dog training the fun way Archives - Page 7 of 10

The best trainers have bad dogs

It’s easy to train a “good” dog. But bad dogs make us better trainers.

One of the best dog trainers in the world has gotten even better over the last couple of years. Why? In addition to a Border Collie, which most of her dogs have been, she acquired a Boxer mix.

We follow her pretty regularly online where she has multiple dog training venues, mostly about agility training. And we’ve seen how her training has changed with the addition of a non-traditional performance breed.

Not, by any means, stupid

Border Collies are known for being the “smartest” breed of dog. They are certainly smart, eager to learn, and team with their humans. But that’s what Border Collies were bred to do. The breed was developed for a job that requires human interaction and direction. Border Collies are great at herding sheep. You can watch them in some great online drone videos. They’re tremendous workers. And there’s always a person telling them what to do with the sheep.

Tango, our "bad dog" has made us better trainers. — Brussels Griffons like Tango were bred for pest control. Training him has made us better.

Other breeds, maybe including yours, were developed for other purposes. Terrier breeds are almost all independent workers. Most were bred for pest control. They know their job and they don’t need anybody to tell them how to do it. Partnering with a Terrier requires more effort.

Worth the challenge

Finding ways to partner with a dog not known for being obedient, or a “good worker,” requires us, as trainers, to be more creative. To engage our dogs, we have to create and present games in ways they find intriguing.

That may mean your Terrier needs more motion in the games than a Bulldog. If you’re playing “Put Your Toys Away,” that may mean tossing the toys instead of dumping them in a pile.

That dog may respond better to loose-leash walking games if you have a rope toy and play “tug” as a reward for paying attention.

Adjust to the dog you have

Training bad dogs, like our own Brussels Griffon, Boston Terrier, and French Bulldog crew, has made us better trainers. The one we learned the most from was the worst dog – Fran’s “Hellhound” Tango. Turning him from an aggressive, nasty little dog into a sweetheart has been a journey. (You can read about our journey with him in Tango: Transforming My Hellhound.)

Each of your dogs makes you a better trainer. Because each one will have a different way of learning. They’ll catch on to commands and behaviors in their own ways, and lead you to explore all kinds of ways of training.

If you’re ever stumped trying to connect with your dog about a particular game, stop and think. Consider the games where your dog caught on quickly and still loves. How can you use pieces of that success in what you’re working on? (See the 2-Minute Tip: “Build on what your dog knows.”)

Alien species

There really aren’t any bad dogs in terms of training. Every dog can learn. When you consider all the obstacles to communicating with a different species, you’ll appreciate how extraordinary it is that our dogs partner with us at all.

That communication goes both ways. While you’re seeking ways to explain things to your dog, pay attention to what your dog is telling you. It may not be in words, but you can tell. Eager participation, but wrong choices, mean he’s confused. Turning away may mean fear of being wrong. Offering all kinds of behavior, but not the one you want could be lack of focus.

You don’t have a bad dog. You have the opportunity to be an outstanding dog trainer.

Motivating your dog. Are you a bouncy tiger?

Energy is everything. What you show is what you’ll get. When motivating your dog, they read you like a book. If you’re acting like a bouncy tiger, ready to play, that’s what you’ll get. If you act like a melancholy donkey, that’s what your dog reflects.

This is Torque. When you're motivating your dog, your energy can be the key. — Torque

The other night in Rally Obedience class (Fran was teaching, Hope and Torque were students) one of the students was trying to get her dog (Moose, a Golden Retriever) to go into his crate after his run through the Rally course. Dogs are encouraged to relax in their crates when they’re not on the course. It gives them “down time” from a very stimulating, fun environment. Moose is a very young dog and his parents have just graduated from Hope’s Puppy Class.

He wasn’t being naughty, he was just lying there, refusing to go in his crate. And his people were just standing there saying things like “Moose, come on now. Go in your crate.” “It’s time to crate.” His mom even waved a treat, before she caught Hope watching her. “That’s luring, isn’t it?”

