dog training the fun way Archives - Page 8 of 10

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.

Doggie see, doggie do – dogs learn from other dogs

Dogs are sponges. They watch, and absorb. And dogs learn from other dogs, as well as from people.

One of the great things about having multiple dogs is that they do learn from each other. It’s easier to housebreak a puppy when you have an older, housebroken dog. The puppy copies what the older dog does. Same thing with the household routine. If the already-trained dog waits to go out the door until it’s allowed, the puppy will figure out the rules, too.

Idol worship

Dogs learn from dogs - baby Booker is with his idol Tango in a small dog bed. — Baby Booker emulates his idol Tango – dogs learn from dogs.

It helps if the older dog is puppy-friendly and likes having the little one around. They will be more tolerant of puppy shenanigans, and actively teach the puppy what’s okay and what’s not. When the play gets too rough, you may see the older dog holding the puppy down. It’s entirely appropriate and teaches the pup when enough is enough.

Puppies tend to be single-mindedly selfish little creatures. They want what they want when they want it. If they see another dog waiting patiently for food or other desirable thing, they’ll learn to emulate that behavior. However, for everyone’s safety, we do recommend separating, even crating the puppy for feeding time. This has the dual benefit of teaching the puppy that crates are good, and making sure the older dog won’t feel they have to guard a valuable resource like food. The older dog will probably also appreciate a chance to relax and enjoy his meal without worry.

Flip side of the coin

Dogs learn all kinds of wonderful things by watching other dogs. Ours seem to absorb the training games we play just by watching. When it’s their turn, they jump right in, seeming to know stuff we don’t remember teaching.

The downside is that puppies also absorb all the things you’d rather they wouldn’t, too. And they tend to learn the “bad” stuff even more quickly than the good stuff.

If you have one dog that barks at any movement on your street, the puppy will probably develop the same habit, too. To avoid perpetuating the cycle, you have to take an active role. Because it’s almost impossible to train two dogs at the same time, you must set your priority.

Barking up a storm

In the barking example – if the dog has been doing it for any length of time, it’s going to take a concerted, consistent effort to change the habit. Rather than trying to “fix” the older dog’s behavior, it’s simpler to avoid the situation with the puppy. By nature, some dogs are “better” watchdogs than others, but all can become barkers.

When the older dog barks, the puppy will probably run to see what’s going on. To show they’re being a good student, they may even join the barking, without even knowing why.

Instead of yelling at everyone to “be quiet!” – call the puppy and run the other way. Find a toy and start playing. Turn the other dog’s bark into a reason to come to you! If you’re a lot of fun and your game plan is exciting, you may even get the older dog to join the fun, rather than persist in barking. (We discussed another way of “breaking the feedback loop” a little while ago.

Timing is never good

There’s never really a “good” time to get another dog. Life has a way of interrupting plans. If you’re considering adding another dog to your family, it’s best to be ready when the opportunity presents.

To get ready – take an honest look at the dog you already have. Are there any behaviors or habits that you’d hate for a puppy to develop? If so, now is the time to teach your present dog to be better. Develop a plan, setting the goal you want to achieve. Then back-chain the steps you need to take to get there. Turn each step into a training game.

With a plan in place and a goal in mind, even if the puppy doesn’t show up at your doorstep, the dog you have will benefit from training games. You’ll both be happier.

Dogs don’t grow out of bad habits

If your puppy or dog has developed a bad habit, we have some bad news for you. He’s not going to grow out of bad habits or give them up.

Dogs always do what’s most rewarding for them. If they’re getting their jollies from doing something naughty they’re going to keep doing it. Unless you provide a more rewarding option. It’s as simple as that.

Stealing socks

This labrador puppy will not grow out of bad habits. — Yes, he’s cute, but dogs don’t grow out of bad habits.

One of the puppies in our Beginner Obedience class steals socks. It started when he was little and grabbing socks off the floor. Now he’s a 60-lb., eight-month-old, powerful Lab and he’s grabbing socks from the drawer when his mom opens it.

Unless something changes, we expect his next move will be learning to open the drawer by himself.

Mom, a first-time dog owner, asked in class “But isn’t he going to grow out of it?”

No. No, he’s not. He thinks that the whole process, sneaking up beside Mom when she opens the drawer, grabbing the sock, taking off with his prize, and being chased all over, is a fantastic game. Why would he change it?

Better alternative

Because this is an established routine, Mom is going to have to work a bit harder to get it to stop. The first step is to find another game that’s even more fun. It can be as simple as finding an actual toy to play tug with while you get your socks.

Or you can take the opportunity to play “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and teach the dog to leave the sock drawer (food on the counter, garbage can, etc.) alone.

