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The hardest part of dog training

What do you think is the hardest part of dog training?

There are lots of possibilities; timing, coordination, remembering, getting focus, carving out the time to play training games. But all of those are just a matter of practicing. They all get easier with experience. The more training games you play with your dog, the better you get at it.

The “Winner” is

The hardest part of dog training is doing nothing. It’s standing like a statue, not saying anything, not doing anything, while your dog acts a fool. She’s barking, jumping, biting at the leash.

The hardest part of dog training is doing nothing when your dog is misbehaving.

If you’re in public, it’s embarrassing and you want to make her stop. If you’re at home, it’s still annoying and you want her to knock it off.

The best thing you can do is stand there, hands folded, silent. When her little temper tantrum wears off, she’ll probably remember that sitting quietly gets her the attention, and reward, that she wants. It can be annoying, frustrating, even infuriating, to wait for that moment. But it’s worth it.

Let the dog decide

If we “make” our dog behave, by holding their collar or tightening the leash, we’re giving them exactly what they want – our complete attention. We’re reacting to them, instead of waiting for them to choose better and get rewarded for good behavior. Waiting for your dog to “see the light” can be a painful process. But it’s worth it. We teach our dogs how to get what they want, instead of letting the dog manipulate us.

It’s really, really hard not to snatch your hand away when your dog starts nibbling at it to get the treats. (The “Whatcha gonna do?” game in Book 4: Impulse Control.) But the motion of lifting your hand looks, to your dog, like you’re engaging in the game he chose. Yelling at your dog for barking is “playing” the barking game, seen from the dog’s perspective.

Think, don’t react

Doing nothing is the hardest part of dog training. But sometimes it’s the only way to show our dogs how to choose better. Pay close attention to your own reactions to your dog’s silly/obnoxious behaviors. Are you inadvertently encouraging it? Do you engage with your dog when he’s acting the fool?

Try ignoring it, instead. If he’s really being obnoxious, walk away. If he persists, go into the bathroom and lock him out. When he quiets down and his brain engages again, reward it! Play a rowdy game of tug, or fetch! Play on your terms, not when your dog dictates.

Right and wrong are different

Show your dog what right and wrong look like. Right should be full of energy, treats, toys, play, and fun. Wrong should be dull. Not nearly as much fun as being good.

As soon as your dog chooses wisely, reward, reward, reward! Making good choices is the foundation of game-based dog training. Love it when you see it!

How to get your dog to calm down and relax

It’s the very first thing we “work” on with puppies – get your dog to calm down. Just like human children, puppies don’t really know when they’re over-tired. They’ll fight taking a nap, just like a toddler. You can watch their eyelids droop, but they just won’t relax. As they get more and more tired, puppies can get increasingly frantic. And your frustration grows. The dog needs to nap. And you need to grab a shower and a meal!

Puppies are little tyrants. If you allow it, they’ll take over every aspect of your life and schedule. They’re selfish little beasts, only caring about their own needs and wants.

Frankly, if puppies weren’t so adorable your heart melts, there’d be no excuse for them.

Start with the basics

“Sit and accept praise” is one of the very first behaviors we teach with a new dog or puppy in the house. When the new addition gets you up at four in the morning and, after a potty break, decides it’s play time, you need a way of letting him/her know that’s not the way it’s going to be.

Many trainers would have you stuff the puppy in the crate, maybe even cover it, and wrap a pillow over your head to muffle the complaints. The ear-piercing, howling misery.

But we’re not believers in letting a dog or puppy cry itself into exhaustion. The dog doesn’t learn anything from that. Even at four in the morning, it’s time for a session of “Sit And Accept Praise.”

Not the most fun training game

Our very first dog training mentor preached this exercise, even before positive reinforcement was a “thing” in dog training. He is a good and wise man.

This is probably the only 2-Minute-Trainer game that’s not really much fun for either of you at first. But it is part of the deal we make with our dogs. They get what they want when we get what we want. It’s a simple bargain, but an important one.

How Sit & Accept Praise works

Sit & Accept Praise is easy. With your dog wearing a collar, have him sit next to you. On the couch if it’s allowed. You get on the floor if it’s not. (As an aside: we don’t understand why people have upholstered furniture their dogs aren’t allowed to get on. But we think dogs are more valuable than any “stuff.”) (By the way – we also outline Sit & Accept Praise in our Puppy Basics. If you missed that, it’s no big deal, but you might want to get the free download for more great information.)