Yes, it is. And that’s not the way to get your dog to offer a desired behavior. We want our dogs to charge into their crates because it’s one of the best places on Earth. Because it’s a great game they play with their people. Not because they’re reluctantly following a cookie. And we spoke of this earlier: How’s your dog training energy? The key: your energy rubs off on your dog.

Build the excitement

Seeing they were at a loss, Hope intervened. With absolutely no treats in hand, she went over the Moose and motivated him to move. In an excited voice, she asked “Are you ready? Do you want to play? Whatcha gonna do, Moose?” And then she ran over to his crate and Moose charged into it. He got lots of treats from his mom, and was rewarded for making an excellent choice.

The only difference between what Hope did and what his parents were trying was the level of enthusiasm. One of our classmates, watching the episode, said exactly the right thing: “Fake it ‘til you make it!”

Decide to be upbeat and motivate your dog

There are times when you definitely don’t feel like a bouncy tiger. There are days when the melancholy donkey in all of us is at the forefront. If you’re absolutely not up to playing training games, don’t. It doesn’t help either you or your dog to drag through a session.

But keep in mind that just playing that game with some pep may change your mood. Playing with your dog, even faking enthusiasm, may just turn your day around. If you can’t summon the energy to advance a game, or teach something new, just play an old favorite.

Your dog won’t care. What’s motivating your dog is their desire to be the focus of your attention, to spend time with you. To have fun with you.

Put Your Toys Away Dog Training Game

In last week’s tip we mentioned that Tango’s favorite training game is “Put Your Toys Away.” We were planning to provide a link to the game instructions – but then realized we’d never written about it. We’ve done videos of the game, but never explained how to teach it – until now.

Put Your Toys Away has lots of parts

Put Your Toys Away is a lot of different dog training games all strung together. And, as with all 2-Minute-Dog-Training games, each part is a different game. It’s only when your dog is getting parts “right” a majority of the time that you string them together.

“Toys” don’t have to be toys

Tango and the Put Your Toys Away dog training game — Tango, putting his toys away

You also have to think about the objects you use for the game. It has to be a lower-value (to the dog) object that the dog is willing to give up. If you have a tennis-ball obsessed dog, don’t use tennis balls. If your dog adores plush toys, use vinyl, etc.

Tango is the only one of our dogs who uses actual dog toys for the game. For one reason – he doesn’t care about dog toys. Never has. And the long-neglected toys we got for him before we knew that are too small for the other dogs to play with. They wouldn’t last a minute.

All four of our dogs play “Put your toys away,” but use different objects instead of toys. Booker comes closest with foam building blocks. Torque uses cardboard tubes and toy tambourines from the dollar store. Simon (a.k.a. The Destroyer) has tuna fish cans (with tape around the edge), ring molds, and plastic food containers.

Here’s Booker putting his blocks away.

Breaking it down

Dissect “Put Your Toys Away” into its component parts and treat each one like a separate game:

Pick up a toy (object).
Hold the toy.
Carry the toy someplace.
Go to the bin, (box, washtub).
Drop the toy in the bin.
Leave it.
Return to the toy pile.
Repeat.

If you try to string together the entire list, your dog may get confused about what you’re actually asking for. You don’t have to play the games in this order. Each part can be a separate game, played in any order.

Never assume

Even if your dog knows how to “take” something from you, it’s a good idea to start from the beginning. Taking an object from your hand is different from picking it up off the floor. If you want to hand your dog individual objects and build the behavior that way – that’s perfectly fine. It’s a game for you and your dog to play together and you can make up the rules. Keep the rules of the game consistent for your dog, but play however you want!

One variation we’ve tried in the last couple of weeks, just to refresh the game, is to actually toss the object and have the dog chase it, then put it away. It’s a variation on the theme that lends more energy than picking up toys from a static pile.

Let us know!

When you’re familiar with the 2-Minute-Trainer method, turning each step into a game should be fairly simple. If there are bits you’re not sure of, be sure to let us know! If we hear that a particular segment is proving more difficult for dogs and/or people, we’ll provide step-by-step guidance.

