Boxey revisited: let the dog do the work

For whatever reason, Hope wasn’t feeling very inspired with training games this week. Her French Bulldog Torque is always an eager participant, but Hope just wasn’t feeling any creative spark. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Go back to the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start. And let your dog do the work for you.

Hope dug out a big old cardboard box, sat on the floor with a bowl of treats and told Torque to go for it. He’s been playing “Boxey!” since forever, but it’s been a while since Hope hauled it out.

The dog did not disappoint! He came up with two new games in just five minutes!

Let the dog do the work

Whoa! How did that happen?

If you need a Boxey refresher, it’s one of the first games we use to teach dogs how to learn and create. You just get a box, large enough and shallow enough for your dog to get into, and wait. You sit there on the floor near the box and let your dog figure stuff out. Whatever your dog does gets rewarded. (Except for trying to eat the box.) Every time they do something different, you throw a treat in the box. 

That’s it. Simple enough. And yet there are still people who try to “help” their dogs. Yes, you may talk to your dog, encourage your dog, even pet your dog. You’re not allowed to tell them what to do. Let the dog do the work. Whatever they do is perfectly fine. Just be sure the box you use was headed for the recycle bin anyway.

Why so strict about not instructing your dog? Because the point of this game is to have your dog be creative. Whatever they come up with will give you some insight into what they understand, which games they like the most, how creative they can be, and how much they enjoy learning.

All that from a box

Dogs who aren’t trained with games and positive reinforcement from puppyhood may take a while to engage with the box. All their lives they’ve been strictly monitored and told what to do, when to do it, and how to act. They’ve never had to make a choice, so they don’t know how to choose. Some sit for the entire session, staring at the box. Their dogs are afraid to make a “wrong” choice, so they do nothing.

If that describes your dog, dig deep and call on all your patience. You can certainly talk to your dog. Be upbeat and keep up the chatter. Just don’t give them commands, orders, or instructions. If you’ve got nothing else to say, sing a song, share a poem, recite the Gettysburg address. It doesn’t matter, as long as you let your dog know you’re not upset or angry with them. The tone should be encouraging and happy.

It doesn’t matter

Whatever your dog does with the box is fine. It gets rewarded. Once they catch on to the game, they’ll love it. They get to play with their people and have fun. Because there’s no goal to the game, it takes the pressure off everyone. 

You’re probably wondering what new games Torque made up with his latest Boxey session. The first was an extension of something we’ve done out of the box. He jumped into the box and went into his “Stomp!” behavior. It was adorable and we wish we had video.

“In and Out”

The second was brand new. When he’d been rewarded for “Stomp in the Box!” a few times, Hope said “We’ve seen that. What else?” He tried a few familiar behaviors (sit in the box, bow in the box), but Hope asked for something else. He moved his two back feet out of the box and then in again. Torque’s new game is “In and Out!” Like all new games, it needs some more practice before it’s polished. And Hope knows she truly has a partner. When she couldn’t come up with something new, he did. That’s the beauty of playing training games with your dog. Sometimes you let the dog do the work. And the partnership is always amazing.

Train both sides of your dog

One of our Rally student’s dogs was having an issue with lameness. A trip to the veterinary chiropractor yielded some relief, and some good advice. Whatever the dog does on one side, balance it with an equal exercise on the other side. Train both sides of your dog.

Regardless of your opinion of chiropractic practice for either people or dogs, the advice is good. Common sense tells you that all beings with bilateral symmetry, both dogs and people, should strive for equal strength. The classic example of asymmetrical development is baseball pitchers. The difference between their dominant arm and shoulder and the subordinate joints is dramatic. 

So how does this apply in dog training? Most people will notice that their dogs have an easier time moving to one side than the other. Just like people, dogs have a dominant side they tend to favor. The “Spin!” game is usually where the dog’s preference shows most dramatically. It’s up to you, as your dog’s trainer and coach, to make sure the dog’s non-dominant side gets an equal, or greater, workout.

