Is This Your Dog?

I work with a lot of clients and most of them suffer from this syndrome.  Their dog does something wrong and they shout “NO” or “BAD DOG” at the top of their lungs but the dog barely acknowledges his owner’s presence much less his anger.

When pressed or called the dog runs around the house as if he is deaf and can’t be caught.

An angry game of dart and evade ensues until the dog owner is exhausted and the dog finally gives up.  At this point there is usually some aggression on the part of the dog owner and so everyone loses!

Does Your Dog Respect the NO command?

For many the answer is “no”.

Why?

You can Only use the NO command if You Catch Your Dog Misbehaving NEVER AFTERWARD!

People overuse the NO command almost more than any other command.  The second most overused command would probably be COME.

When you overuse a command, it begins to lose its meaning!

People say it “No! NO!  Bad Dog!” but nothing really happens.  They don’t make the dog listen, and so therefore the dog learns that these words mean nothing.

The bad thing is eventually the owner gets angry enough to have some follow through but at this point the dog is no longer associating the initial behavior with the reprimand.

The owner hunts the dog down and reprimands him, but leaves the dog totally confused.  You can never reprimand a dog AFTER the behavior, he simply won’t understand!

The only thing the dog really learns is that his owner is scary sometimes and then tries to avoid him when he sees his level of anger escalate.

This avoidance, exacerbates the problem and makes it even worse!  The owner gets angrier and the dog continues to try and avoid and evade his infuriated owner!

You see, dogs aren’t capable of reasoning like we humans are.  A human would say to himself “Gosh, mom is REALLY mad and I am going to have to deal with her sooner or later…sooner will be less agonizing than later.  I am liable to get in more trouble if I don’t come or listen now!”

But a dog doesn’t realize that EVENTUALLY he is going to have to come to you or surrender.  He thinks he can stay away from you forever, or at least until your mood changes.  He doesn’t realize that his behavior is the reason for your rage and with each passing moment it gets worse.

What Do You Do?

First understand from your dog’s point of view and learn to control your anger and your emotions!  We are the “thinking” and “reasoning” animal, we should always be in control of our emotions when it comes to our dogs!  Patience really is a virtue in dog ownership!

Next, change the word or the command.

If your dog totally ignores “NO!” then STOP USING IT and adopt a different command!

I once read a book where the author recommended that a dog’s name be changed if he had had bad experiences from its use or he ignored it completely.  Although I think this is a little extreme in most cases, I also understand that if a command means nothing or something bad when it should be good, it should be changed.

At my house I say Nein (nine) when my dogs do something horrifying and they have been taught to respect this word.

Originally I picked a word that wasn’t normally in my vocabulary.  I didn’t go around shouting “NEIN” in my real world.

So in order to find this word in my regular vocabulary, I had to be pretty frustrated.  I wasn’t going to use it haphazardly or too often.  I was truly irritated when I used this command.

That DOES NOT mean that my anger was going to drive me to hitting or compulsion.  I believe there is never a reason to raise your hand to your dog or use excessive physical force.

What it did mean was that I was willing to go to my dog to change the behavior.  At my house I usually only use this command for aggression; teeth touching me or another animal in my house and so if I use this command I am going to come to you to make sure your behavior stops.

This reliability in the command or word means that my dogs respect the word when they hear it and they immediately STOP showing the behavior in question.

When I trained Service Dogs we had to use the word “Phooey” for the same reason!

“NO” is too easy to use too often, misuse, overuse and often there is no follow up.

Dog training is about consistency!  If you give a command you need to enforce it somehow, whether that is the SIT command or the NO or NEIN or the COME command. If you give a command you need to be capable and willing to change the behavior in question!

Don’t get lazy!  The best way to make sure your dog respects you, listens when you tell him to stop and comes when he is called…is to train with him at least EVERY DAY!  Then listening to you becomes a well-conditioned behavior and he is more likely to do it even during times of stress and excitement!

Do You Own “No! No! Bad Dog”? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Does your Dog Stare at what He wants?

The other day I found myself, staring blankly around my kitchen.  I guess I am getting old, because as with numerous other times I had forgotten what I was doing!

As I glanced around trying to get my bearings, my pupils caught the pupils of my oldest dog.  He is 12 and my very, very best friend, dare I say my furry soul mate?  He commonly follows me from room to room and I rarely am capable of completing any task without his help, or so he thinks (and I am afraid I agree)!

As my gaze matched his, I watched him very consciously look very lovingly from me…to the top of our refrigerator.

I giggled a little and acted totally brainless.  As I waited, to see what he would do, he very calmly caught my eyes and even more slowly turned his head to stare at the top of my refrigerator, languishing there for a moment or two before again glancing back to my face.

I must admit I found him completely endearing and totally hilarious.  You see, I keep my dog treats on top of the fridge.  This was his way of calmly, quietly asking for a treat, AND it must work!

I quietly asked him “What do you want” and again he slowly pivoted his head toward his awaiting treats.  By now, since I had engaged him in conversation, he was drooling in apprehension.

This got me to thinking…  As skilled as he was at getting me to deliver a treat (and yes, I admit I did give him one because his request was so quiet, calm and intelligent) I wonder what else he has trained me to do for him!

You see, I think we are the inferior species when it comes to dog training!  I believe they are much, much better trainers than we are! They are more patient, more insistent and less distracted than most of us!  Most of all dogs are incredibly consistent! Could you scream in a crate for 2 hours straight?

Dogs learn very quickly what behaviors we like and what behaviors we don’t and what behaviors get them the most interaction.  What behaviors reward them and what behaviors don’t.  Make no mistake about it; sometimes those are not related.  In fact sometimes dogs choose naughty behavior simply to get some kind of interaction from us because inadvertently we reward them when we don’t mean to!

AND, sometimes naughty, bad, deplorable behaviors are reinforcing!