This is a game that every dog/person team can play to suit themselves. Whatever objects, receptacles, distances, motions you use, it’s fine. And we’d love to see video of you and your dogs in action! Please post anytime on our Facebook page!

Dogs care what we think

No one seems to know exactly why, or how, dogs threw their lot in with humanity in ancient days. But they did, and dogs actually care what we think. That’s the point all 2-Minute Training pivots on. Dogs care what we think.

Behavior that gets attention gets repeated

Taking it a step further, behavior that gets attention gets repeated. Think about that for a minute. Things that you give focus on happen again.

That’s why it’s crucial to “pay” your dog for the good stuff. And ignore the naughty. If a dog is constantly jumping on people and those people yell, kick, brush away the dog – that’s all attention being given to that naughty behavior.

Any attention to your dog is cherished. So just pay attention to the good stuff. — Looking for attention …

Some would argue that because the attention is negative, it’s giving the proper message. But dogs don’t care. They don’t understand the difference between good and bad attention. They only understand that a person they love focuses on them. It’s all good to dogs. That’s why, sadly, most abused dogs never turn on their owners. Any attention from their person is cherished.

Counter-conditioning yourself

It’s absolutely normal to concentrate on the things that are “wrong.” It goes against every instinct to ignore bad behavior. Standing still and staring at the ceiling when a dog is jumping on you is hard. But it’s the best way to convey information to the dog.

We have to realize that dog training is, in essence, trying to communicate with aliens. They don’t speak our language, they don’t see the world the way we do, and they don’t think like we do.

Our best advantage is that dogs do love us, and dogs care what we think. They’re happiest when we’re happy. That’s a blessing we’re thankful for every day. And it means we have to work really hard at remembering to reward the stuff we like.

Pay your dog

Dogs learn through the timing and placement of rewards. “That was good!” is the message every treat morsel conveys to your dog. A scratch behind the ear and a hearty “Good Dog!” is almost as good. How many times have you said “Are you a good dog?” just to get your dog’s tail to wag? They love playing that game!

And every time you smile, laugh, or sound delighted, you’re paying your dog with praise. It’s hard for many people to open up in public places and give their dogs the feedback they thrive on. What we tell our dog training students and clients is: No one’s looking at you. (We talked about this in our article, “Dogs Don’t Judge.”) Anyone who’s watching is looking at your dog. Dogs are eye magnets. Just go ahead and keep playing your training games. If somebody’s watching, maybe they’ll learn something by seeing what a good time you’re both having.

What gets attention gets repeated

Dogs are smart. And dogs care what we think. The things we pay attention to are the things dogs will try again and again. If your focus has been on the negative: barking, jumping, humping, counter-surfing; those are the things your dog thinks are important. He/she has no way of knowing that sitting, cuddling, retrieving, lying down, are better choices.

It takes time to change your awareness to the positive. It’s natural for people to ignore things that are unremarkable. If your dog is calmly watching the world go by at the front window, that deserves payment. That’s exactly the behavior you want. But because it’s “normal” you might forget to reward it.

Take note of the good things your dog does every single day. Let him/her know that you appreciate them being good. That they’re doing something you’d like to see again.

Dog Training Game: Back Up!

At first thought, teaching the dog training game “Back Up!” may not seem useful. Trust us, it is.

When your dog knows “Back up!” you’ll look forward to seeing the sign in Rally Obedience competition. And you’ll have a way of getting your dog(s) to move out of doorways, narrow hallways, and generally obstructing your path. It’s particularly fun when you use the command “Beep! Beep! Beep!” to sound like a truck in reverse.

Can you tell we love “Back up!?”

Teaching your dog “Back Up!”

There are actually several different ways to teach “Back Up!” We use all of them, randomly. Different visual “pictures” and games teaching the same concept will further broaden your dog’s understanding. They’ll truly understand the word. It’s also an impressive behavior to show off your dog’s skills. Imagine saying “Beep! Beep! Beep!” and your dog backs up across the room. Showy!

