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Is your dog training you?

How many times have you, or a dog-owning friend, joked about your dog having trained you well? Laugh all you want, but there’s a truth buried in there. Our dogs are good at training us. We just have to be better at recognizing it. If it’s something that’s cute, or good, or endearing, it’s fine to leave it alone. But if it’s something that really doesn’t work for you, it’s time to turn it around. Ask yourself, “Is your dog training you?”

It happens to all of us, especially those of us with dogs trained with positive reinforcement. Our dogs know how to push the treat button. They do something cute and they expect to be rewarded for it. And it’s difficult to resist those puppy-dog eyes.

For instance, Hope’s French Bulldog Torque thinks he ought to get rewarded whenever he sits in front of her. Even in our own yard, he’ll be watching the birds, or squirrels, and then dash over and sit right in front of her. And it worked every time. Until he started getting pushy and barked at her when she was too slow with the treats.

Like anyone, she absent-mindedly started reaching for the treat pouch, thinking “Oh, yeah. He’s sitting like a good boy.” Then she realized what was happening. Hope almost rewarded her dog for barking at her. We all know that what gets rewarded gets repeated. She could imagine a lifetime of being barked at by her very cute, but very rude dog.

Pay attention

If Hope hadn’t caught herself, she would have had the uphill battle of un-training a behavior. It’s actually easier to set and maintain performance criteria than it is to change things later.

A good example is a smart young Labrador Retriever in our Rally class. She has been rewarded often and well for lying down. Her “Down!” is excellent. It’s also her default behavior when she doesn’t understand what her person is asking. When she’s not sure what she’s supposed to do, she lies down. Which always gets her a smile and a treat from her person. That’s fine, if they’d asked for a “Down!” It’s not okay when she was asked to “Stand!” or “Stay!” or “Sit!” By rewarding a behavior they didn’t want, their dog has trained them to do what she wants.

Still the hardest part of training

The most popular tip we ever wrote was called “The hardest part of dog training.” It’s still true. The most difficult part of dog training is waiting. Waiting for your dog to do what you asked. Taking the time for them to learn to make good choices. Being patient while they think through the situation.

In our Novice Obedience competition class one of the absolutes for dogs is they must sit automatically when you come to a halt in heeling. Every single time. There are no exceptions, so an automatic sit is one of the first things we work on. In class this week the atmosphere was charged. There were major storms in the area and everybody’s phone kept blaring with weather alerts. The dogs (and the people) were all a bit unsettled.

We were doing run-throughs to simulate an actual obedience trial. One of the dogs, normally a rock-steady performer, lost her automatic sits during heeling. Her person was all ready to tell her to sit. But that’s not allowed in competition, so Hope told her to just wait. Look at the dog’s rear end and just wait. For a good 15-20 seconds (seems like a lifetime), the dog just looked at her. And then the dog remembered and sat.

Don’t let them train you

It holds true in this situation, too. If you repeat a command, help your dog, or accept less than what you wanted, ask yourself, “Is your dog training you?” Dogs are really smart and most are excellent at finding the easy way to do things. It’s easier for them to have you do the work. Ask them to step up and be your partner.

3 ways to streamline dog training

Training your dog should be one of the most joyful and stress-free parts of your day. Each little two-minute session should be fast, fun, and something you look forward to. Here are three ideas to make getting to the fun part a little easier and for you to streamline dog training.

Idea Number 1: Covered treat bowls

It’s easy to find inexpensive little bowls with lids. Make up a big batch of your dog’s favorite “trail mix” and distribute it among the bowls. Scatter them around the house so every room has a treat container. Customize your dog’s treat mixture to reflect their preferences and make the mix a combination of high, middle, and low-value treats. That way your dog never knows what’s coming, and always hopes it’s the favorite. Be sure that all the treats are shelf-stable and will not get moldy. Some ideas to include are: kibble, air-popped popcorn, freeze-dried chicken heart pieces, circular oat cereal pieces, anything that’s small, dry, and a favorite for your dog. A recent student of ours used woven-wheat cereal squares. Worked beautifully, because her dog is crazy about them.

Having the treats close by makes it convenient to reward your dog spontaneously, especially when you’re trying to build your dog’s vocabulary. Say you walk into a room and your dog is lying there, it’s the work of a moment to say “Good Down!” and hand your dog a treat. But if the bowl wasn’t there, you couldn’t do it. If you had to leave the room to get the reward, your dog would probably follow you and the moment is lost.

