training rewards Archives - 2 Minute Trainer

Train. Don’t Complain.

Train, don’t complain.

After Rally class one evening we were standing around, talking with our students. One of the great things about getting involved in dog sports is the terrific people you meet. You may have absolutely nothing else in common, but there’s a connection you share. We all love doing stuff with our dogs. Anyway, she was saying that she didn’t dare bring her significant other to class because her dog would be distracted and want to go to him. Which is exactly the wrong way of looking at the situation. You shouldn’t avoid the things that distract your dog and cause them to lose focus. Train, don’t complain!

All the “excuses” we make

It doesn’t have to be something as big as a person. We’re all guilty of trying to avoid distracting our dogs. Have you ever hidden a toy behind your back? Or “shushed” someone making noise elsewhere in the house? Or asked a spectator at a dog even not to rattle that candy wrapper? Or keep dropping popcorn? Or wafting delicious hot dog smells into the ring?

Life is full of distractions. People drop things that make noise. At dog events people applaud. Or slam doors. And make announcements over public address systems.

We can’t keep our dogs in a sound-proof, distraction-proof bubble for training. To succeed, in competition and in life, dogs have to have the skills to tune out the distractions and focus on what’s important. We talked about this with the “Looky Loo” game previously.

Train through the distractions

If there’s someone in your family that your dog absolutely adores – do your training while that person is around. Every time your dog looks at you, have a party and reward. If the other person cooperates and ignores the dog, you should have your training partner focused in short order. When you and your dog succeed, the other person should celebrate along with you and your dog. This lets the dog know it’s okay to be with somebody else.

It’s really just a matter of proving to your dog that playing training games with you is more rewarding than anything else around. Easier said than done. But you can do it.

Distraction training

One of the very first household obedience classes we ever took had a wicked “final exam.” Keep in mind this was just a class at our local park district. Before class, our instructor picked up multiple orders of french fries from the golden arches place. And he threw them all over the floor in the training room. Our exam was to walk our dogs from one side of the room to the other. Without our dogs nabbing any of those yummy-smelling french fries.

And you know what? Every single one of the dogs (ours included) was able to do it. Because in just six weeks. our dogs learned that playing with us was more rewarding than anything else.

Take your time

Start out simply. Whenever there’s a tempting distraction, just reward your dog for looking at you. If it’s something the dog really, really loves, like their favorite person, make the reward the highest-value treat in your arsenal. Before long your dog will glance at the other person coming in and snap their attention to you – source of all things good and delicious.

Build up your dog’s tolerance for the distractions. You don’t want to flood the dog with so much input they’re overwhelmed. Be mindful and creative with your distractions. Before you dump a bowl of popcorn in your training area, start with boring wads of crumpled paper.

Build on success

Like all training, push ahead when your dog is successful most of the time at the level you’re at. When your dog can ignore their favorite person sitting still, can they still focus if that person is on the phone? walking around? headed for the door?

The key element is to realize when and how you’re protecting your dog from distractions. If you’re holding a toy behind your back so your dog won’t see it, it’s time to bring it to the front, stick it in your waistband, and let your dog see it. When your dog actually does what you’re asking for, whip that toy out and have a great game of tug. No more excuses. Train, don’t complain. Remember that dog training is a bargain we have with our dogs. They get what they want when we get what we want. It’s how all great teams function.

Your Dog Decides The Reward Value

You choose just about everything in your dog’s life. The entire schedule is yours. So is everything your dog has, is allowed, and does. There is one thing you can’t decide for your dog. Your dog decides the reward value. You can’t make your dog love cheese.

All dog owners know that dogs definitely have preferences: which toy is best, what food is tastiest, which bed is most comfortable. And they absolutely have a treat pyramid, from the golden, most cherished choice on top, to their everyday food at the bottom.

For some dogs, the kibble at the bottom is still worth jumping through fire. Others can easily walk away. The first type of dog is easier to train – you know they’ll be motivated by any tidbit. The second kind of dog, the one who doesn’t care, is more difficult.

It may not be food

You don’t get to pick the reward that’s most valuable to your dog. Sometimes it takes trial and error to figure out what’s at the pinnacle. It may not be food. Or a toy. It could be something odd, like one of our dogs who adored celery.

In the case of one dog, it’s being entirely avoided.

This week in our Rally class there was a dog who suddenly became afraid of the world. According to her owner, who’s a friend and Obedience mentor, it happened about a year ago. There wasn’t any incident, nothing bad happened to this dog. She just shut down.