Whenever I have a behavior problem or a struggle in my dog training, I ask myself “What is my dog getting out of this?”

This is the root to good dog training and understanding dog behavior.

When there is a problem, whether it be a human or dog related problem the person or dog is getting something out of the behavior.

In order to find a solution we must determine what the “payoff” is and if we are looking to change a behavior we must deny the subject the payoff they are use to or that they desire!

Does your Dog Steal?

For instance, I often hear of people who complain that their dogs steal objects, show their owners, and then dash off around the house for a fun game of “cat and mouse”.

The bad behavior: Stealing

The payoff:  The “chase” game, where the owners scream profanities, throw objects, cry and run around chasing the dog, is in fact the dog’s favorite game!  What could be more fun for your dog than a game that you will probably NEVER win (because you simply aren’t quick or agile enough to catch him)?  AND, it is completely interactive!  This is why your dog steals and often shows you the stolen article before darting off.

So, in order to change the bad behavior: Stealing…you must prevent the behavior or change or cease the pay off.   More on this problem in this article “Teaching your Thief to Retrieve” 

It doesn’t matter what the bad behavior is: stealing food, barking, jumping on people, having accidents on the floor, aggression; there is a payoff for your dog.

As the more intellectual animal you need to figure it out and decide how to change the behavior.

My ability to do so has often been the precursor to people saying I am part dog.   In order to conquer dog behavior, you must put yourself in his paws and “Think like a Dog” 

My challenge to you is to observe your world, watch what you are doing with and for your dog and ask yourself who is the better trainer in your home; you or your dog?

Do You End up Chasing Your Dog?

What do You do About it? 

The first step to true change is to acknowledge the problem.

Once you realize how YOU have been trained you can begin the re-training or the reorganization of your relationship with your dog.

Are you “Rewarding the Wrong Behavior”?

My dog, would personally like me to be a human PEZ dispenser!  Like all “animals” he would like to get everything in his life and in his world for free or at the very slightest with the least expelled energy as possible.

I don’t mean to dash everyone’s feelings about dogs, but they don’t care about pleasing you, unless of course in some way it pleases them.

We are all out for ourselves in the end.  The point is to make sure that what pleases you is what positively affects your dog!  Simple as that!

Will my senior dog continue to seek my gaze in the hopes of staring at the things he wants in life?  ABSOULTELY!  Especially since I rewarded him with what he desired the last time he did it, but in the scheme of things I didn’t feel this was a negative behavior.

However, I know that many of you are suffering from some nasty behavior problems and because of that I admonish you, step back and look at the big picture.  Take notes if you have to and make a list of the possible payoffs for your dog and only then can you begin to change that behavior!

Who’s Training Whom at Your House? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Thank you to fortunate K9 for the picture

I do my very best to write for the masses.  I try to keep up on comments on my blog and the problems that plague dog owners around the world.

I write articles on basic commands like teaching your dog about the leash to finding your dog’s  motivator.  I also write intermediate articles for those looking for more of a challenge and advanced obedience.  We even talk about games and aggression.   Occasionally I even direct my articles to others in my field or those aspiring for such a career.

I even shoot short informative videos to show you how to train your own dog in your own time in the Dog Training Secrets Video Vault here www.dogtrainingvideovault.com

But I suppose I don’t hit all the questions that everyone needs answered.

However I get  A LOT of duplicate questions about the same behavior.

Utilize Our Resources!

Did you know I have almost 20 years experience working with animals?  I have worked with everything from police dogs, to service dogs from the disabled to large cats!  I have a glowing career I am quite proud of!

So, first I am here to encourage you to use our resources for yourself and the well being of your dog and to help those you know friends and family having questions.

• Read our blog!  There are articles posted twice weekly and these articles are also posted to Facebook and Twitter.
  

  Our Training is built on Play and Games to make it More Fun for you Both!

• When you click on the highlighted words in the body of the article it will take you to related articles!
• Search our blog.  If you have questions or problems or are suffering from a doggy behavior problem do a search in the search box in the upper left hand side of our blog.  You can search for anything from barking to nose games.  This is a great and free resource.
• We are constantly doing research to improve our techniques and keep up with the latest information in the field, which we often publish for you!
• We are honest and our training is simple, based on play, and always positive and fun!
• Join us on Facebook!  If you like our page at TheDogTrainingSecret.com it will automatically load not only the new training articles for each week, it will also post to your page interesting articles about dog’s health, dogs in the news and free dog offers!
• Share our posts to your wall so that your friends and family can get the free help that might help them improve their relationship with their dog and keep them from relinquishing ownership.  You never know when one article of hope can change lives!
• I also recommend that you join us in the Video Vault.  As with our dog training blog new videos are uploaded each week and can help you with everything from nail trims and just how to do them to leash training, barking and digging!  Watching a video can clear up any question on how-to and you can always go back and review!

The Obedience we All Aspire to!

So, here is my challenge to you.  Join us on Facebook and request an article or video to be shot reviewing a problem you and your dog are having that you don’t see already discussed and I will do my best to tackle your questions!

I write many articles and shoot many videos in advance that are waiting in the wings to be published so, please give me time and keep your eyes posted on your wall to look for the articles you have requested!

Go to Facebook, like our page, and bring on the work load!

Interactive Dog Training is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

You Want Your Dog to Stare at You Like You are one of These Cupcakes!

This is part 3 of a 4 part series of teaching your dog how to listen and obey you, without pulling while he is on a leash.  If you didn’t read my first two installments please do so first here: The Premise of the Magical Dog Leash  and The Magical Dog Leash Part 2: Finding Heel 

In my opinion, Drive and Focus are essential to good dog training and leash skills.

For those of you who are not familiar with the terms I first want to break them down for you so that you can understand what I, and others are talking about when we use these words.