With rewards close at hand, it will also remind you to mark the good decisions your dog makes – even if you’re just hanging out together on the couch. If a TV doorbell rings and your dog perks up but doesn’t bark – that’s a good decision worth rewarding. If someone walks by your window with a dog and your dog watches silently, that’s worth marking.

One of the most basic tenets of dog training is “what gets rewarded, gets repeated.” Make it easy for yourself to reward good behavior so your dog’s scales tilt that way more often.

Idea Number 2: Keep a list of games

You have all kinds of training games you play with your dog. Some have the names we gave them, others you’ve adapted and have your own names for them. If there’s a specific place that you go to train, keep a list of all your games there. That way, when it’s time to train but you don’t know what to play, the “cheat sheet” is right there. An instant way to streamline dog training.

You can keep your list with your Session Log Book, even inside the front cover. We even try to jot down the date when we play a training game. We don’t want to go too long without playing certain skills games, like “Whatcha Gonna Do?” or “Looky-Loo.” Like any skill, training games can get rusty if they’re not used. (In the photo, Torque is doing “Gimme Your Face!“)

Idea Number 3: Keep a phone stand handy

Of all the training tools available to you – video is the most useful. You don’t have to share, or post, or even keep the videos you take of your training. But you should watch to get a different perspective on your training game sessions.

In addition to seeing (and hearing) all the times your timing was a bit off, or that you gave your dog the wrong direction, you’ll also see all the things you did right. It’s actually fun to go back and see how far you’ve come from where you and your dog started.

Another reason video is so valuable is that you can see and appreciate how smart, happy, and adorable your dog is. To actually see how your dog looks at you from a different perspective will make your heart swell. In a recent class, Fran took Booker for a spin through the Rally Obedience course and a student remarked on the lovely attention he paid to Fran throughout. The student didn’t even realize her dog’s gaze was almost identical when it was their turn.

We’re always open to new, fun, and functional hacks to make playing dog training games better and more fun. If you have a favorite trick you use to streamline dog training, please let us know!

Build confidence with “What’s That?” Dog Training Game

The “What’s That?” dog training game helps your dog explore the world with confidence. It’s great for every dog, but can be life-changing for shy or timid dogs.

It also encourages you to shop in one of our favorite places for dog-training gear – your local dollar store. You’ll want a variety of different objects. Vary the size, shape, and material the objects are made from. You can certainly start with stuff you find around the house. Just be sure that nothing you use is breakable or cherished by someone.

First step:

Get your clicker, your timer, a boatload of treats, the object you’re playing the game with, and your dog. When you’re ready, start your timer and place the object on the floor.

Typically, your dog will glance at the object. Click and reward near the thing. Looking at it is the first step. If your dog doesn’t keep looking at it, stand over the object and stare at it (like in “Boxey”). Kneel if you need to get closer. Your dog will probably be confused, especially if you’ve spent their life telling them “leave it.”

That’s okay. Be patient. Stare at the object and wait for your dog to look at it again. You’ll almost be able to see your dog shrug and think “I don’t see what’s so fascinating, but she thinks it is, so I’ll humor her.”

When your dog has received three to five rewards for looking at the object, it’s time to ask for more. It can be anything – nosing at it, pawing at it, stepping on it, mouthing it, licking it. Whatever your dog does, click and reward near the object.

You never know

Every dog is unique and despite knowing your dog well, you can’t predict how they’ll react to different objects.

In Hope’s Beginner Obedience class there are two dogs with opposite personalities. One, a Newfoundland, seems outgoing, confident, and ready for any game.

The other, a miniature Poodle mix, is shy and often tries to hide behind her mother.

Which dog do you think was freaked out by the idea of walking on bubble wrap? To everyone’s surprise, the Newfie was scared of it. The Poodle mix didn’t really even notice it was there and danced right over it.

Take it at your dog’s pace

Decide what the goal is for every object you introduce to your dog. If it’s something they can pick up, you may want them to pick it up and hold it. Something like a small white board that you can write messages on. It may be something you want them to carry, like a small tote bag. Or a foam roller you want them to push. Or a step you want them to sit on.

