dog training the fun way Archives - Page 9 of 10

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.

Making a game of dog manners

Dog manners are like classic books. Everyone wants to have read them, but nobody wants to actually read them. Every dog needs to know household manners, but teaching them can be tedious. How many times can you say “Leave it!” or “Off!”

We get it. Teaching your dog to “gimme paw,” “roll over,” or “spin” is fun. It’s not only light-hearted, it’s usually pretty quick. Whereas teaching your dog not to jump on visitors takes time and effort. You’re also starting at a disadvantage – “taking away” something is harder than “adding on.”

Change your mindset

But it’s all a matter of perception. You know “manners” aren’t as much fun as “tricks.” But that’s an entirely human construct. We naturally are more resistant to things we “have” to do, as opposed to the things we “want” to do. Nobody likes to do their chores!

Your dog doesn’t know the difference. Your dog only knows that you’re paying attention to her. And she likes it! That, however, can change. If your tone and body language change when you approach the “Not Fun” training sessions, your dog will pick up on it and reflect your mood. If you don’t like it, your dog won’t either.

Don’t lie to your dog

You don’t have to pretend you love the Get it! / Leave it! dog training game. You should, however, approach it with the same enthusiasm you show toward the fun stuff. It’s not the game that matters. It’s carving out the time to focus on your partnership with your dog. Every single 2-Minute session adds to the relationship.

And when your dog shows that he understands “Leave it!” as thoroughly as “High Five!,” celebrate with the same reaction. Have a little party with treats, toys, and tugging! The things that are hard, like dog manners, should be celebrated even harder when they’re conquered. It’s easy to overlook good behavior because it’s what we expect. But your dog will be “good” more if it looks, sounds, and feels better than being “naughty.”

Everybody does it

As competitors in dogs performance sports, there are all kinds of precise positions/behaviors that we practice with our dogs. The vast majority of obedience performance scores are all about “Heeling,” so we do it a lot.

How do you make a game of walking around with your dog? Especially when he’s supposed to be watching you the whole time, exactly aligned with you?

Easily! You start by meeting your dog’s eyes and smiling. This is the best dog in the whole wide world and he’s yours! Then you ask your dog “Do you wanna play with me?” And the tail-wag or wiggling butt lets you know that your dog is ready for any game. Even boring old “heeling.”

Not a marathon

The next step is setting up in absolutely perfect heel position, and telling your dog how wonderful that is. You set off, (leading with your left foot!) telling your dog “Heel!” as you’re about to take your first step. He responds matching you perfectly, tail wagging happily. And after three perfect steps, you break off and celebrate. “Yay, dog!” Here’s a treat! Or a tummy rub. Or a quick fetch your toy!

Three perfect, happy steps are a great foundation. We don’t have to heel a mile. Not even a block. We’d rather do a few steps perfectly than lose the enthusiasm for the game. It also keeps it fresh for us. Perfect heeling is, in all honesty, a pleasure to watch. And a pain in the butt to achieve. It’s also one of the dog classics.

Don’t fix your dog. Start over!

Don’t fix your dog. It’s probably not worth the effort. Instead, reimagine and start over!

In our “throw away” society, we’re used to the fact that it’s often better to buy something new than fix the old, broken thing. We’re not debating the merits of renew, reuse, recycle. We’re tree-huggers from way back. But in this case we’re looking at the issue from a strictly economic point of view. It makes no sense to pay for an appliance repair that costs more than half the price of a new unit.

Dogs, however, are not things. They are not disposable. Our commitment to our dogs is based on emotion, not economics. Our dogs are worth the investment of our time and energy to “fix” the things that aren’t working. But instead of changing what’s already there – we’re going to reimagine and reinvent. Don’t fix your dog. Start over!

New is easier

When it comes to dog training, it’s much easier to teach your dog something new than to change an already-ingrained behavior. Habit is one of the most powerful forces in the universe and it’s tough to change. Our own habits, as well as our dogs’. But, with patience and consistency, it can be done. We talked about patience just last week with Dogs need processing time, too!

Don't fix your dog. Start over. Fran had to re-teach Tango's release cue. She didn't fix the old one, she started over with Tango's release.