Drive: There are several types of “drives” in dog training; play/prey drive and fight/defensive drives.  When I write articles about drive, I am referring to the play/prey drive function that is innate with most dogs.

Most dogs have some kind of play or prey drive.  When they see a small critter running their automatic response is to give chase and play.  Even if they don’t want to chase animals they may pounce, bite and squeak toys!

The nice thing about this “drive” is that you can increase it, decrease it and learn to control it.

If you have a dog with low prey/play drive you can increase it by frustrating him a bit and teaching him to chase toys, tugs, and balls on a string often keeping them a just barely out of reach for a while before allowing him the reward of catching the “prey”.

• Frustration causes an increase in drive whether that drive is for a toy or food motivator.
• Constant playing, food and immediate access to the reward will decrease drive in your dog.

If you have a dog with CRAZY high prey/play drive (like my dogs) you can take it down a few notches and teach them to lower their drive and control themselves in order to play with you and/or you can reward them more often instead of frustrating them.  Instead of teasing, flinging and chasing these dogs need to be taught more obedience in order to harness their play drive!  I don’t need to increase my dogs’ prey drive!

Eventually whether you are increasing or decreasing your dogs drive (perhaps dependent on the situation) you will learn just how to control your dog when he is at

Use Your Dog's Instincts and Toys

his utmost excitable level!

I have people who’s dog have trouble learning to play and they therefore have trouble increasing drive with their dog, if you are in that boat click here.

And for more information on building http://www.thedogtrainingsecret.com/blog/building-dogs-drive/and controlling drive click on the words.

I have had people who also argue that there is NO WAY they want to increase their dog’s play or chase drive!  I completely understand what they are saying, they feel like their dog is already out of control, but the point to this is that by playing with your dog in drive you are learning to control his drive and he is learning to control his impulses.  This ability to control his own wants and impulses is crucial.

This will help you when your dog is distracted by neighbors, kids, bunnies, and anything else he might want to chase or play with while you are out walking.

My dogs are very, very high drive dogs, they want to play and chase almost constantly, but the reason I am so successful with dog training is that I learn to control them while they are at their utmost excitable and uncontrollable.  I teach them that in order to get what they want (the game) they must listen to and obey me.  This gives me dogs that, after they learn the terms of playtime, are willing to ignore almost anything in order to get what they want!

When you are on a walk or a hike with your dog, your ultimate goal will be to control him no matter what the conditions and so by playing some games and teaching him to control his urges you are setting yourselves up for success later!

For help teaching your dogs “Drive” please refer to my former articles.  Teaching your dog to Retrieve using his Play Drive, Building Your Dog’s Drive in Preparation for Obedience and Training Your Dog in Drive.

Play and “Drive” teaches you to control the excitement level of your dog and “Focus” will give you control of what your dog is looking at, at any given time.

Teach Your Dog to Stare At You!

Focus: is eye contact and attention.

I teach all of my dogs to give me eye contact on command.  I want them to learn to ignore EVERYTHING else that is going on and give me attention when I ask for it, no matter what.

Not only is this great for distractions on a walk, this is also critical for nervous or shy dogs.  If my dog is fearful of whatever (leaf blower, dog, human, etc.) I can give him the command to give his focus to me and this therefore helps to distress and calm him.  But for this article we will focus on how this helps with the distractions that life provides.

If you are out walking and your dog sees something that excites him (a skateboarder, another dog, a cat, whatever) you can ask him to ignore it by giving you eye contact.  If he is looking at you and giving you his full attention, he can’t look at or pay attention to anything else!

But, this is a foundation that needs a lot of work, time, and praise!  In order for you to be successful in times of distraction you must again build a firm foundation.  I can take my dogs to the dog park and ask them at any given time to come over and give me eye contact and ignore every other dog in the park, even the ones sniffing or jumping on them…that is good control!  And, if they listen to me and give me what I want they can again go and play with their friends.

What You Will Need

• Your dog’s favorite toy
• Yummy soft treats (pea sized or smaller)
• Clicker
• Your dog
• Lots of Patience!

Getting Started

If you are using “drive” training you will mostly be utilizing your dog’s favorite toy.  For “drive” training you don’t need a clicker as the delivery of the toy and your voice are the reward.  It is difficult to click and then quickly deliver your dog’s toy fast enough to build or reinforce drive.   But it is ESSENTIAL to use a marker with your voice so your dog knows what he was doing when he got his toy.  I say “YESSSS” then deliver the toy.

If you are using treats I would recommend using the clicker and your marker word to mark the correct moment that your dog’s eyes reach your pupils.

Using the Toy

Wait Until His PUPILS hit Your Pupils!

Remember that this toy is special and cannot be used or played with at anytime.  This is your toy that you keep hidden and away from your dog until it’s time for training.  It is not special if he has access to it anytime!

• With your dog sitting or standing in front of you hold the ball or toy away from your body, in your palm (not dangling) and keep it completely still.
• Your dog will probably focus on it, jump, bark and do just about anything to get you to throw or activate his ball for him.
• Be patient!  You can win this game if you are patient!
• Stand completely still and keep your eyes focused on his face.
• Eventually he should give up on all other behaviors and he will stare straight at your face because he is completely frustrated that you won’t throw his ball.
• The MOMENT he stares up at you mark that behavior with your marker “YES” or “GOOD” or your clicker and throw his ball or let him jump up and grab it.
• Continue quietly and patiently playing this game.
• He will quickly learn to stare up at you and give you eye contact.
• As he becomes successful add a command “watch me” “watch” or whatever command you desire to let him know what he is doing.  Eventually you will be able to ask for this behavior.

Using Food

• Get some absolutely scrumptious treats and put one in each hand.
• With your dog sitting or standing in front of you show him that you have a treat in each of your hands then bring your hands up to your face but not too close to your eyes.
• Be patient!  Say nothing!
• Your dog will undoubtedly look from one hand to the other and back and forth until he is totally frustrated at which time he will stare at you!
• At the MOMENT his pupils hit yours click and treat!
• Continue doing this until he gets the idea to stare at you intensely, then and only then may you add a command “watch” “watch me” etc.

