dog training made fun Archives - Page 23 of 25

Thinking is exhausting

Do you remember school tests? Especially the hours-long standardized tests? Remember how tired you were at the end? Thinking is exhausting!

Just like us

What’s true for us, in this case, is also true for our dogs. Which is why winter is a wonderful time to play training games with your dog. Playing thinking games and asking our dogs to use their brains, is even more tiring than physical exertion. And a tired dog is a good dog! That’s an old dog-training cliche, but it’s true.

2-Minutes Training is rooted in good science. Studies have found that a dog will retain more, for a longer time, if training is concentrated on one “thing.” And when that fast, fun session is followed by a break, retention and learning skyrocketed.

Problem solving is fun

Dogs are just like us in lots of ways. They learn better when they’re allowed to puzzle through a situation, rather than having the answer handed to them. Figuring stuff out for yourself, finding the solution on your own, is more rewarding and more memorable, than any lecture. Lectures make you fall asleep. Experiments are energizing!

Another way our dogs are like us – they feel a sense of accomplishment when they “get it right.” Aside from the food, praise, or toy reward, they genuinely enjoy knowing they made the right choice. Once you see your dog prance with excitement, just because she knows she’s a good girl, you’ll want to see it over and over.

Fighting cabin fever

Winter is a great time to play training games with your dog. You may not be able to go to the park. Ice and snow may have you barricaded into your home. But you have everything you need to have fun with your dog, get her playing with you, thinking, and building a better relationship. It doesn’t take long. You don’t need much stuff. All you need are your training guides, some treats, a timer, and your dog.

Once your dog realizes it’s time for training games, he’ll dash to your regular training space and be excited for the chance to play. Dogs not only love to play with you, they also adore routines and schedules. Just reaching for your treat stash will signal “It’s time!” and get your dog’s tail wagging!

Time it out

No matter how well it’s going, or how much fun you and your dog are having, it is important to stop. You don’t have to stick to the two minutes, but more than 10 would be pushing the limits of most dogs’ attention. After that they just get too tired. And, again just like us, when dogs get tired they lose focus and start making mistakes. Keep it fast and fun. And then done.

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.

Don’t Outsource Dog Training

Have you considered a “doggy boot camp?” Don’t do it. Don’t outsource dog training. Most people hear about “boot camp” dog training and love the idea. Who wouldn’t? You send your dog away for a week or two and, when it comes back, it’s a model of canine good behavior. The problem is that your dog doesn’t behave for you. He behaves for his trainer. Be the trainer!

We had a conversation this week with one of our students. It was about outsourcing dog training, but we didn’t realize it at the time. Her question was “what was the most difficult breed of dog you’ve ever trained?”

Brussels Griffons are challenging to train…

Tango is a Brussels Griffon - the breed is notoriously challenging to train!

Thinking about it, Hope answered that the Brussels Griffons were the most challenging because they seem to ignore you entirely for hundreds of repetitions. Then, all of a sudden, they “get it” and have it forever.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Then it occurred to us that she wasn’t asking which of our dogs was most difficult to train, but of our students’ and clients’ dogs. Ooops.

We are people trainers!

Most people don’t realize that trainers like us don’t train other people’s dogs. We teach the people how to train their dogs. Technically, we suppose, that makes us people trainers, not dog trainers. We don’t outsource training.

The easiest explanation we have is that dogs listen to the person who teaches them. If you send your dog away to “boot camp” and someone else actually trains your dog, your dog will be absolutely obedient to that person. But unless you’re planning to adopt/marry/cohabit with that person, the training will deteriorate over time. You may have a session or two with the trainer and learn the words and motions that your dog’s been taught to respond to, but, if you’re like most people, it’ll slacken over time.

It’s DIY!

And you’re missing all the fun! We think it’s just so sad that “training” and “playing” aren’t the same for most people. Our dogs adore our training games – and we love playing the games with our dogs. We wouldn’t let anyone steal that joy from us – the little wiggle celebrations our dogs have when they know they’ve done it right. Their willingness to “try it again” when it wasn’t so good.

