dog behavior Archives - Page 3 of 4

Paw Preference: is Your Dog a Lefty or Righty?

Torque's paw preference is his left when he "taps." — Torque “taps” with his left paw.

Most dogs have a distinct paw preference, just like people. Unlike people, who are disproportionately right-handed, dogs seem to be evenly divided among lefties and righties, with a significant percentage of ambidextrous pups, too. Have you ever noticed whether your dog is a lefty or righty?

How do you know?

There are lots of different ways of figuring it out. And all of them can turn into another training game. The easiest is to have your dog standing and see which paw, left or right, they use for the first step. Or see which paw your dog uses to hold a bone or other chew toy.

Our favorite game to figure out left vs. right dog preference is to stand with your dog a few feet away from a wall. Holding your dog’s collar, toss a treat against the wall. Tell your dog to get the treat and then call your dog back to you. See which way your dog turns, to his/her right or left, to come back to you.

Gather the data

A single repetition won’t tell you anything about your dog’s paw preference. If you use the treat-toss-turn game, repeat at least 10 times to find out your dog’s “laterality” (left or right pawedness). If your dog turns the same way eight times out of ten, you can assume that’s the side your dog prefers.

There doesn’t seem to be any definitive study on “pawedness” in dogs. And it doesn’t really matter all that much. It does let you know which side is “dominant,” which may help you in evening out your training.

Just like people, dogs can over-develop the dominant side. If baseball pitchers didn’t balance their workouts, their dominant (pitching) arm would be huge in comparison to the other. Just like people, dogs also have a two-sided brain. Working the “off” side both physically and mentally, keeps the individual more fit.

Obedience Bias

Booker "heels" at Fran's left side. — Booker “heels” at Fran’s left side.

In most obedience and rally dog sports, the dog is always on the handler’s left side. This practice has ancient roots and goes back to hunters and warriors needing their right (dominant) hand for their weapons. Their dogs were on the left. While the original purpose no longer applies, the dog-on-left habit continues.

Every so often, it’s great to switch things up. Try heeling with your dog on your right. Your dog may be a bit confused at first, so you may want to use a different word than your usual “heel!” We tend to use “Switch!” to get our dogs into heel position on the right.

You may find it a bit awkward to stick to the rule “Always give treats with the hand closest to the dog,” but remember it. You never want your dog crossing in front of you to get the cookie. They could trip you and both could get hurt.

Balanced Training

Be careful! These days dog trainers who use a combination of punishing corrections and treats are calling themselves “balanced” trainers. That’s not what we mean. Balanced training should be doing exercises and playing games on both sides. What your dog can do on one side, try on the other. When we’re playing games where our dogs are going from one side of the room to the other (Ring Stacking, Put Your Toys Away), we switch sides periodically. That way our dogs get used to seeing movement, and keeping on task through distractions.

Surprising laterality

When you’re doing your Perch Work, your dog may find one direction much more difficult than the other. That’s why we do it. Build up your dog’s proficiency on both sides equally to keep them physically fit and mentally acute.

Eyes on the Prize

Setting priorities in dog training

When your dog does something unexpected in a training session, how do you react? Do you remember your priorities in dog training? Or do you allow your focus to wander?

Torque gave Hope a lesson in keeping priorities straight. In the middle of their 2-Minute Trainer video of the week, he decided to take off with the training game’s object, carry it off to a corner, and shred it to bits.

So she screamed “NO!” at him, wrestled it out of his mouth, smacked him with it, and crated him immediately.

Of course not. You can see in the video that she takes a pause to figure out what Torque’s up to. Removes the toy, and attempts to regain his attention and focus. It’s semi-successful, but calls for a change in the plan.

There are two paths forward:

Change directions and teach Torque to use pool noodle pieces, not eat them.
Use something else for the “Push!” game and get on with life.

Decide what’s important

Is it worth it for Torque to learn not to eat pool noodles? When we think about how often he’ll encounter them, not really. If we used them for anything but dog training games, it might be important. But we have no pool, and he’s never going anywhere without us. The chances of him encountering and destroying other people’s pool noodles in the wild is minimal. So we’re going to make a different choice for his training games.

