2-minute tip Archives - Page 8 of 29

Dog Bowling Game

The Dog Bowling Game came together from two separate bits of life. The first was another trainer who always called Hope’s French Bulldogs “Bowling Ball.” The other part was Torque’s love of knocking things over. It’s a match made in heaven.

Our game is contrary to the maze videos where pets wind their way through a forest of bottles they’re not supposed to knock down. The objective is to knock them all down, just like a real bowling game.

Where to start

We went all out (on the cheap) and got a toy bowling set. It’s not very expensive, and it’s fun for video. But the “real” thing isn’t necessary. You can certainly start with any empty plastic bottle. There’s a possibility that your dog may put holes in the bottle, so start with an empty.

Before you start playing, decide what your criteria will be for the eventual, complete game. Do you want your dog to knock over the bottles with their nose, paws, or you don’t care? How about the order? Do you want your dog to aim for a showy 7 / 10 split, or you don’t care?

We don’t care: Torque can knock down the pins in any order with any portion of his body. In most of our dog bowling game videos, you’ll see that some of the pins topple when he swipes by with his butt. That’s okay with us, we really don’t care.

After you’ve decided the shape of your Dog Bowling Game, have at it. Be ready with your clicker, your treats, and your empty bottle. Put the bottle down in front of your dog. Stare at the bottle. If your dog is puzzled at first, it’s understandable. Chances are throughout their life, you’ve told them to leave alone any bottles on the floor.

Patience is the key

Just be patient and wait. Any interaction your dog has with the bottle gets a “Click!” and reward. The steps for most dogs will look something like:

Look at the bottle.

Sniff the bottle.

Swipe at the bottle.

For each step your dog achieves, “Click and Reward” three to five times. Then wait for them to try something else. For each training session, you may have to go backwards before you move ahead. It takes a while for behaviors to solidify.

If your dog is like most, they won’t believe how easy and fun this game is. Most dogs love batting stuff around and chasing it. That’s going to be the challenging part. When your dog is running up to that bottle to bash it over, it’s time to add more bottles to the game.

When your dog chases the first rolling bottle around rather than staying with you to continue playing, just ignore it. Turn your back on the dog playing with the bottle and stare at the second bottle. Bend over and admire it up close. Your complete lack of interest in what your dog is doing, and obsession with the other bottle, should motivate your dog to come over and see what you’re so fascinated by. If/when this happens, celebrate! Your dog chose playing with you over getting their jollies by themselves. And remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated. Reward heavily, loudly, and often for decisions you like.

Keep adding on

Keep adding bottles until you’ve reached the number you want to keep in the game. Standard bowling is 10, but you can use as many or as few as you like. Your own patience and the space you have available will determine the answer. Remember that you’re the one who has to reset all those “bowling pins” when you play.

Unless, like Hope, you teach your dog to put away the pins when your dog is done with the game. The problem with that – Torque cronches the plastic pins and Hope has to spend just as much time unsquishing them.

Train your dog to stay

Does your dog “Stay!”? Can you walk around your dog? Most people assume they can and don’t expect any problems with it. Most people would be wrong. But you can train your dog to “Stay!” and take it to the next level with the “Walk Around.”

If you tell your dog to “Sit!, Stay!” and try to walk around her, if she’s like most dogs she’ll either get up when you move or swivel on her butt to follow your motion. Few dogs can stand the idea that they can’t see you and what you’re doing.

When we introduce this in our dog training classes, people kind of say “Huh, that’s interesting. I never noticed before.” But they don’t really see the need to teach their dogs to stay in place. Having tripped over numerous dogs over the years, especially in the kitchen, we know it’s a useful skill to have. Especially when you’re trying to carry a pasta pot from the stove to the sink to drain.

“Stay!” with benefits

The foundation for being able to walk around your dog is the “Stay!” And the key to teaching your dog to “Stay!” is setting the rules and sticking to them. Remember that dogs are binary creatures – off/on, yes/no, black/white. There are no shades of gray, no understanding of “maybe.”