Why it matters

When your dog is young and healthy you may not see any obvious benefits resulting from two-sided training. But as your dog ages, their weaker side will be more prone to injuries, issues, and arthritis. When they’re old and creaky, an evenly-developed dog will have better muscle tone and be, perhaps, slightly less creaky.

If you’ve ever trained your dog in Obedience, you know that it’s almost exclusively performed with the dog on your left side. And some Obedience competitors question the need for training on both sides. After all, if dogs are always supposed to “Heel!” on the left, why bother with opposite-side practice? 

There are obvious benefits for even muscle and balance strengthening. The less-apparent reason is to keep your dog’s attention and interest. You know that dogs love routine and patterns. Given the opportunity, dogs will follow known patterns and even try to anticipate the goal of any exercise. To avoid anticipation (which gets a disqualification in Obedience), it’s a good idea to switch up your training. It keeps sessions fresh and interesting for both of you.

Do it the “other” way

We also teach Rally, which is a bit more evenly distributed between left and right. Your dog still maintains heel position on your left, but many Rally signs have both left and right variants – 360 degree turns both ways, 270s both ways, etc. Even the Spiral signs have two options – either “Dog Inside” (closer to the pylons) or “Dog Outside” (handler closer to the pylons). This creates both inside and outside turns for your dog, balancing bilateral training exercises.

It’s easy enough to set up a mini-course with these easy heeling exercises. You don’t have to have cones or pylons, just three (or four) similarly-sized objects you and your dog can heel around, and the space to do it. If you want the official instructions, the Rally signs are readily available online.

Both sides of the coin

We’re always surprised when one of our students tells us their dog “only” goes one way on a behavior like “Spin!” or “Roll Over!” It may be easier to indulge your dog’s “handedness” preference, but it’s not what’s best for your dog. Train on both sides of your dog. Make a point of working the “hard” side more than the other. Your dog will be in better physical shape, and their physiology and gait will stay strong.

As with all dog training, your dog may resist your emphasis on their “off” side. Like all dog training, the most difficult part is patience. And rewards. The more difficult something is for your dog, the more valuable the reward should be. Make it worth your dog’s time to expend the effort. We all work a little more diligently for a great pay day.

Dogs Are Binary

With absolutely nothing to do with gender identity, all dogs are binary. It’s the way they think and the way they learn. If you understand that, you can train your dog successfully.

So what do we mean by binary? Dogs don’t understand “maybe” or shades of gray. Things are either yes or no. On or off. Do or do not. There is no try. If you want to communicate to your dog, be clear. You decide the criteria and stick to it. Otherwise, you’ll just confuse your dog.

Stay Means Stay

Two behaviors where we see people waffling with criteria are stays and positions (i.e. Sit, Down, Stand). 

In competition Obedience, if your dog moves anything other than their head or tail, it’s not a stay. It’s just not. Any movement of your dog’s feet isn’t a stay. Settling to rest on a hip isn’t a stay. Do you need to hold your dog to that standard? That’s up to you. If you’re fine with your dog’s “stay” being “in the general vicinity” that’s up to you. 

The other part of “Stay!” that people muddy up is when the dog is allowed to stop “Staying.” The end of “Stay!” is the release word you’ve taught your dog. The one that lets them know they’re off the clock until you tell them something else to do. If your dog self-releases, that’s not a “Stay.”

To differentiate “Stay!” you may also want to teach your dog a similar behavior with different criteria. “Wait!” could mean a temporary halt, usually while you perform some task. We tell our dogs “Wait!” when we go downstairs to retrieve the laundry. We don’t care what they do once we close the door. Likewise they “Wait!” when we open the door to get the mail. Or when we open the oven so they don’t get burned. 

There’s some discussion among trainers on whether to teach “Stay!” at all. Some suggest that your dog should keep doing whatever you told them until released. If you tell your dog to “Sit!” they should just keep sitting until you release them.

