dog training made fun Archives - Page 3 of 6

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.

Get your dog’s attention with the “Watch!” game

Do you wish your dog would pay more attention to you? There are lots of times and circumstances where aggravation could be avoided if your dog just stopped staring at whatever, and looked at you. Like when your dog spots a bunny on your walk and takes off running when it does. Or when the person with the loaded cat carrier sits right across from you in the veterinarian’s waiting room. Wouldn’t it be great if you could instantly get your dog’s attention?

But how do you get your dog to focus on you when so many interesting things are happening all around? The answer is to be more interesting than anything else. How do you make that happen? Play the “Watch!” game!

Make them love the game

For the “Watch!” game to be effective, the reward for playing has to be the absolute top of your dog’s food chain. If your dog is “meh” about kibble, don’t use it. In other words, the perfect fuel for this game is one your dog would run through fire to get. For lots of dogs, it would be hot dogs, or cheese.

It doesn’t matter where you play the “Watch!” game – it doesn’t require much space or any “stuff” other than treats. This is another great “kitchen game” to play while you wait for the water to boil.

How to play “Watch!”

Have the treats (already diced into reward morsels) in a bowl close at hand, where you can easily reach them, but your dog can’t. Take one treat in each hand between your thumb and forefinger. For this game, we want our dogs to know that we have the treats. With your dog sitting or standing in front of you, hold your arms outstretched at the level of your ears. Straight out, with your hands as far apart as you can get them.

Every single dog we’ve ever met will glance from hand to hand, trying to figure out what you want them to do. One of the reasons we start with the hands so far apart is to clearly see where the dog is looking. We want them to meet our eyes. They’re not doing that if they’re looking back and forth like they’re watching a tennis match.

If your dog is easily frustrated, have them on collar and leash so they can’t leave the vicinity. You want them to keep trying to figure it out – at least for the 2 Minutes you’ll play.

As soon as your dog meets your eyes, even if it was by accident while back-and-forthing, say “Yes! Good Watch!” (or “Look!” – whatever word you want to use is fine) and give the dog, in quick succession, one treat from each hand.

Keep Going

Reload, and do it again. And again. It may take a few 2-Minute sessions before your dog is staring into your eyes like Lady & The Tramp. That’s okay. It will come. Just be consistent, hold those treats out, and stare into your adorable dog’s face. You’ll get your dog’s attention – just be patient.

The next step, when they’re meeting your eyes the majority of the time, is to start bringing your hands in closer to your head. The rate of progression depends on the dog, on the frequency you play the game, and the value of the rewards to the dog. More is better in this case.

Eventually, the objective is to have your hands tight up against your head. You should still be able to discern when your dog is looking at your face, not at the treats. That’s what you want.

Next step

As the game progresses, you can start lowering your hands to your sides. Again, take it slow and make sure your dog’s attention is still where you want it – on your eyes. The ultimate goal is for your dog to love this game so much, all you’ll have to say is “Watch!” and his/her head will snap around to meet your eyes.

The point of the game is to make it so incredibly rewarding for your dog to focus on you that he/she will disregard whatever distractions are around. Like “Touch!,” it’s a game you pull out and play whenever you need it, wherever you are. And whenever you want your dog’s attention.

There may be times when you give the signal “Watch!” because you need it, but don’t have any primo treats at hand. When that happens, and it happens to everyone occasionally, you’ve decreased the “balance” in your dog’s training account. Refresh and even add to that account by playing the game over the subsequent few days with top-of-the-line goodies. We always want our dog to love playing “Watch!” with us.

The easiest part of dog training

Everybody knows their dog’s favorite toys, treats, and the perfect spot for scritches. That’s all you need to know for training games. What are the things your dog loves best? Stockpile some of those, choose a game, and start playing!