That’s how you keep your eyes on the prize. Torque showed us the object we were using for the game isn’t a viable option. So we’ll use something else. That’s keeping your dog training priorities in order. We talked about training certain behaviors regardless of the public’s perception of any breed’s intelligence some time ago.

Be ready to shift gears

“Shifting gears” used to be something every driver had to know how to do. Nowadays, most people probably don’t even know the origin of the phrase. But it’s still a good one. Drivers of manual transmission cars had to pay attention to multiple inputs (speed, traffic, signals, etc.) and be ready to literally shift gears to adjust. Constantly.

Dog training requires that you’re paying attention to what your dog is telling you and be ready to shift gears and adjust. Torque’s theft of the pool noodle was him saying “I don’t know what you want, so I’m leaving.” His repetition of that means “Shredding this thingie is highly rewarding to me, so I’m going to keep doing it.”

Given a choice, dogs will always opt for the most rewarding action. At that moment, shredding the noodle was more rewarding than playing with Hope. Gears have to shift. The game has to get more fun, and the object less so.

Always communicating

Your dog is always providing feedback on your training. If you pay attention to what their behavior and body language tells you, your partnership will thrive.

And be ready to shift on the fly (back to car references!). If, instead of a pool noodle, Torque had suddenly decided that books are wonderful to destroy, we would have to address that. If it matters to you, you can make it matter to your dog. You set your own priorities in dog training.

Train your dog to walk on a treadmill

When it’s too hot to trot … Dogs need exercise. And one of the best exercises for both dogs and people is walking. (We talked about other kinds of exercise your dog might need in “Wellbeing of dogs.”) But there are times it’s just not practical to go for a long fitness walk. It may be too hot, too cold, too wet, or too icy. You may need to use every walk for training if you have a reactive dog. If, for whatever reason, outdoor walks are impractical, you can train your dog to walk on your treadmill.

There are specifically-designed “dog joggers,” but without a kennel full of dogs that need exercise, the treadmill designed for people works just fine. Especially if you can manually set the speed, incline, and time. That’s what we do with our dogs and they jump on to get started.

Training for treadmill walking

If, like many, your treadmill has become a fancy clothes hanger rather than a routine part of your schedule, the first training step is getting your dog used to the noise the treadmill makes. If you use the treadmill regularly, your dog is already familiar with the sound and shouldn’t fuss about it.

Use high-value treats for all treadmill training. Since this training is for health and fitness, we want the dogs to love it. Set a short program on the treadmill and have your treats handy. Start the treadmill and get your dog into the room on leash and harness. If your dog doesn’t have a harness, get one. It’s a safety issue. The last thing you want is to jerk your dog’s neck if he/she missteps on the treadmill.

For this first step in training the dog isn’t getting on the treadmill, but we want to establish the routine – harness, leash, yummy treats, treadmill. Dogs love routine. Get as close to the treadmill as your dog is comfortable and just reward him/her for being calm. If your dog is wary at first, that’s fine. You’ll move gradually closer as your dog indicates comfort where they are.

If your dog is fine with the sound, let him/her check out the treadmill, looking and sniffing. Keep hold of the leash and try not to allow your dog to step up on the treadmill when it’s moving. It could frighten him/her – things dogs step on don’t usually move by themselves.

Next step

For the next 2-Minute session of treadmill training, leave the treadmill off. This is the session your dog gets to step on the tread, sniff around, and learn the right position for walking on the treadmill. If your treadmill is like ours, there’s a grab bar on the tread side, towards you. Drape the leash over the bar so your dog gets used to seeing it over his/her head.

Simon (Boston Terrier) is walking on the treadmill. — Simon is getting his roadwork in.

Think about where you plan to stand and how you’ll deliver rewards when your dog is exercising on the treadmill. Different dogs may require different approaches. Since our dogs are comfortable on our left side through obedience training, we stand to the side of the treadmill, facing the same way as the dog. Remember – always reward with the hand closest to the dog. We hold the leash in our right hands, and deliver treats with the left.

How you do it is up to you and your dog. You can be on the left, right, or even standing over your dog with one foot on either side on the deck. Eventually you may even be able to share the treadmill with your dog. We don’t recommend it, for safety’s sake, but we know some people jog with their dogs. You can also be in front of the treadmill, encouraging your dog to come towards you. Unless you have another person to hold the leash, this isn’t ideal.

Try it, you’ll like it!