It’s up to you. With decades-long habits behind us, it would take more effort than it’s worth to us to stop using “Stay!” We can see the reasoning on both sides of the issue. You choose what works for you.

Be absolutely clear

For dog sports people, “Sit!” and “Down!” have very specific meanings and distinct criteria. But many people, especially in puppy classes, are so happy their dog isn’t jumping around like a nut job that they accept either one, regardless of what they asked for. 

Again, it’s a case of what matters to you. If you don’t care whether your dog knows “Sit!” from “Down!,” that’s fine. But realize that your dog will never understand there’s a difference between them. It’s easy enough to teach your dog positions – a daily minute of Puppy Pushups takes care of it quickly. We recommend throwing “Stand!” into the Puppy Pushups mix. Your dog’s veterinarian and groomer will thank you for it. 

Don’t fix the flubs

Say you’ve decided to get nice, clean, crisp Sits, Downs, and Stands. If you think your dog knows it, say it once and wait. As soon as they do it, reward. Five seconds later is too late. Time the reward immediately after the action. 

But if you said “Sit!” and your dog went into a “Down!” they’re showing you they’re not sure what you want. Dogs need your feedback. So – Wait. Look at your dog’s butt. Wait a little longer. If the dog doesn’t do it, don’t repeat the command and don’t fall into the trap of “fixing” it. Move a couple feet away and start again.

Attempting to “fix” what the dog got wrong makes it part of the whole “Sit!” experience. If you always have to say it twice, or make a particular motion, your dog doesn’t know the word. They know the whole ritual the behavior has become; say it three times, point at their butt, get a treat and hold it up over their nose.

Keep it simple. Say (or signal) it once. If your dog doesn’t do it, start over someplace else. Commit to clarity for your dog. Remember that dogs are binary. Give them the information they need – yes/no. Off/On. Black/White.

Stairs are hard for dogs

Stairs are hard for dogs. They may mimic many human actions, but stairs don’t translate well from two legs to four. We can’t help them coordinate their motion. But we can teach our dogs to climb and descend stairs safely.

Stairs are common in houses, apartments, and most human living situations. But they don’t occur in nature, and they’re not something dogs inherently know how to navigate. Is your dog afraid or unwilling to climb or descend stairs? It’s only natural – all mammals, including humans, have an innate fear of falling. Dogs don’t understand the engineering behind stairs. They don’t know it’s the “easy” way to get where they want to go.

Look at the situation from your dog’s perspective. How would you feel if you had to climb an obstacle multiple-times your height? What if you had to do it several times a day? If it were something you’d never seen before? And you didn’t really understand the purpose?

Start at the very end

We’ve always had small dogs, so stairs are something that must be taught. Contrary to almost everything else in dog training, you don’t start teaching puppies or dogs stairs from the first step. Instead, you take the smallest chunk and teach your dog from there. 

For teaching “up” the stairs, start at the first step from the top. Carry your dog to the top step. If you’re alone, stay behind the dog so there’s no chance they can go backwards – either by accident or on purpose. With another person available, have one behind the dog and one in front. Use the treats your dog values most for this training. Hold the treat above the top step, make sure the dog knows it’s there, and encourage him/her to climb that step. This is a behavior that can be lured.

If your dog is truly terrified of climbing up, reward for the slightest motion in that direction. Touching the upper step with one paw, two paws. Even looking at it, if it’s been a real issue. The point is to reward all progress in the right direction. 

Lately we’ve noticed that many people in our classes asking too much of their dogs. They ask for something like “Come!” and rather than rewarding the dog for a speedy response, they pile on more stuff for the dog to do. Every single thing your dog does because you asked them to should be rewarded in some way. Even if all you do is say “Good dog!” please acknowledge their good effort. Stairs are hard for dogs and if you take your dog’s good behavior for granted, they may not bother. 

Step by step

When your dog is comfortable with climbing one step, carry him to the second-from-the-top. Rinse and repeat, for as many steps as necessary. Once the dog catches on, they may not need a lesson for every step. That’s fine – you’ve achieved the objective. 