With your ultimate goal in mind, shape your dog’s behavior with your rewards. Remember that what gets rewarded gets repeated. If you want your dog to hold the object in his/her mouth, only click and reward for using his mouth. Every object can have its own game, but they all start with “What’s That?”

Next step

You can also let your dog guide the direction of what’s that. If you don’t have a particular goal in mind, see what your dog does with the thing and go with it. Always ask for more after your dog has received a few treats for a particular interaction. Look can be followed by sniffing, licking, pawing, etc.

If your main objective is to build your dog’s confidence, you can set up a circuit of different things around your training area. Encourage your dog to check each one out. If they’re not interested or confused, go stand by the object, stare at it, move it a little, and wait for your dog to come check it out. With patience, it will happen.

Expanding their world

“What’s That?” can be played anytime, anywhere, as long as you have rewards with you. When you’re out on a walk and your dog sees something new and different, how do they react? If they’re hesitant, it’s time to get enthusiastic and say “What’s That? Let’s go see!”

The more things your dog has the opportunity to explore, the more confident they will become. Once they’re familiar with the “What’s That?” game, they’ll know they’re safe if you’re encouraging interaction.

Dogs are Copycats

It’s not your imagination. Dogs are copycats. Your dog copies what you do. Copying is one of the ways dogs learn. And it’s not restricted to watching and imitating other dogs. Dogs mimic people, too. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if your dog starts digging in the yard after “helping” you with gardening.

Even more impressive, one study proved that dogs not only can copy what you do – they can do it with a significant delay between the time it happened and they’re asked to repeat it.

Demonstrate what you want

A while ago, when we were first developing the Ring Stacking game, Hope was teaching her French Bulldog Teddy the steps. We’d just started taking video of the sessions, so the camera was on.

Teddy had just about all pieces of the game; picking up the ring and going over to the post. The actual placement of the ring on the post was the issue. He kept nudging the post, dropping the ring in the vicinity, but not placing it on the actual post.

In the video, you see Hope showing Teddy what she wants. She probably was doing it out of frustration, rather than really demonstrating. But then you see Teddy stand there and think about it, then place the ring precisely on the post.

At the time, we didn’t know for sure that dogs learn by copying. But it paid off.

Other dogs show them how

It’s true that puppies learn from an older dog in the house. Potty training is much easier when the newcomer has an example to follow. Same with other household rules – most puppies will follow the lead of the established dog. That’s a big reason that two dogs are easier than one, although not if both are the same age. Or littermates. For most people, getting littermates isn’t a great idea.

It’s optimal to play training games with only one dog at a time. But that doesn’t mean training in isolation. With four dogs in the house, three are in crates at the side of the training area, watching the proceedings.

Did you teach him that?

Sometimes when we’re ready to introduce a dog to a game another dog knows, we’ve been surprised. While performance isn’t perfect, the dog already knows the game. It prompts a discussion that goes

“Did you teach him that? I didn’t teach him that!”

“Wasn’t me!”

“Oh, he got it from his brother!”

Try it for yourself

Think of something to do that your dog can copy. In the research we read, one of the things owners did in the lab was stick their heads in an empty bucket. A vast majority of the dogs in the study were able to copy the action after seeing it only once.

Make sure the demonstration is something the dog is physically able to do. Our dogs are too short to get their heads in a five-gallon bucket, so we’ll use something lower. Give the action a name, like “Copy!” using it for all kinds of different actions.

That’s how you teach the dog to mimic you, rather than performing a specific behavior. We’ve even seen it in action with the dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, Florida. The trainers there use a specific signal for “Imitate!”

In no time, you and your dog will be playing “Simon Says!” with all sorts of behaviors. Be sure to get it on video – you’ll need proof of your dog’s genius!

Teaching your dog to fish

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” We’ve all heard the saying, although no one seems to know its origins. The point is valid, though. What you’re doing with 2-Minute Training is teaching your dog to fish.

Giving a man a single fish is certainly fast and effective. It solves the immediate problem. Teaching someone to fish takes a lot longer and requires more effort by both parties. But it’s a forever solution to the problem. When it comes to dog training, you have the additional barrier of communication. You can tell a person how to do something. If they have questions, they’ll ask. It’s less clear with dogs.

Making your choice

A specific example most dog owners can relate to: when somebody enters your home, the dog jumps on them to say “Hello.”

Single fish answer: Every time someone comes over, you grab your dog’s collar and prevent the jumping. Or tell your dog “Off!” every time they jump.