Slowly, the dog is starting to open back up. But she was clearly nervous and anxious in class, although she did do the exercises with her owner. She gave any other person a very wide berth. Strangers trigger her fear.

Try something out of the box

Working with her owner, we came up with the idea of rewarding this dog by backing off. In competition Rally or Obedience, there is a judge in the ring with the team. Some judges follow the handler and dog closely, others allow more distance. There isn’t any rule about it, it’s just the judge’s preference. So a dog destined to compete in performance sports should be comfortable with another person in the ring, however close or far.

We decided to work on the “Front!” exercise with Hope acting as the “judge” in the vicinity. In this chunk of training, you’re heeling with your dog, then stop and call the dog to “Front!” The dog’s supposed to come around to face you and sit squarely in front of you.

When they began the exercise, Hope was about six or seven feet away. Close, but not hovering. When the dog performed the exercise, even shying away from the “judge,” Hope backed off. This dog’s reward was the scary person going away.

Try a few times, then stop

We repeated the sequence about three or four times, then quit. Even though the dog was doing better with each repetition, you don’t want to flood the dog with too much too soon. We don’t believe you have to stop on an “up” note. You stop before your dog signals stress, frustration, or anxiety. Give your dog time to process the session.

Your dog probably wouldn’t consider being ignored a reward. This dog does. In time, dogs transfer the value of the reward to the behavior that triggered the pay-off. This dog will associate “Front!” with good things happening.

That’s how most, if not all, dog behavior works. Dogs always do what’s most rewarding to them. It’s not always easy to figure out exactly what that is. Through trial and error, creative thinking, and observation, you’ll hit on the right stuff for your dog.

The Best Dog Training Treats – soft, small, & smelly

We get asked all the time – “What are the best dog training treats?” or “What treats do you recommend for dog training?”

Like so many things in life, the answer is “It depends.” It depends on you, your dog, the resources available to you, your creativity, and flexibility. The only real rule is: Training treats should be soft, small, and smelly. Soft so you don’t leave crumbs all over. Small so your dog can swallow in one bite. And smelly so your dog’s irresistibly attracted to them.

Keep it special

One of our instructions for students in our classes is to bring lots of treats to dog training. And when they think they have enough for an hour-long class, double it. And we still always bring treats to supplement what they think is adequate.

We also recommend your dog’s training treats are something they absolutely adore. And that it’s reserved for training. If it’s saved for training games, it will enhance your dog’s eagerness to play with you.

Similarly, when you want your dog to love something, use that precious flavor bite. Our dogs adore peanut butter. We save it as a special treat they get only in their crates. As a result, when they see us getting out the peanut butter jar, they stampede to their crates. Don’t get in the way – they’ll run you over and not look back.

Your dog decides

Your dog’s tastes decide the best dog training treats. Some commonly used human-food choices are cheese and hot dogs. Others are pretty weird. We had a student who took “soft, small, and smelly” to the limit. She used defrosted little popcorn shrimp. It worked for her. She didn’t mind handling them, and her dog loved them.

We’ve had a weirdo or two ourselves. Hope’s first French Bulldog, Dax, wasn’t very motivated in training. Until, in desperation to get her to tug something, Hope used a limp stalk of celery. It worked – she tugged like a maniac and loved it.

It’s what your dog likes, and what you can handle, that decides on the best dog training treats. If your hands are always sweaty, or it’s hot where you live, cheese probably isn’t a good choice. If your dog has food sensitivities, only offer treats that you know won’t haunt you later.

It’s a snack, not a meal

Nutritional value may not be the primary consideration for training treats. Unless you’re in a class, you’re only playing training games for a couple minutes at a time. For those couple of minutes, it’s not awful to give your dog “junk food.” It’s a snack, not a meal. After all, we’re training for the real world, not a sterile space with no distractions.

The irresistible treats we bring to supplement our students’ supplies are the cheapest, nastiest, dog food nuggets we can find. We get “semi-moist” dog food that comes in plastic packets. It reeks of garlic (which dogs love), and is unnaturally bright red. And dogs absolutely adore it.

One of our students had stopped on the way to class and purchased high-quality, nutritious treats. His dog had absolutely no interest in that broccoli of dog treats. After one sniff of the “junk food,” he had his dog’s complete attention the rest of class.