Keep in mind that things people don’t really notice can be weird, different, and wrong to dogs. In our house, the steps take a 90 degree turn at the last four steps. Those are wedge-shaped, and not rectangular. To us, it’s just a little wider step at one end. To the dogs, it’s not the same as the rectangular ones above. If you can’t figure out why your dog hesitates at a certain point, look around and see how it’s different. It could be different because of shape, surroundings, floor covering, lighting, etc. And train it like it’s brand new. For your dog, it is.

Going down

By now you’ve probably figured out that the key to teaching dogs to go down steps is the same – one at a time. Because all animals fear falling, take your time and let your dog get comfortable. Carry them down to the first step from the floor so they only have one stair to go down. Reward when they do. When they’re okay with it, move to the second-from-bottom step. Rinse and repeat.

What brought stairs learning to the fore right now is having to start almost from scratch with Torque. Since he lost his eye, he also lost his confidence on the stairs. It’s the one area that seems to be hardest hit by the change. 

Once again, his familiarity with the 2-Minute-Trainer program saved the day. In just a couple of sessions with single-step training, he was back to zooming up and down the stairs. Of course it helps that our training area is downstairs and it’s his favorite place in the world.

Double down on dog training distractions

Does your dog lose focus easily? Does any sound or movement get them off their game? If that describes your dog, it’s time to double down on dog training distractions. 

One of the nosiest dogs on the planet lives right here with us. Simon has to know what everybody’s doing at all times. And if it’s something he’s interested in, his brain melts out of his ears and his focus is gone. How does Fran get it back? She has the yummiest treats, the best toy, the most enthusiastic attitude. The objective is to let Simon know that what he’s supposed to be doing is more fun and more interesting than anything else happening.

Calm isn’t the answer

Like parents of newborn babies, the natural instinct is to hush everything when you’re trying to get baby to sleep or dog to focus. But that’s not real life. Babies have to learn to sleep through normal household sounds. And dogs have to learn to pay attention through everyday distractions. 

You may want to limit distractions when teaching your dog a new game or behavior. When dogs don’t know what to do, many will sidetrack or disengage rather than be “wrong.” Others will start showing off all the tricks and behaviors they know, trying to figure out what you want. The initial phase of any new training game is when you want to control the environment and keep dog training distractions to a minimum.

Increase dog training distractions during familiar games

But once your dog is familiar with a new game, it’s time to let chaos reign. Today Simon’s focus and concentration was severely challenged. Fran was planning to practice the Directed Retrieve with him. In non-obedience terms, that’s where you put three gloves out, spaced pretty evenly apart, and tell the dog which one to get. They’re supposed to bring it back to you, sit in front of you, drop the glove on command, and go back to heel position when directed. It’s a complex behavior with lots of parts to train.

Take it to extremes

Simon was doing okay with it until the other dogs started squeaking their toys in their crates. Everybody gets their turn, both playing training games with their person, and waiting in their crates. Today Torque and Booker got new toys, the squeakers were still intact. That won’t be true for long, but it was today. (Simon got a new squeaky toy, too.)

As soon as the squeaking started, Simon’s head swiveled to see where it was coming from. Another squeak and he dashed over to see what the other dogs had that he didn’t. Fran ditched her plan for the session and went into “dealing with distractions” mode. We’ve talked about this before, with the “Look- Loo” game, but this is taking the game up a notch, with the squeaking.

That’s not chasing him, yelling at him, or scolding him. It’s changing what you’re doing so you’re more interesting than the distraction. As soon as Simon glanced in her direction, Fran praised him and started running away. The fastest way to get a dog to come to you is to run away from them. When he followed, she gave him multiple high-value treats, praised him, and started a very-familiar routine. In Simon’s case, he loves heeling practice, so that’s what she did. She kept her eyes glued on his face. Every time he made eye contact, she praised and rewarded. 