Fishing answer: Teaching your dog a greeting behavior that’s triggered by a knock or the sound of the doorbell.

It takes longer and requires more effort to teach the “fishing” answer. It always will. But once learned, it’s there forever and you won’t have to dread the chaos when the doorbell rings.

Pick your battles

Every dog owner has his/her own rules of the house for the dog. Some people don’t want their dogs on furniture. Others don’t want their dogs sleeping on their beds. We know people who don’t want their dogs to precede them through doorways. Everyone chooses what’s most important to them.

Whatever rules you choose as absolutes for your dog, it’s worth taking the time to transform into a training game. Spend a few minutes to break down the behavior. What are the smallest nuggets you can teach your dog?

For instance

If it’s staying off the couch, think about what happens when your dog jumps up on it now. Does it always happen when you’re already sitting there? Does your dog rock back before jumping up? How can you interrupt the action and turn it into something else?

If you’d like your dog to settle in their own bed instead of up on the couch, make sure that bed is in the dog’s path to the couch. When you see your dog getting ready to jump up, they must step on the dog bed first. Use your “place” game and toss a treat into the dog’s bed.

Your dog, your rules

Focus on teaching your dog rules that matter every day. There are some dogs who resist putting on a collar or harness. That’s something that comes into play all the time. It’s worth breaking that down into small pieces:

look at the collar (click & treat)
sniff the collar while you’re holding it (c&t)
touch the collar (c&t)
allow the collar to touch their neck (c&t)
put the collar on (c&t)

Our lives got easier when we taught each of our dogs this simple behavior. They used to get excited and run around like hooligans when we reached for collar and leash. Now they all get excited, run over to us and stay still while we clasp their collars. It’s a small thing but useful many times a day. It was worth it to teach our dogs to fish.

Don’t even bother telling your dog to “calm down”

Telling your dog to “calm down” is ridiculous. It means nothing to the dog, unless you teach a calmness protocol. And the absolute worst time to try to achieve calm with your dog is when they’re excited.

One of our favorite quotes is from science fiction author Robert Heinlein. “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”

What you can do

Calm is not a dog goal. If you wanted a calm pet, you should have gotten one that either purrs or is stuffed with cotton batting. Dogs, even some senior dogs, are pets for activity. Whether that’s hiking, biking, canoeing, or strolling around the block.

Can you teach your dog to act politely, even when over-stimulated, stressed, and excited? Of course you can! And that’s the actual goal. You don’t want your dog to be calm. You want your dog to listen and remember their manners even when they’re excited.

Again: your real goal is for your dog to listen and behave everywhere, no matter what’s happening around you. Your objective is a dog who thinks and acts appropriately, even in a state of high arousal. Even if there’s a squirrel running across the street. Especially when a bicyclist zooms by. Definitely when your child’s entire 2nd Grade class is shrieking through the house playing “Hide and Seek.” So telling your dog to calm down won’t work.

How to get there

Dog issues seem to clump into clusters. We’ll hear about the same issue from several people within days, then nothing about that for months. This week it was definitely getting dogs to “calm down” in the presence of stimuli on walks.

And most people seem to think that calm is achieved by redirecting or distracting your dog. It’s not. It’s letting the dog see what’s going on, learning that it’s really not all that exciting, and choosing to get on with life. Two of our students this week mentioned their dog going nuts watching squirrels while out on walks.

We asked them what they did when their dog started lunging and pulling to chase the squirrel. Both pretty much said they dragged their dog off in the opposite direction. So the dogs learned absolutely nothing other than how strong their people are, and which buttons to push to annoy the heck out of them.

Changes in attitude

Instead of redirecting, distracting, and dragging, how about letting your dog watch the damn squirrel?
Try to get far enough away so your dog can watch calmly without pulling. Then just stop and let your dog watch. Squirrels are kind of fun to observe for a few minutes. Your dog will, in time, tire of it. If your dog isn’t chasing, the squirrel’s probably not going to do anything all that interesting.

Just wait. If your dog sits, great! Give him/her a cookie. Don’t tell them what to do. You don’t even need to talk to him/her. This would be the time to check your phone. Let your dog have a couple of minutes to do dog stuff.

When your dog is done watching, or at least staring intently at the squirrel, say something like “Okay, let’s move on!” and go. This is another instance where distance is your friend. Be far enough away so your dog can see, be seen, and still listen to you, a little bit.

