dog. You always have your voice and hands with you, so there’s no excuse not to reward your dog.

Not “light” travelers

For the rest of us, there’s always some preparation when we go somewhere with our dogs. The more pockets we have, the happier we are. Aside from the mandatory leash and poop bag, we need the pouch (or sandwich bag) of treats, and a toy or two. And the most important thing we can bring – focus.

Too often we see it. People supposedly walking their dogs with their entire attention focused on the phone in their hands. The dog is at the end of the leash, paying no attention to the person. The disconnect is sad to see. Dogs adore their people and want nothing more than their attention. These dogs have learned to live without it and entertain themselves. Both person and dog would enjoy their walks so much more if they engaged with each other.

Ditch the dog bowl

Should you ditch the dog bowl? You’ve probably seen the trend lately toward “snuffle mats” to feed dogs. Is it a good idea?

Yes and no.

Yes – it’s more engaging for the dog, slows down eating, and exercises the dog’s instinct to hunt for food.

No – it only works for dry food, can be messy, and, most importantly, leaves you out of the process.

Not interactive at all

One of the touted features of snuffle mats is that they’re “interactive.” That’s a popular phrase with dog toys, too. But what’s the dog interacting with? The toy or the mat. If our dogs are interacting, shouldn’t it be with us?

Anything that engages your dog without you in the picture is akin to plunking a toddler in front of a screen. It may get you some alone time and entertain the little one. If that’s the objective, it’s all good.

But if your goal is to build your bond and relationship with your dog, it’s wasted opportunity.

Do ditch the dog bowl

Instead of presenting your dog’s food in a bowl, or a snuffle mat, use meal time for dog training games. Use your dog’s for rewards during play sessions.

Hand-feeding your dog has multiple benefits. It eliminates the concern many people have about giving their dog too many treats – it’s food he/she would be getting anyway. (See this 2-Minute Tip: https://2-minute-trainer.com/2019/07/19/too-many-treats/)

It reinforces the idea that all good things come from you. If you have a multi-person household, you can take turns feeding your dog. That way everybody has a chance to build their own, and the dog’s, skills.

Feeding without a bowl also establishes a daily habit of playing with your dog. In short order it becomes something to look forward to and enjoy.

Adjustments needed

At first, hand-feeding your dog will take some planning and may seem inconvenient. It doesn’t have to be every meal. That’s simply not practical in most busy households. Mornings especially tend to be tightly scheduled.

If that’s the case, how about starting with a couple bites of food from you, then presenting the bowl? Would that be possible?

And if your dog doesn’t eat dry food, it can get messy. Fortunately, we’ve all become expert hand-washers in the last few months. You can also teach your dog to eat from a spoon. It’s adorable and makes for great video.

Take advantage of the time

Of course, if you don’t use hand-feeding to play training games, you may as well just stick with the bowl. This is a perfect example of the bargain we make with our dogs – they get what they want when we get what we want.

It doesn’t matter what game you play – anything from “puppy push-ups,” to recalls, to stays, or any kind of trick. It matters that you’re engaging with your dog, having fun, and challenging your dog to do more.

Like all training games, it will probably be tiring for your dog. A full tummy and an exercised brain will usually result in a nice, post-meal nap. And you’ll get that alone time. Or cuddle time, which is even better.

It works

We know the vast difference hand-feeding a dog can make. You may have read Fran’s book Tango: Transforming my Hellhound. Tango was aggressive and reactive to both dogs and people when Fran got him. Hope couldn’t go near him or touch him without him lunging and trying to bite.

What turned Hope and Tango’s relationship around was hand-feeding. Every meal. For six weeks. While he was in his crate. At first, all Hope could do was throw the food in the crate. Then offered it on a spoon. Then from her hand. In a couple of weeks he was eating from her hand, and doing simple behaviors for the rewards she offered. It wasn’t magic, but close to it. Tango learned to trust. Now Tango’s her buddy, because “Auntie Hope” gives the best neck scritches – she knows exactly the right spot.

Dog bowls in every room

If the way to a dog’s heart is through his/her stomach – take advantage! Why should you let your dog adore the bowl, when it can be you, instead? If your dog’s bowls are really cute – fill them with treats and keep them in every room. It’ll remind you to take every opportunity to play dog training games and reward your good dog.

Special dogs need routine even more

Booker in his "place!" Booker is "special."