Use a wall

This is about as simple as it gets. Stand at a right angle to the longest wall in the house. The majority of the length should be behind you. Get your dog between you and the wall. If you follow traditional heel position, that should be your left side. Take a small step forward, so your dog is standing. Hold a treat in your left hand just above your dog’s head and take a tiny step back with your left foot, keeping your hand steady above your dog’s nose. They should be looking up at the treat by this time and should move back a tiny bit with you. If he/she does, say “Good Back!” (or Good Beep!) and reward.

Booker is thinking about doing the dog training game "Back up" behavior. — Booker is thinking about doing the “Back up.”

There is a strong possibility that your dog will sit rather than back up. It’s a truism in dog training that “when the butt goes down, the head comes up.” If that happens, lower the cookie to the dog’s eye level and try again. Try not to let your dog have the treat until you get some backward motion.

Chances are you won’t get more than a step or two the first time. Most dogs don’t have a natural backing up behavior, so you’re starting from scratch. Try a little bit every day, and you’ll soon be backing up the entire length of the hall. Then you can start randomizing the reward, stepping away from the dog, and teaching the dog to back up on his/her own.

All by themselves

This game is our favorite way to teach “Back Up!,” although the wall method is much more common. This one is almost like playing “catch the cookie” with your dog.

Sit on the floor with a bowl of treats. Your dog should be sitting or standing facing you. (If your dog is harassing you for the bowl of treats, revisit the game “Whatcha Gonna Do?” in Book 4, Impulse Control) Say “Beep!” and toss a treat between your dog’s front legs. When your dog moves back, even the tiniest bit, to get the treat, say “Good Beep!” and throw another treat a bit further away from you, between your dog’s legs if you can.

Torque backs up when Hope throws a treat between his front legs.

If your aim is terrible, like ours is, don’t worry about it. You’ll get it right often enough that your dog will learn anyway. And they’ll love playing, because of all the extra cookies. When your dog gets the idea and “Beeps!” across the room, get him/her back to play again with a “Touch!” game.

When your dog starts to get it, change your position. Instead of sitting on the floor, kneel or stand up. Move around. If you’re like us, your aim will suffer, but your dog will clean up all your errant tosses.

In their face

Some people teach “Back Up!” by stepping into their dogs and crowding them into backing up. We don’t advocate this method. It can be intimidating for many dogs, instead of a game. If you want to try it, the dog training game version treats it as one of several directions to “dance” with your dog. Facing each other, take a step to the side. If your dog follows you, praise, call it “Good Side!” (or whatever word you want to use). Take a step back (you) and praise and reward if your dog steps with you (his/her Forward!). Take steps to both sides, forward, and back. It will convey to your dog that you’re moving together, not trying to make him/her back down.

Back Up! Everywhere!

As with all new behaviors and games, when you think your dog has a good understanding, play the game in as many different places as you’re able. It helps your dog solidify the behavior.

We’ve found that the Back Up! tends to really impress people unfamiliar with dog training. They can’t believe that dogs will do it on command. And it’s really a show-stopper to use “Beep! Beep!” Have more fun with your dog!

Build on what your dog knows

Giving your dog a strong training foundation means you don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. You can build on what your dog knows. You can start with the familiar to grow your dog’s understanding, their repertoire of behaviors and tricks, and build your partnership.

If your dog already knows “Place” (whatever you call it; mat, bed, rug), you can use that as a base for teaching your dog to Stay. (“Place” is an integral part of eCourse 1: Clicker and Place. Clicker optional.) Your dog already knows that going into the place is a good thing – he or she always gets a reward for being there. You can start teaching “Stay” simply by extending the timing between reinforcements.

It’s important to be clear about your criteria for words like “Stay!” For those of us training in dog sports, “Stay” means: “do not move any part of your body except your head!” And that’s the definition we use, whether we’re teaching an Obedience Competition stay, or “the doorbell rang, go place!” stay.