Watch where they’re looking

Dogs are pretty easy to read. If they’re not looking at you, chances are they’re not paying attention to you. If you tell them to do something at that point, it’s probably not going to happen. We’ve seen it lots of times, especially in an exercise like the “Recall,” or “Come!” If you’re across the room and your dog is looking right at you, you can say “Come!” and they probably will. If they’re watching something else, that’s where they’ll go when you call.

That’s when you use your dog’s name before the command. If your dog doesn’t look at you, don’t continue. Go back to your dog and start over. The last thing you want to do is set your dog up for failure. You do want to work through the distraction. 

With the squeaky toys, we couldn’t predict when the other dogs would make noise. To target working on Simon’s focus with a squeaker distraction, Hope picked up a toy and made noise at regular intervals. Fran was able to focus on getting eye contact with Simon and continue her 2-Minute session. 

Was Simon perfect after a couple minutes? No, of course not. But he made some progress and happily played with Fran. Tomorrow’s another day to try again.

Face to face with your dog

Are you always face to face with your dog when you’re training?

Everybody does it. When you start teaching your dog anything, the dog is in front of you. You can see what they’re doing and where they’re looking. And they can see you. But there are not many times when that’s a useful place for your dog to be. 

Translating front-focused behaviors to at-your-side isn’t easy. Chances are you have many repetitions built up with your dog in front of you. For your dog, that’s the most valuable place to be. It’s been rewarded a lot, so it gets repeated. A lot.

The result is that teaching a dog to walk nicely next to you, or “heel” in the proper position, is challenging. The dog always wants to keep an eye on your face, so they swing their butts out. Which results in a crooked walk, and a very crooked automatic “Sit.”

For most people it’s probably not a big deal. For those of us who want to play in dog sports like Obedience and Rally, it is a big deal. Every time your dog sits crooked, it’s points off your score. 

Taking a cue from you

You’ve heard it from us a lot. What gets rewarded, gets repeated. To encourage your dog to stay nicely at your side, reward at your side. Pay attention to the “reward zone” – which should be the side of your leg closest to your dog. Our students constantly hear “Don’t reach to reward!” And never, ever reward from the hand that’s farther from your dog. 

Graphic of a couple walking side by side with dogs at their sides to illustrate face to face with your dog

Reward with the hand closest to the dog. It’s a safety issue. Dogs aren’t stupid. They know which hand has the treats. And if it’s the hand farther away from them, they’re going to cross in front of you to get it. You’ll either kick your dog, trip over your dog, or stumble trying to avoid kicking/tripping over your dog. Rewarding with the hand near the dog is a safety issue, not a training one. Our usual phrase is “Your dog will trip you and kill you.”

Practicing all kinds of walking patterns is “noodling.” Expecting your dog to follow your movements while maintaining position at your side. Try left turns, right turns, 180 degree turns, backwards, to the right and left. If you watch videos of canine freestyle, you’ll see that even the most complex “dance” routines are mostly about the synchronized movement of dog and handler.

Building body awareness

Most dogs aren’t aware that their hind legs can operate independently of their front. In truth, they probably don’t even realize what’s back there or that they control it. It’s one of the reasons dogs chase their tails – they don’t really know it’s theirs. And when they catch it and bite it, they’re surprised it hurts.

Fostering whole-body awareness in your dog benefits them throughout their lives. Doing Perch Work, walking sideways and backwards, can all increase your dog’s fitness and mobility. It matters more as dogs age. Dogs are prone to arthritis and joint issues as they get older. And the old saw “Use it or lose it” holds true for dogs as well as people. The larger the dog, the more crucial it is to keep them moving. It’s possible to pick up a small dog to get them in the car, or transport them up and down stairs. If your dog is upwards of 50 lbs it’s much more difficult. 

If you establish a little “workout” routine for your dog when they’re young and agile, even when they’re old and creaky they’ll still know how to do it. They may be slower, but the spirit will still be willing.

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It’s okay to fib to your dog

It’s never okay to lie to your dog. It’s really difficult to regain their trust once broken. However, there are circumstances when it’s okay to fib to your dog. We know. We’ve been living through it this week.