To teach your dog to stay, you must decide what “Stay!” looks like. For us, that means only the dog’s head or tail moves. Paws do not move. Not an inch, not an iota. We stay laser-focused looking at their paws and haunches. As you practice “Stay!” you’ll start to recognize the signs that your dog is about to move. Drag out your non-reward marker and prevent it. Or, if you’re too late and your dog’s already in motion, just start over.

Don’t fix anything in dog training. Ever. The “fix” becomes part of the routine that surrounds whatever it is that you’re doing. If you want your dog to “Stay!” for 30 seconds and they get up at 22 seconds, start again, don’t try to continue where you were. It’s busted, start over. Otherwise, your dog will accept that you rushing over, adjusting them, and leaving again is a normal part of “Stay!” And that’s what they’ll do, because it’s just another mystifying thing you play together.

Remember your dog doesn’t care about any of the games, exercises, behaviors, or dog sports. Your dog only cares about playing with you, and being happy together. They do the “stuff” because we ask them to and it’s fun. From a dog’s point of view, they’d just as soon roll around in a trash pile with you as be your obedience competition partner. As long as it’s fun, and they’re with you, they like doing it.

Teaching “Stay!”

With your dog sitting in front of you, hold a treat at about your eye level and slowly and steadily bring it down to your dog’s mouth. If your dog doesn’t move any part of their body other than head or tail, give them the treat when you get there. Immediately start again with another treat at your eye level. If your dog moved, jerk the treat back up to eye level and start over.

If your dog is having a really hard time staying, move the treat towards them faster. You can slow it down as your dog learns the game and what to expect. And always have a second treat ready to go as soon as you deliver the first one. If you don’t, your dog will be “one and done.” We want to sustain the stay.

That’s really all there is to teaching “stay!”. To be able to walk around your staying dog, add motion one step at a time, always rewarding to your dog’s front. Work a gradually increasing arc until your dog is okay with you circling around her. Deliver rewards to the dog’s front so you don’t pull them out of position accidentally. You’ll know when your dog is truly starting to understand the exercise when you see her head flip from one side to the other to watch you as you go around.

Use what your dog knows

Once your dog knows the “Stay!” and you can walk around them, take advantage of it! Remember to say “Stay!” while you’re carrying that pasta pot across the kitchen. Or when you’re opening the hot oven to turn the batch of cookies. Invariably, when we trip over our dogs, it’s because we’ve neglected to tell them what we want them to do. And if your dog is anything like ours, they always have to be where the action is in the house.

Stay / Walk around your dog is behavior that’s absolutely counter to every instinct your dog has. Their natural inclination is always to be in the middle of the action. Always watching everything that’s going on. Many people don’t understand that “Stay!” is difficult work for a dog. A “Stay!” is never “doing nothing.” It’s active work for your dog, so be sure to appreciate and reward the effort.

Being a good dog boss

In all the ways that count, you actually are the boss of your dog. You decide pretty much everything about your dog’s life – when they eat, sleep, go out; where they go, who they see. Doesn’t it just make sense to want to be a good dog boss?

Think about all the jobs you’ve had and the bosses you enjoyed working for. We’d bet big bucks your favorites weren’t the micro-managers who hovered over your shoulder. It was probably the ones who respected your abilities, left you alone to do your job, while being there for support, clarification, and feedback. Those were the good bosses. Follow their lead and be a good dog boss.

Decisions, decisions

It’s really hard to let go and trust your dog to make good decisions. But the alternative is having to be there every moment. Telling your dog what to do all the time. That works for some people. One Obedience person we know simply can’t find the patience. She’s been competing for decades, and for all those years she’s pretty much told her dog how to spend every moment of every day. She’s used to it, and doesn’t really want to change. We think it sounds exhausting.