Let’s talk about Tango, Fran’s now-12-year-old Brussels Griffon. He came with a myriad of issues, including overt aggression toward both people and dogs, documented in Fran’s book, Tango: Transforming My Hellhoun d.

Once Tango turned the corner and was able to participate in dog sports, Fran faced an entirely different situation with him. When playing agility, both in training and in competition, Tango wouldn’t move off the start line. His “release cue” – the signal that “stay” was over and it was time to move – was broken.

Try and try again

Fran went back to the basics of the stay and release training games. Multiple sessions with no substantial change. Tango just wasn’t responding to his long-established “go” command.

Rather than continue in the frustrating cycle, we realized the word Fran was using had, somehow, become permanently tainted in Tango’s mind. We don’t know what caused it, or how it happened. He’s a dog. He’ll never be able to explain it.

We fixed it by starting over. Fran chose a new word, “action,” instead of “go.” She started at the very beginning. And it worked.

Avoiding the issue

No, we didn’t fix the problem. But we found a way to work around it and made it go away. It’s much easier to try something new than to fix the broken thing, with dogs as well as appliances. Keep the dog. Toss the training that’s not working. Craft a new game to teach the “right” way to do whatever it is.

It’s always easier to teach a dog a new skill instead of changing an old habit. Whatever your dog’s annoying behavior is, try to think about it in a different way and devise a new approach to an old problem. Don’t fix your dog. Start over! Try a different approach to the issue.

Creativity is tough

In Tango’s case it was pretty simple, just teaching a different word for a behavior he already knew. The majority of dog training is building our dogs’ vocabularies and pairing those words with actions. Most dogs really want to do what you ask. They just may not understand what it is.

That’s why training games work. In short, focused sessions you can concentrate on a single word/action and phenomenally increase your connection and understanding with your dog.

Top 10 tips for dog training

End of Session

This week marks the end of the first session of in-person dog training classes in 18 months. Our Beginner students have come so far, and we’re so proud of them. We developed this list of Top 10 Tips for dog training to remind them of things we’ve worked on. It’s hard to take notes when you’re supposed to be paying attention to your dog!

The Top 10:

Focus on your dog for the entire training session. Your dog gets all your attention the entire time. Just as you don’t want your dog to misbehave, you don’t want to miss any “good stuff” that should be rewarded. If “good” looks the same as “naughty,” the devil will win every time.
Keep it short, fast, and fun. Dog training isn’t an endurance event. Both your and your dog’s attention spans are limited. (See #1.) That’s why we call it 2-Minute-Training. Two minutes at a time may be too short – but 15 minutes is too long for most dogs. Neither one of you can or should maintain intense focus for that long.
Ignore the stuff you don’t like. The more attention you pay to barking, mouthing, jumping, biting, etc. the more your dog will do it. Your dog thinks you’re playing the game. Dogs don’t distinguish between “bad” and “good” attention. They just know you’re engaging with them, which they love.
Pay your dog. Every single time. Especially when they’re just learning. If you worry about your dog getting fat from an abundance of treats – use their meals as training treats. There’s nothing special about dog food in a bowl. Dog food from your hand makes it very special! (You might enjoy the article about your dog’s reward bank.)
When you are in motion with your dog, always reward from the hand closest to the dog. If your dog crosses in front of you to get the treat, they will trip you. It will hurt.
Do not repeat commands. If your dog doesn’t understand “Sit!,” they’re not going to understand “sit, sit, sit, Sit, SIt, SIT, SIT!” If they don’t do it the first time, either you don’t have the dog’s attention, or the dog doesn’t understand the word.
Build your dog’s vocabulary. Dogs are capable of understanding hundreds of words. Your job is to teach those words. When you are teaching a new word, like “bed!,” stand by the bed, look at the bed, and when the dog shows interest in the bed say “good bed!” and throw a treat in the bed. Repeating the word pairs the object (or action) with its name. Infants learn language through constant repetition, even before they’re verbal. Dogs can learn the same way.
If you’re in a bad mood, angry with your dog, frustrated, or cranky it’s not a good time for a training session. The only exception is if training your dog is your happy place and you can put everything else aside for the 2-Minute session.
There’s no such thing as too many training sessions. If you want to play training games with your dog for two minutes every hour – go for it! More is better in this case. Try to get in at least one or two sessions every day. If you don’t have two minutes to play with your dog most days, you shouldn’t have a dog.
Don’t hurt your dog. There’s no popping the leash, pushing on hips, choking of dogs in positive reinforcement training. We are teaching our dogs how to make good choices. Dogs should approach every training game session with joy and anticipation. Tails should be wagging.

