Don’t Wanna, Not Gonna

Training a dolphin is a lot like training a dog!

One of the doyennes of positive reinforcement training, Karen Pryor, is also the author of A Dog & A Dolphin – An Introduction to Clicker Training.  At first, the similarities between the two species may not be apparent, but for training, they’re much alike – if you do it right.

Training = Training

At our favorite dolphin facility, the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida, we’ve been privileged to watch and participate in training sessions with the dolphins. With dolphins, you have to use positive reinforcement. If the animal isn’t interested and engaged, willing to play with you – he or she just swims off. There’s not a thing you can do about it. 

Should be SO MUCH FUN!

Dogs are sometimes “just not that into it.” If your dog disengages and goes off sniffing, it’s time to switch gears. We don’t “make” our dogs play training games with us. We make the games, and ourselves, so much fun that they want to play with us. 

If you’re working on a “come!” and your dog doesn’t, think about what you can change to make yourself more appealing. Don’t beg your dog to come to you – run away from him! Or get down on all fours and call her to crawl under you. Slap a toy on the ground and drag it. Be creative.

Some dogs get over-stimulated during play sessions. If that’s the case and your dog is barking at you or excited and not listening, just sit down, without saying anything, and wait for a moment of silence. Then whisper something. Or gently blow on your dog’s face to get his attention. If he or she is too “amped up,” your dog may not be able to focus on what you’re asking. 

One of our training mentors, when a dog is barking uncontrollably in class, yells “Goku needs a hug!” It stops the behavior and gives the dog a chance to refocus.

Sometimes a “time out” is needed

If nothing else works, either call it a day and end the session, or give your dog a little “time out” in the crate. It gives you and your dog a little break and hits the “reset.” The break doesn’t have to be long – less than a minute will do. He or she may come out ready to play with you again. 

If that doesn’t happen, chalk it up to a bad day. We all have them. Even our dogs. You’ll have another chance later, or tomorrow.

Yes, your dog is your baby

Whether you like the term “pet parent” or not, dogs are, in many ways, akin to human toddlers. 

Consider these “Social Characteristics of Toddlers” 

  • Toddlers are headstrong and negativistic.
  • They are naturally active, mobile and curious.
  • They are repetitive, rigid, ritualistic, and stereotyped in their behavior.
  • They tend to go into temper tantrums in order to control self and other.
  • Play is the work of toddlers. Through play they learn how to manipulate and understand their environment
  • Rituals increase in the toddler’s sense of security by making compulsive routines of simple tasks
  • Negativism can be countered by offering limited choices and the use of distraction in the handling toddlers whose favorite word is “NO”.

Sound familiar?

The reaction they get will determine whether they try it again

Training isn’t about controlling all aspects of your dog’s life. It’s about teaching him or her to cope with the world he/she lives in. Dogs like knowing what’s allowed and what isn’t. That doesn’t mean they won’t test the boundaries – just like any toddler. They will try to manipulate you, or “push your buttons” – just like a human toddler. The reaction they get will determine whether they try it again.

Say your dog barks at you. What do you do? If it’s a bark for attention – does your dog get it? Do you yell at him to “be quiet?” Do you bribe her to get her to shut up? Or do you ignore it? 

Attention = Reward (for a dog)

If your dog was successful in getting you to pay attention – any kind of attention – the barking for attention worked and you’ll get more of the same behavior. Your dog tested and won. Even if all you did was get angry – you barked back and your dog got the attention he/she was craving.

If you ignored the behavior – either by continuing what you were doing or by leaving the vicinity, the barking didn’t work and you’ll probably see less of it. 

Here’s a few seconds of the chaos and mayhem in our house before we told the dogs to knock it off:

Goof goodies

Everybody messes up. We’re human. It happens.

I goofed up! I should give my dog a "Goof Goodie!"

It happens in training all the time. We say the wrong thing, look the wrong way, click at the wrong time, turn in the wrong direction.

Guess what? You’re the only one that knows. Keep it secret from your dog!

When you make a mistake, give your dog a treat. Reward with a “goof goodie!”

Why?

It keeps your dog from thinking that it’s his/her fault.

Think about it. What’s everybody’s first reaction when they screw up? They sigh, or say “ugh” (or worse). How does your dog know you’re not talking to him? Whenever you’re together, you always talk to her!

A dog trained with positive reinforcement probably won’t repeat something that hasn’t been rewarded. And may avoid doing things that got a negative reaction. So if we say “dammit” out loud, the dog thinks we’re talking to him. And, because he’s a very good dog, he won’t do it again. Even if he was right and we were the ones that screwed up.

You may know you’re talking to yourself – metaphorically slapping yourself. But your dog doesn’t. And she’s the only other one there. Let her know she’s good. 

Give her a Goof Goodie and let it go. You’ll do better next time.

Be the Senior Partner

You and your dog make a great team!

You and your dog are a team, best friends, compadres. It’s a partnership – living together happily ever after. To make that true, you have to be the senior partner.

We meet lots of people whose dogs run their lives. They love their dogs and want them to be happy. So, if Fido doesn’t like company coming over, they don’t invite anyone over. If Fido doesn’t want to go to bed, they stay up. You get the idea. And we’re all guilty of bits of it.