Have we told you that Fran’s 7-year-old Boston Terrier is a very “special” dog? He has difficulty focusing, he has the attention span of a gnat, he constantly needs attention – he just never seems to completely relax.

High energy is a characteristic of Boston Terriers. So we knew what we were getting into. We’ve had Bostons most of our lives, starting with our childhood pet, Spunky.

Another special dog

Our last Boston before Booker was Ceilidh, who was a very special dog, indeed. She had only two speeds, full or off. She was, possibly, the sweetest girl ever, but her life had to be strictly scheduled, or she was lost.

Since Booker wasn’t as extreme as Ceilidh, we didn’t realize, until Simon joined the family, that Booker, too, was a special dog.

Facing facts makes life easier

Once we understood what was going on with Booker, we made changes to make everyone’s life easier.

All dogs love routine. But special, high-energy, high-anxiety dogs crave it. They can thrive when they know what to expect, when to expect it, and what’s happening.

Thriving with routine

It’s to Fran’s credit that she never gives up with Booker. He’s accomplished amazing things, in light of his personality. He achieved a Companion Dog title – the first level of competition obedience. The hardest thing for Booker was, at the time, sitting for one minute, lying down for three minutes, in a line-up of other dogs and Fran across the room.

Every dog does better with routine. And a routine can be any rehearsed schedule, from what time to get up in the morning, to what you say and do in the few minutes before you leave the house.

Best part of the day

For Booker, the routine he enjoys the most is his morning training session. It’s only a few minutes, but it makes his day. He dashes down to the basement where we train, and waits on the mat in our little training area.

Booker practicing retrieving his dumbbell.

What Fran and Booker practice for those few minutes can be anything – from advanced obedience or rally skills to “put your toys away,” to silly tricks, like crawl or roll over.

And when his session is done, Fran asks him to “hup!” She kneels and he stands on two back feet and puts his front paws on her leg. He gets a reward, and happily goes into his crate while the other dogs each get a “turn.”

If you have a special pup, try adding more structure to his/her life. It can make it easier for everyone.

Loose leash dog walking – curing the pull

Want to cure your dog of pulling on leash? Would you love to enjoy loose leash dog walking? It’s easier than you think. Stop giving your dog so much information.

Too much information

Think about it. If there is constant pressure on your dog’s collar (or harness), he or she has absolutely no reason to look for you, pay attention to you, or check on your whereabouts. Your dog knows exactly where you are and what you’re doing without a glance. You are, reliably, at the other end of the pressure.

That’s just one of the reasons retractable leashes are a bad idea. There is always, by design, pressure on the dog’s collar or harness. There’s no way to avoid it, unless the retractable’s lock is deployed. And if the lock’s always deployed, you’re just carrying a leash that’s huge, awkward, and heavy. Ditch those retractable leashes!

Keep some things to yourself

If, on the other hand, your dog isn’t getting any feedback from the leash, he or she will “check in” to see where you are and what you’re doing. And, if every check-in is rewarded, chances are your dog will do it more often. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. A simple “good boy,” or tiny treat is just fine.

In this case treats would be better, because your dog has to come to you to get the cookie. We know it’s a natural reaction to meet your dog halfway to deliver the treat, but don’t. Let your dog come all the way back to you for the reward. It teaches your dog so many positive things. You’re the primary source for all good things. Staying closer to you means less distance to cover for treats. It doesn’t take much effort to get a reward.

Breaking the pulling habit

If loose leash dog walking seems beyond your reach, take it in small steps. However long your dog’s been pulling, it may take equally long to break the habit.

All dog walks can’t be training walks. There are lots of different kinds of walks with your dog: exercise walks, potty walks, training walks, gotta get out of the house walks. And training works best if that particular walk is short, focused on training, and no other behavior is allowed (including pee breaks!). To signal a training walk, you may want to have a particular outfit for yourself, and your dog, that lets him/her know what’s going on. Dogs do know the difference when you put on the jacket with all the pockets, or he gets to wear a different collar.

Start right with a loose leash

When you have your dog hooked up on leash, some treats in your pocket, and a training walk on the schedule, have a plan. You’re probably not going to get much of anywhere the first session, if you even manage to get outside.

Loose leash walking has not yet been attained.