Sit and accept praise is the best way to get your dog to calm down.

Your dog may not want to sit next to you. That’s why he/she is wearing a collar. With your arm and elbow holding the dog at your side, thread a couple of fingers through the dog’s collar. Make sure your position is comfortable and that, if the dog fusses and moves, your fingers won’t bend awkwardly. The game may not be the most fun, but it also shouldn’t hurt either one of you..

Then sit there, petting the dog with the other hand and speaking softly to him/her. Let your dog know that he’s a wonderful dog, and a good dog, and the handsomest dog in the world. If you’re a reader, read your book out loud. Just so your dog hears your voice being calm and gentle.

That’s pretty much it. It’s easy to get your dog to calm down with this technique.

Dog’s not having it

When you feel the dog start to relax, you can ease the tension in the arm holding the dog at your side. Keep talking and petting. An occasional treat is fine, too. As long as the dog doesn’t get too excited by it.

If, when you lessen the hold, your dog struggles, just go back to where you were. In time, your dog will learn that you mean it, it’s time to relax.

It may take more than one repetition for the message to get through. When your dog does relax, even lie down, give him/her a cue word that identifies the action. We use “relax,” so when our dogs’ tension eases, “good relax,” “nice relax, buddy,” “what a good relax.” That way, throughout the dog’s life, we can tell him to “Relax” and he knows what to do.

Dogs don’t judge

Afraid of doing it wrong? You don’t have to be. Dogs don’t judge.

Some people are reluctant to try new things. Especially if they’re in a public place, or if they’re being watched. We see it in our dog training classes all the time. We have to encourage people to be louder, more active, keep trying, talk to their dogs, etc. Because we’re all afraid of being judged.

Dogs don’t judge

One of the best, and most fun, things about 2-Minute dog games is that there’s never a buzzer or anyone yelling “wrong!” You can play and adapt every game to where you and your dog are right at that moment. And dogs don’t shut down or quit – they’re encouraged to keep trying.

“Try again!” is a phrase that makes our dogs wiggle their butts – it means they get to keep playing. That particular attempt may not have been rewarded, but they get to keep playing and discover what does get the cookie.

You can’t “break” your dog

Positive reinforcement training will never “break” your dog. We have seen dog victims of harsh methods who may never recover to become normal dogs. That doesn’t happen with training games. The “worst” consequences for the dog is not getting a treat. And another opportunity to try.

You also don’t have to worry about getting things right every time. Just like our dogs, we have another chance to play and try again.

This week we’re playing a new game with our dogs. We’ve seen videos of dogs riding skateboards and thought it looked pretty fun. So we got our dog a skateboard!

See what they think

Whenever we introduce a new training tool (toy!) to our dogs, we take the first session or two to see what they think of it. If it’s something that’s familiar, the introduction doesn’t take long and we can start a new game behavior quickly. If it’s something as alien as a skateboard, we want to see how the dogs react before we formulate a game strategy. That’s exactly how we start even the very first dog training game, “Boxey.”

Each of Fran’s dogs reacted a bit differently:

Booker's second time on the skateboard. Dogs don't judge - he was all about the fun.

Booker (8-year-old Boston Terrier) dashed right over, put multiple paws on the deck, and wasn’t fazed in the least when it started moving. His game will emphasize putting three paws on, then moving it with purpose.

Tango (12-year-old Brussels Griffon) doesn’t see too well at this point, but is so familiar with training games that when he noticed something new in the space, he went over to it. He sniffed it, got paws up on it, and was clearly willing to play.

Simon (2-year-old Boston) ran over to the skateboard and was in constant motion. “You want this?” “How about this?” “I’ll try this!” “One paw good?” “Three paws?” “What about shoving it across the room?”

Clearly none of them was afraid of the item itself, or its movement. And we’ll play games tailored to each dog. Booker’s game will work on refining technique. Tango will probably learn “go for a ride” with us moving the board. Simon’s game will focus on focus. That pup is smart as can be, but still has the attention span of a puppy Boston.

Dogs just want to have fun

We didn’t worry about doing something “wrong.” The dogs got to “meet” their new toy, and we were able to get an idea of each dog’s training game. The next time the dogs see the skateboard, we’ll have a plan for each one – what action will get a “click and treat,” and which one will be ignored.