Cheating

Some people cheat by spitting food or holding the treat close to the eyes in order to force the dog to look at the face.  But, I don’t think your foundation will be as strong! Instead of teaching your dog to stare at your eyes you are teaching him that “face” is enough and it will be harder for you to determine (later) what your dog is really looking at!

But, as always do, what you need to; to make this all work!

Practice, practice, practice!

At first you will begin in a small secluded less distracted area.  As your dog gets better move him out with the kids and the other pets.  Teach him to stare at you no matter what is going on!

Request this behavior often!  Many times I will simply ask for a “stare” from across the room or after my dog has been playing or is playing!  I want to proof this behavior.  You may notice your dog staring at you often, this is a good sign!

Once your dog can do this with more distractions, extend the time that he is able to continue staring.  A one to two second stare down with you is not going to help later while you are out walking!  Teach him to stare at you for a minute or two and then more!

Next, take his favorite toy and swing it in his face.  Tap his muzzle with his toy or food.  Is he able to continue staring at you and not look toward his toy?  If he is not you are not ready!  Continue working until this is possible.

Become the Focus of Your Dogs World!

You should be able to throw his toy/food, rub him with his toy/food,  jump around move your arms back and forth, feed another dog or pet and still he should maintain his stare.

THEN, you will take him outside and go back to square one to teach him yet again that eye contact and focus outside are the same as eye contact and focus inside.  Remember to be patient!  He must again learn in outside surroundings.  He will want to stare at everything else that is going on.

Your ultimate goal is to be able to touch him with food/toys, throw them, swing them and basically do everything you want while he maintains eye contact with you no matter where you are.

As always you will continue to reinforce him for successful attempts and just increase the time and the stimulus as he is triumphant and learns.

As with all good foundation training, this is not QUICK!  This type of training takes time, energy and work on both of your parts.  There will be frustration on both parts as well, but how you deal with this frustration will determine how successful you are later.

There is no QUICK FIX if you want your dog to truly be victorious and listen to you while he is on a leash.

Eventually you will not ask for this all of the time, only when you need it when he is distracted.  But if you build a strong enough foundation with positive reinforcement and he enjoys this training he will give you eye contact and focus by default no matter what is going on.  Meaning he does it because it is FUN, rewarding, and he is USE TO LISTENING TO YOU.

If however you rarely work on this skill or the finding heel skill you will end up with a dog that continues to pull and ignore you!

Teaching Your Dog Drive, Eye Contact and Focus for More Leash Skills is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Imagine Your Dogs HERE

If you didn’t catch my last article “The Premise of the Magical Dog Leash” please read it.  In that article I explain WHY flawed thinking and many people’s approach to leash training hasn’t worked.

If you don’t understand WHY things haven’t worked in the past or the common pit falls you won’t be as successful in teaching your dog the appropriate way!

Now it is time to TEACH your dog appropriate leash skills!

What are Appropriate Leash Skills?

Finding Heel Position: Teaching your dog to find heel position on your left side at the drop of a hat on quiet and clear command.

Drive and Focus:  Teaching your dog to play, find you fun, and give you eye contact on command and while you walk and heel past distractions.

Leash Manners: Teaching your dog how long his leash is and NEVER to pull you!

What You’ll Need

• A Great Attitude
• Really Good Treats
• Treat Bag or Tool Belt
• Clicker
• Your Dog’s Favorite Toy

Getting Started

You will begin teaching your dog about his leash and heel position at home in your house where the distractions are few.

WHY does your dog need to know heel position?

Because this will make your walking more simple, eventually, and more enjoyable for both of you! You can both learn to enjoy your walk together without having to constantly drill obedience.

I don’t always make my dogs walk in heel position, most of the time I let them be dogs and sniff and wander however they are NEVER allowed to pull me and when I tell them to heel (when I see another dog, a car, a bike, a child) I expect them to come into heel position no matter what else is going on; heel past the distraction and then I can release them and they can go on about being a dog.

Doesn’t that image seem easier than pushing, pulling, yanking, coercing, or treating your dog the WHOLE time or during the eventual whole walk or even hike?

Make no mistake, I don’t care if your dog is 8 weeks old or 9 years old, if you are having problems with his leash manners, he’s pulling you, or your using a “training collar” you’d like to wean him from you are going to begin in the same place.

We are building a firm foundation that will weather any storm of a normal, busy, and distracted life later when you take your dog out in the world!

You may begin in two ways:  By teaching him “Drive and Focus” or By teaching him where “Heel” is both will eventually be integrated to work together.

One of my next articles will be on “Drive and Focus” and then “Leash Manners”.

Ask yourself, honestly, does your dog know where “HEEL” is?  If you said “Heel” while standing in your kitchen without your dog on a leash would he have any clue as to what you are talking about?

If you answer NO (like most people) then you need to step back and build this foundation.  There is nothing wrong with this step back in your training it simply will strengthen the training and eventually leash foundation.

I specifically left out the LEASH in your supply list!  I want you to teach your dog by motivating him not by pulling, pushing, yanking or physically manipulating him.

In order to be the most successful, you must know your puppy or your dog well enough to know what he likes.  Would your dog kill for some homemade liver treats?  Or, do you have a dog that would rather play ball all day rather than eating a tempting treat?  Perhaps you have a dog that loves to bite on a tug toy, or another favorite toy?

My dogs love liver AND balls!  So, I would have both in my tool belt and utilize them at different points for the correct behavior.

Ultimately my dogs want to play, so I would lure them with treats and then when they preformed the correct behavior I would probably play a short game of ball or tug with them to encourage them to continue doing what they did and learning.