After a couple sessions hanging out by the treadmill, both on and off, your dog may be ready to give it a try. Don’t hurry – there’s no rush. If your dog avoids the equipment, he/she isn’t ready to get on it. Don’t ever try to plunk your dog onto the treadmill and start it up. This has to be a voluntary behavior if it has any chance of success.

Set your dog up on the treadmill, wearing his/her harness, leashed and under control. Start the treadmill slowly, without incline, and see how your dog does. You can always increase the speed later. Encourage him/her to walk as it starts up, even “fake-walking” yourself to get the idea across. Reward often and encourage frequently.

If your dog freaks out – go back to sound desensitizing and sniffing/looking sessions. If he/she isn’t frightened, but doesn’t quite know what to do, keep a firm hold of the leash and do not let him/her fall off the back. Encourage with a brisk “Let’s go!” or whatever you say when you go for a walk outside.

Treadmill training

When your dog is comfortable on the treadmill, adjust the program for the time and speed that’s best for you and your dog. Finding your dog’s natural gait speed may take a few tries. Gradually increase speed until your dog is moving comfortably and picking up his/her feet. If you hear nails scraping on the tread, the speed isn’t right for your dog. You can adjust slower as well as faster.

Three or four fitness walks a week are all that’s really necessary to keep your dog in top physical condition. It’s great to have the option of an inside workout when the weather outside is frightful.

Dog training step by step

We’ve all heard the saying that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” That’s true for dog training, too. This is a journey that we’re on, and since it lasts the dog’s entire life, we all hope it’s a very long one. Dog training step by step means your dog thoroughly understands, trusts you completely, and loves you completely.

Sometimes it may seem like you’re not getting anywhere fast. And you may not be. Steady progress is difficult to measure. Especially when you have a 2-Minute game session that doesn’t go particularly well. That’s one of the beauty parts of the system – even the worst game session is only two minutes long. While we often want the good ones to last longer, we’re grateful the bad ones end quickly.

Baby steps get you there

If you have a dog who loves playing fetch, it’s a great game. If your dog doesn’t understand any part of it, it’s a complex behavior that your dog can learn to love playing. There are lots of moving parts to fetch:

Wait while you throw the toy.
Run after the toy.
Find the toy.
Pick up the toy.
Hold the toy.
Run back with the toy.
Drop the toy.

If you have a non-fetching dog, not a single one of those steps comes naturally to your dog. Every one of them can be taught as a separate game. But if you’ve ever thrown a toy for a dog who sat there and looked at you, you know it’s impossible to teach the entire game at one time. If your dog is a “if you wanted it, why did you throw it away?” kind of dog, you know what we mean.

Keep it small and doable

Torque looks confused - whenever it's not dog training step by step. — Is Torque confused because the step was too big?

When every step is its own game, with a reward for small steps, no one gets discouraged. If you ask too much of your dog, they may disengage. Stress behaviors might include walking away, turning their head, licking their lips, yawning, or scratching. If you see any of those, it’s time to step back and assess the situation. Did you ask too much? Is the step you’re taking too big? Can you break it down smaller? We recently broke down the steps for Tango’s favorite game – “Put your toys away.”

Recently Hope was starting to teach the Utility Obedience exercise “Directed Retrieve.” In this exercise, three gloves are evenly spaced apart at one end of the ring. The dog is supposed to fetch the glove his owner points at. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque knows how to go get stuff and bring it back to Hope. He loves the dumbbell retrieve that’s another Obedience exercise.

Torque was completely flummoxed by the Directed Retrieve. Even though he knows “Get It!,” he was unfamiliar with the gloves, the multiple objects, and Hope’s directional signal. So Hope’s breaking it down. After a few 2-Minute games, Torque will now pick up the glove and carry it. He’s working on dropping it on command. And he’s still figuring out how to tell which one to get.

Too much to swallow

It’s discouraging to fail. Torque didn’t recognize that “fetch the glove” was pretty much the same as “fetch the dumbbell.” We’ve mentioned before that dogs don’t generalize, and here was another proof. Now each part of the exercise is a separate game.

If your dog truly isn’t making progress with something you want to teach, think about the smaller steps you can take. The way to keep your 2-Minute dog training games fast, fun, and effective is to keep the steps small. You’ll get where you’re going, whether you take small steps or giant leaps to get there.