Training games are a journey you take with your dog. You both learn and grow and play. You’ll become a better communicator – with people as well as with dogs. You’ll become more adept at switching gears – especially as you recognize when you’re “losing your audience.”

Playing training games with our own dogs has made us better teachers, students, listeners, and speakers. Dogs are wonderful playmates for growth. Don’t let anyone take that experience away from you.

Careful where you put it! – your dog’s reward, that is.

Reward = communication

Boston Terrier dog's reward is high for the "sit" command.

Your dog learns what’s “good” through the timing and placement of rewards. The dog’s reward lets him/her know to do it again. Rewards are your training currency.

That’s worth repeating. You are communicating with your dog not only with your words, but also with the timing and placement of the rewards you give.

Notice the placement of the reward for Simon (right). We’ll talk about that in a bit.

A dog’s reward can be other than food

It doesn’t matter what the dog’s reward is – treats, toys, petting. Your dog is getting information – “That was good! Do that some more! I liked that! What a brilliant puppy you are!” Fran’s giving Simon a tiny treat above – so she can give him lots!

Timing is critical, but it takes time

Timing is something you develop. You’ll get better and better at it over time. Clickers make timing easier – you can click right away and delay the actual reward. The clicker is also called a “bridge” for this reason – it’s a way of getting from the behavior to the reward, marking the “good,” even if there’s a delay in reward delivery.

Placing the reward is key

Placing the reward properly is something you can be good at right away. The rule is simple – always reward with the hand closest to the dog – like in the picture above.

It not only keeps things simple, it’s practical, and much safer for everyone.

Safety first!

Think about it: If your dog is on your left and the treat is in your right hand, your dog will cross in front of you to get the treat. And you’ll trip over your dog. Or kick your dog. It wouldn’t be good.

If you’re playing training games where your dog is in front of you, have treats in both hands. Then you can deliver the message “Good Dog!” randomly and not have your dog nuzzling at the “treat side.”

Reward for “Sit!”

If you’re teaching your dog the word for “sit,” reward high. When the dog’s head goes up, its butt tends to go down. It’s taking advantage of a dog’s natural behavior to play training games.

Reward for “Down!”

If you’re teaching your dog the word for “down,” reward between the front paws. If your dog has to reach for the treat, chances are he’ll get up. That’s not what we want.

Stay is different

If you’re playing “stay” games – reward where the dog is. Don’t have them reach or stretch in any way.

Remember – your dog learns these games through the timing and placement of rewards. Send the message clearly!

Take it on the road – train everywhere

Don’t by shy!

Take your 2-Minute Training Games on the Road! Train everywhere you go.

For our dogs to really understand any behavior, we “take the show on the road” and train everywhere we go with our dogs. It’s one thing for your dog to know “sit” in the kitchen. Someplace else is different.

Generalization is key

Dogs have to be taught to “generalize” stuff. We see it with our obedience students all the time. They come into class swearing up and down their dogs know “sit.” So we tell them to hand us the leash, step away from their dogs, and tell the dog to sit. Rarely does it happen

And the student thinks we’ve “set them up” for failure. Not at all. We’re trying to explain that dogs naturally absorb the context along with the specific behavior. Sitting at home, with a set routine, in a particular place, at a particular time, is all part of it.

So to complete your dog’s understanding of anything you’re trying to teach, you have to change all of it. Not all at once, but in stages to expand your dog’s comprehension. One of the barriers we find is people being shy about playing training games in public.

Eyes are everywhere

These days we all know there are eyes everywhere.

But if you’re out with your dog, nobody’s watching you. They’re watching your dog. How cute he is. How much fun she’s having, and how adorably he watches you. And how incredibly well-behaved she is. And how much they wish their dogs paid attention to them the way yours does with you.

So don’t be afraid to take your show on the road. Train everywhere. Go to the local park. Or the pet store. Anyplace dogs are allowed. Try your 2-Minute Games wherever you are.

You and your dog should be proud of what you’re learning, doing, and accomplishing. Eventually you’ll take for granted that your dog can go anywhere and be a welcome guest.