All the nit-picky nuances

The things that aren’t as natural; reward timing and placement, consistent cues, breaking down behaviors into little teaching chunks, all come with time and practice. And there are some skills we never master, so we work around them. Both of us (Hope and Fran) are notorious for having terrible aim and throwing skills. Just awful. If there’s a way to toss a toy or ball so it smashes something, is unreachable, or causes an avalanche of other stuff, we’ll find it. That okay. We know we suck at it. Both of us practiced throwing the obedience dumbbell, without our dogs, just so we wouldn’t embarrass ourselves in public. We choose to do that here, instead.

And now the dumbbell retrieve is one of ours, and our dogs, favorite games. Because we’re both proud of ourselves for figuring out how to do it. Now it’s fun and we both look forward to playing with it.

Just play with your dog

It’s the easiest part of dog training because you don’t have to worry about getting it “right.” You’re not going to break your dog if you click at the wrong time, say the wrong thing, or misplace a treat. Your dog isn’t going to tell anyone you flubbed it, ever. And when you do screw up, and we all do, just give your dog an “oops” cookie and try again.

Many people worry that they’re doing something “wrong.” The only wrong is if your dog isn’t getting it. If they don’t understand the behavior you’re trying to shape, it’s time to find another angle for teaching it. You haven’t broken your dog, or your training. You just have to make some changes to clarify things.

The coolest thing about dog training is that your partner in crime, your dog, is always willing to play with you. Going back to our video series of trying to teach Torque to “Push” a tube with his nose, you’ll notice lots of changes from week to week. He didn’t understand, or something didn’t “work,” so we changed it.

Clean it up later

Go for the easy, fun part of dog training. Play some training games with your dog. If it needs some polishing, who cares? You can always do that later, when all of the fussy bits of training come more naturally. If you play with your dog, just a couple minutes a day, you’ll be juggling treats, leash, and clicker like a pro in no time.

Interactive dog toys are anything but

It’s weird that dog toys labeled “interactive” are exactly the opposite. All the action comes from the dog – the toy pretty much just sits there. The products labeled “interactive dog toys” just aren’t.

Best interactive dog toys

The truly interactive dog toys are the ones with you at the other end. Tug toys, games of fetch, anything where both you and your dog are necessary to the equation. Those are the games that strengthen your relationship with your dog.

Like any relationship, the one with your dog needs some attention. It’s not that dogs don’t love their people, they do. It’s that their humans haven’t made an effort to be part of the fun.

Building the bond

Fran and Simon playing the "Whatcha gonna do?" game. — “Whatcha gonna do?” game

People complain that their dogs don’t pay attention to them. These are the same people that walk their dogs with their phones in their faces. Or who load up the interactive dog toy with treats, plop it on the floor, and get back on the phone.

Rather than that puzzle toy, how about getting down and playing the “Shell Game” with your dog. Play with them. Instead of dumping food in a bowl, take a couple of minutes, a portion of the food, and play “Touch!” or “Gimme Your Face!”

All good things

When you convince your dog that paying attention to you is worthwhile, you’ll get that attention. You’ll get more than you give, that’s how dogs work. Just a few minutes of dog training games will get you better attention and focus. It convinces your dog that listening to you pays off.

Dogs will predictably act in their own self-interest. If something has worked for them in the past, they’ll do it again. If you reward and praise your dog for looking at you, they’ll do it more often. They tend to be geniuses at figuring out what gets them the most cookies.

Everything in its place

It’s not that static puzzle toys, or treat-dispensing toys don’t have a place. They do. Best uses are when we’re unable to pay attention like during an important phone call. They’re also great for crate training, especially if the dog only gets a very special treat when crated.

Interactive dog toys are fun for dogs. They can smell the treats and most really enjoy figuring out how to get to them. It satisfies some of their instinct for pursuit. And hones their problem-solving ability. Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the latch of your treat container.

You’re the best interactive toy

Sometimes our students complain that they feel like “Pez dispensers,” because they’re constantly giving treats to their dogs. And that’s true, during training sessions. But those couple of minutes at a time are equivalent to your dog’s “job.” And everyone deserves payment for doing a good job.