But really, never lie. If you click, your dog gets a cookie. Every single time. Otherwise you chance breaking a behavior you spent time and effort teaching. Keep every promise you make to your dog. If you’re always honest, and your dog can always trust you, they’re much more likely to do what you want when you want.

Being honest with your dog includes never calling them to you for things they don’t like, like a bath. It’s a dirty, rotten betrayal to yell “Dog, come get a cookie!” and when they come, shove them in the tub. Every time you call your dog it should be for something good, or yummy, or fun. That way they’ll come every time. We talked about this most recently in an article relating to dog care behavior – with a cute picture of Simon checking out his toothbrush.

When we give this example to our in-person students, someone invariably asks “So how do you get them in the tub?” The answer’s simple. You go get the dog and bring it to the bathroom. Don’t make your dog choose in that situation. 

So when can we fib?

It’s okay to fib to your dog to convince them everything’s okay. That you’re in charge, and they’re just fine. It’s okay to fib to reassure your dog that things are normal.

We’re doing it this week. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque had emergency surgery to remove his right eye that ruptured. He came home right after surgery, a bit drugged up, but pretty functional. 

The best thing we can do for Torque now is pretend that everything’s okay. Nothing’s changed as far as he’s concerned. Even in the few days since the surgery, he’s adjusting. He moves his head so he can see what’s going on. 

The hardest thing for us is carrying on like nothing’s happened. If we let him know that he’s changed, or even defective in some way, he’ll act like it. So as far as Torque’s concerned, it’s business as usual.

Calming consistency

Keeping to our regular routine is key. Our habit is to start every day with 2-Minute training games with our dogs. Each dog has a turn while the others are in their crates nearby. We usually train in age order. 

This week Torque must wear a cone to protect his eye. He’s also supposed to stay calm and do nothing to raise his blood pressure while he heals. So heeling it is. It’s something we practice regularly. He doesn’t have to pick anything up that may contact his face. And it can also give his brain a workout without being too strenuous.

There’s all kinds of ways to make heel work challenging for you and your dog. Working on side-stepping, heeling backwards, changing directions, straight “fronts,” finishes (both left and right), are all little things that are useful, especially in Rally, and keep something as simple as walking more interesting. 

Adjusting to the change

Torque is already adapting to his new circumstances. He’s turning his head more so he can see Hope when he’s in heel position. He had a little trouble aiming for the treats at first, but he’s got that one covered. He’s also gotten into the habit of bashing his cone into our legs to let us know he’s there. The bruises will heal, just like Torque will.

As we pretend that everything’s normal and okay, it becomes the truth. When you don’t quite know what to do to make everything alright, you fib like it already is. It’s not even a little white lie. It’s making it happen.

3 ways to streamline dog training

Training your dog should be one of the most joyful and stress-free parts of your day. Each little two-minute session should be fast, fun, and something you look forward to. Here are three ideas to make getting to the fun part a little easier and for you to streamline dog training.

Idea Number 1: Covered treat bowls 

It’s easy to find inexpensive little bowls with lids. Make up a big batch of your dog’s favorite “trail mix” and distribute it among the bowls. Scatter them around the house so every room has a treat container. Customize your dog’s treat mixture to reflect their preferences and make the mix a combination of high, middle, and low-value treats. That way your dog never knows what’s coming, and always hopes it’s the favorite. Be sure that all the treats are shelf-stable and will not get moldy. Some ideas to include are: kibble, air-popped popcorn, freeze-dried chicken heart pieces, circular oat cereal pieces, anything that’s small, dry, and a favorite for your dog. A recent student of ours used woven-wheat cereal squares. Worked beautifully, because her dog is crazy about them. 

Having the treats close by makes it convenient to reward your dog spontaneously, especially when you’re trying to build your dog’s vocabulary. Say you walk into a room and your dog is lying there, it’s the work of a moment to say “Good Down!” and hand your dog a treat. But if the bowl wasn’t there, you couldn’t do it. If you had to leave the room to get the reward, your dog would probably follow you and the moment is lost. 