Take the first, brave step to ditch your “stage fright” and take your dog on a 2-Minute training game “date.” You’ll go further, faster, when you start the journey sooner.

Old habits die hard

Our morning habit is to have coffee, semi-wake-up, and then go down to the basement to our training area and have some fun with our dogs.

Dogs thrive on schedules

Each dog gets a turn. And, since dogs thrive with schedules, they go in the same order every day: Booker, Tango, Torque, and Simon.

It does require a little bit of mental gymnastics – what works for one dog isn’t universally true. They each have their favorite “tricks” they like to do. And, at least once a month, if we can think of one, we like to teach a new one.

It’s easy for Fran to come up with new stuff to teach Simon – he’s just a year old and most of his training so far has been spent on the fundamentals: sit, down, stay, walk nice on a leash, release cue. But recently Fran’s been expanding his repertoire with some fun tricks.

Tango knows how to put his toys away

Fran has trained Tango (Brussels Griffon) to put his toys away, into a bin.

One of the fun ones we teach is “put stuff away.” Tango’s version of this one is the cutest, since he actually puts dog toys in a bin. He’s never cared about toys, so they work fine as training tools.

It’s more problematic with the other dogs, who adore dog toys. We don’t have them lying around the house – we want our dogs to be playing with us when they have toys. So for the other dogs, we use a bunch of kitchen utensil odds and ends; spoons, strainers, ring molds, etc.

Train one “spoon” by itself

We start training with one “spoon” by itself. The same training sequence always holds:

clicks for looking 3x
clicks for touching with your mouth 3x
clicks for picking it up 3x
clicks for moving with it in your mouth 3x
click for dropping it 3x
Clicks for dropping it in the bin

There’s no deadline

The first day we may not even get the three “looking” clicks. That’s okay! There’s no deadline. It takes a while for dogs to understand that it’s okay to keep trying. And it may take a bit of time for the dog to figure out which part is getting the click. We have no way of knowing what dogs actually think – or how they interpret our interactions.

We started out…

We’ve been training a couple of decades now – and we learned in the bad old days when we never let a dog make a decision. And every once in a while, despite how hard we try, we fall into bad old habits. With Simon’s first try at “spoons,” he was a rock star. Whether he’d learned by watching the other dogs, it was just luck, or he somehow understands English, he got it – first time.

Resetting Fran’s brain

The test of whether a dog really knows something is whether he/she can do it again. So the next time Fran and Simon tried spoons, probably about 10 days later, he knew nothing. For whatever reason, Fran lost her mind and started saying things like “no!” when he started gnawing on the spoon – taking it from him. She put it down and started coaching him to “take it!” A quick question – “What are you doing?” stopped her in her tracks and resetting her training brain.

The old way of training was to force a dog to do something, repeatedly. Not let the dog make any mistakes, and certainly not let them choose anything. It was effective for people who could impose their iron wills on their dogs over the long term. It produced a lot of Obedience Champions.

We want our dogs to choose to abide by the rules

But it didn’t work for those of us who don’t want a permanent job watching every little thing our dogs do. We don’t want to dictate every aspect of their lives all the time. We want our dogs to be our buddies, who know the rules of the house and choose to abide by them. Just like we do.

Sorry, Mom – I’ve Got Other Plans Today

Your dog’s allowed to say “No.”

“Don’t wanna. Not gonna.”

Not all the time. Not always for the same thing. But it’s okay if your dog gives you the “Not feelin’ it today!” signal.

Positive Reinforcement is equivalent to enlightened self-interest

The basis for positive reinforcement training is letting the dog learn that his/her own “enlightened self-interest” rewards being with you and doing what you ask. Fido chooses to do what you ask because he knows, through experience, that something he wants to happen will follow. It can be a toy, a treat, tummy rubs – whatever your dog loves that’s rewarding for him.

A trainer we know recently posted about her own positive reinforcement experience at a restaurant. A place she and her husband frequented fairly regularly, over the span of months, was on their “go to” list. Last time they went, the food wasn’t as good, the servers not as attentive, the entire experience was not up to par. And on the basis of that one experience, they’ve decided to find alternatives.