Chances are the next squirrel won’t be as fascinating as this one was. Will your dog ever not notice squirrels? You hope not! It’s one of the things dogs are meant to do. Will they be able to glance, recognize, and ignore? In time, as long as you teach them that’s the proper way to behave in public.

Teach, don’t tell, your dog

Your dog learns nothing if you’re always telling them what to do. You need to turn that around and teach, don’t tell, your dog.

As an example, the most common dog issue we address every single class is dogs jumping up on people. Every time a dog jumps on someone, the dog’s owner tells the dog “off” or “down” and pulls on the dog to make that happen. If the dog’s on leash, they pull on the leash. Wearing a collar? They pull on the collar. If the dog’s naked, they grab the dog’s legs or shoulders to make it happen.

Stop doing that. For two reasons:

It doesn’t work. Witness the fact that you have to keep doing it.
It teaches your dog nothing. Evidenced by the fact that your dog’s still doing it.

If you need more convincing that your current practice isn’t helping, try looking up Einstein’s definition of insanity. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.

Do this instead

It’s hard to teach any dog what “not” to do. Instead, give your dog an alternate greeting behavior that everyone will enjoy. How about you teach your dog to “Sit!” to say hello?

Set up the situation by enlisting the help of a friend who won’t mind, and won’t get hurt, if your dog does jump on them. Arrange a time and place that your friend will come to your house or meet you. Have your dog on leash and as your friend arrives, tell your dog to “Sit!” Your friend comes over to you and your sitting dog. Both of you give treats, praise, and pets to your dog as long as they’re sitting. If the dog gets up or jumps on the friend, both of you immediately disengage with the dog, stay quiet, fold your arms across your chest, and stare at the ceiling.

Your dog won’t know what’s happening at first. They may keep jumping, or nudging at either or both of you. Ignore it. Don’t say anything. Your dog may act a fool for a bit. That’s okay. Just wait. Sooner or later, your dog will figure out what was working and try it again. As soon as the dog is sitting, both of you praise, pet, and reward the dog. Make a big fuss for good behavior. Repeat as needed.

Hold up your end of the bargain

Depending on the dog and the people, and how long the behavior’s been entrenched, it may take a few sessions to get the message across. Letting your dog think it through is the way to teach them, rather than tell them, how to act.

All dog training is negotiating with your dog. They get what they want (attention) when you get what you want (polite behavior). Dogs aren’t picky about the kind of attention they get. Dogs don’t distinguish between positive attention (praise, rewards, pets) and negative attention (shouting, corrections, punishment). As long as you’re paying attention to them, they’re happy. Pulling on them, yelling at them, kneeing them in the chest is all attention. That stops the behavior for the moment. But it’s a very temporary fix.

Take it out for a ride

It won’t really take long for your dog to get in the habit of “Sit To Greet!” for you and your friend. When your dog is successful most of the time, change the friend you practice with. Or change the place you’re practicing. Go to the friend’s house, or a different friend’s house. Let your dog know that the same behavior is good wherever you are, whoever you’re meeting.

When you think your dog’s understanding is pretty solid, go someplace you can recruit a couple dog-friendly strangers to reward your dog for polite behavior. Go to a pet shop, veterinarian’s office, grooming shop, or any dog-friendly place. When you ask people to help, explain what you’re up to and what you expect your dog to do. With our own dogs we’ve even set ourselves up outside a nearby commuter train station. In that situation, look for people not hurrying, who smile at your cute dog. Those are the ones most likely to help.

Just ask one or two people, then call it a day. You don’t want to overload your dog. This kind of exercise, especially with strangers, can be stressful, stimulating, and exhausting for your dog. Having to think and control their impulses is hard work. You can judge how your dog is doing with a small sample. It takes a while for the taught behavior to become your dog’s first response. Give them time to get it right.

It will happen

Most of the dogs in our “Manners” classes jump on people at the start. And we offer ourselves as the “friendly stranger” every week. The first week, all the dogs jump on us and it takes a while. The second week, there’s usually an initial jump followed fairly quickly by a “Sit!” The third week, most dogs sit as soon as we head in their direction.