For obvious reasons, a completely non-moving stay can’t be held for too long. We use a different word for a more casual interpretation. In this case, it’s “Wait!” which means stay right about there. If you don’t need the more stringent definition, develop your own criteria for “Stay!” It could mean “okay as long as you’re in your place.” Or it could mean “no paws out of Place!” Whatever you decide, stick to it. Dogs don’t understand “maybe” – it’s either right or wrong, yes or no.

Yellow means stay

We’re always finding new uses for common, inexpensive items. One of our favorites is cheap yoga mats. We use them to cushion hard surfaces and indicate “place.” In the dog sport of Agility, the parts of the obstacles dogs must touch are colored yellow. We use pieces of yellow yoga mats to train our dogs to always touch yellow.

Some people think that dogs don’t see colors. They do, although their perception is different from ours. Yellow is a color that they can see, although it’s not as vivid for them as it is for us. Your dog can, in fact, learn to differentiate among identical objects of different colors. That’s a training game all by itself!

Getting back to using what the dog knows, Fran’s Boston Terrier Simon knows to get on the yellow mat and stay there until released. And, when Simon started to understand he always has to touch yellow, she brought her piece of yoga mat to agility class and put it on the obstacle. In only one class, Simon understood the relationship and consistently touched the yellow.

Extending the reach

We brought back the yellow yoga mat piece recently when Simon was having trouble with the “stay, walk around the dog” as a Rally instruction. He kept pivoting to look at Fran as she circled around him. He’s supposed to stay in the same position she left him in as she circles.

“Fixing” the behavior was as simple as putting out that old piece of yellow yoga mat. Fran heeled with Simon up to the mat, told him to “Stay!” and walked around. As simple as that. Using something familiar in a new situation let Simon understand what’s expected of him. He got lots of treats!

News flash: Nobody’s perfect. No dog is perfect, either

Nobody’s perfect. No dog is perfect. Perfection isn’t possible for people or dogs. So stop worrying about it!

The other day we were watching the finals of the U.S. Men’s Figure Skating Championships on tv. Nathan Chen, who is the top-rated competitor in the world, fell on his ass during a (relatively) simple step sequence. Did he become enraged? Did he stomp off in a huff? No. He shrugged, smiled, and laughed it off.

Everybody messes up sometimes. And while we all wish that our public performances were perfect, playing with dogs in any public space has taught us that anything can happen. And far from being derisive or humiliating, the vast majority are sympathetic and understanding. The dog world is full of “been there, done that” stories. And since we all love to talk dogs, you’ll get to hear lots of people’s “Life’s Most Embarassing Moment” stories in dog venues.

No dog is perfect, but here Teddy showed good form jumping. — Teddy showing good form.

Like the time Hope was competing with Teddy in Agility and she tripped over the first jump. On the positive side, it removes all pressure when you mess up before you even start. You still get to go home with the best dog. And, unless you tell him/her – your dog will never know anything’s wrong at all.

Pure souls

We do encourage everyone to train their dogs and find an outlet for that training. It all adds up to living the biggest life possible with your dog. It could be you’d love to do therapy work, or frisbee (disc dog), or Scent Work, or one of our favorites: Rally, Obedience, or Agility. There’s tons of “stuff” to do with dogs, all surrounded by communities full of worth-knowing people.

We’ve mentioned many times that Fran’s Boston Terrier Booker is very special – not in a good way. But he comes close to normal, and thrives, in Rally Obedience class. It’s a happy place for him, where all he has to do is pay attention to his mom and show off “stuff” she’s taught him how to do. He positively prances through the courses – ears up, a bounce in his step.

It’s not about the ribbons, or the competition. It’s about creating an inter-species understanding that’s based on commitment and love. Dogs are really honest creatures. If they don’t know what you want them to do, they’ll either try everything they know to please you, or shut down. If they get it right, they’re thrilled with themselves. If they mess up – they don’t know unless you tell them. Don’t tell them.