The plan doesn’t always happen. Because they’re dogs. That’s okay. We don’t have to be perfect, and neither do the dogs.

You don’t have to worry about getting things “wrong” in a dog training game. Dogs trained with positive reinforcement games will keep trying, keep exploring. Rewards are great, but most dogs adore playing the game. Most will keep trying, just because playing with you is fun.

And if you click at the wrong time? Just give your dog the cookie and try again. Nobody’s perfect and your dog will forgive you. Your mistake may confuse your dog for a minute, but that’s okay. Nobody got hurt. Nobody saw. Dogs are adaptable. Dogs don’t judge. And your dog loves playing with you.

Training “Touch!” Dog Training Game

The “Touch!” dog training game can be a pocket game you pull out and use any time you and your dog are together. It’s great when your dog is stressed, if you’re waiting at the vet’s office. Or if your dog is intently focused on something that’s none of his business, like that other dog on a walk.

To make this a go-to game, you and your dog must play it often. And your dog has to love it. Absolutely adore it. When your dog values playing this game more than any other stimulus, you can play it to keep your dog’s attention where you want it. That’s when it becomes one of the most useful tools in your dog-training toolbox.

Tools of the game

“Touch!” doesn’t require much stuff. Just you, your dog, and some treats. Really prime treats. Leftover steak kind of treats.

This may be a good place to talk about the “hierarchy” of treats. Dogs have preferences, just like people. You may adore fruit. Blueberries may be the fruit you reach for every time. Somebody else (Hope) may be allergic to blueberries and avoid them like the plague. She’d reach for the chocolate, instead.

We’ve talked before about putting together a “trail mix” of treats for dog training games. This should be a mix of high value (cheese), medium value (Cheerios), and low value (kibble) bits. The examples are our dogs’ particular preferences. You’ll know best what your dog’s favorites are and the tidbits she pushes away.

We know one person whose dog’s favorite thing in the world was shrimp. She went out of her way to get dried shrimp to use as training treats. We’ve also talked about Hope’s Dax, who adored celery. Most dogs love popcorn and you can certainly use air-popped popcorn in the mix.

When your dog never knows what the next treat will be, it keeps things fresh and exciting for the training games. Use your dog’s unique trail mix for most training games. Use the favorite for introducing a new game, especially one like “Touch!” that you mean to use often.

Getting started with Touch! Dog Training Game

The mechanics of a dog-training game like “Touch!” are simple, but not intuitive. Doing it this way gets the message across to your dog most clearly. Nobody’s watching – if you want to practice the moves before you try them out on your dog, go ahead.

Remember when you’re playing dog training games that you’re trying to communicate complex ideas to someone who doesn’t speak your language. And doesn’t have a common frame of reference. Your dog wants to play the games and have fun. Be as clear and confident as possible.

Have a bunch of treats in a bowl or small container near at hand, but out of your dog’s reach. If your dog has a tendency to wander away, or disengage when he/she doesn’t understand, put on his/her collar and leash and just let the leash drag on the floor.

Step 1: Put your hand out to the side, palm side facing your dog. Call your dog’s name. If your dog looks at your palm, touches your palm, interacts with your palm at all, take a treat with the other hand and hold it in the middle of your palm for your dog. You are feeding the treat from the open palm with the other hand.

You’re probably asking why you can’t just have a treat in the palm you want your dog to touch. And the answer is: because we’re not luring the dog to touch. We’re teaching the dog to decide to touch.

There may come a day when you need to get your dog’s attention but you don’t happen to have a treat handy. If the only way you’ve played the game is with a visible reward, your dog doesn’t know the right choice to make. He/she loves the lure, not the game.

Another important point: don’t reach out to your dog. Let your dog come to you. If you start reaching out, your dog’s natural instinct will be to back up. You don’t want that. Let your dog come to you.

Give it a name

Simon and Hope playing the Touch Dog Training Game.

When your dog touches your palm, you can start calling the game “Touch!” As you’re giving the reward (with the other hand, all the time!), you can say “Good Touch!” “That’s Touch!” “What a good Touch!” As well as the game, you’re also teaching the name of the game.

Remember to only play for a two-minute session. You can play a couple times a day, but not for long. Since this is such a simple game, your dog should “know” it fairly reliably in a week or so.