Now take your dog into that secluded room with his motivators and lure him into heel position.

Heel position when you are standing still is with the neck/shoulder of your forward facing dog lined up with your left leg.

Heel Position

This is where you want your dog to CHOOSE to be while you are out walking him.  Not where you FORCE him to be but where he wants to be.  If he doesn’t want to be there you will spend your entire time pushing, pulling or making him be there or coercing him to want to be there.

Take the treats (did I mention they should be really good) liver or maybe some boiled chicken breast cut up pea sized or smaller and stick them up, on or near your dog’s nose.  Okay maybe not UP but close enough to get a good and happy reaction.

Place your body in front of your dog, next take a step backward with your left leg while leading your dog facing backward and toward your behind; once most of him is behind you use the teat to lure him around in a U shaped turn so that he is now facing the same direction that you are.  Once he is in the approximate heel position; ask him to sit.

For those of you perfectionist or competitors don’t worry about crooked sits or a dog that is not in the perfect spot.  You can correct and clean this up later once your dog has a better understanding of heel.

If he doesn’t know “heel” in the beginning don’t be tempted to tell him what to do or what he is doing until he is successfully doing it.  This is hard for people to understand, but barking commands that mean nothing hinder your dog’s learning.

Once he begins to understand what he is doing and “where” he is landing based on your body then you can begin telling him as he is doing it.  So as he spins that U-turn behind you tell him “heel” while praising and reinforcing with a treat.

If he does something spectacular or seems to be getting it fairly quickly and he likes toys or balls play a little bit with him or jackpot him with bigger or better treats.  Remember this isn’t just about food rewards and boring obedience you have to make yourself and the act of obedience FUN and stimulating.

At my house a treat won’t keep my dogs from looking at another dog or another distraction but a game of ball or tug would work!

You have to be the fun dog owner and build a bond and a relationship with your dog in order for him to listen to you in times of crisis, stress or distraction!

Continue luring your dog with treats into the heel position on your left side.

Once he is proficient at finding the correct spot by flipping around on your left side, it is time to teach him other ways.

This time, with your dog sitting in front of you, you are going to teach him to go around behind you to the right and sit on your left side in heel position.

Now, I compete and sometimes I am asked to finish (meaning have my dog go to heel position) my dog to the left or to the right, so I use two separate commands for each way.  However if you are not competing it is fine to use the same “Heel” command.

If you are using a new command you will have to go back and teach the dog to go around you before giving a command.  However if you are going to use the same command you may give the command while luring your dog around behind you.

With the dog in front of you, facing you and the treat in your right hand show your dog the treat while stepping back with the right leg.  While your dog follows the treat exchange the treat in your right hand to your left hand while you continue to lure your dog into the heel position.  Once your dog has gotten into the correct position ask him to sit then lavish him with praise, treats and fun.

Continue to teach him where heel position is at while using treats, praise and games as a fun reward.

This process may take several days of training and work but once your dog has seemed to grasp the concept help him to find heel from all different positions around you.

He should ideally be able to find heel position from in front of you, behind you, to the left, to the right, facing you, facing away from you and so on.  This will take time and patience!

Next put some speed on his delivery of this command.  The faster he finds and sits in heel position the more fun and rewarding his learning will be.  Once you know he understands you can fade the luring and the regular treats and insist on speed, happiness, and accuracy of his ability to find heel.

You may also begin playing this game all over the house with and without distractions as he is successful.  You may have to back up a bit in your training to teach him that the command is the same with and without distractions!

Ask him at any given time to find heel position; when you are in the kitchen, when he is asleep on his bed, when he is playing with another pet to ensure he understands and enjoys this game!

Then begin taking this game outside to your driveway, backyard then the front yard etc. until he is proficient and nearly perfect at finding his way into heel position!  Again you may have to back up and teach him the basic foundation again in these different environments.

Be patient and be fun!  The future of enjoyable walking is on the line!

The Magical Dog Leash Part 2: Finding Heel is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

We Should all Look so Cool While Walking our Dogs!

There is no such thing as a magical leash, unfortunately.  You cannot simply hook your dog or your puppy up to a leash and expect miracles to happen.  My life would be a lot easier and more profitable if there were such an attachment.

I think when people get a dog they want to slap a leash on and go for a walk, but instead there begins a tug of war usually with the dog winning; and the person and the dog end up totally frustrated and truly unsatisfied with the whole experience.

The problem is that we, as dog owners, don’t take the time or don’t understand that we need to TEACH our dogs what we want and what our expectations are for them when they are on a leash.

As I read through comments to a recent article “Weaning Yourself and Your Dog from Compulsion Dog Training Collars”  and I kept finding myself responding by saying “TEACH your dog what you want” I realized maybe people just don’t understand what I mean or how to do it.

So these are going to be very much back to basics articles.

It is my opinion, from what I see, that we expect to have to teach our dogs to sit, lay down, stay and other various commands but what effort do we put into teaching them about their leashes and what our expectations of them are while they are on it? 

Often people take their dog out for a walk with a specific destination in mind, their dog pulls, then they slap on a training collar (choke chain, pinch collar etc.) and they see a brief improvement so they think they are “training” their dog; only to find out that in a few days or weeks that their dog hasn’t actually learned anything except possibly how to behave when the collar is strapped on and that is only if they are lucky.  Many dogs just grit through the pain or the choke of it all and plug along as if this was the way walking and being out on a leash was meant to be…  This pulling and choking can cause serious injury to the dog’s trachea and even more grim injury to their relationship with their owner.

I am here to tell you, this is not how this should or has to go if you want an obedient and reliable dog.

You wouldn’t toss a book into your child’s crib and expect him to learn how to read with no instruction would you?

Learning how to act and react on a leash is just as important to you and your dog’s life and development as learning how to read is for your child!  He will rely on this foundation for his whole lifetime, or he will be banished to the house and a life of seclusion and isolation because you can’t take him out.