Ideally, you’ll find the perfect blend of healthy and irresistible that works for your dog. Or you’ll mitigate the damage of junk food by making a “trail mix” of treats. Using a variety of treats and mixing them together is another way to keep your dog’s interest – they never know what the next morsel will be.

Never too late to socialize your dog

Lots of puppies adopted in the last couple of years have been deprived. They’re not accustomed to real life in the real world. There wasn’t a way to properly socialize your dog. There just weren’t the places to go, classes to take, people to see, that other dogs got to experience. The good news is that it’s never too late. Every healthy dog can learn to be calm and confident in public, regardless of age or upbringing.

The pandemic saw the shelters empty as people looked for companionship during the lockdown. That was good for both the animals and the humans. There’s no one who appreciates time spent at home more than your dog. The down side was that these dogs led a sheltered existence, so to speak. The world they grew up in wasn’t the same as the one we have now.

Socializing your dog doesn’t mean they have to like every person or dog. It means they can be calm and listen to you wherever you are, whatever’s around, whoever you’re with.

Getting socialized

Just because your puppy couldn’t go places, meet people, and do things doesn’t mean they’ll never be able to. It does mean some “remedial” socialization has to happen. If your dog grew up in the time of “social distancing,” you just couldn’t do the things that help dogs mature into confident, calm beings with public manners. Now, you can.

The key is to start small. If your dog reacts to people walking by, freaks out when bicycles pass, or can’t handle hordes of traffic, don’t plunge them right into those situations. Figure out your dog’s “comfort zone” and expand their world gradually.

Distance is always your friend when training a reactive dog. Watch your dog’s body language. As long as they’re calm and relaxed, you’re doing fine. Watch for signs of stress. They may not be as obvious as lunging and barking.

Something as subtle as stopping to scratch may be stress. It could also be an itch, so look at your dog’s overall demeanor. Where is she holding her tail, or ears? A stiffly-held tail and laid-back ears are signs of nerves. Is he panting? Are the whites of his eyes showing? All of these say “I’m not comfortable.” If that’s the case, stop where you are and just let the dog adjust.

Using dog training’s most difficult skill

This is the time you need to pull out all your patience and just wait. Hang out with your dog. Let them look around and see there’s nothing threatening. When they look at you, reward. You’re establishing in the dog’s mind that they can trust you. You won’t bring them anywhere that’s scary or unsafe.

In this week’s “Manners” class, the first skill Hope had the dogs practicing was this one – doing nothing. All of these dogs were pandemic puppies, now grown into not-very-socialized dogs. It took a while for them to figure out there was nothing going on. We were all just sitting there. Ignoring their noise-making.

When they figured out there was nothing to bark at – they all stopped barking. Of course there were a few moments when one would forget and start, which triggered all of them. But each episode was shorter and had fewer participants.

If the dog stays calm or neutral, that’s the objective. The next time you can get a little closer and start reducing the size of the dog’s comfort zone. When you reach a point where your dog can sit calmly as people walk by in your quest to socialize your dog, it’s time to ask for some help.

Enlist friends and strangers

Ask people walking by to toss some treats to your dog. Hand them some treats if you can get that close. If not, put them on a surface and step away so the other person can reach the treats. As you calmly discuss the weather with the other person, they can toss the treats near your dog. Strangers, in time, become something to be happy about.

Fran’s almost 14-year-old Brussels Griffon Tango (pictured above) was an extremely reactive dog. He would bark, lunge, and try to bite both people and other dogs. No one but Fran could get near him. Taking him out in public was impossible. That was 13 years ago – he was 11 months old when he came home.

Now, just by the simple method described here, anyone can give Tango treats, pet him, even hold him. His first “cookie ladies” are still his favorite people – other than Fran. He was able to compete in Agility and Rally at large, noisy venues full of other dogs and people. Now, as a retired elder statesman dog, he’s everybody’s friend and a perfect gentleman. (Check out Book 5: Reactive Dog Recipe in the 2-Minute Trainer’s ebook series.) Tango is proof that it’s never too late to socialize your dog.

Socialize your dog at your dog’s speed

However old your dog is, that’s how long they’ve been building their current behavior. It won’t take as long to change it, but it will take patience and consistency. Stretch your dog’s “comfort zone,” but don’t try to smash the barrier all at once. You can have the calm, polite, socialized dog you planned on. It’s just going to take as long as it takes.

Interactive dog toys are anything but

It’s weird that dog toys labeled “interactive” are exactly the opposite. All the action comes from the dog – the toy pretty much just sits there. The products labeled “interactive dog toys” just aren’t.

