Ready to have fun with your dog?
Great – let’s get started!
You’ll need:
- your dog on a collar or harness and leash
- a box that’s big enough for your dog to get into – it could be a plastic storage container, a dish pan, tupperware – anything your dog can climb into and you won’t mind some tooth marks.
- a trail mix of treats (kibble, cheerios, small treats)
- a timer – set for 2 minutes
And let’s have fun with a box. The object of this game is to see how many different things your dog can do with that box. Will he get into it with all 4 paws? with 2 paws? Will he sit in the box? Will he back out of the box? Will he try to eat the box? Your dog is learning to learn, and having fun with it, so he’ll want to learn more!
Put the box on the floor when you’re ready. Every time your dog does something different, MARK the behavior (we use the word “Yes!”) and give your dog a treat.
Start small:
If he looks at the box, Yes!
Sniffs the box: Yes!
Paws at the box: Yes!
Reward up to three times for the same “trick” – then wait for your dog to do something else!
So, every time he gets up, sits down, moves a paw, mark it! And give a treat! And when you want to start over, so that your dog may give you a different behavior, you can toss a treat outside the box and say something like “Search!” so he’ll go search for the treat. Or you can pull him gently out of the box and give a treat. Then don’t say anything – chances are he’ll go right back to doing something with the box (more treats there!).
Here’s a video of Teddy the French Bulldog to give you an idea of how this might look. Hope is using a clicker instead of a “marker word,” but it’s the same concept.
Want more? Join 2-Minute Trainer and your first 10 days are free! You’ll have immediate access to all 2-Minute Tips, Videos, even the Intro Course (Start Some Fun With Your Great Dog) and Course #1 (Clicker & Place).