2 Minute Trainer

Cute stuff?

Does your dog do cute stuff on his or her own?

Your dog is adorable. He or she does really, really cute stuff that you didn’t teach him, but it’s so amazingly darling that you’d really like him to do it more.

It’s really easy to turn your dog’s cute mannerisms into cued behaviors.

Name it and reward it!

This is a natural behavior - Ceilidh "danced."

We do it all the time! Torque “hugs.” Booker “dances.” And before Booker, our girl Ceilidh “danced” too (left). Tango wipes his beard. Actually, that one isn’t as cute as it is necessary. If you have a dog with a beard, you know that if you don’t teach them to wipe on a towel after they drink, the water is all over the house.

Hopefully, we’ve already trained you to have treats in every room of the house. If you don’t have your clicker handy, you can use “Yes!” for a marker word.

First decide what your want to call your dog’s habit that you want to turn into a trick. When you see your dog doing that “thing,” just click and say “good hug!” or “good dance!” or “good bow!” All dogs do cute stuff like play bows, or rolling over, or rubbing their backs on the floor.

Name it, reward it, and your dog will repeat it!

Be prepared with “Plan B”

“Huh?”

There are days we’d swear one of our dogs (it differs by the day) is an idiot who never learned anything, ever. You know those times – you start a high-energy, 2-Minute session and they stare at you blankly when you say “Sit!” or “Down!” or “Come!”

When it happens, and it happens to everybody on occasion, the best thing to do is just shift gears and try something else. Don’t abandon the session! Just go to “Plan B!”

"Plan B" is almost always better than continuing a fruitless session or abandoning it altogether.

Choose a different training game – or no training at all! There’s no timeline and no repercussions for not fulfilling one day’s plan. You’re certainly allowed, even encouraged, to just grab a toy and play “tug” or “fetch” with your dog.

What does your dog want to do?

On the other hand, if you think your dog is just “testing” you – try something else to engage him or her. Start with tug and turn it into a “hand touch!” Sometimes your dog can lead the session and let you know what he wants to do.

Hope’s Frenchie Torque’s favorite training game is “tap,” where he alternates paws touching Hope’s foot. There are sessions where he runs up to her and “taps” without prompting. And some days, he gets to choose! Other times he’ll get his “tap” at the end of the 2-Minute session – if he plays the game Hope wants, first!

Delayed learning does work

There are times when your dog just doesn’t seem to be “getting” what you’re teaching at all. If your dog usually learns something in about three to five sessions, and it’s just not coming, put it away for a week or so. Then try again. You might be amazed that the behavior you thought was never going to happen has almost been perfected by letting it lie dormant for a time.

Your dog is unique, and so is his learning

It will take a while before you know your unique dog’s learning pattern. What games she enjoys, which kinds of behaviors she finds easiest and which are most difficult. You may recognize similarities if you keep track on the worksheets available for download for each of the courses. The worksheets are a training tool that comes in handy.

Your dog can pick up on your energy

Dogs will also pick up on your preferences for training, too. Your energy level may be different for “place” than it is for “come.” If you take video of your training – watch yourself the first time through. Then watch it again, noting how your dog reacts to you. If your tone or energy changes – so does your dog!

Under the weather training

Simon was a little under the weather today. We did some training anyway.

Simon is under the weather today. So we did a little under the weather training. Nothing big, but not up to his lively, energetic self. We make a practice of individually training all the dogs before work in the morning. (Unless we’re working on a group exercise, of course.) The dogs who aren’t training are in their crates in the area. They can watch while they relax. I didn’t want Simon to feel left out, so I had to decide what I wanted to work on that wouldn’t overtax or over-stimulate him.

Why train today?

You might ask why bother to have a training session with Simon at all when he’s not feeling up to par. For one thing, he enjoys it, and it might help him feel a little better. And we’ve found that dogs love consistency. They love routine. If Simon sees his “brothers” training and he doesn’t get a turn, he’s perfectly capable of throwing a tantrum. Or he’ll mope. And a sick, mopey dog is worse than just a sick dog.

Of course, if Simon were severely ill, more than just a little under the weather, we would have been preparing to go to the veterinarian, and not training. We’ve lived with enough dogs to recognize a little bug versus something worse.

So, what did we do?