The vast majority of the time you spend with your dog isn’t training. Those few minutes you play training games, be the real, interactive, treat-dispensing toy.

Dog training is a joy

Dog training is a joy, not a chore. If it feels like work, or just another obligation, it’s time for a reset.

For the kabillionth time, if you’re not having fun playing training games with your dog, you’re doing it wrong.

It’s probably not your fault. Society puts dog training in the “something you gotta do” category. Get a dog, go to class. Then, after you “graduate,” you can have fun with your dog.

Hogwash! Every single piece of training your dog should have elements of joy. Admittedly, there are some things that are more fun than others.

Potty training a puppy isn’t all that much fun, especially when the weather’s lousy and you’re standing in it. But there are inklings – when your dog gets it right and bounces when you praise and reward. When you realize there hasn’t been an accident in days. When you say “Potty!” in the right spot and the puppy does it! Success is always fun.

Dogs just want to have fun

One of Hope’s obedience competition students said her dog doesn’t like doing the “Down!,” so she doesn’t practice it much. Predictably, her dog, when told to “Down!” is hesitant and slow.

The student and her dog are caught in a feedback loop. They’re feeding off each other’s distaste for the exercise. Since this team wants to compete in both Obedience and Rally, not having a “Down!” is a big problem.

Some people may just practice more, longer, harder. That’s not the way to achieve a slam-to-the-floor “Down!” on command. To get that enthusiasm, the dog has to love doing something. They’ll do whatever you ask (eventually) just because you asked it. But to generate the joy – they have to love the game.

We told our student to stop practicing “formal” downs. Or formal anything, for that matter. Incorporate training games into everyday life. If you’re walking down the hall to your bathroom, grab a treat, call your dog, walk briskly, and ask for a sudden “Down!” Celebrate, reward, and that’s it.

Part of every day

If your dog lags behind you when you’re walking, run a few steps, turn around, and play-wrestle with your dog. “Where were you?” “I was looking for you!” Chances are, the next few steps your dog will not only be with you, but watching your face. And probably smiling.

This week’s competition class started with introducing a game to the teams. Every handler/dog team got a plastic cone. And strict instructions that whatever the dog did with the cone; looked at it, sniffed it, pawed at it, swatted it across the room, was to be praised and rewarded. Even though all of these people know about training games, they resisted at first.

After just a few minutes, the cones went away and we practiced the warm-up heeling around the room. That’s what we usually start class with.

And it was a revelation to the people how much better their dogs performed. There were smiles all around the room – both the dogs and people. Because dog training is a joy.

Dog Training Is Love Language

With Valentine’s Day coming up, everybody and their uncle is getting all gushy and throbby-hearty. Nothing wrong with being reminded to show your love. There’s no such thing as too much. And one of the beings in your life that is the epitome of unconditional love is your dog. Pure, unselfish, love is what dogs bring to our lives. And training is that dog love language.

We’ve been hearing about “love language” for a while now – how people relate to five different types of “love language.” We’re not sure why you have to choose, all are valid. And all five are essential parts of dog training. Our conclusion is that one of the best ways to show your dog that their love is appreciated and returned is to play training games every day.

Five love languages

The five labels for love language are:

Words of affirmation
Acts of service
Gifts
Quality time
Physical touch

Even just listing them, aren’t you going “check,” “check,” “check” in your head while you’re thinking about training games?

Words of affirmation

This one is a “gimme.” Whether you tend to be quiet or enthusiastic in giving feedback to your dog, they know the click, the “good dog!,” the “atta boy (or girl),” is confirmation of their worth and your love. It’s affirmation up the kazoo. There’s not a dog owner in the world who hasn’t looked into their dog’s eyes and cooed “Who’s a good dog? You’re a good dog!” just to see that tail wag, butt wiggle, and paw dance. Check!