Variations on a theme

Once you’ve established your palm as the target to touch for treats, you can change hands, even alternating once your dog understands. Don’t be surprised if your dog doesn’t “get” that it’s the same game when you change. Remember that dogs don’t generalize naturally – it’s a learned behavior. Just because your dog understands “Touch!” with your left palm doesn’t mean she’ll know it with your right, or with your mother’s palm, or anyone else’s.

You can play the Touch dog training game anywhere. Take the game outside, to the park, to the pet store. In particularly difficult environments be sure to reward heavily and not go too far too fast. If your dog is having difficulty at the park, go back to your own yard and practice more there.

Old reliable

The Touch dog training game is what we use to get our dog’s focus, break his attention from someplace it shouldn’t be, and pass time when we’re waiting. You can alternate palms, play sitting, standing, kneeling, running, walking, wherever. It’s also useful when you’re playing another game, like “Boxey” and need to take a break while you reset.

Transitioning from one dog training game to another is easy. The more games you and your dog know, the more fun you’ll have.

Follow your dog’s lead

It’s okay to follow your dog’s lead. You don’t always have to be in charge.

Back in the olden days when we started fairly serious dog training, our first instructor intoned: “Never let a dog make a decision. He’ll always make the wrong one.”

When you know better, you do better. We know better now. We know how to guide our dogs to making good decisions. The dogs love learning and love playing training games, because they get to figure things out and have fun doing it.

Tango changed the game

Tango has been learning to bowl. We've learned to follow our dog's lead.

Tango’s been learning to “bowl” for 15 sessions so far. In 2-Minute-Trainer time, that’s just about half an hour. In almost every session, Tango has picked up a bowling pin. And used it to knock into another pin. He obviously enjoys using a “tool” for the game.

It surprised us, because Tango (Fran’s 11-year-old Brussels Griffon) has never played with toys. He doesn’t carry stuff around, and really doesn’t interact with many objects. He’s a short-faced dog, who has limited vision at this point in his life.

Thinking about it, we wondered if he is uncomfortable knocking over the pins with his muzzle/beard. He’ll never be able to answer the question, but we can follow his lead and change the game.

No rules for your training

Remember that you and your dog are the ones who make the rules for your training games. Tango and Fran aren’t bowling for any objective other than to have fun. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque loves bashing into things, including bowling pins. Tango doesn’t. Tango’s game can be different. We can follow our dog’s lead.

Fran decided to incorporate a “tool” for Tango to use to knock down the pins. She found a suitable object (a Mickey swizzle stick she found in the house) and started using it in the sessions with Tango.

Step by step

Like all new games, Fran introduced the Mickey stick by rewarding Tango for looking at it. Then touching it. Then picking it up. Then holding it. Then moving with it in his mouth.

Because Tango loves playing training games, he’s proving a quick study. In the first session he was already walking around with it.

As you and your dog gain familiarity with step-by-step training games, you’ll find your dog “skipping ahead,” too. It’s proof that your dog gets it, loves it, and will always have fun playing training games with you.

Follow your dog’s lead

Unless you’re aiming for a particular dog sport competition which has its own rules – you’re the one who decides the shape of your dog’s training games. If your dog likes doing things a certain way – why not follow your dog’s lead?

Tango did compete in dog sports. When he was competing in Agility and Rally Obedience, he learned how to perform according to the rules. He’s retired now. And he’s got opinions about how things should be done. It’s okay to do things his way. He’s a very good boy.

You can follow the progress of Tango’s bowling in our weekly newsletter, where we post the videos, as well links to our weekly 2-Minute-Training tips and general dog news.

Dog games: Ring stacking game for dogs

Yes, your dog is smarter than a two-year-old!

And you can easily teach your dog the ring stacking game, one of baby’s favorite toy games!

All you need is a post, rings that easily fit on it, some treats, and your dog. We recommend a clicker, too, but it’s not essential. As long as you consistently “mark” good decisions, a word (good!) is fine.

Step by step

When you start teaching your dog something new, break the behavior down into little nuggets that can be assembled into the whole behavior.

With the ring stacking game, start with just one ring. Put it on the floor near your dog. The goal is to get your dog to pick it up, but she doesn’t understand that, yet. Watch carefully. When she looks at the ring, mark it! If she gets close to the ring, mark it! If she sniffs it, mark it! If she picks it up, celebrate! Good dog! Lots of treats!

