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Boxey Game Part 2: Your dog can be creative

In last week’s tip we talked about getting started with the Boxey game. Now it’s time to take it further and showcase your dog’s cleverness. Your dog can be creative with the right encouragement.

Remember that you’re never allowed to say “NO!” when you’re playing Boxey with your dog. Aside from biting or chewing the box, whatever your dog does with it is okay. If your dog is wildly creative and starts playing volleyball with the box, reward it, name it, and for pity’s sake get it on video so you can make a fortune.

Stop telling your dog what to do

The nice thing about playing Boxey is that you have no particular objective in mind. Most dog tricks or behaviors have an end goal. Our only goal here is to teach the dog that it’s okay to try different stuff. There are absolutely no negative consequences with this game. The worst that should happen is, if your dog absolutely intent on chewing the box, you call it quits for this session and try again later. Maybe with a different box, if that one’s too attractive for gnawing.

Torque playing Boxey - he's got 3 legs in the box!

The possible actions that your dog may come up with to interact with the box include:

Sniff it
Nudge it
Pawing at it
Put a paw in it
Put two paws in it
Three paws in
All four paws in
Left paws in
Right paws in
Back paws in
Backing into it
Jumping over it
Sitting in it
Lying in it
Turning it over
Turning it on its side
Putting something else in it
Moving it

Hopefully you’re getting the idea that your dog can be creative with the box however it occurs to him.

Getting your dog out of the box

Once your dog figures out the box is his/her “sweet spot,” you may have some difficulty getting your dog to get out of the box. That’s one of the reasons we say to only reward the same behavior three to five times. If you keep delivering treats for your dog sitting in the box, you’ll never get him out.

Speaking of getting him/her out, dogs trained with positive reinforcement can cycle into what we’ve heard called feedback loops. They keep doing the same thing over and over, regardless of whether it’s being rewarded, because they can’t figure out what else to do. There needs to be a way to break the cycle.

One of the behaviors we use to settle our dogs down and get their minds back in the game is the hand touch. It’s a whole other game, which we’ll talk about in next week’s tip. In the meantime, if your dog is becoming box-obsessed, just pick it up and try again another time.

It may take some time

Most dogs spend so much of their lives getting directions from people that it’s hard for them to break away from that and think for themselves.

But thinking creatively is a great way to keep dogs (and people!) of any age interested and engaged. If you’re reading this tip, that means that you’re interested in giving your dog the best life possible – which means encouraging him or her to use every bit of brain power possible. Dogs are smart. Channel that ability into paths that will delight instead of getting into trouble. It’s better to have a dog that bats a box around than one that chews electrical cords out of boredom.

Some dogs are more creative than others. Among our own dogs, it’s the old guy, Tango, who comes up with the most creative ways to use Boxey. Torque is the least.

It’s more challenging to play Boxey with a less-creative dog because it requires you to be more patient and think more creatively yourself. As with Torque, if he can’t come up with anything new, we’ll take the initiative and present him with a new “look” – like putting the box on its end instead of its bottom. Or placing it on top of another box. Or hiding a treat underneath it.

Your dog can be creative. And so can you. Together you’ll come up with your own Boxey variations and your own shared repertoire of games.

See your dog and adapt to the dog you see

There’s a saying in dog training “train the dog in front of you.” It’s good advice, as long as you see your dog. Like every person, every dog is unique. Our job, as our dog’s world interpreter, is to explain things how that dog needs.

Tango demonstrated it this week

See the dog in front of you and adapt! Fran saw that Tango was having trouble understanding the game when the pins were staggered.

If you’ve been following along in our newsletter, you know that Tango, Fran’s 11-year-old Brussels Griffon has been learning how to “bowl” – knocking over toy bowling pins. Tango loves playing training games, but he’s not the fastest to catch onto things. Fran’s learned over the years that he does eventually get it – as long as it’s explained in bits he understands.

Last week he showed us that he doesn’t understand when the pin layout is staggered. He was okay as long as they were in a straight line, but the small difference was too great a leap for him.

Booker (Fran’s Boston) and Torque (Hope’s French Bulldog) had no problem generalizing from a straight line to a staggered one. But Tango does. Fran has to train Tango where he is.

No comparing to others

Saying (or thinking) “But So-And-So got it right away! Why doesn’t Whatsit understand?” isn’t helpful. Whatsit is a different dog than So-And-So and needs to be taught differently. Even if they’re the same breed. Even if they’re siblings.

Fran and Hope are sisters. They sport a distinct family resemblance and have often been mistaken for one another. But they’re very different people. Hope learns by listening, Fran is a visual learner.