That’s how fast things change for us, and for our dogs. Despite months of “positive,” a single negative was all it took for them to rethink their behavior.

Let it go

So if, for whatever reason, your dog doesn’t want to play a certain game today – let it go. Switch gears and do something else. Either a different game for the same behavior, or change it up entirely. And the next time you try the rejected game, up your reward. Either choose a more valuable reward (a tennis ball instead of a tug, cheese instead of Cheerios), or increase the rate of reinforcement.

The reason doesn’t matter

You may never know why the dog didn’t want to play that game that one time. Fran’s Tango stopped wanting to play “put your toys away” the other day. He just stopped in the middle and lied down. We puzzled over it for a minute, then realized that it was a cold, humid day and he might be in pain from arthritis. On that day, Fran played a different game with him. And the next time she tried “put your toys away” she put the toy box closer to the toys and Tango enjoyed the game immensely.

Training is training – over all species

A classic book training book is “A Dog and A Dolphin” by Karen Pryor. Training is training. Over all species. If dolphins don’t want to work with their trainers, they simply swim away. There’s not a lot a land-based human can do to force a marine mammal to obey. They get their fish regardless. Dolphins play with people because they enjoy it. And our dogs should love playing training games with us, too!

The first time, let it go…

If your dog isn’t responding as you’d expect for a single training session, let it go. If the issue persists, try looking at the game differently. What is your dog seeing? What kind of response are you giving? Did you give mixed signals, or a negative reaction to something?

Some dogs are so sensitive you have to be careful. Say you’re playing a game and clicked when you didn’t mean to, or dropped a treat. Did you say “ugh!” because you were frustrated with yourself? Your dog doesn’t know you weren’t talking to her. That could be all it takes for a very soft dog. That game might be poison now, and may take lots of reinforcement to remove the stigma.

Not a big deal

But don’t make a big deal out of it – either the refusal to play or finding a reason. There are some times when, just like us, your dog’s just not that into it. It’s okay. Tomorrow’s another day.

Anything Lassie Can Do – Your Dog Can Do Better!

Any dog can do anything!

Lassie was incredible, but your dog can do anything she did.

Any dog can learn anything. Unless the task needs thumbs. Then, maybe not.

Other than that – if you can think of it and define the steps it takes to get there, you can teach it to your dog.

However – there are lots and lots of people, dog trainers included, who limit themselves and their dogs with the labels they slap on.

“Good enough is okay – he’s a French Bulldog.”

“Shepherds can’t be trained all positive.”

“He’s a Pointer – retrieves aren’t his thing.”

WRONG! All of them.

Don’t put labels on your dog!

Our dogs’ breeds may influence how we teach them, but not whether they can be taught, or the standards we expect.

For example: Housebreaking is an absolute and everyone teaches their dogs to “potty” when and where they should. All healthy dogs are taught to keep their homes clean and eliminate appropriately. It may take a while, especially with dogs adopted from less-than-ideal circumstances. But it’s a priority, so owners take the steps necessary to achieve this vital training.

We set the criteria, teach our dogs what it is. And expect them to achieve it.

Different criteria for different breeds? Only if you set them that way.

We have a friend with a French Bulldog competing in Obedience. Our friend also has a Border Collie, a breed known for its achievements in all kinds of dog sports. Our friend has different criteria for her Border Collie than for her Frenchie.

Is the BC smarter than the Frenchie? It depends on how you rate intelligence. Border Collies love to work and will “heel” all day, given the opportunity. Frenchies would rather lounge on the couch than “heel” and her dog has taught her to expect minimal effort. From our perspective – the Frenchie has trained our friend and may be the smartest of the three.

The only different criteria may be the reward!

If you have a “Working” breed of dog – like a Border Collie or a German Shepherd, the “work” of training may be ample reward for your dog. They’re bred to work with people and to love that work. They may not “need” any other rewards – but the attitude you get may amp up even more if rewards are offered.