Once your dog knows the rules of the house, does it mean they never misbehave? No, of course not. But when you yell “knock it off!” at whoever’s hooliganizing at the moment, it has more effect.

Firm foundation

Your dog craves your attention and approval. Once they know that being “good” comes with approval and treats, that’s what happens. They’re good dogs. Because what gets rewarded, gets repeated. Your dog will become a better-thinking companion when they know you encourage them to use their brains.

Having a well-trained dog leads to a more balanced life for everyone. We know several people whose lives with their dogs are completely off-balance. They can’t have people over, they can’t get deliveries, they can’t take their dogs anywhere, and their rooms have a strict system of gates and doors. These people have let their dogs dictate the rules of the house and have let the dog become boss. As a result, no one’s happy.

At the other extreme, we’ve met a few people who treat their dogs like possessions. These dogs are kept in “storage” away from people, and are allowed limited access to family life. They may not have started out there, but the people may have become overwhelmed by the demands of having a dog. No one’s happy here, either.

We’re not sure why these people have dogs at all.

Big, beautiful life

Every moment you spend training your dog, every training game, pays off in the quality of your life together. The cost / benefit ratio is overwhelmingly in your favor. Just a couple minutes at a time, a couple of times a day, can make a huge impact.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could carry the heavy, hot pan to the table from the oven without worrying about where you step? Answering the doorbell, knowing your dog is safely in their “Place!” is priceless. (Ebook / course #1: Clicker and Place) These little things are quality-of-life moments you can achieve. Taking your dog’s good behavior for granted is the ultimate goal.

The best dog training advice ever

The absolute best dog training advice sounds simple. Only two parts to it. And you don’t need any special tools, no particular gear. To really elevate your dog’s understanding, grow your relationship, and open up your dog’s best life, there are two things you need to do:

1: Wait
2: Shut up

We know that sounds rude. But it’s really hard to get people’s attention. And adhering to the best dog training advice isn’t easy. Just this morning, Hope was practicing some heeling with Torque and came to a stop. He sat, as he should. And then he flopped into a “Down.” He was trying to push Hope into whatever “next” would be. It didn’t work. She just looked at him and asked “What were you doing?” He stared back at her for at least 15 or 20 seconds before he got back up into a “Sit.” Hope said “Thank you!,” rewarded her dog for a good decision, and got back to her training game.

How long is a minute

We know how hard it is to just wait and say nothing. The temptation to repeat a command, or give a new one, is sometimes overwhelming. Resistance is not futile. It pays big dividends if you try it.

Think about having a two-legged teenager in the house. Mom says “Junior, please take out the trash.” Junior either ignores Mom or grunts some kind of acknowledgement. 15 minutes later, Mom repeats herself. And Junior grunts and/or waves again. After another 10 minutes, Mom’s lost her cool, and says decisively, “JUNIOR TIBERIUS TEENAGER – TAKE OUT THE TRASH!” And Junior finally does it.

Your training space does not have to be large.

If you keep repeating the same thing to your dog in the same way, that’s the pattern you’re training your dog to know. Say it once, clearly. Then shut up and give your dog time to think. For as long as it takes, if they’re still with you. If they’re not disengaging, they’re thinking, processing, and coming to a decision. It may seem like the time between word and action is forever – you could have said “Sit!” hundreds of times while you were waiting. That’s the point. You don’t want to have to say it a hundred times.

Trust us. We’re pretty certain your dog heard you the first time. Now they’re trying to figure out if you meant it, and what they’ll do about it.

Easier isn’t better

We know it’s easier to just say it again. Just don’t. Don’t deprive your dog of the opportunity to make a good decision. Believe in your dog. We’ve said it before: Wait for your dog!

The only way you can really find out if your dog knows something is to trust them to do it. You don’t know if your dog knows “Down!” unless you can say it once, from across the room, and your dog does it. We practice heeling quite a bit in our dog training classes. Randomly, we’ll call out “Down your dogs!” to our students. It’s really kind of impressive to watch a classful of dogs suddenly drop.