What if your dog moves the ring with a paw, instead of her mouth? Ignore it. It’s not what you want, and it may cause confusion if you change the criteria later. Mouth? Yes! Paw? Try again, that’s not what we want.

Next on the agenda

The next step is to have your dog move while holding the ring. The easiest way to do this is for you to start moving as soon as the dog has the ring in his mouth. If he drops it, stop. Wait for him to pick it up again and start moving.

At this point, you can place the post you’ll be using to stack the rings. When your dog has the ring in his mouth, move toward the post and wait. At first, if your dog drops it anywhere touching the post, reward. We want to let the dog know that the ring has to touch the post. When he has that idea, we’ll get pickier and expect him to place the ring over the post.

Onward!

We have a total of six rings. We use diving rings because the rings that came with our post were too chubby for our dogs to hold and manipulate easily. Now we toss all six rings down and our dogs, knowing the game, get each one, carry it across, and place it on the post.

If the ring doesn’t go over the post, just wait. The lack of reinforcement (praise and/or treat) will let your dog know it’s not quite right and, hopefully, he will try again.

Here’s a successful session in which Torque completed the game in about a minute with all 6 rings:

Torque plays the ring stacking game

Hints for success

Reward for the “same thing” only about three times per session. Looking at the ring is great, but we want to move on after the third time. Picking up the ring is terrific – three times. Then we need more. If you expect your dog to do more, he will!

Keep each session short – that’s why we call it 2-Minute training. Dogs think and process what they’ve learned. The next session, either later or the next day, start with a brief “refresher.” If your dog is stumped, take a step back to the point he/she was successful.

Dogs learn what’s “good” by associating the “thing” with the reward. Try to place your reward (treat) near the post, so your dog knows the post is a good thing. She may not know what to do with it right away, but she’ll be happy to be around it.

This may sound odd, but “show” your dog how the game works. You pick up a ring (you don’t have to use your mouth – you have thumbs!), carry it over, and put it on the post. Dogs do learn by watching.

Try not to be frustrated or lose patience with your dog. If it’s all brand new, it may take some time to catch on to the ring stacking game. Keep in mind that playing only two minutes at a time, a dozen sessions is less than half an hour. Read about a session a while ago when Torque completely forgot how to play the game.

Remember how dogs learn

Just by watching how your dog relates to the game, you’ll be able to see how he/she learns. Some dogs will get it right away. Others will learn one step easily and have difficulty with another. Just like us, all dogs have unique learning styles.

Part of learning is processing. You may have one completely awful game session. The next time, your dog may be brilliant. Giving your dog time to “think” about it helps them achieve success.

If you do have a session that falls off the rails, just stop and regroup. Your dog is doing the best he/she can, willing to play with you. Be grateful for the wonderful companion you have and try again later.

How’s your dog training energy?

Does your dog mope through training sessions like Eeyore plodding along? You can easily up your dog training energy. Last week we talked about our dogs getting tired and losing focus. This week the shoe is on the other foot! Just look in a mirror!

Our dogs reflect us in many ways, including energy level. You can change the mood in the room and your dog, by upping your own energy level.

We know there are some days you just don’t feel it. Dogs pick up on our moods and, very honestly, show us how we’re doing.

Try recording it

You don’t have to take our word for it. Set up a camera and record a session. For the first part of the session, speak quietly, move slowly, don’t celebrate. In the second part of the session, talk happily, move quickly, get energized.

You’ll see an immediate difference in your dog. If you have a “hyper” pup, you may think you need to control the energy level in the room to keep your dog focused. The opposite is true. Focus on your dog, keep the connection and the feedback flowing.

The test of your dog’s understanding of what you’ve been training is his/her ability to still listen and play with you while excited. That’s when you know you’re doing great, having fun, and being an effective dog trainer.

Energize everywhere

One key to getting your dog to play with you anytime, anywhere, is to up your own dog training energy level. This is another instance where you can, and should, “fake it ‘til you make it.”

Will your dog know you’re faking it? Maybe at first. But get louder, slap a fake smile on your face, look into that adorable dog face and remember you love playing with this dog who adores you.

Torque usually has plenty of energy when he puts his toys away.

Hope saw it just the other day with Torque. They were playing “put your toys away” – a game Torque normally loves. But he was distracted and moving slowly, if at all, between the toy pile and the bin he was supposed to put them in.