You can’t cram dog training

Scenario: You’re hosting a big, buffet-style party in a couple of weeks. Your dog is a counter-surfing expert. Nothing on any flat surface is safe. Sadly, you don’t have time to change that. You can’t cram dog training.

In this case, managing the situation is the best you can do. You can either secure your dog away from the food, or have him on leash and tethered to a responsible person throughout the party. Left to her own devices, your dog will find the most rewarding option. Which would be a festival of party food.

Assigning someone to guard the banquet isn’t ideal, either. That person’s only option would be to reprimand the dog for being naughty. If your dog doesn’t know the “right” choice, they default to what’s most rewarding. In this scenario, it’s a feast.

Crisis training doesn’t work

You can't cram dog training. Simon thinks he can help himself to the salad on the kitchen table. — Simon thinks he can help himself to the salad on the kitchen table.

You can’t train a dog “stay off the counter” during a party. Likewise, you can’t train a dog to “stay” when the delivery guys are currently in and out of your house. If push has come to shove, your option is to manage the situation and the dog. (We talked about setting your counter-surfing dog up for success a while ago.)

Remember there are three ways to deal with dog behavior; ignore, manage, or train.

If you choose to ignore something your dog does, they’ll keep doing it. That’s okay, since it doesn’t bother you enough to do something about it.

In an urgent situation, like our fictional party or deliveries, the best option is management. Without a thorough understanding of what to do, your dog may get in trouble. If you need your entire attention on other chaos, manage your dog’s access. Securing your dog in another room or in a crate is a viable management choice. Trying to cram dog training in before a deadline is a losing proposition.

The long-term solution is to train your dog to cope with temptation and excitement. Athletes, musicians, and dancers practice constantly to build their “muscle memory.” Similarly, dogs rely on well-trained responses to decide their actions in somewhat familiar situations.

Set up for success

If your dog is a counter-surfer, set up training sessions to teach them how to react. This is a perfect time for a 2-Minute session.

Put a handful of yummy food on the counter and stand there. If your dog sniffs at it, paws at it, attempts to reach it in any way, cover it. You can use your hand or a bowl or container.

When the dog backs off, click (or praise) and reward. If the dog sits, even better! Praise and reward from the handful of food that’s already there. You’re teaching your dog that you are the source of all good things. She doesn’t get to help herself.

It’s an easy concept for people. Ask politely and you’ll get what you want.

Since we want our dogs to be comfortable in human society, they need to learn manners. Dogs have instincts. Manners must be taught. We empower our dogs by giving them the tools, and manners they need.

How to stop constant dog barking

“How do I get my dog to stop barking?” is always in the top five questions all trainers get.

In response to our last tip “Be There,” we got some questions about the story with the barking dogs. The immediate “fix” was to restrict access to the windows where the dog barks. We talked about how dog learning never happens if you’re not there to teach.

So we have to turn the question around a little. You have to put yourself in the picture. It’s “How do I teach my dog to stop barking?” You’re the one causing the change.

Stop Barking game

Recognize your dog's barking trigger is the first step to training "Quiet." — What’s your dog’s barking trigger?

Recognizing your dog’s barking triggers is the first step in changing the behavior. Is there a particular time of day that your dog barks? If so, what’s going on at that time? It could be any number of things, from kids on their way to school, to the postal carrier, to delivery people.

If you really want the barking to stop, restrict access to the area/room/window where the dog finds the trigger. This can be as simple as closing the blinds, or putting up a gate. It’s a temporary restriction, until your dog learns “Quiet!”

If there is a regular time your dog barks, be ready in advance. Make sure you have your clicker and really, really yummy treats. If your dog is a habitual barker, he or she is happy when barking. Turning it around will require a really terrific reward.

When your dog lets out a bark, get excited and move toward the window where the dog is barking. “What’s there, Fido?” “What do you see?” Don’t look at your dog, look outside. Chances are this will confuse your dog, since he or she is used to you paying attention to them, instead of what’s outside.

Focus on you

When you think about it, that’s pretty true, isn’t it? When your dog barks, you’ve probably immediately paid attention to the dog, not what they’re barking at. An unintended consequence is that you’ve rewarded your dog with your attention whenever they bark. Which means they’ve learned to bark to get your attention. (Next week we’ll talk about Barking for Attention.)

