Tag: dog training the fun way

Dog Training Game: Drop it!

“Drop it!” is a command, like “Come!” that could potentially save your dog. 

It happened to us, quite a few years ago. One of our neighbors made profligate use of rodent poison sticks in his yard. Not realizing, or not caring, that wildlife would carry the sticks throughout the neighborhood. Hope’s first French Bulldog, Dax, got hold of one. If she hadn’t known “Drop it!” she may have died that day.

“Drop it!” is almost as difficult as it is important. It requires the dog to give up something of value.

How much they care

The value of the item may be very temporary – they saw something interesting and just grabbed it in passing. Those are the easier ones for “Drop it!”

In the middle ground are things that dogs snatch because you’re interested in them. These are the things, like socks, that your dog sees you interact with. Your dog may not actually be all that fascinated with it, but because it smells like you, and you are “playing” with it, it has value.

The third level is the most difficult to get your dog to “Drop It!” These are the things that your dog adores, wants to keep, and is extremely reluctant to lose possession over.

Level of importance

The mechanics of “Drop it!” are pretty simple. You’ll “trade” something for the object your dog is holding. Ideally, what you’re offering is “better” than what the dog has, so your dog always thinks they’re “trading up.” 

Just like your dog’s degree of interest in the snagged item, “Drop it!” works with a hierarchy of value. For a minimally-important item, your dog may trade it for a low-value treat, like a piece of kibble. For the highest-value objects, the ante has to be higher. Whatever your dog values most should be in your toolkit for this game. The better the “trade” item, the more likely your dog will be to “Drop It!”

That being said, the success of these games rely on being able to control the situation and the circumstances. Fran’s Boston Terriers are amazing at “Drop It!” She played the trading game early and often, and both Simon and Booker know the fun isn’t over when they obey.

Torque is reluctant to play "Drop it" with his ball.
Torque is reluctant to play “Drop it” with his ball.

Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, is a harder case. He’s great at “Drop It!” for almost anything. And the exceptional things are, in order of importance: 1: balls 2: balls 3: balls. The only thing as good as a ball, for Torque, is another ball. 

Trade goods

If your dog is like Torque, have two or more of the exact same item. Torque learned to “Drop It!” only when he found out that what he was getting in exchange for his precious ball was another precious ball. With the added bonus of being able to chase it down. He will now play “fetch” – as long as there are multiple balls in play.

Trading is a valid way of getting your dog to release something. And if you’re starting from scratch, it’ll work like a charm.

But what if you’re trying to change an already-established pattern? Like stealing socks?

Make it boring

If it’s something you can get hold of, do so. And don’t let go. But also don’t let it turn into a game of tug. If your dog starts to back up and tug, move with your dog, so there’s no tension on the object. When Torque was learning this command, he would back up all around the house, Hope hanging onto the toy. She didn’t allow any tension – if he moved, she moved with him. It was a frustrating non-game for Torque, but he learned.

 If you can, hold the object with one hand on either side of the dog’s mouth so your dog can’t change grip. You can even push it slightly, so it’s even further into your dog’s mouth. Most dogs don’t like that very much. 

While we make every effort to avoid using aversive methods, getting a reliable “Drop It!” command is worth bending the rules a little bit to keep our dogs safe. There’s no punishment, it’s just refusing to engage in the dog’s game. While they may not like it, it’s harmless. And we guarantee that the trip to the emergency vet, endoscopy, and the subsequent bill are things that you, and your dog, will like even less.

Body language wins

It was like a revelation to our puppy class students. When you want your dog to release something, you don’t tug on it.  That’s just common sense. One of dogs’ favorite games is tug. Being the logical creatures they are, dogs think that if you’re tugging, you’re playing. If your mouth is saying “drop it” or “let go” but your body language is saying “PLAY WITH ME!” – body language wins.

As a matter of fact, body language pretty much always wins. We’ve mentioned before how dogs are wonderful at reading signaled behaviors. It’s even a requirement in competition obedience. Not a word, just a gesture clues your dog into what you want him/her to do.

Try it yourself. If you’re like most people, your dog knows both the word “Sit!” and some kind of gesture that you always use that goes along with it. While you’re making the motion for “sit!”, say “Down!” instead. We’d bet your dog puts the emphasis on the motion.

Hard wired for motion

It makes sense. Dogs are predators. They’re attracted to motion. It’s exciting and gets their attention. They’re not animals that communicate with sound. We must make a conscious effort to teach our dogs to listen to the actual words we’re saying. Otherwise, we’re doomed to sound like the adults in the Peanuts cartoons “wah wah wah wah wah.” 

Torque starts with a sit on the stool.
Does Torque “have his ears on?”

It can be done. Every other morning Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, does specific exercises on a low stool that involve his hips/knees/ankles. Frenchies are notoriously front-heavy, so we make sure he works on strengthening his back end. The specific commands Hope uses are “Squat!” for him to put his front legs on the floor with his back end on the stool, and “Crouch!” for him to move off the back end with his front on the stool. 

Hope is sure to “mix up” the order (with a “Sit!” on the stool between). Not knowing what’s coming up next, Torque has to listen. And Hope has a good indicator of how attentive he is that day – whether he “has his ears on” or not.

Get something to trade

So, when your dog steals your underwear out of your drawer and your natural instinct is to grab it, what are you supposed to do? (By the way, it’s best to address those bad habits now, because puppies don’t usually “grow out” of them.)

This was one of our puppy students’ real-life scenarios, and it ended with a trip to the emergency veterinarian’s office when the puppy ate the undies. 

So yes, grab it. And hold on for dear life. You don’t want to make that trip to the vet. 

But don’t pull. Just hold on. If you can, hold with both hands, one on either side of the dog’s mouth. And stay as still as you possibly can. If someone else is there, have them hold the dog so she can’t initiate the tug game. (Because, again, body language wins. If you’re calm and still, chances are your dog might be a little more calm.) If you’re alone, move forward, backing the dog into a dead-end space, if you can. Sometimes, just the action of moving the item further into the dog’s mouth will get them to release it. 

Try to speak calmly and say whatever you want in a nice voice. If you amp up the volume, your dog will get more excited. The objective is to make the situation as un-game-like as possible. If there is someone else there, or if you can reach something, offer a particularly delicious treat or favorite actual tug toy in exchange.

Next week we’ll work on the “Drop it!” game

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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.

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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!

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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.

Booker in his "place!" Build on what your dog knows: It's easy to teach Booker to "Stay" from here.
Booker knows “Place”

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!