Best interactive dog toys

The truly interactive dog toys are the ones with you at the other end. Tug toys, games of fetch, anything where both you and your dog are necessary to the equation. Those are the games that strengthen your relationship with your dog.

Like any relationship, the one with your dog needs some attention. It’s not that dogs don’t love their people, they do. It’s that their humans haven’t made an effort to be part of the fun.

Building the bond

Fran and Simon playing the "Whatcha gonna do?" game. — “Whatcha gonna do?” game

People complain that their dogs don’t pay attention to them. These are the same people that walk their dogs with their phones in their faces. Or who load up the interactive dog toy with treats, plop it on the floor, and get back on the phone.

Rather than that puzzle toy, how about getting down and playing the “Shell Game” with your dog. Play with them. Instead of dumping food in a bowl, take a couple of minutes, a portion of the food, and play “Touch!” or “Gimme Your Face!”

All good things

When you convince your dog that paying attention to you is worthwhile, you’ll get that attention. You’ll get more than you give, that’s how dogs work. Just a few minutes of dog training games will get you better attention and focus. It convinces your dog that listening to you pays off.

Dogs will predictably act in their own self-interest. If something has worked for them in the past, they’ll do it again. If you reward and praise your dog for looking at you, they’ll do it more often. They tend to be geniuses at figuring out what gets them the most cookies.

Everything in its place

It’s not that static puzzle toys, or treat-dispensing toys don’t have a place. They do. Best uses are when we’re unable to pay attention like during an important phone call. They’re also great for crate training, especially if the dog only gets a very special treat when crated.

Interactive dog toys are fun for dogs. They can smell the treats and most really enjoy figuring out how to get to them. It satisfies some of their instinct for pursuit. And hones their problem-solving ability. Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the latch of your treat container.

You’re the best interactive toy

Sometimes our students complain that they feel like “Pez dispensers,” because they’re constantly giving treats to their dogs. And that’s true, during training sessions. But those couple of minutes at a time are equivalent to your dog’s “job.” And everyone deserves payment for doing a good job.

The vast majority of the time you spend with your dog isn’t training. Those few minutes you play training games, be the real, interactive, treat-dispensing toy.

“Drop It!” dog training game

“Drop It!” is one of the top three commands every dog should know. It can, potentially, save your dog’s life. We know – we have personal experience. The “Drop It!” dog training game is an important one to teach your pup early.

One day we had our dogs out in our own fully-fenced yard. Hope looks over to see her French Bulldog Dax chewing on something. Not good. Hope went over and told her to “Drop it!” Luckily, she did. It was a three-inch long stick of rat poison. Unfortunately, the sticks are about five inches long to start with.

It was a scary time, but getting the majority of the poison away from her, and a quick trip to the vet saved her life.

How did the poison get into our yard, you ask? It turns out that someone in the neighborhood used them in their own yard. The wildlife in the neighborhood – squirrels, birds, raccoons, opossums, skunks, etc.- didn’t know that only rats are supposed to eat them. They thought they’d discovered a bountiful feast and carried them all over the area. As far as we know, Dax was the only dog that found one. But we were cleaning up other animals for weeks.

Was it legal for our neighbor to do this? No, it wasn’t. Did we sue them to recover veterinary costs? Yes, we did. And won. However, no dollar amount would matter if our dog hadn’t recovered.

Teaching “Drop It!”

The first phase of “Drop It!” is relatively easy. It’s just trading toys with your dog. Start with a toy they like, but aren’t crazy about. You can either use two identical toys, or toys that have the same relatively low value. Play tug with your dog for a few seconds with one of the toys. Then hold the toy still while the dog is still holding it, and say “Drop It!” while you start moving the second toy with your other hand. The moment your dog releases the first toy to grab the other one, say “Good ‘Drop it!’” And play with the second toy – same procedure. That does it for the first “Drop It!” lesson.

Tango plays the "Drop It" game with his toys - dropping them in the bin. — Tango plays the “Drop It!” game with his toys – dropping them in the bin.

Dogs will be wary of letting go if they think that’s the end of the fun. As long as the game continues, the dog should be okay with swapping one fun thing for another. When it’s time to end the game entirely, rather than swapping, don’t ask for the “Drop it!” Instead, use something like “That’s all!” and offer an incredibly yummy treat.