Be prepared

Have treats handy – either in a bowl out of reach, a pouch or fanny pack, (hardware store nail aprons are good dog-training-treat holders). When you’re near the sock drawer, just stand there and wait for the dog to do something good. If he sits, click and treat.

Reach for the drawer. Wait for a good decision. Click and treat.

Open the drawer slightly. Be ready to either close the drawer or click and treat good choices.

Step by step, wait for your dog to make good decisions. It will teach him how to behave in almost any circumstance. Your dog will learn that it’s more rewarding to ask for permission than forgiveness.

It may take longer than imposing your will, but it will work better for everyone in the long run. Teaching your dog to make good decisions translates to every aspect of life. From stealing socks to counter-surfing, as we wrote about a few months back.

Habit persists

Habit is one of the more powerful forces in the universe. And changing a bad habit requires determination. Dogs don’t grow out of bad habits, but they can change.

Until the new, good behavior takes the place of the naughty one, it’s up to us to manage the environment so the dog can’t practice bad behavior. A mistake or two isn’t the end of the world, but it will take progress back a notch or two.

Be patient, go step-by-step, and schedule a few extra minutes to get dressed in the morning. It’s worth it.

Sign Language of Dogs

Do you realize that dogs can understand motions as commands? That’s their “sign language.” At the upper tier of obedience competition, there’s even a behavior, called the “signal exercise” where all the owner can do is motion to their dog. They can’t talk, they can’t move, other than one hand/arm. It’s amazing to watch and even more fun to teach!

Part of the package

Hope is signalling Simon "Touch" with her palm toward him at face level. — Every time Simon sees a palm at face level, he bashes his nose into it: “Touch!”

Most people don’t even realize that they’re signaling their dogs through their motions and their words. Just about every dog owner on the planet will point at the floor when teaching their dog to “down!” It doesn’t mean anything to the dog, but everyone does it. It’s our instinct at play – if we want the dog down on the floor, we point at the floor.

Eventually, if people practice and are consistent, most dogs eventually understand that we mean “down” when we point at the floor. Interestingly, the obedience signal that most people use for “down” is the arm going straight up from the shoulder, not towards the floor at all. We’d guess that’s because we want to make sure the dog can see the motion from 30 (or more) feet away in competition.

There’s nothing wrong with pairing words and motions when communicating with your dog. The point is to realize that you’re doing it. And that, if you do the same thing the same way all the time, your dog will inevitably associate the two – word and motion.

Conscious uncoupling

It’s always a bit of a shock to our beginner students when we ask them to stand up straight, not move, and tell their dogs to “Sit.” Rarely do any of the dogs get it right. Because every single person came into class absolutely convinced their dogs knew the word “Sit.” You can see people almost twitching to point at their dogs’ butts, or dangle a treat over their heads. That sign language of dogs, along with the words, combined to form “Sit!”

It’s a good idea to “uncouple” the sign language and the words. Having your dog understand either one, or both together, means that there’s no situation in which you can’t communicate with your dog. If you’re in a very loud space, or far away, your dog may not hear you, but can see. Or you may be someplace where it’s just not feasible to point at the ground to get a “Down.”

Another kitchen game

Try playing “Puppy Pushups” with your dog (we talked about “Puppy Pushups” a few weeks ago). Start by using both your “sign language” and your words. After just a couple of repetitions, try leaving out the motion. Or the words. See how your dog does. In a familiar game context, your dog will probably catch on quickly. When your dog gets it right about 80 percent of the time, increase the distance between you and your dog. Will she do it from five feet away? 10? How about across the street? With just your words? Only on the signs?

It doesn’t really matter which words, or signals, you use. Pick something you’re comfortable with, that you’ll easily remember. If you want to use the same motions that are most common in Obedience Competition, check out the exercises from the 2019 AKC Obedience Classic. (The Signal Exercise is right after the heeling.) Most “handlers” use the same signals and it will give you a chance to see them and their amazing dogs in action.

Dog training nuggets are easy to digest

Dog training nuggets work best. Not chunks. Not whole banquets. Little bittie morsels of fun that let you enjoy moments with your dog. It’s playing structured demi-games that have the side benefit of bettering your bond and building their understanding.

Too big a chunk of anything will choke you. Even if it’s your most favorite food in the universe (chocolate!), you won’t enjoy too big a bite. And chances are, it’ll color your future impression of that food if you couldn’t digest it last time.

Components are key

Most people don’t realize how complex even simple behaviors are until they’re asked to break them apart. Take a simple dog game like “Fetch.” Lots of dogs, especially Retrievers, seem born knowing how to play. It goes with the whole “retrieve” part of the breed.

Other dogs, like French Bulldogs or Boston Terriers, don’t have a clue. That doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t play. It just means we have to teach them.