Bonus: Beginner Training Games:

Walk With Me! (with automatic sit when you stop) (Book 3: Let’s Go for a Walk)
Touch
Place (Bed) (Book 1: Clicker and Place)
Puppy Push-ups (sit, down, sit, down) (The 2-Minute Tip “Even Finicky Dogs Work for Food” describes this fun game.)
Whatcha Gonna Do? (Book 4: Impulse Control)
Get it/Leave it (A fun game in a 2-Minute Tip from just a couple of weeks ago)
Recall (Come!) (Book 2:Come!)

Breaking your dog’s feedback loop

Dogs, just like people, tend to get caught in patterns of behavior. What is your dog’s feedback loop?

For many dogs it starts with frustration when they don’t know what they’re supposed to do. And the behavior manifests as barking. Pretty soon, unless you have a way of breaking the loop, whenever your dog is frustrated he/she will resort to barking.

Untying your dog’s feedback loop

Teddy was barking uncontrollably - his feedback loop. Sitting on the kitchen chair. I turned my back on him.

The saying “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” Absolutely true. If you always say “Quiet!” (loudly) when your dog starts barking, it’s become his/her cue to bark. You’re fueling the loop, rather than interrupting it. (We talked about this before, in our post, “Yes, Your Dog is Your Baby.”)

To turn the barking into an actual trick, with your dog able to perform on command, stop and play the barking game. Click and say “Good Bark!.” Chances are, if you’ve always tried to stifle the behavior, your dog will be startled by the click and try to figure out what he was doing that was rewarded.

If your dog barks again, either click and reward to reinforce it as a new trick, or turn your back and walk away. When your dog follows you quietly, click and say “Good Quiet!”And if he barks, click and say “Good Bark!”

Of course you can use whatever words you want instead of “Quiet” and “Bark.” Just remember to be consistent.

Alternative to the loop

If you just want your dog to be quiet, there are other ways to interrupt. Reel her in and, if your dog is small enough, pick her up and give her a hug. If you have a big dog, drop down on your knees and hug her.

Do something unexpected, so your dog is paying attention to you, rather than being caught in the established routine. If your dog knows a palm touch, switch into that game. If the dog is being truly incorrigible, put down all the training gear; clicker, treats, leash, etc. and just leave the vicinity. That’s it. You’re done.

Breaking the bargain

Remember that dog training games are the bargain we make with our dogs. They get what they want when we get what we want. If they’re not interested in keeping up their side of the bargain – we don’t have to play. A little cold-shoulder can result in a remarkable change in attitude.

Refusing to play with you is disrespectful and rude. One of the results of playing dog-training games is improved manners and confidence in your dog. It’s up to you to reject the lack of respect your dog is showing when he/she ignores you. Denying your dog your attention and “face time” usually works to remind them of your partnership. You are the senior partner. You decide the game.

Other loops

One of the most common “feedback loops” in dog training happens when agility dogs are learning or practicing the weave pole obstacle. It’s a series of 12 poles in a straight line and, as named, the dog’s job is to weave in and out between the poles. There’s a right way to do that.

Many dogs, both learners and veterans, occasionally get caught doing it wrong. And are seemingly unable to break out of the pattern.

The only way to get the dog’s head back in the game is to stop. Take a break. Refocus. Try again, either in a few minutes or at another time altogether. We all have days when our focus is off.

If your dog is just experiencing a lack of focus, don’t worry about it. Just break it off, do something else. Try again later. This isn’t an entrenched loop, but a momentary lapse.

Upward curve

Dog training doesn’t go in a straight, upward line. There are ups and downs, good days and not-so-good. The general trend should be towards your goal, whatever that may be. If you find yours going in loops, it’s time for a change.