But we’ll let you in on a little secret. Dogs don’t like being in charge. They’ll take the wheel if no one’s steering, but they’d rather be back-seat drivers!

Dogs love rules!

Dogs are addicted to rules and order. If your dog always eats at a certain time, have you noticed him getting discombobulated when Daylight Savings Time changes the clocks? No one told your dog, and he doesn’t much like it!

Another consideration is that dogs are akin to human toddlers. Taught to be polite, caring, and unselfish, they’re praiseworthy members of the family and a joy to be around. Left to their own devices, they can be selfish, rude, and destructive. 

Letting your dog decide the rules of the house all the time isn’t fair to either one of you. Once in a while, there’s nothing wrong with being tempted away from household chores by those puppy dog eyes begging for a game of fetch.

The problem arises when the dog makes the rules. If your dog is restricting your life, if you’re foregoing activities or opportunities because of your dog, things need to change. 

Both of you will be happier when you become the Senior Partner in your relationship with your dog. 

Get Over It

Why does my dog hate women with hats? We'll never know.

We’ll never know why.

Why does my dog hate umbrellas? Why does my dog react to women with hats? Why does my dog not do stairs? Or chase cars? Or eat poop? 

For all the million and one things that we hear – there’s no answer. And it’s really, really hard, but you have to let it go.

Dogs can’t talk

Your dog will never be able to tell you why she loves the UPS delivery person but hates the mail carrier. Or why he cringes when you pick up a magazine. You can speculate. “He’s a rescue – maybe somebody did something at some time that caused it.” But that doesn’t help. And, at this point, it’s an excuse.

Don’t excuse

Whenever you try to justify whatever the behavior is, you’re excusing it. Be honest with yourself. If you accept any behavior that’s not ideal; fearfulness, shyness, even aggression, you’re making an excuse. To help your dog live his/her best life, you have to deal with what is. 

If your dog is afraid of something, turn it into something terrific. A few years ago, the training hall where our obedience club held classes had an overhead heater that was noisy and turned on with an explosive sound and fan. One of the Golden Retrievers in class would shy away from it, refusing to go anywhere near it, almost frenzied to get away from that part of the room. 

We made a plan and turned it around. Whenever the heater came on, Sassy’s owner would stop whatever she was doing with the class, move far away from the heater, and start giving Sassy treats. Telling Sassy she was wonderful, and brave. When Sassy calmed down, she would rejoin the class.Over time, they got closer and closer. By the end of the session, when the heater fired up Sassy would run to sit right underneath it to get her treats. 

Make a plan

You can modify your dog’s reaction to any situation. All it takes is a plan, and time. Think about the reaction you want from your dog, and the steps you’ll need to climb to achieve it. You can do it!

When are we done?

The short answer? Never!

Put another way – when are you done learning new stuff? We hope the answer is the same – never!

The game might change

Of course you’ll move on from the basics. There will come a day when your dog runs to his/her “place” when the doorbell rings, or knows to “sit” before dinner is served, or resists jumping when a guest comes in the house. 

Training changes over time, but it doesn’t ever have to end. 

Dog = toddler = learning sponge!

Dogs have often been equated to toddlers – they have the mentality of three-year-olds. Throughout their lives, they’re sponges – always able to learn new things, always up for a new game. No one would ever think to stop playing with a little kid! Why would you stop playing with your dog?

Training is playing

When you’re starting a 2-Minute-Training session with your dog, look at it as “We get to play now!” Not as “time for (insert least favorite subject here (math)) class.”

And remember how your perspective on that changed, too? When you were a little kid, before you even went to school, you played “pretend” school. Did it stop being fun when you got to the real thing? That’s sad. Whatever was done to stop the fun – don’t do that!

Stuck? Change it up!

If you’re stuck on a particular step, either take a break, or take a step back. Do something else. Look at it a different way. Change the routine.

Even when we’re trying to perfect a skill required for competition in dog sports, we don’t work on it every session, or even every day. Take a break. It’ll come. There’s nothing wrong with “mixing it up!” As a matter of fact, it’s a good thing. 

Dogs have favorite behaviors

Most dogs have favorites. If things aren’t going great with something new – revisit that old favorite. Hope’s Torque absolutely adores his “Tapping” behavior – he alternates touching his front paws on Hope’s corresponding foot. When he’s frustrated by something new, he goes right back into “Tapping” mode – hoping to coax Hope into doing something more comfortable than the new thing. 

And he usually gets his way – after another attempt or two at the new skill. That way everybody’s happy.

If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong

If training with your dog is a chore, if it’s an obligation rather than a joy, something’s wrong. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Something’s gotta change – an attitude adjustment, a different perspective, a bit of a break. 

You never have to be done with playing with your dog.

Too many treats?

Some people have expressed concern that, with constant food rewards, their dogs will get fat.

No, your dog will not get fat!

While you may be increasing the number of food reinforcements your dog is getting – you don’t have to increase his/her overall calories. 