Acts of service

Maybe not in the context of training games, but all the things we do for our dogs. Granted, it’s a responsibility we’ve chosen to take, but that doesn’t minimize its value. Feeding, walking, bathing, cleaning up after – all of those things add up to acts of service for our dogs.

Non-dog people may see this and wonder what we get out of the constant demands on our time and attention, not to mention wallets. And if/when one of them mentions something to that effect, we can shake our heads and pity them. Because they have no idea how great it feels to be completely loved and trusted by a dog. They’ve never looked into a dog’s eyes and seen themselves adored. Isn’t that sad?

Gifts

Maybe all of these are pretty obvious. Whether your dog is food- or toy-motivated, every reward could be considered a gift. It can also be considered payment for a job well done. But our gifts to our dogs aren’t limited to the rewards given in training games. We don’t know any dog owner who hasn’t given their dog something “just because.” Because they’re cute. Or because they’re good. And just because we love them.

Quality time

This is the definition of dog training games. Even if you only manage one two-minute session on some days, for those two minutes your entire attention and focus is on your dog. That’s the gift that every dog cherishes above any other – quality time with you. Even if your training games don’t go the way you expect some days, you still managed to let your dog know they’re important, and loved. (See “Top 10 reasons to play dog training games.”)

Physical touch

This is probably the most common way that people connect with their dogs to let them know they’re loved. Every dog owner can relate to what’s happening when you see a dog shove their muzzle into a person’s hand. Or put a paw on an arm or leg. Dogs not only like physical touch, many are determined to claim it as their due. Dogs aren’t called “pets” for nothing. We like petting them, and they like to be petted. Where’s your dog’s favorite spot? Behind the ears? In front of their tail? How about their jaw/throat? Or is it tummy rubs they love most? Every dog owner knows.

It all translates to love

You’re a lucky person when you have a dog. Especially if you’ve taken the steps to give your dog the enriched and fulfilled life that training games bring. There’s no way you need a translator for dog love language. You’re already fluent.

Dog Training Game: Gimme your face!

Torque's "Gimme your face!" pose. — Torque’s “Gimme your face!” pose.

Part of having dogs is all the “husbandry” stuff you have to do – brushing, cleaning, grooming, etc. Lots of dogs don’t particularly care for it – especially if you’re trying to mess with their face. Wouldn’t you, your veterinarian, and your groomer love it if your dog was a willing participant? That’s why we teach the “Gimme your face!” dog training game.

Like all communication between you and your dog, you can call the game whatever you want. A friend of ours uses “Chin!” to get her dog to lie flat with chin on the ground. It was her cue for the obedience “down-stay” exercise. Whatever you can easily remember would be just fine. We like “Gimme Your Face!” because it makes us smile.

Gimme Your Face was a game changer

And it can be incredibly useful. Quite a while ago, we had a Boston Terrier named Daemon. Unfortunately, Daemon developed cataracts in his eyes when he was only about seven years old. At the time, veterinary ophthalmologists would remove the cloudy lens, but did not implant a new one as they do today. Which would have been awful for Daemon – his favorite game was fetching his beloved yellow rubber ball.

So we asked our own optometrist if he would consider fitting Daemon for contact lenses. He agreed and our regular veterinarian came with – it was the only legal way the eye doctor could prescribe for a dog.

To get to the point for this tip – Daemon knew “Gimme Your Face!” And that was how we got him to rest his chin on the gizmo doctors use to look into your eyes. That same place you put your chin – Daemon knew to put his! If he hadn’t already known the game, there was no way the doctor could have prescribed contact lenses for Daemon.

Every day after work we would ask “Daemon, want to put your eyes in?” and he would run into the bathroom to have us put his contacts in. And every evening before bed, we would take them out. Over the next several years he only lost a couple of contacts – he loved being able to see.

Variation on “Touch!”

So how do you teach your dog to “Gimme Your Face!”? One of the very first training games dogs should learn is “Touch!” – touching their nose to the palm of your hand. If your dog doesn’t already play this regularly, start here: Training Touch! We like it because it’s a game you can easily play anywhere, especially when your dog is stressed and nervous. Remember that familiar games help dogs regain focus and composure.