They don’t all start out that way. We’ve said “just wait” more times than we want to think about. And when people wait, their dog puzzles it out and does the right thing. Sometimes you can almost see the hamster-wheels in their brain spinning while they think. Some dogs will look around, see what the other dogs are doing, and copy. But given the chance to choose, dogs almost always choose wisely.

What if they don’t get it right?

By testing your dog’s knowledge of any skill, you gain valuable information for future training games. If they’re acing it, it’s time to move on. You can tuck that behavior into the drawer and air it out once in a while, just to keep it fresh. Now you have time to play a different game.

Nobody likes doing the same task over and over, without end. Not people. And not dogs, either. You can have a particular time and place that you play training games. If you do, your dog will learn the schedule and probably dash off to your special training area when it’s time. You’ll both have more fun if you play different training games, rather than just drilling something you’re “working” on. We want our dogs to be letter-perfect in the very specific exercises for competition obedience. That doesn’t mean we’re always hammering away at them. It means we treat them like all the other, silly, fun training games. Playing those maybe once a week. Maybe not. But always keeping it new, fresh, and fun for us and our dogs.

Why dogs can’t use forks everywhere

What an odd thing to say! Of course dogs can’t use forks. Why is that relevant for dog training?

It came up the other day when a new student of ours asked “Why does my dog know this stuff at home and not here?” (Patience, we’re getting to the forks part.)

It’s a good question, and one that addresses a fundamental difference between the way people think and the way dogs think. People generalize. Dogs don’t.

What does that mean? Basically it’s that your dog knows “Sit!” in the kitchen at home with you facing him/her and holding a treat. It’s knowledge in context, with a specific set of conditions. Change the conditions, and the knowledge isn’t there. Try it outside, or at training class, and your dog has no clue what the word “Sit!” means.

For people, it’s different. (Here come the forks!) Once you know how to use a fork, you know how to use every fork in the world, regardless of where you are, what the fork is made of, or what it looks like. A fork with only two tines? No problem. Plastic, bamboo, or metal? Not an issue. Your knowledge of “fork” expands to include all forks, everywhere.

Getting past the problem

The solution is to vary your training so that your dog learns to generalize. Randomly, wherever you are, tell your dog to “Sit!” And be prepared to reward when he/she does. If your dog doesn’t sit – just wait. Give them time to think and process. “We’re not in the kitchen, but the sound she’s making is familiar, and her hand up like that means she has a cookie.” Give the message time to make its way from your dog’s brain to their hindquarters. Be patient. And reward generously for success.

Just because your dog doesn’t, by nature, generalize doesn’t mean they can’t. But creating new ways of thinking takes some time and consistency. And the skill, once it’s attained, has to be practiced. Every command your dog learns has to expand in range.

It sounds like a lot of time and effort, but it’s really not. Once your dog gets with the program, it’s easy and fun to try. Yesterday, while Fran and Simon were waiting around for Novice Obedience class to start, she gave him the “Troll!” command (from “Front!” the dog goes around to your right and goes between your legs, looking up at you). And he did it! Even though he’d never done it in that place before.

Expand their horizons

One of the beauty parts of the 2-Minute Trainer method is that you can always back up. If your dog’s understanding of something is “iffy” in new circumstances, just go back as far as you need to. Whatever steps you took to teach the dog in the first place can be recreated. Your dog will most likely remember quickly: “Oh, I remember that now!”

When you build a firm foundation for your dog’s learning, it’s not just easier to teach them to generalize. It also opens the pathways for learning new things and building on known skills. Creating variations of games also helps. For example: if you teach your dog to retrieve an Obedience dumbbell, what happens if you place it on the floor at a distance instead of throwing it? What if the dumbbell is on end, instead of on its side? Or if, instead of dropping it, you ask your dog to carry it while heeling?