Yes, we’re bribing the dog to do what we want. We’re okay with that. Until the dog understands the command, and will reliably do it, we use whatever positive means necessary to get the result we want. Taking away something valuable may cause dogs to guard it. And resource guarding can become a big problem.

Next step in “Drop it!”

To progress the “Drop It!” game, use a variety of different toys and/or treats, gradually introducing items your dog finds very valuable. It’s one thing to get a ball-loving dog to drop a rope toy. It’s another to get them to actually drop the ball.

If your dog is crazy about a certain toy, or kind of toy, be sure to have multiples of that identical item to teach drop it. Even the most well-trained dog may be reluctant to drop a cherished item. It may take a while to work up to the most valuable resources.

Go at your dog’s pace. If they don’t believe that the “other” item is as good as the one they have, they may not willingly obey the “Drop it!” Some dogs, like our own Booker, are more interested in the interaction with their people. The item doesn’t matter as much as the game.

Torque, on the other hand, prizes the ball above anything else. To him, having the toy is more important than the game. “Drop It!” is a persistent struggle for him, and when his better nature wins, he’s rewarded with even more time with his beloved ball. And if you’ve played the “Carry It” game with your dog, the “Drop It!” dog training game is the next logical, and important, step.

Know your dog

Knowing your dog’s personality and reward hierarchy is key. Stay with the less-valuable items as long as you need to build your dog’s trust in the game. Don’t make “Drop It!” the end of fun – reward with more time and use a different cue to end the game. You may even find that using a timer is beneficial. Your dog will learn that the “beep” of the timer signals the end of that game. Keep in mind that dogs love routine. If you always end the game when you hear the beep, your dog will know it’s time to go do something else.

Teach your dog “Poop” on command

Nobody relishes standing out in the rain waiting for their dog’s to eliminate. You can make life easier for both of you when you teach your dog “Poop” on command.

There’s an old joke that an alien visiting our planet for the first time would be convinced that dogs are the species in control because their minions follow them around, pick up their poop, and carry it around.

But every responsible dog owner has the obligation to clean up after their dogs, regardless of what aliens think of us. But it would make life better if our dogs would eliminate when and where we want, rather than taking forever to find the perfect spot.

You must be willing

To achieve the “poop on command” goal, you have to be willing to commit. You must go out with your dog every single time, you must have treats with you, and you must be clear and consistent.

Even though we have a fenced yard, we go out with our dogs every single time. Even if it’s raining, sleeting, or three in the morning.

There are lots of reasons we do:

When we had a nasty-dog neighbor, we could avoid fence fighting.
We can stop our dogs from eating various unknown, nasty things in the yard.
We get first dibs on the bread slices the squirrel drops in our yard (yes, we do have foolish neighbors).
It lets us know if one of the dogs has stomach issues, before they mess the house.
We know which dog has the tummy trouble.

Is it convenient? Not particularly. Especially with multiple dogs, we think it’s wise.

Getting cooperation

Everybody poops. That’s a given, as well as a beloved children’s book. Learning your dog’s schedule makes for easier housebreaking and elimination training.

When you know your dog has to go, head out with them. If there’s a particular place you want them to go, put them on collar/harness and leash and head directly to that spot and wait. If your dog is one that wanders around before getting down to business, take a couple laps around the yard with them and go back to the chosen spot.

Then it’s a waiting game. For the kabillionth time, we’ll repeat the doing nothing is the hardest part of dog training. But waiting is the best thing you can do.

When they hit the mark, praise and reward. Call it whatever phrase you choose to use. We use “go poop” because we got over being embarrassed in public long ago. A friend of ours uses “Hit it!” We assume she’ll never be part of a band.

Every single time

If you want your dog to learn to poop on command, you have to praise, phrase (good poop!), and reward every single time.

We’re often asked when praise and treats can be phased out. The answer is always never. When you’re willing to do your job without pay, that’s when you can phase out your dog’s.

Easy and Fun Dog Training

Games are easy and fun dog training. And, over time, the most effective and long-lasting learning for your dog.

Long term benefits outweigh short-term attention in dog training.

And that’s where we see people getting frustrated and tempted to use aversive methods. Just this week one of our puppy class students pleaded to use a pinch collar on his five-month old Golden Retriever. Because when he tried it, he got better attention immediately.

That’s the way aversives, pain training, works. You’d pay attention, too, if it was the only way to not get choked.