To teach “Gimme Your Face!,” begin with the “Touch!” and, while rewarding your dog for the touch, slide your palm underneath the dog’s chin/jaw, cradling it lightly. Say “Good Face!” (or “Chin!” or your own word), reward again, and remove your hand.

Repeat the same sequence a few times, until your dog seems comfortable with it. Some dogs really love getting their chins/throats scratched, and easily learn this new game. Especially if you tickle or scratch them at the jaw.

Next steps

When you think your dog is starting to understand the game, try cupping your palm and saying “Face!” If your dog readily puts their chin in your palm – click and reward! “Good Face!”

The next step is to build some duration into “Gimme Your Face!” It’s easy to do – just keep your dog’s chin in your hand and deliver treats. Short intervals at first, then gradually increasing the time between rewards. If your dog lifts their head, return the treat in your hand to the bowl. Leave your hand in place and wait for your dog to replace their chin in your palm.

As always, some dogs love the game and catch on immediately. Others take a little longer. But it’s worth waiting for and being patient. Imagine how much easier it will be for you to brush your dog’s teeth and clean their ears if they willingly “Gimme your face!”

“Drop It!” dog training game

“Drop It!” is one of the top three commands every dog should know. It can, potentially, save your dog’s life. We know – we have personal experience. The “Drop It!” dog training game is an important one to teach your pup early.

One day we had our dogs out in our own fully-fenced yard. Hope looks over to see her French Bulldog Dax chewing on something. Not good. Hope went over and told her to “Drop it!” Luckily, she did. It was a three-inch long stick of rat poison. Unfortunately, the sticks are about five inches long to start with.

It was a scary time, but getting the majority of the poison away from her, and a quick trip to the vet saved her life.

How did the poison get into our yard, you ask? It turns out that someone in the neighborhood used them in their own yard. The wildlife in the neighborhood – squirrels, birds, raccoons, opossums, skunks, etc.- didn’t know that only rats are supposed to eat them. They thought they’d discovered a bountiful feast and carried them all over the area. As far as we know, Dax was the only dog that found one. But we were cleaning up other animals for weeks.

Was it legal for our neighbor to do this? No, it wasn’t. Did we sue them to recover veterinary costs? Yes, we did. And won. However, no dollar amount would matter if our dog hadn’t recovered.

Teaching “Drop It!”

The first phase of “Drop It!” is relatively easy. It’s just trading toys with your dog. Start with a toy they like, but aren’t crazy about. You can either use two identical toys, or toys that have the same relatively low value. Play tug with your dog for a few seconds with one of the toys. Then hold the toy still while the dog is still holding it, and say “Drop It!” while you start moving the second toy with your other hand. The moment your dog releases the first toy to grab the other one, say “Good ‘Drop it!’” And play with the second toy – same procedure. That does it for the first “Drop It!” lesson.

Tango plays the "Drop It" game with his toys - dropping them in the bin. — Tango plays the “Drop It!” game with his toys – dropping them in the bin.

Dogs will be wary of letting go if they think that’s the end of the fun. As long as the game continues, the dog should be okay with swapping one fun thing for another. When it’s time to end the game entirely, rather than swapping, don’t ask for the “Drop it!” Instead, use something like “That’s all!” and offer an incredibly yummy treat.

Yes, we’re bribing the dog to do what we want. We’re okay with that. Until the dog understands the command, and will reliably do it, we use whatever positive means necessary to get the result we want. Taking away something valuable may cause dogs to guard it. And resource guarding can become a big problem.

Next step in “Drop it!”

To progress the “Drop It!” game, use a variety of different toys and/or treats, gradually introducing items your dog finds very valuable. It’s one thing to get a ball-loving dog to drop a rope toy. It’s another to get them to actually drop the ball.