The Problems

Teach Me What You Want

The first thing to do is to identify the problems with this type of training and the flaws in thinking when it comes to your dog and his ability to be successful.

You Pick up the Leash and have a Destination to Walk to.

You are not taking into account everything your dog needs to learn.

First, you will be unsatisfied if you don’t make it to your destination and chances are, if you have one in mind, you won’t make it there without severe pulling.

Training starts at home inside your home.

Once your dog has learned, inside, some basics you can take him outside you home in your yard when there are little to no distractions.

Again, your dog cannot learn to his maximum ability when there are lots of distractions around and dogs must learn in several environments to be victorious in all environments.

That means you may have to teach him the same thing in the kitchen, in the backyard, in the front yard and out on the street, etc. going back to square one and teaching him in all of these places first!

When I trained Service Dogs for adults and children with disabilities we taught them to retrieve at home first.  THEN we had to take them out in public and go back to square one to TEACH them that the command was the same everywhere.  Were they just being belligerent by not adhering to the same command out in public?  NO!  They had to understand that the command was the same no matter where we were or what was going on!

Think like a dog; you are expecting your dog to ignore all of the neighbors, new smells, neighborhood dogs, and other animals around him and still LEARN what you want.  Not to mention the sounds and everything else that is exciting that might be going on!

Would you take a new dog or a puppy to a dog park and expect to “teach” him to sit or lay down?

Dogs don’t “learn” around these types of distractions.  Teaching your dog to walk on a leash and having a destination in mind is setting your dog and you up for extreme failure and sometimes frustration and anger.

Learning starts at home!

OUCH!

You get Frustrated and Slap on a Dog Training Collar

These collars may seem to work at first.  Sure, your dog feels and hears the zip of the choke (or check) chain as it zips up the collar and towards his neck and he feels the discomfort of the choke so he may stop pulling.  Most dogs only stop for a short time but then continue choking themselves until they are almost out of air.

He feels the pinch of the prong collar and it hurts and is uncomfortable so he stops pulling, for a while.  Then when he is ignoring that you are instructed to yank on said pinch collar, YIKES and you are forced to use compulsion!

He feels the pull of the Gentle Leader from behind his head and he stops pulling forward, for a bit.  He might then learn to lower his head and pull with his whole body.

But what have you taught him?

You have taught him nothing, the collar has given him some information about consequences when the collar is on but chances are you haven’t praised him or rewarded him in heel position or given the appropriate information to him so that he knows what you want.  You yank, snap and pull and his neck slowly becomes desensitized to any type of stimulation.

Training collars become a crutch and who needs a crutch when good diligent dog training will give him the information he desires.  Dogs with desensitized necks are harder to work with because they have learned to physically and emotionally check out to pain and stimulation.

I once saw a police dog that had been severely shocked by an electric collar, but he had learned to simply fight through the pain.  No positive reinforcement was used and very little information given.  Eventually, the collar turned up as high as it could go did absolutely nothing to him and he was released from the police department.

His neck was totally physically desensitized and emotionally he turned off while training!  The only hope for him was to totally retrain him with positive reinforcement and slowly begin to teach him to trust emotionally and learn to feel things again physically.

You Must be More Rewarding

Bet this is More Exciting than a Squirrel for Some Dogs!

The biggest problem is that you have to be more rewarding and exciting than anything else going on around him.

Squirrel runs past, better hope you are more rewarding and he wants to please you more than he wants to chase that squirrel!

You need to build a strong foundation and often times that is not a quick fix!  A firm foundation in positive reinforcement and learning takes time.  You might have to work for several weeks or more before you can take your dog for a short walk.

Remember the parable about the house that is built upon the sand, and the one built upon the rock.

Think of it this way, if you are relying on training collars and little to no training, praise and fun your foundation will crumble at any given moment.

If, however, you teach your dog what you want at home, then take him outside and teach him more of the same, you have fun together, you are exciting and your dog is listening 95% of the time to all of your commands then your foundation is probably strong enough to weather the storms of a short walk and real life!

These are just a few of the reasons that people are unsuccessful and frustrated when it comes to teaching their dog to listen to them while they are on a leash.

Always try to look at it from your dog’s point of view and dare, if you will to understand how unrealistic your expectations of him have been!

So, now the question is how do you get your dog to listen to you, respect the leash, and enjoy walking together?

Well, that my friends will be in my next article!  Keep your eyes out and I will outline for you some ways to TEACH your dog what you want while he is on a leash!

The Premise of the Magical Dog Leash is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

I don’t like training collars, except the gentle leader, because not only do most rely on compulsion and punishment they are rarely used for “training” like they were intended or as their name implies.

A training collar if utilized should be just that; only used to train or teach a dog something.

BUT, how many times do you see a 4 or 9 year old dog still using a prong collar?

One of the biggest problems is that dog owners have been taught to utilize these collars but instead of just teaching their dogs, they rely on these products constantly to get their dogs to comply with certain behaviors.  AND, the dog knows when the collar is and is not on!

Even though many of these people have been taught by a dog trainer HOW to use these items they are never taught how to wean their dog off of them or how to teach them a different way!

Did I mention I don’t like these collars?  I want to make SURE that everyone knows I NEVER recommend them!  After all, we are a “hands off” dog training system and nothing is more “hands on” than choke chains and prong collars!  So don’t send hate mail!!

Even though this is Disguised it is still a Prong Collar

But, I acknowledge that lots of people use them.  And, since you are most likely alone in your home reading this, you can admit to yourself that you just might be one of them!  I bet a very large percentage of my readers are currently using these products simply because they don’t know what else to do and their dogs are desensitized to anything else!