Teach dogs to use every fork

Practically speaking, dogs who absolutely know what they’re supposed to be doing will do it when asked, anytime, anywhere. Another example is the “Figure 8” obedience exercise. Most people train the exercise as it’s performed in competition: heel around two cones, crossing in the center, then halt. Then do it again.

Training only the exercise as it’s required in competition means that the dogs are pattern trained. They can do the exercise all by themselves without their person. They don’t understand that it’s about paying attention to their person and heeling together as a team. The goal should be building your teamwork, not the mechanics of the exercise.

Instead of the “real” exercise; put out three cones, or four. Go any which way, asking your dog to stay with you. If they don’t know where you’re going, they have to pay attention. Another variation on the behavior that grows your dog’s understanding.

Generally speaking

The joy and challenge of dog training is to build your dog’s understanding. When you see your dog “get” something you’ve been teaching, the feeling of pride, for both of you, is exhilarating. It may take patience to get there, but it’s worth it.

Did you mess up? Give your dog an “oops cookie”

Give your dog a cookie when you mess up.

If you’ve ever made a mistake and groaned, or muttered “ugh!,” your dog needs an “oops cookie.” It’s not that you’re not allowed to make mistakes. You are. Everybody is. It’s to let your dog know it’s not their fault.

Your dog thinks you are absolutely perfect. Everything you do or say is right in your dog’s eyes. Therefore, it’s inconceivable that you’re ever wrong. Or so your dog thinks.

If you’re human, that’s not true. But your dog doesn’t know that. Let’s keep it that way.

The most tell-tale sign that you’ve made a mistake is when you say “ugh!” or something less g-rated. But when you say something like that out loud, your dog thinks they did something wrong. Because you’re perfect in your dog’s eyes. So it must be their fault, or so they think.

Unless you convince them otherwise, your dog may get confused. They won’t know how to “fix” what happened, because they don’t know what went wrong. Some dogs worry about being right. If your dog’s one of them, they might shut down or disengage.

When you make a mistake in your training games give your dog a treat. As soon as “ugh!” leaves your lips, reach for a treat and stick it in your dog’s mouth. It’s a “goof goodie,” or an “oops cookie.” It’s especially important if you’ve muttered something like “darn!” or something more colorful. Your dog doesn’t understand that you make mistakes, so they might take the blame on themselves.

Nobody’s perfect

Years ago, Hope volunteered as a reading tutor for adults learning to read English. As part of their lessons, Hope and the students took turns reading out loud. It was a complete surprise to the students that everybody (even Hope!) stumbles over words and isn’t perfect. And they were much less shy about their reading aloud when they understood that nobody’s perfect.

Unfortunately, your dog will never understand “it’s not you, it’s me!” So skim over the mistake by giving your dog a treat and moving on. Don’t dwell on whatever you screwed up. Just try not to do it again.

Move along, there

Whether you said the wrong thing, clicked at the wrong time, turned in the wrong direction, it doesn’t matter. Just start over or do it again. It takes a while to stop the inadvertent blurts when you mess up. Don’t dwell, just give your dog a goof goodie and get back to your training game.

The nice thing is that your dog won’t question unexpected jackpots. They may not know why they got the oops cookie, but they also don’t care. If you’re like us, sometimes your dog gets a treat just for breathing. Or looking cute. Dogs are really good at cute. Chalk it up to cute.

Change your habit

It takes a long time and lots of conscious effort to change a habit. If you always say something to mark your mistakes, it’s going to take time to turn that around. You may not even know you do it. It’s another argument for recording your training games – and watching the playback. In the meantime, recognize when you’ve done it and give your good dog an “oops cookie.”

Get your dog to “Come!” Play the “Chase Recall” game

The absolute best, works-every-time method to get your dog to “Come!” is to run away. And it has to be really running – none of that fakey, backwards-walking, slow-motion-imitating movement. Run like hell and your dog will come running after you.