It’s up to you to see your dog and figure out how best to manage the steps of teaching your dog any new behavior – whether it’s a fun trick, not pulling on leash, or greeting guests politely.

Seeing your dog

Dogs always do what’s most rewarding for them. And it could be anything – from food, to toys, to attention from you. Playing training games with you should be the most rewarding of all – they get both your attention and a physical reward as well.

If your dog is loving the games, but just not understanding what you’re teaching, it’s up to you to adapt to the dog in front of you. See your dog. Figure out what works and what’s baffling. Go back to where your dog was successful and take smaller steps forward. (Read more about setting your dog up for success.)

Next time, Tango’s bowling pins will start in a straight line. One in the middle will move slightly for each repetition. When that one is no longer a problem, another one will move slightly each time. Because that’s how Tango has shown us he needs to learn. We want to keep challenging him, with a goal we know he can reach.

Click here to see Tango’s latest bowling session (YouTube will open in a new tab.)

Your dog will show you who he/she is. See your actual dog. And train the dog in front of you.

Dog trick training – how to & why!

Why do dog trick training?

So many reasons!

It’s fun
Grows your dog’s understanding and vocabulary
Challenges both you and your dog to learn new skills
Deepens your bond with your dog
Prevents boredom
Provides an activity when you can’t get outside
Lets you give your dog focused attention in a short amount of time
Makes great videos and memories

Dog “tricks” or behaviors can be anything. Many years ago, it was almost a cliche that the dog went out to fetch the paper every morning. Of course most dogs didn’t really do it, but it was a trick that everyone thought their dog could do.

A cute new trick Torque is learning is "hide."

And there’s always something new to try! Hope and Torque just started working on “Hide!” She draped a blanket over a portable folding table, and put a target under the table. Torque started at normal heel position, and when he got his release cue, he charged right under that blanket to find the target. Click and reward!

The cutest part was when he turned around and was peeking under the blanket. That’s another benefit of dog trick training – they’re so incredibly cute!

Of course we don’t really think that Torque knows “Hide” after only one session. We’ll see what happens when we try it again. We’ll record next time so you can follow along on his progress. Just like we’ve been sharing Tango’s learning to “Go Bowling.”

You and your dog can do it

When you and your dog are familiar with the fundamentals (see Book 1: Clicker and Place), you can expand your dog’s repertoire to include any trick or behavior that you can imagine and your dog can physically perform. Lately we’ve seen quite a few videos of skate-boarding dogs. If that’s something you’d like your dog to do, go for it. Thousands of YouTube views await your awesome dog!

Going viral might be fun and profitable, but it’s not predictable. What every single dog can achieve, however, is a “Trick Dog” title. From home. Via video.

It’s true. You don’t have to leave your dog’s comfortable training space. To earn an American Kennel Club Trick dog title, all you have to do is have your dog perform 10 tricks, each one twice, on video. And, since you’re interested in dog trick training, we’d even bet that your dog already knows a few of the Novice Level tricks, which include things like:

Speak
Crawl
Fetch
Get a named object
Get in a box
Climb onto a platform or step
High five
Hold it
Jump through a hoop or over a bar
Kiss
Shake
Spin
Touch

There are more, but that gives you a good idea of the level of difficulty for the first level of dog trick training. As you progress through the five levels, the difficulty increases – but as you progress, so does your ability and your dog’s prowess!

Dog trick training

Of course your video does need to be evaluated, and you need to know someone who can do it. Fortunately, you do! Hope is an AKC CGC and Trick Dog Evaluator, as well as a S.T.A.R. Puppy instructor. If you’re interested in pursuing Trick Dog titles for you and your dog, just shoot us an email (trainers@2-Minute-Trainer.com) and we’ll get you started!

Tired dogs lose focus

You’re having fun playing a training game with your dog. It’s going great and you’re having fun. And all of a sudden, it seems like your dog’s brain has fallen out of his skull.

Stuff your dog knows is just gone. It’s like you’re speaking a foreign language. What’s your dog trying to tell you?

Case in point

It happened to Hope and Torque recently. Fran, watching the session, saw the sudden drop-off in focus and precision. It took her observation “I think he’s tired” for Hope to realize it was time to call it a day.

We play training games with our dogs every day. And, since we expect that competitive obedience, rally, and agility will be back one day, some of the games are preparation for that day.

We set specific criteria for all the games we play. When we’re playing “put your toys away” the toy has to go in the bin. For our version of “Quoits,” the ring has to go over the post. And for our Obedience and Rally games, we aim for “perfect” execution of each exercise.