When your dog looks at you in his confusion, click and reward. “Good quiet!” And walk away from the window. Invite your dog to come with you, rewarding for coming away. If they don’t keep you company, run away from the window. When your dog catches up to you, give him a treat, or if your dog’s favorite reward is a toy, play a quick game of tug.

That’s all there is to the game – getting your dog’s attention on you instead of the barking trigger. If you have to get between your dog and the stimulus, do it. When Hope’s French Bulldog Torque started barking incessantly at the Husky two doors down, she stepped between Torque and the fence, talking to him to get his attention. As soon as he glanced at her, he got a click and a cookie. A really, really good cookie. Most of the time he just glances at the Husky now. And then runs over to Hope for a treat.

Control the situation

In Torque’s case he went out in our own fenced backyard on leash until he learned the game. Training games only work if both of you are there and paying attention. This wasn’t a game Torque really wanted to play, but he got it.

Your dog will, too. If it happens that your dog starts barking when you’re not prepared, do anything to interrupt the behavior and reset your dog’s focus. You know your dog’s magnets. One of our dogs would come running whenever he heard a M & Ms package rattle. (He only got one – we asked the vet for permission.) Another dashes over when he hears the treat cabinet. Use what you know about your dog!

Allowing the barking to continue just solidifies the habit. And, as you know, habit is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Changing an entrenched behavior will take time, but it can be done with patience and consistency.

Body language wins

It was like a revelation to our puppy class students. When you want your dog to release something, you don’t tug on it. That’s just common sense. One of dogs’ favorite games is tug. Being the logical creatures they are, dogs think that if you’re tugging, you’re playing. If your mouth is saying “drop it” or “let go” but your body language is saying “PLAY WITH ME!” – body language wins.

As a matter of fact, body language pretty much always wins. We’ve mentioned before how dogs are wonderful at reading signaled behaviors. It’s even a requirement in competition obedience. Not a word, just a gesture clues your dog into what you want him/her to do.

Try it yourself. If you’re like most people, your dog knows both the word “Sit!” and some kind of gesture that you always use that goes along with it. While you’re making the motion for “sit!”, say “Down!” instead. We’d bet your dog puts the emphasis on the motion.

Hard wired for motion

It makes sense. Dogs are predators. They’re attracted to motion. It’s exciting and gets their attention. They’re not animals that communicate with sound. We must make a conscious effort to teach our dogs to listen to the actual words we’re saying. Otherwise, we’re doomed to sound like the adults in the Peanuts cartoons “wah wah wah wah wah.”

Torque starts with a sit on the stool. — Does Torque “have his ears on?”

It can be done. Every other morning Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, does specific exercises on a low stool that involve his hips/knees/ankles. Frenchies are notoriously front-heavy, so we make sure he works on strengthening his back end. The specific commands Hope uses are “Squat!” for him to put his front legs on the floor with his back end on the stool, and “Crouch!” for him to move off the back end with his front on the stool.

Hope is sure to “mix up” the order (with a “Sit!” on the stool between). Not knowing what’s coming up next, Torque has to listen. And Hope has a good indicator of how attentive he is that day – whether he “has his ears on” or not.

Get something to trade

So, when your dog steals your underwear out of your drawer and your natural instinct is to grab it, what are you supposed to do? (By the way, it’s best to address those bad habits now, because puppies don’t usually “grow out” of them.)

This was one of our puppy students’ real-life scenarios, and it ended with a trip to the emergency veterinarian’s office when the puppy ate the undies.

So yes, grab it. And hold on for dear life. You don’t want to make that trip to the vet.

But don’t pull. Just hold on. If you can, hold with both hands, one on either side of the dog’s mouth. And stay as still as you possibly can. If someone else is there, have them hold the dog so she can’t initiate the tug game. (Because, again, body language wins. If you’re calm and still, chances are your dog might be a little more calm.) If you’re alone, move forward, backing the dog into a dead-end space, if you can. Sometimes, just the action of moving the item further into the dog’s mouth will get them to release it.

Try to speak calmly and say whatever you want in a nice voice. If you amp up the volume, your dog will get more excited. The objective is to make the situation as un-game-like as possible. If there is someone else there, or if you can reach something, offer a particularly delicious treat or favorite actual tug toy in exchange.