Why it works

What do you and your dog have in common? You’re both mammals. Both of you have four limbs. You may even share the same eye color. But one of the most fundamental traits of both humans and dogs is that we’re both predators. Humans are the planet’s apex predators.

You may not think of yourself that way. After all, we don’t have the eyesight of eagles, the speed of cheetahs, or the scenting ability of dogs. But we do have big brains that enable us to outwit our prey. And, in the case of our dogs, we can find ways to teach them and take advantage of the instincts we share.

Making use of the traits pre-packaged in dogs is what good training is all about. We don’t want dogs to defy their natural behaviors. We want to use their instincts to influence their choices.

Get them chasing you

Dogs’ vision has evolved to see motion. Their eyesight may not be all that great for “spot the difference” puzzles, but they see movement. If you’ve ever had an old dog with weakened eyesight, like our 14-year-old Tango, you may have found yourself waving your hand, or an object, to get their attention. It works because their brains are wired to see motion.

Use it! Most dogs are too domesticated to be serious hunters, especially when they live comfortable, inside lives. But they still have the urge to chase things that move. How many times has your dog startled a rabbit, squirrel, or even a bird, and run after it? If you have more than one dog, you know that most pups love a vigorous game of “Chase Me!” – often to the peril of household breakables.

But have you ever tried running away from your dog? The dog that makes sure you’re never lonely in the bathroom, who trips you when you turn around in the kitchen, isn’t going to sit idly by if you start running away. If you take off like a bat outta hell, your dog is going to be right there. (As an aside, this also works with toddlers. That stubborn two-year-old who doesn’t want to go home will toddle as fast as their legs will go if you start running. Interestingly, children can be fooled by “fake running.” Dogs, not as much.)

Refine the steps

If you’re so inclined, you can polish up your dog’s recall pretty easily. When your dog is getting close to catching you, turn around and ask him/her to sit. That’s the start of a competition Obedience, or Rally recall. To bring it to the next level, sitting straight in front of you, try tossing a treat between your legs as your dog approaches. Or you can use the “Watch!” game to get your dog to focus on you as they approach.

You don’t have to fancy up your dog’s recall. But all dogs should have a recall you can rely on. It’s one of the behaviors that can save your dog’s life. Just think what might happen if the plumber leaves your gate open…

Don’t worry about breaking the dog

Some people hesitate to try training games because they’re afraid of breaking the dog. It’s not possible. You can confuse your dog. You can even frustrate the heck out of your dog. But whatever you get “wrong” can be fixed. And your dog will always forgive you.

Some dogs worry about getting things “right.” It takes loads of patience and encouragement to convince these dogs that it’s okay to try new stuff, experiment, play around with new behaviors and new stuff. People worry about getting it “right,” too.

We see it in our classes, especially when people bring their children to class. Kids often make terrific dog trainers, because they’re not worried about how they look, whether their dog measures up, or if they’re doing it exactly right.

Here’s the thing – you don’t have to worry about it. If you’re training at home, your dog will love you no matter what you do. And the two of you will figure out what you meant together. If you’re out in public, no one’s looking at you. They’re all looking at your dog and how cute he/she is. And hopefully, how well-mannered and beautifully trained.

Get over yourself

Whether age or experience gave us the gift, we now completely own not caring what other people think. We train our dogs wherever we go. We’re as loud as we need to be. Your dog doesn’t care if you’re doing stuff right, or looking silly. He/she absolutely adores you. And your relationship with your dog only improves the more training games you play.

We’ve noticed in our classes how the person who works more with the dog gets closer to the dog. And the other family members can get a little jealous. Until they realize that your dog can have a different, unique, and tight bond with everyone in the family. Dogs are the epitome of unconditional love. There’s no limit on love. There’s enough for everybody.