“My Bad” Morsels

For every time we mess up in training, our dogs get “My Bad” morsels. We never want our dogs to know that something’s not right. When our attention wanders, we say the wrong thing, we turn the wrong direction, anytime we get it wrong, our dog gets a reward. Why? Because everybody, when they realize they made an error, tends to say something like “Darn!” or worse. And your dog has no way of knowing that disappointment isn’t aimed at them.

To deflect that worry, and let your dog know everything’s okay, deliver a “My Bad” morsel. You can certainly say “My Bad” as you give the treat. That teaches your dog that saying “My Bad” actually means “Good Dog!” You’ll avoid the shut down that can happen if your dog thinks they screwed up.

Be like Nathan

The sooner you learn to shrug, smile, and laugh off the mistakes, the happier you and your dog will be with your training. The more you laugh in training, the more your dog will repeat what made it happen.

This can have unintended consequences. Fran laughs every time Simon “rolls over.” It just makes her giggle. So Simon started rolling over every time she told him to “Down!” It was adorable, but she had to stop giggling if she ever wanted to compete in Rally or Obedience with him. It was a delightfully funny “problem” to solve.

Don’t worry, be happy

2-Minute Training sessions with your dog should be the times every day when you can relax, play with your dog, and forget about anything else that’s causing stress in your life. Each session doesn’t have to be productive, or even particularly purposeful. At least once a week we try for a “Freestyle” session and just let our dog interact with some “stuff” however they want. Everything they try, from nudging a box to batting at a drum, gets a click and a cookie. If there’s some particularly good and creative stuff, it may show up in a training game later. If not, the dog got to have some fun, knock stuff over, get clicks and treats.

No dog is perfect

There’s a saying among dog trainers that every dog is trained to his owner’s level of comfort. The gist is that if it doesn’t bother you, you won’t train your dog not to do it, whatever “it” may be. Dogs require clear explanations of what’s “allowed” vs. not. They learn through the timing and placement of rewards. But we don’t have to be perfect. We just have to get it right most of the time. And our dogs will, too.

Looky-Loo Part II (Dog Training Game)

Looky-Loo is a dog training game that reminds your dog that the two of you are a team, doing things together. It lets dogs be dogs – investigating their surroundings, being aware of the world around them. While always maintaining a “check in” mentality. The fun continues as long as your dog remembers to “check in” with you.

This applies whether you’re out for a meandering walk around the neighborhood or running a competition agility course. The invisible connection between you and your dog is an important part of your relationship. In unfamiliar circumstances, or if your dog’s unsure, your demeanor when your dog checks in will help determine how interactions proceed.

Next step in Looky-Loo

In the first phase of Looky-Loo you held a toy or other object behind your back, showed it to your dog briefly while saying “Look!”, and then hide it again. When your dog looked at your face, rather than for the toy, you clicked and rewarded. After just a few sessions, your dog should realize the object of the game is to focus on you.

The next step is to keep the toy visible. Only say “Look!” once when you first show it. If it’s a particularly desirable toy, it may take a while until your dog remembers to focus on you. As soon as they do, click and reward. The reward can be a treat or even a game of tug with the “Look!” toy. Focusing on you has to be the most rewarding part of the game. The click-and-treat comes when the dog looks at you, not at the object.

Timing is important

The click-and-treat comes when the dog looks at you. That’s the goal of “Looky-Loo.” Getting your dog to return his/her gaze to you after something distracting happens. (See last week’s tip: Looky-Loo Part 1.) It’s not the end of the world if your timing is off sometimes. It happens to everyone. When it does, and it will, give your dog an “Oops! Cookie” and reset the game. Just keep the goal in mind and watch your dog’s eyes.

Dogs learn through the timing and placement of rewards. Some people, playing attention games, even start holding the treat by their noses to bring their dog’s focus up to their eyes. That lures the dog to look at their face, rather than rewarding the dog’s decision to watch. “Watch me!” is a phrase you might hear a lot in dog training classes. It works sometimes. It doesn’t teach the dog that watching is more interesting than that speck on the floor.

Upping the game

The next step, before you take “Looky-Loo” out on the road, is to get your dog to look at distractions in the environment and still choose to look at you. Rather than holding the object, it will be on the floor where you’ll be passing by it.