What actually takes the most practice is getting the people to be quiet and stop physically manipulating their dogs. Common courtesy demands that we don’t let our dogs jump on other people. But in this case, we have to put politeness aside and let them be rude. When rudeness doesn’t work, the dogs engage their brains and try something else. So, we’ve seen that it doesn’t work if we just tell our dogs what to do. Teach, don’t tell, your dog.

Dog Training “D’s” aren’t grades

D is for dog. It’s also for the three things that can torpedo any behavior, trick, or exercise. The three dog training “d’s” are Distance, Duration, and Distraction.

You need all three if you want to be successful in any dog sport or performance event. They matter for household obedience, too. But you can’t “work” on all of them at once. Pick one at a time. There are games you can play for each one, but only one per 2-Minute session.

Distance is hard

If you’re teaching your dog “Stay!” the three “d’s” are crucial components of the behavior. Whether you’re letting the plumber in the house, carrying a pasta pot, or hosting Great Aunt Gertrude for afternoon tea, there are times you’d appreciate it if your dog would just not move. A reliable “Stay!” is worth the effort it takes to achieve.

Don’t ever consider a “Stay!” anything but hard work. The last thing most dogs want is to sit back and observe. They want to be part of the action, in the thick of it. To teach your dog to “Stay!” choose a spot that’s very quiet, away from any commotion. If there’s no such thing, pick a place where the dog can see what’s going on without moving.

You can work on the distance “D” by having your dog sit in the middle of a room so that you can move all the way around them. Tell them to stay and start moving. Picture your dog as the hub of a wheel, and you move back and forth between the hub and the rim – be the spokes. Vary the distance you move every time – sometimes take a single step, middle distance, as far as you can get. Then go directly back to your dog and reward them for staying every time you finish a “spoke.” Move at an even pace, but keep moving all the time.

If your dog gets up, or lies down, don’t fix it. Use your non-reward marker and move your dog to a different position and start over. Out and back to your dog. Make it speedy at first. You can slow down your motion as your dog becomes more familiar with the exercise and starts to understand what’s expected. The faster you move, the more times you get back to your dog, the more rewards your dog gets for staying in place.

Duration is harder

When you work on the duration aspect of the stay, don’t leave your dog. Stand there right next to, or in front of, your dog. The first time you practice “duration” keep the reward rate high and steady. Try not to test the limits of your dog’s patience at first. Watch your dog for signs of movement, as mentioned in teaching the “Stay!,” the only things the dog’s allowed to move are his/her head or tail. Any paw movement isn’t a “Stay!” If you see it, start over again in a different spot. You don’t have to move far, but you should reset and try again.

You may find that your dog thinks they’re finished as soon as they get a treat. This is “one and done” syndrome and it’s fairly common. The fix is to have a second reward ready to pop into your dog’s mouth as soon as they swallow the first one.

Because of the many, many treats dogs can consume for this exercise, it’s a good one for hand-feeding a meal, or a portion of a meal. Another “kitchen game” to play with your dog.

As your dog starts to understand, increase the interval between rewards, and practice the “Stay!” in all positions – Sit, Stand, and Down.

Distraction is hardest of all

When we first started training in Obedience, one of our instructors took distraction to the maximum. With the dogs at one side of the room, and the handlers at the other, she would send a moving toy down the middle, between the dogs and handlers. The radio-controlled car, the toy monkey with cymbals, and the walking elephant toy were favorites. The most difficult for the dogs was the tennis ball she rolled down the center.

Those are all extreme distractions, not to be used until your dog is well-versed in the “Stay!” At first you can ask someone to bang a pot in the other room. Or call your phone. If there’s no one else around, you can turn up your phone’s volume and play any sound you think your dog would find distracting. A doorbell sound is the bane of many a dog owner – whether it’s in real life or on TV.

Put the Ds together

When your dog is doing okay in each of the three “D’s” – put them together. As long as your dog is showing you they know what’s expected of them, gradually increase the difficulty of the exercise. In the Canine Good Citizen test, the most difficult part for the dog is staying with a stranger while their person leaves the room. Technically, the dog doesn’t have to “Stay!” – they just have to be calm and not fuss too much. Teaching your dog the three “D’s” will help.

Think about those “D’s” whenever you’re training your dog. Does your dog “Sit!” from across the room? Can she maintain a “Stand!” for the length of a veterinary visit? Will your dog ignore the bicyclist zooming by on your walk? These are all situations that use those “D’s.”

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.