If your dog is crazy about a certain toy, or kind of toy, be sure to have multiples of that identical item to teach drop it. Even the most well-trained dog may be reluctant to drop a cherished item. It may take a while to work up to the most valuable resources.

Go at your dog’s pace. If they don’t believe that the “other” item is as good as the one they have, they may not willingly obey the “Drop it!” Some dogs, like our own Booker, are more interested in the interaction with their people. The item doesn’t matter as much as the game.

Torque, on the other hand, prizes the ball above anything else. To him, having the toy is more important than the game. “Drop It!” is a persistent struggle for him, and when his better nature wins, he’s rewarded with even more time with his beloved ball. And if you’ve played the “Carry It” game with your dog, the “Drop It!” dog training game is the next logical, and important, step.

Know your dog

Knowing your dog’s personality and reward hierarchy is key. Stay with the less-valuable items as long as you need to build your dog’s trust in the game. Don’t make “Drop It!” the end of fun – reward with more time and use a different cue to end the game. You may even find that using a timer is beneficial. Your dog will learn that the “beep” of the timer signals the end of that game. Keep in mind that dogs love routine. If you always end the game when you hear the beep, your dog will know it’s time to go do something else.

“Carry It!” dog training game

Once your dog learns “Pick it up!” the next step is to hold it and take it someplace. It’s time for the “Carry it!” game.

For this game, use the same variety of objects you used for “Pick It Up!” If there’s a particular item you’d really like your dog to learn to carry, like a small whiteboard or tote bag, play the “Pick It Up!” game with that object so they’ll be ready to hold and carry it.

Imagine the social media posts you can create if your dog holds a whiteboard! Or how people will react when your dog carries their own stuff. Or even better – helps bring in the shopping!

Fun and maybe useful dog games

Booker loves the "Carry it!" dog training game - he puts away his foam blocks! — Booker loves the “Carry it!” dog training game.

Having your dog carry stuff for you has practical limits – they’re often not allowed places their skills could be put to use. But it is a fun and impressive behavior – from “go get me a soda!” to “put your toys away.” Fetching and carrying are things long associated with dogs. But most people don’t realize it can go far beyond a tennis ball or dog toys.

It doesn’t matter how old your dog is, what breed it is, or whether you’re an experienced dog person or not. All dogs can learn whatever you choose to teach them. Once dogs are familiar with 2-Minute Dog Training Games, they’re eager to try new stuff, happy to play, and enthusiastic about learning.

The start of “Carry it!”

If you’re using a clicker (and we hope you are) it’s easy to introduce your dog to the concept of keeping hold of an object. Play the “Pick it up!” game and, rather than an instant click, delay it. At first, just a tiny moment. If your dog is like most, as soon as they hear the click they’ll drop the object. We want to prolong the hold. So when your dog picks up the object, let them know they’re good – “Yes! Good dog!” but don’t click right away. Count to two, then click. If the dog immediately drops the object when they hear the click, say “good drop!”

The next step is to actually move while holding the object. Once your dog is holding it for a couple of beats, take a step back, encouraging your dog to come with you. If they drop the object rather than moving with it, stop and stare at the thing. “What were you doing?” or “You forgot something!” Wait until the dog picks it up and this time, just lean back. Your dog may not be ready for a whole step.

Add on gradually

As always, your dog will let you know when it’s time to add – both more time for the hold and more distance for the carry. When your dog is getting it “right” about 75 percent of the time, ask for more. Another step. A longer hold.

If your dog doesn’t like holding stuff, one game to turn that around is to tug on it. Just like pulling on your dog’s leash causes them to resist and pull more, tugging on something your dog is holding in their mouth will usually cause them to clamp it harder. That resistance is a trait you can take advantage of with both “hold” and “drop” behaviors.

You probably noticed that the “Drop it!” behavior is part of both holding and carrying. If your dog is a “it’s mine and you can’t have it” kind of dog, you’ll want to play “Drop it!” games separately. Next time we’ll go over the games for teaching “Drop it!”