Next week we’ll work on the “Drop it!” game

Stop Your Dog from Jumping on People

It’s really cute when puppies jump up to get attention. It’s not cute anymore when the dog grows up and isn’t a cute, tiny puppy any more. So how do you stop your dog from jumping on people?

Cry for attention

How do you stop a dog from jumping on you? — A dog jumping on you is a plea for attention.

Dogs don’t generally just jump for joy. When they’re so full of energy they just can’t contain themselves, jumping up and down isn’t the usual behavior. Instead, they’ll get the “zoomies” and run like crazy. If your house, like ours, has a circular path, they’ll make it into a race track. And you’d best just stay out of the way until the zoomies run out.

Jumping, especially on people, is a plea for attention. And the best way to get it to stop is by ignoring it. Which, we freely admit, is easier said than done.

In Hope’s Beginning Obedience/Puppy classes, dogs will often jump on her as she approaches. We don’t know if you can tell from our videos, but she’s not a big person. She’s about five-foot-nothing tall, and not incredibly substantial. In one session, there was a lovely, 50+ lb. Lab puppy named Gus who adored jumping on Hope and grabbing the mask off her face. On his hind legs, Gus is about the same height as Hope, so her mask was well within reach. It’s worth noting that he really is a very nice dog – he never snagged anything but the mask.

Be prepared

Knowing when your dog is likely to jump on someone, and what circumstances trigger the behavior, is key in stopping it. Set up the situation and be prepared.

In this case, Hope had Gus’s people keep hold of his leash until she braced herself and was ready for his enthusiasm. Then she told them to release enough slack for Gus to reach her, but not go past. Gus grabbed the mask again, but Hope did nothing. She didn’t move, didn’t play “tug” with the mask, didn’t look at him, didn’t pay any attention to him. She looked past Gus at his people. And had to tell them repeatedly not to react.

And, after a few seconds of acting the fool, Gus got all four feet on the ground. Immediately, Hope told him what a good boy he was and started petting him. Which triggered his jumping.

Hope instantly returned to braced-statue mode. No reaction whatsoever. And Gus got all four feet on the ground. Which earned him the praise and attention he wanted.

Instant gratification

Timing is important in teaching dogs. If the lesson is “don’t jump on people” there has to be a visible difference. Jump = no attention. No jumping = praise, treats, and attention.

We’ve often said that doing nothing is, by far, the hardest part of dog training. (“The hardest part of dog training“) If you pay attention to behaviors you don’t want, you’re encouraging that behavior. If you remove that attention, the dog has no reason to continue the behavior – it’s not working for him.

Dogs always give you more of the behavior you focus on. If you repeatedly say “off, get off, no jump” it’s paying attention to the behavior. It works much better to emphasize when your dog is doing something you want. Instant praise, treats, or a game of tug will tell your dog he’s being “good,” that you like what he’s doing, and he’ll get more attention with this good choice.

Making good choices

Everyone, dogs included, is sufficiently selfish to do what works best. If jumping on people results in attention, even if it’s “No, No, bad dog,” it’s working. Dogs don’t discriminate between negative and positive attention. To your dog, anytime you focus on them, it’s a good thing.

If you ignore the behavior you don’t want, your dog has no reason to continue doing it. The dog’s behavior isn’t working, so they stop doing it.

If your dog is jumping on someone, have them stand like a statue. Fold their arms across their chest and stare at the ceiling. It may take some repetitions, but your dog will learn that jumping gets them nothing they want. Dogs particularly hate it when you don’t look at them. So make a point of looking away.

Flip side

The other side of the coin has to be just as fast and clear. If the dog has all four feet on the ground, meet their eyes, praise them mightily, and give treats, pets, toys. For as long as the good behavior lasts. Be ready to stop in mid-word if the jumping starts.

It may take some time for the lesson to sink in. Each time the dog gets the same message, the “right” choice penetrates deeper into their personality. By the end of the class session, Gus sat whenever Hope came over to see him. Good boy, Gus!

Why does my dog love other people more?

Does your dog love other people more than you? Does he go running to a favorite person, leaving you abandoned and standing all alone?

Before you get frustrated, jealous, or start trying to woo your dog back, try to decipher what’s actually going on.