Long-term gains

Fortunately, this man does want to do better by his puppy. He’s a long-time aversive trainer, so positive, game-based dog training is new to him. He was accustomed to instant obedience from his dogs. But he had to enforce that throughout their lives. They didn’t obey because they understood. They obeyed because they wanted to avoid pain.

The issue with this puppy is that she’s smart, curious, and five months old. The other dogs and people in class are more interesting than her people. So the first step is to be more interesting than anything else around.

Building the bond

He’s used to tugging on the puppy’s collar whenever he wants her to look at him. It’s going to take a conscious effort on his part to change that. It’s habit to say her name and pop the collar, not even giving her time to move her head.

The hardest thing in positive reinforcement dog training is waiting. Patience is not only a virtue, it’s a requirement. Jack’s assignment is to say his puppy’s name and wait for her to look at him. Not say anything else. Not let her go wandering off. Just wait, calmly.

Eventually, with nothing else available to do, the puppy will look at him. And that’s when he pounces with a celebration and reward. That reward is whatever is most valuable to the puppy – food, a game of tug, or on-leash fetch, or even a little wrestling match.

She will learn that looking at her “dad” is the most fun thing to do. It always, every single time, results in happy, fun games. It’s the best thing ever! And that’s how you build your bond with your dog.

Checking in

Jack and his wife are under instructions to reward their puppy every single time she looks at either one of them. They have treat bowls in every room in the house, and pouches to carry outside. For three months, since they got her, the puppy hasn’t been encouraged to engage with them. The focus has been on the toy, the food, the leaves blowing down the street.

They will be able to claim her focus if they make the investment. What gets rewarded, gets repeated. If the puppy is rewarded every time she looks at them, she’s going to look at them a lot more. And, when her people are more interesting, she’s less likely to find everything else so distracting.

Long-term investments pay off

When the puppy understands that looking at her people will always result in good stuff, it’s a lesson learned for life. It may take longer to penetrate than choking. But it’s a conversion worth making. Nobody really wants to hurt their dog. When you know better, you do better.

Dog training is teamwork

At the bottom of this post you’ll find links to the winning performances of the AKC Virtual Trick Dog competitions for the last two years. What’s most notable isn’t that the dogs are wonderful, which they are. It’s that the dogs are doing pretty normal tricks. And not necessarily getting them right on the first try. What’s spectacular is the narrative their people put together. It lets them show off their wonderful dogs doing fun stuff. Because good dog training is teamwork.

Reward for right

The other thing we noticed is that the people stopped to reward when their dogs did well. Even while recording a competition video. Because letting your dog know when they’re “right” has to be different from being “wrong.” It’s a lesson that’s hard for many of our students. We wish we had a nickel for every time we said: “Getting it right should be rewarded.” At every opportunity. Even for behaviors your dog’s known since he/she was a puppy. (Here’s more about rewards.)

Most of the tricks the dogs perform in these videos are variations on the themes of “get on it,” “get over it,” “go through it,” “carry it,” and “put it over there.” All of them are within your dog’s capabilities. The dogs don’t do the narrated routines on their own. Their people are there, showing them what to do every step of the way. And the dogs’ tails are wagging throughout. These dogs are having a good time.

Your dog training team

Dogs doing things and being rewarded are featured in the Trick Dog Championship videos. — Torque is carrying a cardboard tube.

You can see the dogs watching their people throughout. They’re anticipating having more fun. And treats. But they’re not harassing the “cookie hand.” These dogs know that when they do what they should, they’ll be rewarded for it. These dogs aren’t dragging through their routines. They’re practically dancing from one trick station to the next.

It’s also worth noting that when the dogs don’t get it right the first time the only thing that happens is they get to try again. There’s no punishment. There’s just another chance to get it right. And be rewarded for it.

That’s the agreement we make with our dogs. When we get what we want, they get what they want. Mostly what they want is our attention. And treats. Dog training is all about the team. Playing fun games, teaching dogs how to make good decisions, having fun, and expanding their understanding.

Not robot dogs

Will your dog mess up? Sure. Everybody does. Some days are better than others. And there will be 2-Minute dog game sessions that are a mess from the start. Even those sessions have some value because it teaches us how to change gears and try something else.