Sloppy is not acceptable

“Perfect” means that on the recall or “come,” our dogs sit directly in front of us, not shifted to either side. It’s one of Torque’s best things, after lots of recall games over his lifetime.

This is an example of Torque's perfect "front." He's perfectly straight and looking up at Hope.

On this particular day, Hope and Torque were well into their session, and it had been going great. His recall was fast and his sit in front of Hope was straight and square. Then, all of a sudden, he was lining up by her “cookie” hand. He lost focus and got sloppy.

Give it a rest

Hope’s first thought was “try again!” But, with Fran’s observation, she knew it was the wrong thing to do. Piling more on top of sloppy achieves nothing. It’s tempting to keep going and try to “fix” things. But if your dog is tired and loses focus, you can’t fix anything.

That’s one of the reasons it’s better to quit, or change gears, than keep going. You don’t have to end on a good note. Our dogs don’t know the session didn’t go well. They just know that game is done for now. They may not have gotten as many rewards as they would have liked. But that’s always their opinion.

Also – you’re the one who knows your dog best. You know when he’s being sloppy and losing focus. At the other end of the spectrum is Fran’s Booker, who always has trouble focusing (see our post “Special dogs need routine even more.”)

Good information

Even the dog training games that don’t go well give us good information. In this case, Hope learned that Torque has a limit for recalls. In future sessions, she’ll sprinkle other games between the recalls. Varying the games, even in a short, two-minute session, keeps everyone fresh and interested.

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!

Set your dog up for success

An obedience student came up to Hope after class Tuesday to ask for help.

“How do I get R.J. (her 2-year-old Portuguese Water Dog) to stop counter surfing?”

“Tell me what happened, please.”

“We had some people over on Sunday and it was just embarrassing. I put the appetizers on the kitchen table and when I came back he’d eaten almost all of them.”

“Where were you?”

“In the other room with our guests.”

Hope’s student is doing great in her competition obedience class. But she hasn’t learned to transfer what R.J. is learning to everyday life. She did nothing to help her dog understand the rules of the house. R.J. isn’t the problem, his “mom,” Mary is.

What are some of the things Mary could have done to help R.J. understand how to be a good boy?

Put his collar and leash on and hold the leash
Have him “help” greet guests with a lovely sit (which he’s fully capable of)
Crated him away from the chaos
Not put food within reach
Not walk away, leaving the food within reach

We do understand that a gathering isn’t the best time or place to train your dog. That’s why we play training games every day – so when a scenario arises, our dogs have the tools to understand what we ask of them in any circumstances.

In Mary’s case, just crating R.J. away from the party may have been the best solution. They hadn’t prepared for the party and Mary wouldn’t have been able to do anything but pay attention to R.J.’s behavior. At two years old, R.J. is the equivalent of a human teenager who has no manners and no impulse control.

It turns out that R.J. practices the same bad behavior every single day. Mary said that she puts her coffee on the breakfast table, then goes to get her toast. When she comes back, R.J. is slurping away at the coffee.

Mary’s fault, all the way. Take the opportunity to give your dog a job, especially in a case like this where you are in a familiar environment, doing a routine task that doesn’t require all of your attention. R.J. knows how to sit and stay. Use that tiny interval to practice it! Have some rewards at hand and, when he succeeds, give him something better than coffee.

This is a classic case of the dog behaving in a way that gets him what he wants most. He likes coffee, knows he’s free to get it, and he gets to play a fun game of “keep away” when his mom catches him at it. Because you know she yelled at him and chased him off the table.

Dogs don’t really distinguish between “good attention” and “bad attention.” R.J. knows his “mom” is interacting with him and that’s the best thing in his world. It probably doesn’t matter that she’s yelling at him – she’s paying attention and playing with him.

Will he like it even better when “mom” learns to control the situation and he truly is being good? Absolutely! How about having R.J.’s favorite toy close at hand and rewarding his beautiful sit/stay with a game of tug? Much better! Or having him “help” you get your coffee with a beautiful “heel,” followed by top-notch treats for a reward? Wonderful.

Dogs do what’s most rewarding to them. What does your dog find most rewarding? Food? Toys? Pets? Yodeling with you? Whatever it is, make sure the best rewards are given for best behavior choices.

Face time isn’t necessary

Face time with your dog isn't always necessary. For your dog to get full understanding, vary your location, your position, your distance.

Your dog’s face is adorable. But you don’t have to look at it all the time. In fact, when you’re training, “face time” should be half or less.