It’s time to move the game someplace where you have space to move a few steps and place a distracting object to the side. Place an object that isn’t very interesting to your dog on the floor. Holding the dog’s leash, try to walk by the object, saying “Look!” Keep walking, and when your dog’s focus is on you, click and reward. If the dog’s attention stays on the object, go back to the last step, using the same object. Your dog will let you know when they’re ready to move on, or if it’s not quite time.

Fran and Simon have a variation of Looky-Loo:

Moving on

Remember, there’s no timetable for dog training games. Dogs learn at their own pace. And some games go more slowly than others. If your dog is extremely curious, this may be a tough one for them.

The next steps would be to change the object used as a distraction. We started our Looky-Loo dog training game with something that the dog didn’t really care about. Make the distraction more desirable in gradual steps. Work your way up to things that your dog loves. Can your dog still “Look!” and come back to you? What if it was a favorite toy? Or a bowl of food?

Taking it to the streets

When your dog is fairly proficient at “Look!” and focus, it’s time to move the game to places you may actually need it. When you do, start the game with a quick reminder of where the game began – hide an object behind your back, show it briefly while saying “Look!” and hide it again. Just a quick refresher helps the dog know what game you’re playing.

Simon is distracted - we need to take a step back in the Looky-Loo dog training game. — Time to go back a step in the “Looky-Loo” dog training game…

When you’re out and about, you can make anything the subject of “Looky-Lou!” Just tell your dog to “Look!,” whether it’s a squirrel, a person walking, or a dog being walked in the distance. When your dog looks back at you, click and reward.

Be ready

Your dog is learning to gauge their reaction to “stuff” by your response. Stay calm, tell your dog to “Look!” and wait for them to pay attention to you. Be sure you’re watching your dog’s face so you can tell the exact moment their focus is on you. Be more excited by your dog watching you! That’s the tremendous accomplishment – celebrate it with enthusiasm!

Dog Training Game: Looky-Loo (Part 1)

Dogs are nosy creatures. Some are almost obsessive in their curiosity about what’s “over there.” You can indulge your dog and still maintain focus with the dog training game Looky-Loo!

Torque can play "Looky-Loo" and look at things he hears, then turn his focus back to Hope. — Torque can look around at things he hears, then turn his focus back to Hope.

Realistically, none of us lives on a solitary island. Our dogs, whether they’re just walking around the neighborhood or competing in dog sports, need to be familiar with their surroundings. That means being able to look around, take in the sights and smells around them, be calm, and get on with what they were doing. (We talked about this earlier, in our article, “Be Better Than Squirrel!“)

That’s the crucial part. The dog has to take in his/her surroundings without reacting negatively. Seeing, recognizing, and bringing attention back to “business.”

Looky-Loo set up

Like all 2-Minute-Training games, it starts in a quiet space with no distractions. Dogs have to learn how to play this new game before introducing distractions.

What you’ll need:

Training timer
Your dog on leash and collar
Treats
An object / toy your dog likes, small enough for you to hold easily
Clicker (Optional, but recommended

Playing Looky-Loo:

Session 1 – Set your timer for 2 Minutes. Turn it on. Stand with your dog close in front of you. If your dog doesn’t have a decent “stay,” step on the leash. (Note: the leash should be long enough so your dog can stand up, sit, lie down, or move around, but not leave the area). Facing your dog, hold the toy in one hand behind your back. Swing the toy out so your dog can see it, say “Look!” and hide the toy behind you again. If your dog looks at your face, click and reward.

That’s it for the first session. You’re teaching your dog to look, then return focus to you. Looking at you is the goal of the game. Imagine how much better life would be if your dog looked at that squirrel, then back at you? And then calmly continued on your walk?

Keep in mind:

Some dogs will understand and start immediately looking at you after glancing at the object. Other dogs may take a while to get it. That’s okay. Stay at the first step as long as you need to for reliable understanding. When your dog gets it right about 75 percent of the time, then it’s time to move on.