With rewards close at hand, it will also remind you to mark the good decisions your dog makes – even if you’re just hanging out together on the couch. If a TV doorbell rings and your dog perks up but doesn’t bark – that’s a good decision worth rewarding. If someone walks by your window with a dog and your dog watches silently, that’s worth marking.

One of the most basic tenets of dog training is “what gets rewarded, gets repeated.” Make it easy for yourself to reward good behavior so your dog’s scales tilt that way more often.

Idea Number 2: Keep a list of games

You have all kinds of training games you play with your dog. Some have the names we gave them, others you’ve adapted and have your own names for them. If there’s a specific place that you go to train, keep a list of all your games there. That way, when it’s time to train but you don’t know what to play, the “cheat sheet” is right there. An instant way to streamline dog training.

You can keep your list with your Session Log Book, even inside the front cover. We even try to jot down the date when we play a training game. We don’t want to go too long without playing certain skills games, like “Whatcha Gonna Do?” or “Looky-Loo.” Like any skill, training games can get rusty if they’re not used. (In the photo, Torque is doing “Gimme Your Face!“)

Idea Number 3: Keep a phone stand handy

Of all the training tools available to you – video is the most useful. You don’t have to share, or post, or even keep the videos you take of your training. But you should watch to get a different perspective on your training game sessions.

In addition to seeing (and hearing) all the times your timing was a bit off, or that you gave your dog the wrong direction, you’ll also see all the things you did right. It’s actually fun to go back and see how far you’ve come from where you and your dog started.

Another reason video is so valuable is that you can see and appreciate how smart, happy, and adorable your dog is. To actually see how your dog looks at you from a different perspective will make your heart swell. In a recent class, Fran took Booker for a spin through the Rally Obedience course and a student remarked on the lovely attention he paid to Fran throughout. The student didn’t even realize her dog’s gaze was almost identical when it was their turn. 

We’re always open to new, fun, and functional hacks to make playing dog training games better and more fun. If you have a favorite trick you use to streamline dog training, please let us know!

Getting your dog to think about it

How do you get your dog to think about it? To take a moment and choose well? We’ve said many times that the point of training is to get your dog to make good decisions. But what does that look like? 

The biggest part of the formula is on you. Stop making all your dog’s decisions. Stop telling them what to do all the time. Stop using “No!” 

Instead, when you see your dog about to choose poorly, how about you make an attention-getting sound and say “think about it.” Don’t move in unless you see your dog decide. Give them a moment to realize there’s a better choice.

Whatcha Gonna Do?

The game our students seem to play the least is “Whatcha Gonna Do?” Which makes us sad, because it’s one of the best ways to teach your dog to practice impulse control. And almost all naughty dog behavior stems from following their impulses. 

Instilling some self-control goes a long way to curing most bad dog behavior. Give them the skill to pause and think, rather than just give in to their worst tendencies.

Totally worth it

Last week Hope introduced “Whatcha Gonna Do?” in her household obedience class. And met with the usual resistance. It’s not the game that’s most fun for people. Your hand can get all slobbery and some dogs will nibble, so there can be a little bit of pain. But it’s worth it. 

The whole premise of “Whatcha Gonna Do?” is letting your dog discover that it’s rewarding to not follow impulse. The dog gets nothing as long as they’re being impulsive. The moment they choose to think, they’re rewarded.

When you start playing “Whatcha Gonna Do?” the dog doesn’t understand the rules of the game. At first they may get frustrated and just glance away by accident. Reward that. Even if it’s not deliberate. It’s the first clue your dog has to figuring out the rules of the game.

Be patient

It’s really hard to communicate with a different species who doesn’t speak your language. Who doesn’t think as you do. But you can explain things by teaching in ways they understand. Dogs learn by the timing and placement of rewards. If you’re playing “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and the dog looks away just because they’re getting frustrated, reward that.