I use to not allow the dogs in my classes to wear any training collar except a Gentle Leader, then one day I drove past one of my clients who’s dog was sporting a prong collar.  It was a small community so I pulled over to inquire what was going on.  She was horrified and embarrassed but admitted she didn’t know how else to get her dog to listen.  She didn’t want to publicly admit she used the collar in my class and knew I wouldn’t allow it, so she just did her weekly homework with her dog in his usual prong collar.

It was at this moment I realized sometimes the only way I can truly help people change is by teaching them to wean themselves off these compulsion methods they think they need.  Whereas I never wanted her to use the collar again, I had to teach her how not to need it.  The last thing I wanted was for people to be too ashamed to ask for real help, or to go home and yank and pull their dogs into submission.

So it was then I came up with my program.  I promise my clients I can teach them how to never use a prong or choke chain again, and if I can do that for them they give me the collar they once used.  It is an exchange of knowledge and positive reinforcement for the negative compulsion collar and the methods.

Why Do People Use Them?

Because they are easy!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of time and training to put on a prong collar and see a difference in a pulling dog.

And, unlike the Gentle Leader and other like head halters most dogs don’t throw a huge temper tantrum when these collars are put on.  Most dogs don’t even whimper or cry, but immediately they recognize that pulling is uncomfortable and not pulling makes the discomfort disappear.

Why Do Trainers Recommend Them?

Puppies and Young Dogs should NEVER need a choke chain or training collar!

Because they are LAZY!  Make no excuses!  There are better ways to teach your dog to respect his leash or not pull, but these methods take brain power, work, timing, and consistency.

Part of me wouldn’t be as irritated if these trainers at least taught their students how to quit using these tools, but again this would take time, work, and consistency.

Almost nothing is as nauseating to me as seeing a big, geriatric dog that has to deal with the pain and irritation of lugging around a pinch collar!

Don’t Judge or Blame!

I know this is a hard one, but most owners don’t want to inflict pain or hurt their dogs despite the ugliness of the collar most people hardly use it.

While it is true that in my career I have seen some truly malicious and cruel “corrections” given to dogs in prong collars, most owners have no desire to be barbaric.  And, those sadistic owners can usually not be reasoned with or educated.  I have to hope that someday they will be caught and prosecuted for their abuse.

Most people just get stuck in a rut or the collar was effective on their “last dog” so they default to using one on this dog.

Some people think that “certain breeds” require these types of collars but I disagree!  Dogs should be trained with your MIND not your body!  How do people think dogs respond to clients in wheelchairs? Rottweiler, Mastiff, Weimaraner, Chihuahua or Shih Tzu it is all the same to me!

How to Make a Change?

Most of these owners would like to change.  No one wants the looks or snippy comments when they see a prong collar but most people don’t know how to change.  You may want to utilize a buckle collar, but you don’t want your arm dislocated or broken on your next walk either!  Don’t laugh it happens!

This is what My Dogs Live for!

First

You must teach your dog the “Game” of positive reinforcement!  You have to teach your dog that he is in control of his environment, to some degree, you control what he has to do to get the reward but he feels like he is in control.

You need to build a foundation of fun and games.  Up until now you have been controlling your dog physically and a pinch collar cannot compare to a buckle collar when it comes to control, so you must teach your dog that there is a reason to listen to you and do what you want.

Don’t over use treats, but learn how to use them !

If your dog likes toys and playing with balls or chasing things and hunting, teach him to work using his normal doggy play drive.

This type of training does take a bit longer, but the foundation is so much more stable than regular compulsion.  I never have to worry about forgetting my dog’s collar because they have been taught not to pull in order to be rewarded with the things they want and their necks are not desensitized.

Dogs that rely on compulsion have become a bit desensitized around their neck.  What would get the attention of a normal dog or puppy no longer phases a dog use to a prong collar.  This makes using a leash and normal buckle collar almost impossible.  Your relationship is based on corrections and physical control.

So teaching your dog the foundation to positive reinforcement, how to play with you and giving him reasons to listen are crucial!  Also, taking toys, treats, and games with you when you take your dog out will also be vital for a time.

Next

The next is to slowly wean yourself and your dog from his training collar.  I would rather tell you to throw the collar away and start over, and in my opinion that would be the best way.  But, I realize that most of you won’t do that since it would take too long and you don ‘t know where to start.  So, I will tell you to do the next best thing.

Like a smoker who promises to quit, make a pact with your dog and pick out a date that you will throw the collar away or at least never use it again and then start to work toward your goal.

Some of the Tricks I Have Used Over the Years?

Dogs are great about associating objects that are totally unrelated.  For some dogs if you pair the old collar with a certain bandana for a period of time the dog will start to associate the bandana with the collar, enabling you to trick your dog into thinking the collar is on later, once you have stopped using it.  You can simply apply the bandana and the dog will undoubtedly stop pulling.

Next get a leash with two clips, or using a long leash feed a round key chain or “O” ring around the handle of your leash and feed onto the ring a clip.  This double clip allows you to clip one to his buckle collar and one to his former training collar.

This will help you to teach him what his normal buckle collar feels like when there is pressure on it and how to learn to respect it.  He needs to learn what is normal and not rely on the pinch or strangulation he is use to!  This does not mean to use the buckle collar to issue “corrections” you should be motivating him not correcting him!

The key is to do your very best to not use the training collar anymore!  If you are going to get drug into traffic or your dog is going to pull you down you still have the option of using the collar you are use to, but don’t use it as a constant crutch!

You should have a tool belt full of treats, toys and fun so your dog should be motivated to pay attention to you versus his normal boredom and pulling to fulfill his own needs.  You should now be the focus of his awareness!

If you are willing to put in some time, get animated, have some fun together and make a pact with your dog I think you will be much happier with the results and the lack of stares and comments and I KNOW your dog will be happier!

Weaning Yourself and Your Dog from Compulsion Dog Training Collars is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Remember when I admitted to being a little lazy when it came to my dogs lately?  Well that work I have been doing is totally paying off…

That is until I take her somewhere other than MY yard and MY training field.