Your dog glancing at the “look” object is good. We want our dogs to see what’s around them. But it’s not the point of the game. Dogs look at stuff, especially moving stuff. We expect the dog to look at the toy when we show it.

The objective of the game is bringing the dog’s attention back to you after the toy disappears again. That’s when the click and reward come – when your dog’s eyes meet yours.

Next week: Looky-Loo Part II

Top 10 reasons to play dog training games

Torque holding cardboard tube. So cute! This is why we play dog training games. — Look at that face! That’s why we play dog training games!

We’re always surprised when people we assume are “dog people” don’t play dog training games regularly. It’s great for both dogs and people and so much a part of our lives that we sometimes forget that not everybody is convinced. Even people we thought would be on board.

Our dog obedience club rents space at a doggy day care in the area. The timing overlaps a bit with the daycare operation, so we’ve gotten to know some of the employees. This week Hope was showing a dog training game video to one who claims to be a dog trainer. She was shocked when he asked “Why do you bother with that?”

The why of it all

It’s a valid question. Why do we bother with dog training games? There are so many reasons it’s difficult to list them all, but here are the top 10:

Reasons to play dog training games:

It’s fun. Especially if you stick to the time limits. We call it 2-Minute-Dog-Training, but we usually stretch it to five, since we get to play with our dogs. Once you start playing, and see how much the dog enjoys it, how much they can learn, and how eager they are to play, it’s addictively fun.
It grows your relationship with your dog. Some dogs may be a bit aloof, or more independent. Even these dogs become better companions through dog training games. They look to their people for direction, for feedback, and for rewards, be it a tidbit or food, a scratch, or a “good dog!”
You evolve into a better teacher. When you realize that your dog, who doesn’t speak your language, is learning what you’re teaching, it’s a revelation. You’re able to connect, even without a common tongue.
Your patience grows. We’ve talked before about how hard it is to just wait and do nothing while your dog tries to figure something out. Doing nothing to “help” is tough. But growing your patience with dog training helps your relationships with people, too.
Your dog, and you, both learn to be better problem solvers. Just the practice of breaking things down into small steps helps change your approach to almost any problem. Seeing the trees, as well as the forest, helps you develop workable solutions.
Dog training games require lots of dog energy. Thinking is hard work for your dog. It’s fun, but it does require focus and concentration, which are tiring. A few minutes playing dog training games is as tiring for your dog as miles of walking, or a half hour of “fetch.” Even high-energy dogs usually need a nap after an intense dog training game.
Training games add variety to your dog’s life. You don’t play the same game every day. There’s always the excitement of anticipation for your dog when you start a session – “What will we play today?” Even if you play more than once a day (you should!), it’s never the same game twice in a row.
You learn your dog’s preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Some dogs love “finding” stuff. Others love carrying things. Or it may be a combination, like “hide and seek,” or “put your toys away.” And they have particular favorites: Booker loves “putting away” soft foam blocks. Torque prefers cardboard tubes.
You and your dog become more creative. You can make up games that only you and your dog know the rules for. We noticed that Simon loves stacking things in the bin when he plays “put your toys away.” So we’ve started a new Simon game – stack the blocks.
Playing dog training games enriches both your lives. Sure, you could sit on the couch and watch TV together. And that’s fun, too. But it’s even better after a short, fun, dog training game session. Because you did something good for both of you, enjoyed each other’s company, gained respect for your dog’s capabilities, and shared your commitment to each other.

Get up and play

Booker loves to play with his foam blocks and put them "away." — Booker loves to carry foam blocks and put them “away.”

Frankly, we don’t know why anyone wouldn’t play dog training games. In addition to all the other stuff, the videos are fun to watch – whether you’re remembering what a good time you had, or showing off your dog’s skills to someone else.

We think everyone with a dog should commit a few minutes a day to giving attention to their dog. While it’s understandable to skip a day here and there, a 2-Minute Dog Training Game is a minimal ask. And if someone isn’t willing to focus on their dog a couple minutes a day, we wonder why they have a dog at all.