The hardest part of dog training

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

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

The “Winner” is

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

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

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

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

Let the dog decide

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

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

Think, don’t react

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

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

Right and wrong are different

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

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

Talk to your dog

Your dogs’ ears are better than yours. Also (probably) cuter. And softer. They work great. Use them. Talk to your dog!

This week for the first time since the pandemic shut down our dog training club, we held classes. It started out really, really quiet. We think it may have been that people were embarrassed to talk to their dogs in public. After a year and a half of talking only to their dogs, they may have thought that it wasn’t okay in public.

Always talk to your dog

Aside from the fact that dogs can understand hundreds of words if we bother to teach them, it’s only polite to let the other person in the room know what’s going on.

The most egregious offenses in class were people, given the “Forward!” command by the instructor (Hope), took off without saying anything to their dogs! In most cases, they didn’t even “check in” to make sure their dogs were paying attention!

We know that most people just want their dogs to exhibit good manners when walking. Competition obedience isn’t on everyone’s radar. That’s perfectly fine. But you still need to let your dog know when you’re starting, turning, stopping, or changing speeds! If you were walking with a human friend, and you’re the one who knows where you’re going, don’t you routinely say “we turn here” or “it’s just ahead on the right”?

And it’s important to let your dog know that they’re doing a good job. Praise is one way to reward your dog – so speak up!

Letting dogs know what’s up

The sins were just as numerous on the flip side of the coin. We were appalled to see how many leashes got tight and dogs were dragged around by their necks rather than being given a chance to think and react.

Especially the first time doing something, or just learning something, or coming back after a long time away, dogs need time to process what’s being asked of them. If your dog hasn’t heard “Sit!” in a while, it may take a moment to sift through the brain cells and figure out what you’re talking about. Give your dog a chance to “answer” when you talk to your dog.

Everybody does it

It was interesting to see that almost everyone in class was exhibiting the same bad behavior, hauling on their dogs without talking to them first. Both the owners of the German Shepherd and the Chinese Crested – the long and short of our class.

If you’re training in class, it’s understandable to be a little shy about babbling excitedly to your dog. It took a long time before we were able to get over it. It helped to realize that absolutely no one in the class is paying any attention to you – they’re all occupied with their own dogs. And any spectators will be too busy watching the dogs to listen to a word anybody says.

Use your happy voice

Talk to your dog - he'll look at you and you'll have a happy working dog.

By all means practice talking to your dog in your 2-Minute dog training games at home. Prove to yourself how well it works. Try one session being quiet, and when you do speak, do it either harshly or in a monotone. Then, later the same day, try playing exactly the same game, but talking happily and excitedly to your dog throughout.

We guarantee your dog will do better and learn more in the second session. We play dog training games for many reasons. One of the most important ones is having fun with our dogs. And they love the sound of our voices.

Training Game: teaching your dog to tap

Teaching your dog to “Tap” is another little training game to play anywhere.

Little games that don’t need anything but you, your dog, and some treats are useful wherever you go. If you’re waiting at the vet’s office the game can help reduce your dog’s stress. If your dog obsesses on the neighbor mowing the lawn, you can get attention back by playing a game. Whenever you need to reclaim your dog’s focus, having a few games to play will make it easy. (“Touch” is another game we talked about a couple of months ago.)

Making sure that every interaction with your dog is positive and fun ensures that your dog will want to engage with you. If he/she can always count on having fun (and treats!), there’s nothing better. Not even the squirrel climbing the tree across the street.

Teaching “tap”

Does your dog use his/her front paws to get your attention? Many dogs do, and you can make use of this habit to lay the foundation for the game.

For us, Booker is the one who uses his paws the most to get attention. As a matter of fact, it’s really annoying. You’re sitting there on the couch and he comes over next to you and grabs your hand. Which is how television channels change and texts turn into gibberish around here.

Instead of getting annoyed, use the dog’s natural habit to play the game.

Tapping the shoe

Our vision of the game has the dog “tapping” the toe of a shoe with his paw. To change Booker’s annoying habit into a fun game, we brought a shoe with us when we went to relax on the couch. Teaching your dog to tap may require equally strange props!

