Tag: dog manners

Making a game of dog manners

Dog manners are like classic books. Everyone wants to have read them, but nobody wants to actually read them. Every dog needs to know household manners, but teaching them can be tedious. How many times can you say “Leave it!” or “Off!”

We get it. Teaching your dog to “gimme paw,” “roll over,” or “spin” is fun. It’s not only light-hearted, it’s usually pretty quick. Whereas teaching your dog not to jump on visitors takes time and effort. You’re also starting at a disadvantage – “taking away” something is harder than “adding on.”

Change your mindset

But it’s all a matter of perception. You know “manners” aren’t as much fun as “tricks.” But that’s an entirely human construct. We naturally are more resistant to things we “have” to do, as opposed to the things we “want” to do. Nobody likes to do their chores! 

Your dog doesn’t know the difference. Your dog only knows that you’re paying attention to her. And she likes it! That, however, can change. If your tone and body language change when you approach the “Not Fun” training sessions, your dog will pick up on it and reflect your mood. If you don’t like it, your dog won’t either.

Don’t lie to your dog

You don’t have to pretend you love the Get it! / Leave it! dog training game. You should, however, approach it with the same enthusiasm you show toward the fun stuff. It’s not the game that matters. It’s carving out the time to focus on your partnership with your dog. Every single 2-Minute session adds to the relationship. 

And when your dog shows that he understands “Leave it!” as thoroughly as “High Five!,” celebrate with the same reaction. Have a little party with treats, toys, and tugging! The things that are hard, like dog manners, should be celebrated even harder when they’re conquered. It’s easy to overlook good behavior because it’s what we expect. But your dog will be “good” more if it looks, sounds, and feels better than being “naughty.”

Everybody does it

As competitors in dogs performance sports, there are all kinds of precise positions/behaviors that we practice with our dogs. The vast majority of obedience performance scores are all about “Heeling,” so we do it a lot. 

Torque showing off his nice dog manners

How do you make a game of walking around with your dog? Especially when he’s supposed to be watching you the whole time, exactly aligned with you?

Easily! You start by meeting your dog’s eyes and smiling. This is the best dog in the whole wide world and he’s yours! Then you ask your dog “Do you wanna play with me?” And the tail-wag or wiggling butt lets you know that your dog is ready for any game. Even boring old “heeling.”

Not a marathon

The next step is setting up in absolutely perfect heel position, and telling your dog how wonderful that is. You set off, (leading with your left foot!) telling your dog “Heel!” as you’re about to take your first step. He responds matching you perfectly, tail wagging happily. And after three perfect steps, you break off and celebrate. “Yay, dog!” Here’s a treat! Or a tummy rub. Or a quick fetch your toy!

Three perfect, happy steps are a great foundation. We don’t have to heel a mile. Not even a block. We’d rather do a few steps perfectly than lose the enthusiasm for the game. It also keeps it fresh for us. Perfect heeling is, in all honesty, a pleasure to watch. And a pain in the butt to achieve. It’s also one of the dog classics.

Dog manners for greeting visitors

Is your dog a nut job when company comes? Do you wish your dog had better manners for greeting visitors?

It’s been especially tough during the pandemic – not many people were open to visiting. Many dogs either forgot the manners they had, or never had a chance to learn polite greetings. You can turn that around, with some basic training games to teach your dog what to do when the doorbell rings.

Doorbell behavior

It’s always easier to teach something “to” do, rather than “not to” do. If your dog learns that the doorbell, or a knock on the door, is a trigger for a specific behavior, you’re giving them a familiar goal. 

You won’t necessarily be able to stop your dog from giving a startled bark. A doorbell is meant to alert the household that someone has arrived. What a learned behavior will achieve is making the aftermath of the doorbell sound into a familiar routine.

Teach “Place”

Booker in his "place!"

If space and your routine allow it, have a dog bed or mat in view of the door. When you teach your dog “Place” (2-Minute-Trainer.com Book 1) your dog will know that his/her “job” is to run to the bed when the doorbell trigger sounds. It’s really an ideal scenario. Your dog will be able to see what’s going on, you’ll know where your dog is, and whoever is at the door will be able to deliver your pizza without fuss. 

If you’re not in the habit of getting deliveries, set up the scenario with a friend or family member when your dog has mastered “Place,” and will dash to the bed or mat as soon as you say your cue word. It doesn’t have to be “Place.” If a different word comes more naturally to you, by all means use it and teach that word to your dog so that he’ll develop better dog manners for greeting visitors.

Choose a different behavior to “do”

One of the biggest obstacles in teaching dog training is getting people to change from the “don’t” words to the “do” words. It’s natural to tell your dog “Off!” when she’s jumping on your friend. (Never “Down!” – that means lie down. Each word has only one meaning for your dog.) 

But it’s not helpful. It doesn’t give your dog anything to do. “Stop” doesn’t mean anything to dogs. She’s doing lots of stuff – walking, jumping, sniffing, licking, etc. What do you want her to do?

It takes time and conscious thought to change the “stop doing that” into “Sit!” or “Touch!” Giving your dog a task to perform, one that’s familiar and is always rewarded, if more likely to be successful. 

Just like kids

If you’ve ever witnessed, dealt with, or been with squabbling children, it’s a very similar situation. We’re convinced it’s how the vast majority of “road trip games” came into being. Giving them a task, like license plates to look for, is more effective than saying “Stop touching each other!” It separates the children to look out their own windows, and occupies their minds. Do the same for your dog and manners will improve!