I didn’t ask for anything new. We worked on positions – the “Get in,” Sit, Down, and we worked on Stay. Simon will be competing in Obedience, so these are important. We did a little bit of heeling – that precise almost-walking that we do in competition Obedience. But not too much. And a little, tiny bit of focus forward – Simon holds his stay when he really wants that toy thrown in front of him.

We didn’t work on anything new – I wanted to keep the session stress-free for Simon. So we worked on reinforcing and perfecting behaviors that he already knew. Learning new things, no matter how much fun the session might be, brings a little stress.

How long?

2-minutes, of course!

Keep those plates spinning!

Your dog’s skills are constantly changing. You and your dog have a lot of plates spinning!

Lots of new behaviors

For the most part, his/her repertoire is expanding as your 2-Minute-Training journey continues. Your dog is learning how to learn – offering new behaviors, paying better attention, becoming a team with you, and you’re building a great relationship as your understanding grows.

And then, for no reason, your dog looks at you like she’s never heard the word “Place!” before. Seriously, dog?

What’s going on?

It could be one of a couple of different things.

Short-term to long-term memory

When dogs (or people!) learn new things, it takes a bit of time for them to become part of our skills list. When anything is transferring from short-term to long-term memory, it can get lost for a little while.

The other possibility is that while you’ve been training other stuff, “place” got a little bit neglected. When was the last 2-Minute session that focused on “place”?

Remember the Ed Sullivan show?

This circus dog knows her stuff! She's keeping her ball balanced while dancing on her hind legs! Lots of skills here.

The skills our dogs learn are like the “Spinning Plates” routine from old variety or circus shows. As the number of skills (plates) grows, it gets more difficult to keep each going. An occasional refresher session is all it takes to renew the behavior.

Hope hadn’t been working “place” with Torque in a while. They’d been having fun with tricks like “tap!” and putting stuff away. When she remembered, it only took one little session to remind him, and his “place” was back!

It might be time to revisit old skills

Just like it’s never too late for a dog to learn new things, it’s never a bad time to revisit old skills. It’s a good idea, especially if you’re having a difficult day, to just go back and refresh some familiar, fun skills that you’ve already mastered.

It’s nowhere near as frenetic as actually “spinning plates” – and it’s fun to relax and revisit the “oldies but goodies.”

Here’s a YouTube video of Henrik Bothe performing his plate-spinning act.

Get it on record!

One of your most important tools is your smartphone

One of your best dog training tools is your smartphone!

At least a couple of times a week, take video of your session with your dog. If somebody else is around, ask them to do it and be sure to get both you and your dog in the frame. If not, invest in a little tripod and set it up so both of you are visible.

Do it! No one else has to see the recording.

Do it even if you hate being on video. Even if you hate your voice. Even if you’re wearing clothes that aren’t fit for public viewing. Even if you haven’t showered or done your hair yet.

Why?!?

It’s a great way to keep track of where you’ve been.
You can see how good (or bad) your timing is when you’re rewarding your dog
Your dog is adorable.
You’ll have a way to visualize your progress.
If your dog isn’t understanding something, you can see where he/she loses interest.

No one has to see it but you. Unless your dog does something hysterically funny, in which case you’ll be happy you have the recording so you can upload it to YouTube and get rich!

Aside from your training log, which we’ve provided for download, your video is a great tool. When you’re in the moment, playing with your dog, there are things you don’t notice even though they happen right in front of you.

Watch your video at least twice

Watch the video at least twice – once concentrating on you, once concentrating on your dog.

Were your cues in the right place? Did you make sure you had your dog’s attention before you told her what you wanted her to do? Was your reward well-timed? Did you tell her “good girl!” often enough?

Especially notice the rewards

The most important feedback you give your dog is the timing and placement of rewards. Were they often enough? Were they in the right place? If you’re rewarding your dog for “down,” the reward should be placed on or between the dog’s front paws. It’s crucial that the dog doesn’t have to sit up to receive the treat!

What can you learn?

There are all kinds of little things you can learn from your video. It could show a stress signal from your dog, like yawning or licking his muzzle, that indicates he’s not sure what he’s supposed to do. If you notice where in the game that’s happening, you’ll know that particular part of the behavior needs extra attention – maybe as simple as more frequent rewards, or going back a step and trying again.

Video is a tool you have right in your hand. Be sure to keep those early ones – you’ll want to look back and see how far you’ve come!