Put on the leash. If it stays slack, give a reward. If you take a step and the leash tightens, stop. Don’t say anything. If your dog is behaving like a pulling fool at the end of the leash, ignore it. Stay quiet. At some point, your dog will realize that things aren’t going according to (his) plan. This is the moment that he may look at you. If he does, you’re allowed to say “Good Fido!” (Use your dog’s name, not Fido.) If he comes toward you, let him see you have a yummy treat in your hand. And he has to come all the way to you to get it.

When your dog is close to you and the leash is slack, try taking a step or two. As soon as the leash tightens, stop. Wait for your dog to acknowledge you and come to you.

Remember – we said you wouldn’t be getting very far on this “walk.”

Quick on the uptake

Dogs are pretty smart. As soon as your dog figures out that you really mean it – that pulling isn’t going to be allowed any more, he/she will get on board. Every time you have a training walk, your dog will remember sooner, react faster, and come more quickly. They have to be convinced you’re serious. So be serious about the behavior. It will open up so many more possibilities for having fun on loose-leash walking with your dog. For more fun games to speed you on your way to loose leash walking with your dog, check out Book 3: Let’s Go For a Walk!

Dogs understand the bottom line

What’s the bottom line for your dog? What are the things that he or she values most? And how can you use those high-ticket items to shape the behavior you want?

The entire basis for successful, science-based, 2-Minute-Trainer dog training is a compact we have with our dogs: they get what they want when we get what we want. It’s the best deal anyone’s ever made. Our dogs understand what’s expected of them and know they’ll be rewarded, comfortable, and loved. And we have loyal, loving, well-behaved, and adorable companions.

Adding value for everyone

What things are dearest to your dog? Is it food? Food-motivated dogs are a pleasure to train. Gratification is almost instantaneous.

Do toys and play rate highest for your dog? So much fun to be had by all with training games.

Humans and dogs both have a rating system for rewards. For most people, chocolate is more rewarding than Brussels Sprouts. Think about your dog’s preferences. One of ours adores celery – it’s a very high-value treat. When we really want him to pay attention, we have celery in our treat pouch.

Likewise, some toys are more important than others to toy-loving dogs. If you’re playing a training game, think about whether your dog will give up the toy to go back to the game, or if it’s so precious to him/her that he’ll lose interest in the game and focus instead on the reward.

Transferring the value

Simon has value for the balance disc - he gets lots of treats when he's on it.

You can use the things that your dog prizes make other “things” valuable. For example: we have our dogs work on balance and fitness on an inflatable balance disc. (A couch cushion can work just as well. For more on this, go to the post.) Whenever our dogs get up on that disc, they are rewarded. Every single time. That balance disc is one of the most valuable things in the house to every one of our dogs because they know its value.

From the dog’s perspective, it’s not the “thing.” It’s what happens when he interacts with the thing.

Say you want to start the “put your toys away” game. Start with the “thing” that you want your dog to pick up. You can use any household item; a spatula, a paper towel tube, an empty plastic jar, whatever you want.

Put the thing down in front of the dog. When he looks at it, reward. And offer the reward close to the “thing.” In almost no time, the “thing” acquires value. Dog thinks: “When I look at it (touch it, pick it up, carry it) I get something great every time. I love that thing!”

Transfer the value

It works no matter what. You can add value to any object or place, just by consistently showing your dog it’s important. Dogs love us and want to please us, but they’re also sufficiently selfish to do what benefits them. Dogs will repeat behaviors that have value. That’s every dog’s bottom line.

Pack dog training debunked

“Pack” dynamics was all the rage in dog training a while ago. There are still some remnants of it around. The objective, for those who managed to avoid the nonsense, was that you should be the “Alpha” dog – and that the other dogs would naturally be subservient.

Our domestic dogs bear very little resemblance to wolves in the wild. — Our domestic dogs are nothing like wolf packs in the wild.

Research into how dogs learn and behave has put paid to this. Dogs in human households are nothing like wolf packs in the wild. Domestic dogs are dependent throughout their lives, and more like perpetual puppies than a mature wolf pack. Pack dog training is unproductive and archaic.

Pack dog training silliness

Recently we’ve seen some dog food commercials emphasizing the relationship between wolves and dogs. While we agree that dogs aren’t designed to be vegetarians, showing majestic leaping wolves morphing into domestic dogs isn’t apples to apples. Dogs and wolves may have common ancestry, but their similarities after thousands of years of domestication are minimal.