Some ideas …

Some ideas to keep the pounds away:

Substitute frozen green beans for a part of your dog's meal.
Substitute part of your dog’s meal with frozen cut green beans.
  • Especially if your dog eats dry food – use a portion of each meal as training treats. Many serious dog trainers “ditch the bowl” entirely and hand-feed every meal to their dogs, using meal time as training time.
  • Replace some of your dog’s meal with frozen, cut, green beans. Most dogs love frozen beans. We don’t know why – we just know it’s true.
  • Get a refillable squeeze tube (most camping supply departments have them) and fill it with low-fat yogurt. It fits nicely in your hand and you can squeeze out a dab as a reward quickly.
  • Include lots of low-calorie options in your training treat trail mix; Cheerios, pretzel pieces, diced-up carrots or celery. Hope’s Torque is bonkers for celery. We don’t know why. We just capitalize on the fact that he is.

Your dog’s consumption may go up – especially as you both realize how much fun training is and do it more often. It’s somewhat offset by the increase in activity for your dog. Instead of lying on the couch, he/she is actively engaged and burning more calories.

No need to resist those big brown eyes!

Relax. You don’t have to resist those puppy-dog eyes. Find some alternatives that work for you and your dog.

Don’t help!

Is your dog helpless? Find out how you can help him help himself!

Resist the temptation to “help” your dog figure stuff out!

Teddy was proud of himself after figuring his way out of a tight corner!

One of our best dog-training mentors said “The more you help, the more helpless you make your dog.” 

Remember when you were a little kid and you were practising a new skill (maybe tying your shoes)? And your mom or sibling jumped in and interrupted? You forgot where you were and you had to start all over again.

Your dog needs time to think things through and practise his/her thinking and decision-making skills. 

If your dog is frustrated, he/she may look at you for help. Bark, fuss, make eye contact, and try to get you to help, Don’t do it! As long as he/she is trying – resist the temptation!

If your dog turns away and gives up, then you can move on to something else and try again another time.

Hope’s Teddy (French Bulldog) wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier. He heard a noise in the alley and dashed underneath and around some yard equipment to get down a narrow path to check it out. When he was ready to come back, he couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten there. 

He started fussing and looking for some help. Instead of clearing the way, Hope just waited for him to figure it out – as noisy and difficult as that was. In time (it was only a few minutes), he did figure out a path back and was proud of himself for the rest of the day!

So – don’t be so quick to help. Encourage your dog’s problem-solving ability.

Give Your Dog a “Secret Identity”

When you want to yell at your dog, don't use their name! Make up a "Secret Identity" name!

When you’re frustrated or angry with your dog – don’t use his/her name. Give him a secret identity. The sillier, the better!

Yelling “Bingo!” instead of your dog’s name will make you feel better, change the mood, and keep your dog’s name from becoming a curse word.

It’s crucial that your dog always thinks his/her name is a good thing. When you say it, your dog’s tail (if he/she has one) should wag, never sag. Calling your dog should always be a good thing. 

So next time your Fido overturns the wastebasket, or goes counter-surfing, or knocks over your plant; by all means yell. At the top of your lungs scream “Gosh darn it, Jehosephat! Didn’t I tell you not to do that about a million and a half times!” As long as your dog’s name isn’t Jehosephat, you’re golden. 

If your dog’s name is Jehosephat – you need to pick an easier name!

Keep the crate!

For more than housebreaking

Crate training is a great way to housebreak your dog. 

Your dog’s crate is his safe place!

Simon, Boston Terrier, is perfectly comfortable in his crate.

But even after your dog knows not to mess in the house, there are reasons to keep that crate around. 

Being secure and unstressed in his/her crate will give you the freedom to board your dog if necessary. Simon, Boston Terrier, above, certainly looks comfortable in his crate!

And Booker always dashes into his crate, knowing that there will be a treat for him:

Boarding …

Even if you plan on taking your dog on every vacation – what if there is an emergency and you need to travel without him/her? Most boarding facilities use crates, especially at night – even if dogs are loose, playing, during the day.

Motels …

And if you are traveling with your dog, most hotels that allow pets require you to crate them if left in your room – even if you just dash out to pick up a meal.

Traveling

Booker (Boston Terrier) and Tango (Brussels Griffon are ready for a road trip, safe in their crates.

And speaking of traveling, having your dog in a crate is the safest method of having him in the car. If your dog is in a crate, he won’t be a distraction to you, the driver. And he won’t be a projectile if (heaven forbid) you’re involved in an accident. Booker (Boston Terrier, left) and Tango (Brussels Griffon), above, are ready for a road trip, secure in their crates.

At the vet

Knowing your dog is content in a cage will eliminate a cause of anxiety if your dog has to be hospitalized for any reason. We hope it never happens – but it could. Even after common procedures (like spay and neutering) a crate will ensure that your dog gets the rest that your veterinarian prescribes.

If Aunt Susie is afraid of dogs …

It’s even an option if you have guests who are afraid of dogs, or if you’re hosting a gathering and can’t keep an eye on your dog. Your pup “chilling” in his/her “house” lets you concentrate on immediate needs, without worry.

Turn the crate into furniture!

Keep the crate.It makes life easier. You can always get an attractive top and turn it into an end table!