At first, Hope said “Torque, what’s wrong with you?” Then she realized that her dog was reflecting her attitude and demeanor. She was low energy, and her dog mirrored it.

So she got loud, smiled, and moved faster. The change in Torque was instant. He was into the game right away and put all the toys away with a smile in his step. Hope’s energy level mattered. Yours does, too.

The closer your bond with your dog, the more closely he/she will reflect your mood and energy level. There are some days all you want to do is snuggle on the couch and stare at a screen. But we promise you’ll achieve calm faster if the cuddle session follows a high-energy, 2-Minute-Dog-Training game session.

Training is tiring

Remember that thinking is as tiring as physical activity. Using your brain requires just as much effort as using your body. Sometimes it’s even more exhausting. Training games that call on your dog to use his brain, solve problems, and remember, are the equivalent, in less than five minutes, of a half hour of “fetch.”

By all means exercise your dog. We encourage all kinds of physical activity, as well as exercises like stretching and balancing to keep your dog fit. But exercising their minds is just as crucial – it keeps even old dogs young when they’re always challenged to learn new things.

Because as we all know – you can teach old dogs new tricks.

Pet tricks aren’t stupid

Stupid pet trick? Booker sits up for his treats!

Pet tricks aren’t stupid. Dog tricks may be just for fun and have no practical value on their own. But they’re the “recess” time of dog training – when you and your dog play together and have fun.

Some dog behaviors are crucial: Come, Stay.

Quite a few are important: Sit, Wait, Leave it, Walk Nice, Gentle.

And then there are “tricks” that are useless in everyday life. And so much fun for both you and your dog.

Anything you want

The nice thing about “trick” training is that you don’t have to have anything special in mind. You don’t need any special equipment, just whatever you have around the house and your dog. And treats. Never forget the treats!

The inspiration can come from anywhere. We saw a video on social media of someone teaching her dog to use a baby’s stacking ring set. It was adorable and fun, so we thought our dogs could do it, too!

All our dog learned to pick up the rings quickly. Stacking them on the pole? Not so much. For Tango, one of the issues was that the rings were bigger than his mouth – Brussels Griffons are big-mouth-dogs, but that’s volume, not size. So we got dive rings. All the dogs love playing the game now!

Is it useful? Not really. But it’s cute, it stretches their brains, works on their coordination. And all the dogs think it’s fun. And so do we. It was a tiny investment dollar-wise, and it’s been hours of fun, over time.

And never forget that just a few minutes of brain-training is just as tiring as a half-hour of physical activity. When you have limited time, but you want to spend quality time with your dog, try trick training!

Stuff that’s lying around

Unless you’re completely minimalist, there’s always “stuff” around the house. We have workout “stuff” – so the dogs sometimes see a foam roller and learn to push it across the floor on their hind legs.

There’s an empty wash basin that the dogs can use like a toy box to “put your toys away.”

We’re big fans of the aisles at Five Below or a local dollar store. We’ve found “stuff” like a toy bass drum with a pedal that Booker’s become a rock star drummer learning. Kitchen utensils they can carry and put away. A little skateboard they learn to put one or two paws on to “hang eight.” The limit is your imagination.

A stool or little bench that your dog fits under is a good way to teach “crawl.” Spins, roll-over, beg, “say your prayers,” and dance don’t require any equipment at all.

Play with your dog

Too many times we see people thinking that “play” is limited to just fetch or tug. Those are great games, but shouldn’t be the extent of play. There’s more to a dog’s life than walking, eating, running, and cuddling. They’re thinking, problem-solving, smart companions who deserve to have all kinds of fun with you!

Mindful training

It’s odd but true.

Teaching dogs new stuff – fun behaviors like “Put your toys away,” or “give paw” are sometimes easier than solidifying behaviors that the dog already “knows” how to do.

We think it goes back to the most powerful force in the universe. Some may say that’s gravity. We know it’s habit.

Battling habit

Simon is sitting nicely. He's always paying attention

One of our students developed the habit of bending her arms up when calling her puppy. It was her way of avoiding her hands being licked, which she doesn’t like. What she achieved, on the positive side, is replicating the obedience signal for “sit.” Her dog approaches within about three feet and her dog, watching her hands go up, sits.

On the negative side, her dog never comes close enough to touch. Which means, even if he has a fantastic recall (come), she won’t be able to get hold of him if she needs to.

Be mindful of what you teach your dog! They’re always paying attention and always learning.