Play with your dog

If there’s a particular training game you know would be beneficial for your dog, but you’re not quite sure if you’re playing it right – stop worrying! Do it the best you know how. If you want some clarification – ask us, send a video, post on our social media pages. We’re all over the place; Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, email. We check email and messages.

If you want the help, we’re here. But as long as you and your dog understand each other, how you’re training, your way of playing the games, it’s just fine. It’s much more important that you play training games with your dog than the “mechanics” of the games.

Step by step

We try to explain each little step of every game. Demonstrations of the games are in our videos. While the way we do things works, it’s certainly not the only way of doing things. You won’t break your dog if you don’t follow the steps exactly. Your dog may jump ahead several steps. That’s terrific! You don’t have to plod through where it’s not needed. Or your dog may need an even smaller breakdown for some steps. That’s okay, too. Some people love math. Others enjoy history. Some people learn by reading. Others need out-loud presentations. As long as it works, go with it.

The more “tools” you have in your dog-training toolbox, the better off you are. As an example – taking and holding a dumbbell is part of Obedience competition at the Open level. Not all dogs are natural retrievers. Some take to the dumbbell right away. Others just don’t get it. There are lots of ways of teaching a dog to love the dumbbell. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque caught on just with a couple of clicker sessions. Simon, Fran’s Boston Terrier, learned just by watching the other dogs. One dog we know fell in love with the dumbbell when his person tied a string to it and slowly dragged it along for the dog to chase.

Don’t worry that it’s not good enough

The Carpenters had a hit song “Sing” with that lyric – “Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear. Just sing, sing a song.” Just train. Train your dog!

Make every training game fun for your dog

Make training fun for your dog. If you want your dog to learn, make sure they’re having fun. Dogs are just like people. They learn the most when they’re engaged. And the best way to engage both dogs and people is to make sure they have fun.

The school classes where you learned the most were the ones you enjoyed. Your teacher may have been tough, but made the class interesting, relatable, and fun. And you learned. It’s the same for dogs.

It’s interesting to see what games our dog training students play with their dogs during the week between classes. We can always tell – it’s the ones the dogs are best at.

And even though we tell our students which games are the focus for the week, it doesn’t always happen. The assigned games aren’t always the most fun, so they get shoved aside.

We saw it just this week. Hope introduced a couple of “trick” games to her students, “Catch!” with popcorn (preparing for the 4th of July), and “Leg Weaving.” The dog/handler teams in the class absolutely mastered both games in just one week. Their impulse control games? Still works in progress.

School figures

If you’re a fan of figure skating competitions, there used to be a category called “school figures.” We always found them fascinating, but they’ve been dropped. We suspect it’s because most spectators (and skaters) found them tedious and uninteresting. But the precision required in school figures were fundamentals that, in the long run, improved the skaters’ performances.

There are dog games that serve the same purpose. “Whatcha Gonna Do?” isn’t the most fun game to play. Especially if you’re playing it with a puppy whose needle-sharp teeth are making holes in your hand. But it’s the heart of impulse control. And most bad dog behavior is due to a lack of impulse control.

Impulsive pup

Simon, Fran’s four-year-old Boston Terrier, is possibly the most impulsive dog we’ve ever known. If he wants to do something, his first instinct is to rush right in. It’s only through consistent refreshers of impulse control games that he’s able to think before he does.

Simon adores fresh, cold water. Whenever we change the dogs’ water, several times a day, he’s always right there, ready to get the first slurp. Yesterday was hot and he was particularly anxious. As Hope lowered the bowl, he bashed in there and water spilled all over the place.

Did we yell at him? No. We put the bowl back on the counter, cleaned up the mess, and started again. And, as Hope lowered the bowl this time, she asked Simon “Whatcha Gonna Do?” He sat. The bowl reached the floor. Simon got his release word, and a good long drink.

Do it anyway

Everyone tends to spend more time doing things they think are fun. If you and your dog are having a good time playing “Catch!” you don’t have to stop at 2 Minutes.