When dogs first join the family, training starts right away. The first behavior most people start with is “sit.” You stand, facing your dog and say “sit!” You may even use a lure, holding it over the dog’s head and moving it so the dog naturally moves into sit position. You praise your good dog – “Good sit, Fido! Good sit!”

Context is everything to a dog

After a few sessions doing this, most people believe their dogs know “sit.” Perhaps – as long as those exact conditions are repeated. As we’ve discussed before, dogs learn in context. Fido knows sit, as long as a treat is held over his head, you’re standing in front of him for face time, and the lure is moved in exactly the same way.

It’s the same situation for any behavior. Down is one we see often – the dog does it as long as the owner is standing facing the dog, bends over, holding a treat, lowers the treat to the floor while saying “down.”

Change any one of those contextual cues, and the dog may look at you as if she’s never heard the word “sit” or “down” before. It can be frustrating for owners – they absolutely know their dog “knows” it. He just did it a little while ago at home.

Fix face time – fast!

Fortunately, the “cure” is simple. It doesn’t take long, and it’s easy to do. Start by changing your position. Stand next to your dog, instead of in front, and see what response you get. If your dog is still performing “sit,” that’s great! Try sitting yourself and telling your dog to sit. Still knows it? Fantastic!

Training note: Regardless of your position, your reward should always be delivered to your dog’s front. Even if you’re behind your dog, reach forward and deliver the treat to the “front.” This teaches the dog that he doesn’t have to “help” you – he can stay in place and still be rewarded for good choices.

Just start over – someplace else

If, however, your dog is giving you a blank stare, start at the beginning. If you’ve used a lure to teach it in the past, use the exact same sequence, just from a different angle. Expand your range – do it from any position around your dog; to his left, to his right, even behind. As long as the treat is delivered to his face, in a short time you should be able to walk completely around your dog, while she maintains position.

This exercise is the start of a good “stay” behavior as well as the position sit or down. And it’s useful not just for those who want to play dog sports with their dogs. It’s also useful for visits to the veterinarian, the groomer, or anyplace your dog needs to stay in place.

Why click?

The Clicker is a wonderful training tool

Many people question the use of a clicker in dog training. You don’t absolutely have to have one, or use one, but it’s a useful tool and we think everyone should try it.

In our social media groups about dog sports competition, there are people who are “never-clickers.” Their arguments are that:

I don’t have enough hands
It can’t be used in competition
It’s one more thing I have to “fade” (stop using)
I always have my voice with me

Those are valid points. And if you’re absolutely opposed to the idea, you can do without.

One the other hand, the clicker allows:

Everyone training the dog to “sound” the same
Is instantaneous to mark good stuff
Lets you delay the treat
Improves your timing

The clicker is particularly wonderful if you have a fast-learning, fast-moving dog who loves to do “stuff” with you. By the time you can say “good” or “yes,” Fido’s already doing something else, because your feedback wasn’t fast enough. Think it’s not true? We’ll loan you Hope’s Torque, or Fran’s Simon for a 2-Minute Session. Those boys are hard to keep up with, even with a clicker.

Just this week, Hope decided to add a “bow” to Torque’s repertoire. She thought about how to teach it, figuring to use a small box. She’d reward for putting his hind legs on the box the first session. Later 2-Minute Sessions would add lowering his front end while keeping his rear up in the air.

Torque already knows “back up,” so Hope put down the box and Torque was already moving, backing up onto the box. She clicked as soon as both back feet were on it, signalling immediately to Torque that he was right, right then. If she had waited at all, his front legs would have been on the box as well, and the criteria for the new trick would have been unclear.

When your dog is used to working with a clicker, it’s a clear and immediate signal to him (or her) that he’s a good boy. And he knows (or will soon learn) to repeat the behavior that got the click. And was followed, in short order, by treats!

Once our dogs learn to think, are rewarded for trying, and have fun spending time with you, it becomes easier and easier to develop new tricks, or behaviors. It’s fun and challenging for everyone – dogs and people!

What does your dog’s name mean?

If your dog is ignoring you when you say his name repeatedly, there's a reason for that.

What would you guess is the most overused word in dog training?

No?
Here?
Leave it?
Sit?
Come?

All good guesses, but wrong. It’s your dog’s name.

Your dog’s name doesn’t mean much

By itself, after your dog has learned it, the name doesn’t mean much. If you’re just being goofy and making up silly songs to sing to your dog (like we do!), it’s a lyric you try to find lots of rhymes for. Just hanging in the air – it doesn’t give your dog enough information to work with.

Attention!

Calling your dog’s name should be used for attention as in: Hey Fido! Perk up your ears because I’m going to tell you something else! By itself, the name is not a command, and gives your dog no information.