If you’ve been following a famous television dog trainer who advocates pack structure and talks about “calming” behaviors, stop it now. It won’t help your training to think you have to dominate your dog. The best and most effective dog training forges a partnership between you. It’s not somber, it’s fun. Rather than forceful and stern, good training is playful and fun.

Go with what works

When we started in dog training, decades ago, there were lots of methods used that we now consider abuse. In obedience competition training, it was common to pinch a dog’s ear to get him/her to pick up a dumbbell. We’re sorry to admit we know of some people who still use it.

It’s not necessary. And it’s certainly not fun, for either the trainer or the dog.

Tango picks stuff up and puts them into a bin. — Fran trained Tango to pick his toys up and put them into a bin.

Our dogs pick up all sorts of stuff, carry the stuff around, and put it down where we want them to. And all we did to achieve it was play a game. Here’s how it goes:

“Pick up the thing” game

Get a bunch of treats, your clicker, and the “thing” you want your dog to pick up.

Put the thing on the floor and stand by it. If your dog looks at the thing, click and treat. Do that three times.

By the third time, your dog’s going to figure out that the “thing” gets him/her rewarded. You’ve added value to the “thing.”

When your dog “gets” this idea, ask for more. You don’t have to be quiet, still praise your dog for looking, but now save the treats for something more – touching the “thing” with his/her mouth. If your dog touches it with a paw, you can certainly encourage and praise. The treats should be “saved” for the actions that move the behavior forward – in this case we want the dog to pick up the thing.

That’s basically the sequence: introduce the thing and reward each step in the progression. Each dog’s steps may be different, but could include: look, sniff, lick, pick up. Then run away with the “thing” and show it off like a trophy as you run around!

If your dog does this, the impulse is to run after him and try to get it away. Instead, run with him, or away from him, encouraging your dog to come with you! If you’ve already gotten a box or bin you want the “thing” placed in, run over to that and encourage your dog to “drop” the thing.

No domination here

In just a few short sessions, you and your dog will have a new game to play. And you both had fun learning it. If your ambition includes obedience, it’s even a useful game. And nobody got hurt doing it.

Training games make great dog pictures

Want to take great dog pictures?

Turn “posing” into a training game!

Torque does not like having his picture taken.

If, like us, you have a dog that turns away every time a camera (or phone) is pointed at him, you know it can be challenging to get great pictures. Especially if, like ours, your dog is a dark color.

We don’t know why Torque tends to be camera-shy, but he is. So when we want to take his pictures, we make it part of a training game. That boy is all-in for any training game!

Move around

When starting the “pose” game, the first step is to have your dog stay in place while you’re moving around. Ask for your dog’s best position (sit or stay). Grab a handful of treats. Then start moving! As long as your dog stays in place, go back and reward every couple of steps. When you run out of treats, use your dog’s release word, and done!

When your dog is comfortable with your movement, try carrying your phone or camera with you while you move. Fake (or really) take pictures, stopping your motion, clicking the shutter, then moving again.

Get down

Down at Booker's level - a great picture.

We’re really short people, but we’re still much taller than our dogs. We’re even taller than our friends’ big dogs. The result is that most dog pictures are taken from above, and don’t show dogs’ real expressions.

The answer is to get down to a level even with your dog’s head. Then your dog’s face will show a natural expression – which is the one you know, love, and want to keep forever in good pictures.

The problem with getting down at your dog’s level is that it’s an unusual move for most people, and your dog won’t understand what you’re doing. If your dog is like ours, they’ll see it as an invitation to get up in your face and either lick, play, or have a “nutsy puppy” episode.

If this happens for you, make getting down to dog level part of the motion sessions. Your movement doesn’t have to be all standing up. Try crawling, kneeling, squatting and reward your dog for staying in place.

Look at everything

Aside from dogs not staying still, the biggest obstacle to getting a good portrait of your dog is clutter. Before you ask your dog for the sit or down, check the area you want to take the portrait. Frame it in your phone and look at every part of the area. Are there verticals that will give your dog antennae? Is there something bright or distracting in the background? Either shift where you’re working, or remove the object.

Lastly and most delicately

People with girl dogs don’t have this particular issue, but for those of us with boys – no one wants to see your dog’s boy bits in every picture. Three-quarter poses are excellent for using front legs as visual blocks. Over the years, with mostly boy dogs, we’ve become adept at hiding bits and we know you can, too!