The time limit is there to remind people the games they don’t like so much will be over soon. Your dog will pick up on your attitude, so at least pretend you like it. Smile and say “Yay! We get to play ‘Whatcha Gonna Do?’ now!” Even if you’re thinking “It’s only two minutes. We can do it for two minutes.”

The best part about sticking that smile on your face is that your dog will see it and be happy too. And if your dog is wiggling and having fun, you’ll feel it, too.

Spin! Dog Training Game

The “Spin!” Dog Training Game is not only fun, but has some practical uses, too. There are a bunch of variations for the spin behavior; in place, around objects, up on hind feet (that’s “Dance!”).

“Spin!” is one of the behaviors that’s easiest to teach by luring your dog. It’s pretty simple. Show your dog you have a treat by holding it close to your dog’s nose. Then move your hand back towards your dog’s shoulder. They should naturally turn their heads to follow your hand. Reward as your dog starts turning toward their own shoulder. Each time, take the treat a little farther back along your dog’s side as he/she catches on.

Common pitfalls

Watching our dog training students playing “Spin!” with their dogs, we noticed most people allow their dogs’ motion to create distance between them and their dogs. The dog doesn’t understand what you’re up to, so they move away to get a better look. The result is that you can no longer reach all the way around your dog, and everyone winds up confused.

This exercise is very close work. Your dog should be right with you, and, when your dog spins, should end up in exactly the same place they started. It’s an in-place movement.

You may also run up against your dog having a preference turning to one side and not the other. Most dogs, like most people, are either right- or left-handed. Unlike people, most dogs are lefties. It doesn’t really matter, except that you’ll probably need to practice the “Spin!” more on the dog’s non-dominant side. Don’t let your dog become a one-way spinner! It’s tempting to let the “easy” side prevail, but your dog will build lop-sided muscles.

Benefits of “Spin!”

Aside from being an adorable party trick, the “Spin!” can be useful, too. The first variation, teaching your dog to spin around an object, works when you’re out walking and your dog goes around the wrong side of a tree. Just asking him/her to “Spin!” back to you takes care of the problem, without any leash tangles.

To teach your dog to “Spin!” around something, try using a chair. Stand by the chair with your dog at your side. Again, show your dog you have a treat and guide him/her around the object, rewarding when they reach your other side. Take note of the motion you make with your hand, like a giant stirring move. This is an ideal hand signal to use for “Spin!” – it indicates what, as well as which direction.

Practice the “Spin!” Dog Training Game in both directions, in place as well as around an object. Always use the hand closest to the dog to reward. For the “Spin!” around an object, when your dog starts to get the idea, step away from the chair so the dog can make a complete circle.

Turn it into a “Dance!”

It doesn’t take long for most dogs to learn “Spin!” and to love it. When your dog is spinning like a top when you wave your hand in a circular motion (stirring), it’s time to take it up high, for a “Dance!” Having your dog twirl around on their hind feet is cute as heck. It’s also a good indicator of their leg and core strength.

To teach “Dance!” just hold the treat up higher than for the Spin! Dog Training Game. Keep it at a level where your dog has to reach up to get it – high enough so their front paws have to leave the ground. If your dog can’t sustain it at first, that’s okay. But be sure to reward while your dog is reaching, ideally with front paws above the ground. Remember, dogs learn from the timing and placement of rewards. If you want your dog up, keep the reward up.

Get them in shape

If your dog isn’t able to “Dance!” quite yet, check out the exercises for core strength and balance. And always try to train both sides. Start with your dog’s non-dominant side, so the training and exercises are “easier” when your dog’s a little tired.

Even the exercises we advocate only take a couple minutes at a time. And they should always be fun games your dogs play with you – not chores to be accomplished. Those of us who hate working out (both of us!) keep it fun for our dogs. If you make it fun, your dog will believe it is.