Another universal force

Just as powerful as habit, instinct is difficult to “untrain.”

Dogs are predators, so they chase moving things. Some more than others, depending on the breed and drive of the dog. If your dog is fascinated by moving objects, from balls to bicycles, it may be too much to ask to consider off-leash walks. A squirrel crossing your path could mean a lost dog.

Dogs are guardians, so they bark at sounds around their territory. You may not ever be able to stop your dog from alerting at the doorbell, but you may be able to modify his/her behavior. If you give your dog a “job” or routine to perform when the doorbell rings, with lots of practice and repetition, you may get habit to take over from instinct.

Fighting the status quo

It’s certainly easier in the short term to manage dog behaviors than to modify them. The problem with management, rather than training, is that you’re always the one responsible for your dog’s good behavior. If the doorbell rings and you manage your dog by locking him in a room away from the door, you’re always stressed by the time you answer the bell.

If, however, you’ve trained your dog to go “Place!” when the doorbell rings, your dog is responsible for his behavior. Your dog knows what he’s supposed to do, knows he’s making a good decision, and knows he’ll be rewarded for his effort.

And it’s much less stressful for everyone.

Picture the result you want

If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there?

When training your dog, picture the result that you want. Define it for yourself in your mind’s eye. See your dog doing whatever it is that you’re aiming for. Then it’s time to figure out how to get there.

Polite greeting

Let’s say that one of your dog’s most annoying habits is going nuts when the doorbell rings. It hasn’t worked to repeat “sit, sit, sit, sit, sit” at him. It hasn’t worked to grab his collar and try to wrestle him away from the door. So far, we have a picture of the problem, but not the solution.

As we’ve discussed umpteen qazillion times, dogs do what they find most rewarding. It’s fun to lose your mind and bark at the doorbell. It gets everybody paying attention to you. It amps up the noise and “fun” in the house. And, if the dog pays for it later with any sort of punishment, it doesn’t take away the fun that came before.

That’s one of the biggest differences between dogs and people. People, even young children, understand cause and effect. Little kids get that “if I do this, I will pay for it later.” Dogs don’t.

Back in the day, people would say to “rub their dog’s nose” in housebreaking accidents. Because the accident happened an unknown time earlier, dogs didn’t understand they were being punished for producing the accident. They thought they were being punished for their owner finding the accident. So they learned to urinate and defecate where the owner wouldn’t find it.

Think like a dog

Going back to our doorbell example – think about the classic Pavlovian experiment. Pavlov rang a bell and dogs got food. Eventually, dogs salivated when the bell rang. Classic stimulus/response conditioning. We can put it to excellent use to re-train your dog to “go to bed” when the doorbell rings.

Create the sequence in your mind: the doorbell rings, your dog runs to his bed in view of the door, your dog stays in the bed while you open the door and greet the newcomer, dog is released to a sit to say “hello.”

There’s a lot going on in that simple sequence. Each step of it has to be taught on its own before you can put it together.

The first step is teaching the dog that the bed has value. It doesn’t matter that it’s your dog’s favorite bed. We’re asking him to do something new and different, even if the furniture is the same. Move the bed or mat to a location where he can see the door and stand there, treats in your hand. When the dog shows any interest in the bed, drop a treat into the bed. The steps for building value for sitting in the bed include:

Looks at the bed
Sniffs it
Puts a paw on it
Steps in it
Puts multiple paws in it
Sits in it

Every single one of those steps has to be rewarded at least three times before asking for the next step. And your dog has to be performing it correctly at least 80 percent of the time before you move on. We’re building a pattern of value for particular behavior, in terms your dog can understand.

Sit on it

When the dog is reliably sitting on the bed, have someone ring the doorbell. If your dog dashes off to see what’s going on, just wait. Don’t react, don’t call your dog. If you’ve built up enough value for sitting in the bed, he’ll see you standing by it and dash back to sit in the bed. When he does, reward and release!

Then do it again. Over and over. Until you’re sure that your dog understands that, when he hears the bell ring, he should go sit in the bed.

Go overboard

Be incredibly lavish in your rewards. Give treats, praise, and pets. Doing the “right” thing has to be as much fun, as rewarding, as being “naughty” was. If you ignore your dog’s good behavior, he has no reason to do it again. Naughtiness always gets your attention. Angelic behavior deserves even more.