“Companion” breeds, like French Bulldogs, Pugs, Chihuahuas, and many others, may need to be convinced that training is more fun that napping – but it’s easy to do. If you ask your couch potato dog to come play a game with you, let him/her know there are treats involved, they’ll certainly check out what you’re offering! And if you let them know; with your tone, your rewards, and your praise, what good dogs they are, how clever they are, and how much you love them, they’ll do it more. Love it more. And meet every expectation you have for them.

Bottom Line: You and Your Dog Can Do Anything Better Than Lassie!

You and your dog can do it. Set the standard. Teach the steps. Reward the progress. Have some fun with your dog.

Don’t Kill the Clicker!

The Clicker is a wonderful training tool

Your clicker is a wonderful training tool. Don’t kill the clicker by overusing it.

You’ll be amazed how quickly your dog will learn to respond to the clicker. He may even smile and/or wag when he hears it.

So it’s tempting, when your dog is off exploring and you need him to come quickly, to reach for the clicker.

Put it down …

Think twice! Then put the clicker down.

If you use the clicker to call your dog it becomes your “come” or “recall” command and stops being useful for anything else.

It becomes “come get a cookie” rather than “good job! You figured it out!”

The Click is NOT a Command

The clicker will help you build a perfect “come” command. But hearing that sound is a reward for a job well done, rather than the command itself.

If the clicker turns into your recall command – how do you let your dog know, from across the room, that he’s doing a good job staying in his “place?” Clicking tells your dog she’s a good girl no matter how far away she is, or what she’s doing.

Trying to expand the meaning just won’t work.

Dogs’ brains are binary – on or off, left or right, black or white. They don’t have shades of gray. An object has a single purpose – like the clicker. Either it says “good dog!” or it’s “come here!” Trying to make it perform two functions will confuse your dog and muddy your training.

Attitude is everything

“Fake it ‘til you make it!” Your attitude is everything.

You’re not imagining it – it’s science

Science has proven it works – faking a smile will actually lighten your mood. (Citation: Association for Psychological Science). Even if you’re not in the mood to play games with your dog – do it anyway. You’ll feel better and have fun.

But not when you’re in a really bad mood

But be careful – if you’re in a really foul mood, your dog will pick up on it. Your dog knows you and knows all the tones of your voice, the nuances in your movements, and the emotions behind your attitude. Don’t suck the joy out of training for your dog – fake a happy tone, a smile, and a positive attitude.

Your voice is the most important factor in judging mood. Fake it if you have to – “baby talk” works just fine. Chances are if you start acting ridiculous, you’ll both get the humor of the situation and your mood will lift. Your dog will never tell anyone that you acted silly. Our best friends are reliable that way.

Have fun with old favorites for a change

If your patience is particularly short one day, it’s okay to go back to old favorites and just have fun with some favorite behaviors. It’s not a good idea to try to teach your dog something new when your mood isn’t optimistic. There’s no point in fostering frustration for both you and your dog.

Or let your dog take the lead. Grab some item they’ve never seen before and let them figure out “stuff” to do with it. Be sure it’s something unbreakable that won’t be ruined with tooth marks.

Fun with a foam roller

The other day Hope was feeling a bit out of sorts. Nothing really wrong, just not inspired. For their morning session, she let Torque take the lead. She got a big foam roller (Fran’s physical therapy nemesis from an old injury) and just put it in the middle of our little training area. And told Torque to “freestyle” and just have a good time.

Torque’s never been a particularly creative dog in training, but he went for it. He rolled it with his front feet, pushed it with his nose. And, in no time, Hope was having fun with her dog. Her mood lightened, she felt happier, she was smiling.

Your dog knows

And when she started smiling, Torque knew it and got up on it with those front feet. When it rolled to the other side of the space, he tried putting his back feet up on it. (Fran helped out and held it steady so he could). In just a couple of minutes, everybody was having fun.

Your dog is all kinds of therapy. She can be a reflection of your mood. A nursemaid when needed. An amazing companion. A playmate. Try not let your bad day become one for your best friend.