It’s important that you’re easy on yourself and your dog. These top-winning Trick Dog competitors are ready to try again when their dogs miss the first try. They’re quick with the rewards when their dogs get it right. And they’re not afraid to show the world they and their dogs aren’t perfect. They’re proud to show off their amazing dogs.

https://youtu.be/VFlYPZphg3ohttps://youtu.be/VFlYPZphg3o 2021 AKC Virtual Trick Dog Competition Winner (Miniature Poodle)

https://youtu.be/7zsO5IdLPBY 2022 AKC Virtual Trick Dog Competition Winner (Australian Terrier)

Every dog needs a muzzle

Why on earth are we talking about dog muzzle training?

You’d never use a muzzle on your dog, right? Your dog is a sweetheart and would never threaten anyone!

Not so fast. How about if your dog is in an accident and injured? Will you guarantee they won’t snap in panic, pain, or fear? Under duress, the mildest-mannered dog may react according to instinct, not training. Every dog needs a muzzle.

One of the first lessons in canine First Aid is how to fashion a muzzle from any strip of cloth or rope. Emergency personnel want to help your dog, but don’t want to risk their own safety to do it. And we don’t blame them.

Imperatives for safety

There are two things every dog should be trained for “just in case:”

Crates. Every dog should be familiar and comfortable with a cage or crate. For travel, grooming, hospitalization – it’s the safest place for your dog. In the event of some kind of disaster requiring an evacuation, some shelters will only accept dogs if they’re crated.
Muzzles. While there are many people who would want to help if your dog were injured, nobody wants to risk a bite. If your dog is at all reactive, a muzzle allows you to go anywhere knowing that nothing will happen. (You can read Fran’s introduction to muzzles with Tango and his reactive training in her book Tango: Transforming My Hellhound.) And many veterinarians now routinely muzzle unfamiliar dogs. It keeps everyone safe. Additionally, a muzzle will prevent your dog from putting everything in his mouth on walks.

Better to have it

There’s an old saying “better to have and not need, than need and not have.” Having a muzzle and never needing it is ideal. Needing one and stressing out your dog isn’t good at all. Every dog needs a muzzle – just in case…

There are lots of different types of muzzles out there. There are muzzles with metal “baskets,” leather muzzles, rubber muzzles, muzzles made of net like Simon’s (below). There’s even a muzzle that looks like a duck’s bill, which makes it less threatening-looking. Which kind you get depends on your preference, your dog’s anatomy, and what’s available. You’ll find all of them online – read the measuring and fitting instructions carefully.

Simon wearing his muzzle. He can breathe, drink, pant and get treats wearing it. — Simon in his muzzle.

If you have a short-faced dog, your options are more limited, but they do exist. Search specifically for a muzzle for brachycephalic dogs, or short-faced dogs. You can see Simon wearing his muzzle to the left.

Your dog’s muzzle should allow you to deliver treats to your dog. It will also allow the dog to drink, pant, and see clearly. Its purpose is to keep everyone safe, not cause further anxiety in a traumatic situation. Simon can obviously see, breathe, get treats, drink and pant while he wears his muzzle. Even though he has no nose to speak of, Simon has a muzzle that works for him.

Muzzle training steps

The first step for introducing anything new to your dog is exactly that – an introduction. Show the muzzle to your dog, click and reward. If your dog sniffs it, click and reward. If your dog stays calm when you pick it up, click and reward.

Drape the muzzle over the hand that’s delivering treats to your dog. If your dog has to touch the muzzle to get the treat, that’s ideal. But don’t force it. If your dog is wary of the it at first, respect that for now. We want your dog to associate that muzzle with getting lots of high-value treats. Gradually move the muzzle closer to your dog so he has to push into it to get the treat.

Step by step, gradually introduce your dog to the look and feel of the muzzle. If your dog resists, back up to the last step where he/she was okay, and start again. There’s no rush. Your dog will let you know when he/she is okay with the next step. Pay attention to your dog’s signals.

Keep sessions short

Generally speaking, dogs think muzzles are weird. They’re right. Don’t work on muzzle training more than 2-Minutes, like any other training session. But try to devote one 2-Minute session every day to the muzzle, until your dog is completely okay with it. Getting it over his/her head and clasping the buckle may take some time. Take the time that’s needed so your dog doesn’t mind the muzzle at all. Putting on a muzzle should become one of the strange things Mom (or Dad) wants, so your dog does it willingly. They may never like it, but they do it because we ask them to.

And while your dog is wearing his muzzle, don’t be stingy with the treats! If he’s being good, reward him!

If your dog is familiar with wearing a muzzle, you’ll have one less thing to worry about should the unthinkable happen. It’s another way to protect your pet.