As part of Obedience competition, one of the exercises in the second level is fetching a dumbbell. Whether you want to play fetch in the backyard with a tennis ball, or step into the competition venue, the basics are the same:

Dog has to:

Wait while you throw.
Pay attention to the flight of the object.
Run to get the object.
Find the object on the ground.
Pick up the object.
Hold the object.
Run back to you while holding it.
Drop the object when asked.

Booker practicing retrieving his dumbbell. He was fed tiny dog training nuggets so understands every part of the behavior. — Booker the Boston Terrier understands the dumbbell retrieve – he was fed tiny dog training nuggets for this behavior!

Who would have believed there are that many steps to such a simple game? The Retriever may jump ahead to the end of the story. But the French Bulldog may have to play each step as a separate game, learning and being rewarded at each step. Breaking a behavior down into its tiniest steps is one of the building blocks of the 2-Minute Training Method, as introduced in Your 2-Minute Training Journey.

Does it take long? No. The first step, waiting while you throw, builds on your “stay” command and probably won’t take more than one or two 2-Minute games. None of the steps takes long by itself. Because you have a clear focus for the game and you know when your dog achieves the goal.

Keep the goal in mind

The success of your 2-Minute Dog Training depends on keeping all the training game nuggets easy to digest. It’s fun to play “Take it!” with a dumbbell for two minutes. It’s horrendously dull and demotivating to do it for an hour.

And just because the eventual game of “Fetch” is played in this order, you don’t have to play the game’s steps in that order. If your dog understands each little nugget, it doesn’t matter what order you play them. If your dog is confident in all bits of the game, he’ll always be happy to come to the training feast.

Repeating dog commands is wasting your breath

If you’re constantly repeating commands to your dog, you’re wasting your breath.

Repeating dog commands is wasting your breath

Stop it. Repeating a word or phrase isn’t enhancing your dog’s understanding. We know someone who trained their dog in Klingon. The dog was perfectly trained – as long as you spoke to it in Klingon. You could say “Sit” all day long and the dog would only do it if and when it got tired of standing up. Say Ba! and the dog’s butt would hit the floor fast as lightning.

Stop wasting your breath

Dogs learn by the timing and placement of rewards. They learn words by you pairing the word with the action and reward. When your dog sits, you say “Sit!” as you hand over the reward. Because we humans tend to say more than we have to, we also say things like “That’s Sit!” “Good Sit” “I like that Sit!”

If you just say “Good Dog!” you’re not helping. Use the word that names the command – in this case “Sit!” Use it often. Use it whenever you see your dog doing whatever it is. Name everything in your dog’s environment, just like you would a human child. One of the reasons adults are constantly babbling to babies is to get them to recognize words before they’re able to use them. Babies can name things as soon as they understand language. Babies have heard words paired with actions or objects their whole lives.

Everybody does it

Every time we start a new beginner class we have to give the same lecture – say it once! If your dog is distracted, maybe a second time. That’s it! Dogs don’t deliberately ignore a command they understand. Either they don’t understand, or they didn’t hear it. And using your dog’s name doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll pay attention either.

If you think your dog has a clear understanding of the word “Sit” try this experiment. Next time you’re out with your dog, hand a dog treat to a complete stranger and ask them to tell your dog to sit. They don’t have to touch the dog, and they have to be far enough away so the dog can’t jump on them. You hold the leash. And be quiet.

Did your dog do it? Most won’t. They don’t understand the word unless it’s in the “normal” context. Chances are, even if you’re a single-command convert, there’s a gesture you use, a position you’re in, or a motion you make that is part of the whole “Sit” routine.

Weekly vocabulary words

We only needed to tell Daemon once to get his "yellow ball." Repeating dog commands is wasting your breath. — Daemon understood that yellow balls were different than blue balls.

We once had a dog who preferred yellow balls to balls of any other color. They weren’t tennis balls, so we’re not sure why. But it was that dog (a Boston Terrier named Daemon) who showed us that dogs could thoroughly understand words. We could be anywhere in the house and say to Daemon “Go get your yellow ball.” He wouldn’t come back until he found that particular ball – even if there were blue and red balls all over the place.

A fun game to test the theory

If you’re skeptical, we understand. Most people don’t really think dogs can truly understand actual words. Here’s another experiment for you to try. Pick any toy that is “medium” interest level for your dog. Give it a unique name. Spend a minute playing with your dog with that toy, saying the toy’s unique name many times as you play. We’ll call it “Monkey.” “What a sturdy monkey toy!” “Do you love your monkey?” “Go get your monkey!” “Cute monkey!”

Do this once a day. Then, at the end of a week, leave that toy in another room and tell your dog to find Monkey. You’ll be amazed.