But by itself it’s not a command, a correction, a celebration, or anything else. It’s the alert that should tell your dog that more information is coming:

Fido, come!

Rover, sit!

Spot, place!

Repetition becomes part of the behavior

One of the most common tendencies we see in our students is the habit of repeating themselves. Or adding an “oh!” to the dog’s name, as if that conveyed more information than just the name by itself. If there’s something you want your dog to do, just say it!

And give your dog a second!

And give the dog a moment to figure out what the word is and take action.

Saying it again, before your dog has a chance to process the conversation, will lead to your dog assuming that the repetition is part of the behavior. That’s why we don’t “correct” errors – we start again. Otherwise the error and the “re-do” become part of the behavior.

A friend of ours has a Viszla who’s a very good dog. But his “mom” says “dog, stay!” at least three times before she leaves him. Consequently, if he hears “stay” once, or twice, he doesn’t do it. Three times is the charm for this guy. Because that’s what he’s been taught. Not on purpose, but nevertheless, it’s stuck.

It’s difficult to catch yourself – we all do it. We call our dog’s names and expect them to do something – stop eating dirt, come to us, sit, whatever. But without telling them what we want, how are they supposed to know?

Dogs aren’t mind-readers!

If you want to practice getting your dog’s attention – call his/her name. And reward when he/she looks at you.

Whenever there’s something more you want your dog to do when you call, include that “something” when you call. Give him a chance to figure it out, and reward when he does.

Old habits die hard

Our morning habit is to have coffee, semi-wake-up, and then go down to the basement to our training area and have some fun with our dogs.

Dogs thrive on schedules

Each dog gets a turn. And, since dogs thrive with schedules, they go in the same order every day: Booker, Tango, Torque, and Simon.

It does require a little bit of mental gymnastics – what works for one dog isn’t universally true. They each have their favorite “tricks” they like to do. And, at least once a month, if we can think of one, we like to teach a new one.

It’s easy for Fran to come up with new stuff to teach Simon – he’s just a year old and most of his training so far has been spent on the fundamentals: sit, down, stay, walk nice on a leash, release cue. But recently Fran’s been expanding his repertoire with some fun tricks.

Tango knows how to put his toys away

Fran has trained Tango (Brussels Griffon) to put his toys away, into a bin.

One of the fun ones we teach is “put stuff away.” Tango’s version of this one is the cutest, since he actually puts dog toys in a bin. He’s never cared about toys, so they work fine as training tools.

It’s more problematic with the other dogs, who adore dog toys. We don’t have them lying around the house – we want our dogs to be playing with us when they have toys. So for the other dogs, we use a bunch of kitchen utensil odds and ends; spoons, strainers, ring molds, etc.

Train one “spoon” by itself

We start training with one “spoon” by itself. The same training sequence always holds:

clicks for looking 3x
clicks for touching with your mouth 3x
clicks for picking it up 3x
clicks for moving with it in your mouth 3x
click for dropping it 3x
Clicks for dropping it in the bin

There’s no deadline

The first day we may not even get the three “looking” clicks. That’s okay! There’s no deadline. It takes a while for dogs to understand that it’s okay to keep trying. And it may take a bit of time for the dog to figure out which part is getting the click. We have no way of knowing what dogs actually think – or how they interpret our interactions.

We started out…

We’ve been training a couple of decades now – and we learned in the bad old days when we never let a dog make a decision. And every once in a while, despite how hard we try, we fall into bad old habits. With Simon’s first try at “spoons,” he was a rock star. Whether he’d learned by watching the other dogs, it was just luck, or he somehow understands English, he got it – first time.

Resetting Fran’s brain

The test of whether a dog really knows something is whether he/she can do it again. So the next time Fran and Simon tried spoons, probably about 10 days later, he knew nothing. For whatever reason, Fran lost her mind and started saying things like “no!” when he started gnawing on the spoon – taking it from him. She put it down and started coaching him to “take it!” A quick question – “What are you doing?” stopped her in her tracks and resetting her training brain.

The old way of training was to force a dog to do something, repeatedly. Not let the dog make any mistakes, and certainly not let them choose anything. It was effective for people who could impose their iron wills on their dogs over the long term. It produced a lot of Obedience Champions.

We want our dogs to choose to abide by the rules

But it didn’t work for those of us who don’t want a permanent job watching every little thing our dogs do. We don’t want to dictate every aspect of their lives all the time. We want our dogs to be our buddies, who know the rules of the house and choose to abide by them. Just like we do.