You adore that person

One of the most likely explanations of the situation is that you adore that person and your dog is picking up on your delight in seeing him/her. Our dogs have excellent antenna for our feelings. If someone makes you happy, chances are that person will make your dog happy, too.

These days, we can’t always hug people we care about – but our dogs have no concept of social distancing and can go rushing in where people fear to go.

Recognizing “dog people”

Dogs in our shop’s neighborhood know we’re a great place to stop. There are a few who even pull their owners/walkers in our direction. Dogs have great memories and know they’ll get a treat and a scritch when they stop in. Lots of dogs, all over the world, have their “regular rounds” of people and places they visit as a matter of routine. It doesn’t mean the dogs love those more – it means you’re a great owner who enriches your dog’s life with great experiences.

Dogs should also adore their dog walkers, if you use one. We know of many people, now working from home, who continue to use their walkers. It’s good for everyone – the walkers have continued employment in tough times, the owners have a few minutes to themselves, and the dogs love it.

Loving too much?

If you’ve attended a dog training class, or hired a private trainer, your dog may also adore the trainer. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sometimes not so much.

Most good trainers are wary of using a dog in the class for a “demo dog,” or paying too much attention to any attendee’s dog. It’s not that the trainer doesn’t like you, or your dog. A good trainer will avoid substantial interaction with other people’s dogs.

We know that dogs respond to clear, consistent instructions and rewards. Dogs that seem clueless and untrainable can instantly become stars of the class when the trainer takes the leash. Good trainers have spent years honing those skills – crystal clear instructions, prompt delivery of rewards.

He really does love you best

Don’t despair if your dog runs off to greet someone else. The joy she feels in seeing that person reflects the confidence and fun you’ve built into her life. And remember, you’re greeted with exuberant delight when you return. Even if you were just gone long enough to take out the trash. Your dog really does love you best.

Actually, your dog doesn’t know better

Ceilidh looks like she's feeling guilty about something. — Ceilidh looks guilty, but…

We hear it all the time.

“My dog peed on the bed to spite me.”

“Fifi knows better – she did it because she was mad at me.”

“Phydeaux is so stubborn – he just ignores me when I tell him something.”

“Rover is so defiant. He knows he’s not supposed to do that!”

Actually – no. That’s not how dogs think. If your dog is sitting there staring at you after you’ve told her to do something, either she’s confused or she doesn’t know what you want. And, chances are, she’s afraid of making the wrong decision.

Dogs don’t think the way we do. They truly live in the moment, without comprehension of “cause and effect.” We know that, for many dogs, eating grass will result in vomiting. Dogs don’t know that. The “eating grass” is far enough removed (even if it’s minutes later) from the “vomiting” that the dog is incapable of making the connection. Even though Spot throws up EVERY SINGLE TIME he eats grass, he will never connect the two (causation) and develop a dislike of eating grass.

We humans make that connection so easily that it takes some doing to “think like a dog.” Trying to adjust your thinking, see things from your dog’s perspective, will help you communicate better with your dog.

Causation vs. correlation

Dogs learning with positive-reinforcement games are willing to try and keep trying. The worst consequences of “getting it wrong” for our dogs is lack of reward.

That’s part of the difference in thinking. Dogs are good at connecting the dots – if I do good “stuff,” I get a treat, or I get to play. They excel at association, or correlation, especially if the things (behavior and reward) are close in time. Dogs see the relationship between the two events (correlation).

It’s why the “clicker,” which is a “bridge” to the reward is such a valuable tool. It lets the dog know that, right now, I was a good doggo. Even if the reward is delayed, the dog knows it’s coming.

If, however, a dog is punished or negatively reinforced for incorrect behavior, he may develop a fear of doing the wrong thing. The consequence can be that the dog either does nothing (stares at you), or, since he can never “win,” gives up and does whatever he feels like doing (defies authority).

It’s not easy to adjust your thinking. People are always in “if this” then “that” mode. From the time we’re infants we’re taught to think of the consequences of our actions and to plan for the future. Dogs’ brains don’t work that way.

We can learn a lot from our dogs about how to be “in the moment” and enjoy every day as it comes. It can be frustrating at times, like when you see your dog eating grass again. And it can be joyful as every single toss of the ball is as much fun as the first one.