It wasn’t on purpose, but it was what you wanted. And dogs can figure out what got them the reward. For most dogs it’s a process of trial and error.  “I don’t get what I want by nibbling on mom’s hand, what should I do instead?” Or “I got a treat for turning my head. Maybe I should do more of that.”

Precepts of training

The three dog training truths to apply in all your games:

  1. Dogs always do what’s most rewarding to them.
  2. What gets rewarded gets repeated.
  3. Dogs learn by the timing and placement of rewards.

Your job as a dog trainer is to be clear about what you’re rewarding. In time, your dog will discover how rewarding it is to think before they act. And they’ll do more of it.

Treat your dog’s symptoms

Treat your dog’s symptoms. You can’t know the cause.

It’s a harsh truth all dog owners must face. You’ll never know why your dog does some stuff they do. They’ll never tell. Even if you’ve known your dog since they were born, you can’t know what they’re thinking so you have to treat your dog’s symptoms. 

Most of us get pretty good at reading our dogs’ unique signs and patterns. The good, the bad, and the silly. We’re pretty convinced that potty-training dogs is a combination of teaching the dog and starting to recognize your dog’s signs that urgent action is required.

Since you can’t know the “why,” you’re left to deal with treating the symptoms of your dog’s quirks.

Some don’t matter. We have no idea why Simon, Fran’s six-year-old Boston Terrier, thinks he can dry himself on the hardwood floors. He runs around rubbing himself on the floors as if there were moisture-wicking properties in wood. He does it every time he comes inside from the rain. It’s weird. But it’s harmless. We ignore it, other than to watch him, thinking how strange it is.

Not so benign

Other behaviors aren’t so benign. The dog of a training student of ours started growling and showing teeth to her 13-year-old son. The dog was only recently adopted as an almost-two-year-old. She’ll never be able to tell us why she was feeling threatened by that son, one of four in the family. But she was, so we developed a plan to treat the symptom. That son now hand-feeds the dog her dinner, plays training games with her, and always interacts positively with her.

In this case, sharp observation also helped. The owner noticed that this son was the only one who constantly wears a hoodie with the hood pulled over his head. When the son didn’t have the hood up, the dog was fine. Why is the dog threatened by people in hoodies? We’ll never know. And she’ll never tell us. We treat the symptom and gradually let the dog learn that hoodie-wearing people are okay.

Deal with the quirks

Some people think dogs are dogs. That dogs are interchangeable. We recently spoke to someone who called about classes. She urgently needs help training her 13-month old Bernese Mountain Dog / Poodle cross breed dog. In the conversation, she mentioned that her current dog isn’t anything like the dog she lost, a Labrador Retriever. Of course not. They’re completely different kinds of dogs. She said she’d thought a dog was a dog. As if only the color, size, and fur differed among dogs.

Every dog, like every person, is a unique individual. Unlike people, we have no way of communicating in words with our dogs. We can never get explanations of why they do what they do. We can only deal with and train the symptoms.

Watch for when

If your dog has a behavior that needs to be turned around, notice when it happens. And where. What’s going on that might have triggered it? You may not hit the nail on the head right away. But knowing how to play training games has given you the ability to break things down into small chunks. Experiment with the circumstances that trigger your dog’s unwanted behavior. When you hit on something that may be a factor, you’ll know where to start training. 

In the case of the dog fearing the hoodie, they’ll start with a sweatshirt by itself. Let the dog check it out. Sniff it. Paw at it. When she no longer reacts at this stage, the son can put it on (without the hood up), sit quietly, and give her treats for being close. When she’s okay with that, he can fold up the hood a bit at a time. Step by step, treating the symptom.

We had another student whose Great Dane puppy wouldn’t go for walks without their older dog. He stopped dead in the driveway and refused to move. We’ll never know why solo walks were scary. Treat the symptom. Start even with the older dog and gradually let him (and the person walking him) lag behind. Over time, the distance will increase to the point that they’re not walking together at all. Treat the symptom.