“Socializing” Isn’t What You Think

Do you like everybody you meet?

Nah. Us neither.

Do you think you should be friends with everyone?

No way!

Social = Polite

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

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

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

Social = Calm and Attentive

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

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

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

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

Finding the fix

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

Traffic jam!

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

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

Oh yeah, we’re dog trainers…

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

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

We thought about what we wanted to accomplish:

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

We decided what we wanted to call the behavior:

Line Up!

We implemented the plan on our next entry.

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

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

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

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

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

Atten-shun! First things first

Hello???

Simon is not focused! Not ready to train. — Simon is too distracted to work at the moment!

You’re on the phone with a friend, telling a great story that is sure to get a huge response. You finish the story and – nothing. You realize that at some point your phone dropped the call and you’ve been talking to dead air for who-knows-how-long.

If you start a training session without first engaging your dog – you’re talking to dead air.

Distractions are all around us. To get the full effect of training, our dogs have to be paying attention. Don’t start your timer until your dog is meeting your eyes, paying attention, and has his/her “let’s play!” attitude on display.

Focus for you and your dog is harder some days

There are days when that’s more difficult to achieve than others. If you, or your dog, is having an “off” day – try something different. Go into a different room. Stand in a different place. Grab a different kind of treat. Start with a game of “tug.” Anything to shake things up.

We know that some of those things may be even more distracting for your dog. That’s okay. One of the objectives is to get your dog working with you no matter what else is going on. If your dog is excited, it may take a little longer for him to respond to your direction, or he may show you he’s not sure what you mean.

It’s OK to go back a few steps

That’s okay, too. Go back a step or two. Or start the session with something basic, like “sit.” If your dog does it, celebrate with him! Learning to work with you when he’s excited, even on the most basic level, is fantastic!

In our competition obedience classes one of the first things we teach our students is to “check with your dog.” Before any obedience exercise starts, the judge always asks “Are you ready?” And our students know this is the cue to meet their dog’s eyes, smile, and say “Yes!” or “Ready!” Unless the dog isn’t looking at them. Then the response is “not quite” and they get their dogs to focus.

Ready!

The word “ready” can also be a cue to your dog that the fun’s about to start – either in training, class, or competition. Train your dog to look at you when you say “ready!” by saying it and popping a big treat in his/her mouth when your dog’s eyes meet yours. Be sure you’re smiling when you say it so your dog knows you’re about to have some fun together.

Value is Relative

Just like people, dogs have preferences.

There are “low value” and “high value” rewards. That goes for all types of rewards; food, toys, even attention.

For instance, Hope’s Torque has a very consistent hierarchy of toys:

Torque LOVES balls. They are at the top of his toy reward hierarchy.

Squeaky rubber/plastic balls
Non-squeaky rubber/plastic balls
Tennis balls
Rubber/plastic squeaky non-ball toys
Non-squeaky, non-ball rubber/plastic toys
Squeaky soft toys
Non-squeaky soft toys

Drop it – maybe, maybe not!

So when Hope is working on “drop it,” which is extremely difficult for Torque, she can exchange a lower-value toy for a higher-value toy. But if she tries to go too far up the value scale, it’s not worth giving up the toy for anything Hope can offer.

There’s a treat value list for Torque, too:

Treat trail mix. — A nice mix of treats for rewards.

Hot dog pieces
Cheese
Freeze-dried Chicken Hearts or Turkey Gizzards
Cheerios (Honey-Nut is his favorite)
Kibble

Trade equal value rewards: toy for a treat

So Hope can trade a higher-value toy for a higher-value treat. But don’t try to swap a squeaky rubber ball for a piece of kibble – it’s not going to happen. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Your dog has a reward hierarchy too

Do you know your dog’s reward value lists? If not, it’s worthwhile spending a few minutes to figure it out. It may shed some light on what’s working particularly well in your training, and the reasons why some things may not be working right now.

High value rewards should be used for high value behaviors

Keep the highest-value rewards as a special treat for your dog when he/she achieves something that’s been challenging. Keep in mind that we’re not using any of these as lures. We’re teaching our dogs to make good choices. And rewarding them for success.

My puppy has a temper

He’s great, but …

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

It’s my job to fix that.

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

Work in progress

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

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

Focus phrase

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

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

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

Phrase that pays – again

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

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

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

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