With the shoe either next to us or on our lap, we ignored Booker pawing at us until he touched the shoe with his paw. Then he got attention, pets, and treats! That’s really all it takes to get a dog choosing to play a game. It’s fun to watch them figure out what action is triggering the reward.

Do it again!

The hardest part is being patient. Booker “patted” lots of different things until he zeroed in on the shoe. The game stays the same until the dog figures out that tapping the shoe is what gets the cookies!

Once your dog is successful about three-quarters of the time, it’s time to start asking for more. If the shoe was on your lap, can the dog tap it when it’s next to you? How about if the shoe is on the floor? Across the room? And finally, how about on your foot?

Tap dancing

The goal of the game is for the dog to tap your toes alternately, left and right. Once your dog has the idea of tapping a shoe, the rest should be relatively simple. Remember to keep moving forward, but not so fast that your dog (or you!) get frustrated. If your dog is having some trouble taking the next step, wherever you are, just go back and reinforce where she was successful. Small steps get you there!

Torque taps Hope's shins. Teaching your dog to tap is fun.

It’s okay to set your own criteria for every game you play with your dog. Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, likes to “tap” her shins rather than her shoes. It wasn’t worth it to Hope to change his mind – he’s engaged, having fun, alternating his “taps,” and playing with her. Shifting his focus down to her shoes didn’t seem important. Especially when it’s easier to see his cute little face when he taps her shins!

Watch your words in dog training

You have to watch your words in dog training. What you say to your dog matters. Dogs are capable of understanding hundreds of words – as long as we’re clear on the meaning of those words.

Think about it. If you say “sit down over here!” it’s a perfectly fine English sentence – if you’re talking to a human being. To a dog, it’s possible you just gave three different commands; sit, down, here. Which one is the dog supposed to obey?

If your dog doesn’t instantly obey, or even looks confused when you tell him/her to do something, replay what you actually said. Were you clear in your instructions, or did you inadvertently say something like “sit down?”

Words in dog training have unique meanings

It’s true that dogs can understand many words. But they’re unable to assign more than one meaning to the same word. Dogs are binary creatures, yes or no, good or bad, this or that.

The example most people are guilty of confusing their dogs with is “down.” When you want your dog to relax on the couch, what word do you use? For most, it’s some version of “lie down.”

That’s fine. It’s the proper use of the word. Traditionally in obedience, “down” means lie flat on the floor.

"Down" or "Off?" These words in dog training mean much different things. — “Down!” or “Off?”

How many times has your dog jumped up on something or someone and you said “down!” Don’t feel guilty. Everybody does it. It takes conscious thought and a decision to change to use the word you really mean – “Off!”

Some of our clients/students seem to think we’re being too nit-picky when emphasizing these small differences. But the variations are minor only if you think like a person. If you think like a dog, you get confused.

Confusion gets in the way

If you’re training your dog for competition in any dog sport, from traditional obedience to free-style dance, it’ll be easier and faster if you’re precise in your word use.

Be sure the words you use have only one meaning and that you convey that meaning clearly to your partner. Remember, your dog isn’t a native English speaker – you’re teaching him/her a foreign language. If your dog seems confused in a 2-Minute Training session, that’s probably exactly what’s happening.

If you’re not sure exactly what you said, and there’s no one else around to watch, this is another time it’s valuable to record your sessions. Watch and listen to your sessions, especially ones where your dog exhibited confusion by turning away, disengaging, or getting distracted. Pay special attention to what you said or did immediately before that happened. Did you accidentally confuse your dog?

Some dogs are particularly concerned with getting things “right.” When confusion hits, they disengage rather than make a mistake. This reaction is normal for some dog personalities – just like some people are more willing to make mistakes than others.

Tone matters, too

We used to think that you could say any words when talking to a dog. As long as your tone was kind, you could get away with saying horrible things. Depending on the dog, that’s not true. Dogs actually are capable of understanding the definition of several hundred words. No matter how you say it, they’ll know “no” isn’t a good thing. We’ve talked about clarity before in turns of tone and the word “no.”

In order to keep your dog happily engaged, use a less judgemental word to indicate a “flub.” We use “oops” – you can never sound anything but silly when you say it.