Because I am usually working with other people’s dogs and running dog obedience classes, she doesn’t get much work with other dogs and distractions.

Some dog trainers want you to think they are perfect and they don’t deal with the same problems their clients have, I guess because they think that lessens their client’s respect for them.  But I am all about honesty and admittance and I am here to admit…we all do!  No one is perfect and we all have the same struggles.

So recently I have started training with another group of people; and let’s just say from the outward appearance of my dog’s struggles they might not even know I am a dog trainer.

It is as if my dogs become deaf when we hit that training field and they see other dogs.

They try to convince me they have never heard the word SIT and they will only heel if the vantage point of what everyone else is doing is conducive to the direction we are headed.  Otherwise it is like I have swivel bobble head dogs with ADHD.

Sometimes as I want to crumple up into a ball and blubber.   I think I can see them smirking or outright laughing (as long as their vantage point of what everyone else is doing is conducive to the direction I am crumpled into that ball; otherwise I just have a view of their furry butt cheeks).

But, in all honesty I expect it!  I have been a dog trainer long enough to know that my credentials don’t spare me from the humility only a dog can deliver.

Working through distractions has to be TAUGHT.  It does not matter how impeccable your training is if you can’t count on it in other environments or without a multitude of distractions; unless you will NEVER be taking your dog out of this particular environment.

So, although I KNOW my dog knows “Sit” I almost have to go back to square one, with patience (this is key) and TEACH her “Sit” again amongst distractions.

You see, dogs don’t think like we humans do.  Sit means sit no matter where you are to us people.  But in your little dog’s mind: “Sit” means “Sit in the backyard” or in the house.  They need to be taught in all types of environment in order to begin to generalize that Sit means Sit EVERYWHERE.

Competition Requires Even More Rigorous Training

Backing up and retraining your dog in a number of environments will be faster, because your dog already has the foundation of knowing the basics command.   But, you must back up and be patient or this stage is liable to be frustrating for you both and take longer.  This is often the point that a person “gives up” on his dog because of the social humiliation and thinking the dog is being belligerent.

I have used this comparison before but I will use it again; it would be like taking a 6 or 7  year old child to the zoo and having them do Math or English homework.  Do they know how to do it?  YES, but is that environment conducive to LEARNING?  No.

Try to look at it from your dog’s point of view: they finally get some “social interaction” and you expect them to do something tedious and boring!

All you need to do is give yourself enough space in between people and other dogs and go back to learning and having fun!  You must be more exciting and FUN than the distractions that are going on for your dog to give up the distraction and enjoy working with you.  Eventually you can move closer and closer to the distractions and use the same principles.

Once you have conquered one new distraction or environment, it is time to add another environment or more distractions!

Move slowly, but by doing so with positive reinforcement and fun you are setting yourself up for that flawless, enviable obedience you so desire.

Cut Yourself a Break

We all struggle!  Even National Dog Obedience competitors have set this same basic foundation!

And, understand there are sometimes uncontrollable distractions; like baby bunnies.

When I was at training on Sunday, there were probably 4 of us on the field, all with dogs at different stages in their obedience.

I think I was in that crumpled ball sobbing or my dog was staring at me out of confusion because she barely noticed the baby bunnies as they emerged and scampered across the field.

Now, no one really trains for this scenario (unless you are training assistance or working dogs) but one of the dogs broke his stay.  He is about 2 and has good quality obedience but is still new and in the learning stages.

One of the obedience trainers chastised the owner, that her dog broke his stay and then that she wasn’t loud enough and he didn’t instantly come back.  But in all reality, that is ridiculous.  Even dogs at the highest level of titling and competition would likely brake to pursue a band of baby bunnies scuttled across the field.  I was just lucky.

Sometimes things happen that you just can’t control, whereas you can try to set up more and more difficult scenarios and train for many situations you must remember your dog is a DOG and he will make mistakes no matter how many titles he has or how flawless his obedience is otherwise!

Just do your best to add as many distractions as possible and train in as many places as possible and you will reap the rewards of a well trained dog!

The Baby Bunny Distraction; Working through Distractions in Dog Training is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Correction? WHAT!

Whisper the simple word “correction” in a crowded room full of dog trainers and you might just get flogged.  The word brings up visions of hitting, kicking and strangling dogs in the name of obedience.  What does correction mean?  Is it synonymous with change or punishment?   What does correction mean to you and your dog?

So, first I think we need to define “correction”.  I went to thefreedictionary.com to find more answers, and I came up with a couple of definitions which, indeed may have made things even more confusing or proved why there is so much drama surrounding this word.

1. Correction: something offered or substituted for a mistake or fault
2. Correction: punishment intended to rehabilitate or improve

When I then did a search for “dog training/corrections” thousands of sites 804,000 to be exact popped up, and most (although I didn’t have time to search them all   seemed to follow the “Punishment” mentality or definition whether they were pro or anti correction in dog training.

So it seems that this potential flogging at the mere mention of “corrections” in dog training is quite heated and spurned by the fact that in dog training, at least, corrections = punishment.

I may try to spawn a change in the definition and theory when it comes to our furry friends, as I agree with the positive reinforcement trainers that there is no real place in dog training for punishment but, dare I say it…there is room for correction.

Correction being defined as a change or substituting something for a mistake or a fault.

It’s funny, if I mentioned correcting a friend you wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that I back handed her when she made a mistake!  Why then do we have to view “corrections” in dog training in such a negative and harmful way?

Everyone makes mistakes; I don’t have enough time in my day to compile a list of the mistakes that I make.  By no means am I anywhere near perfect!  And sometimes I like someone to help me correct my problem behaviors.

The problem, or beauty of change, is sometimes we don’t know the steps that it will take to make effective change and therefore we need some help on making a correction to our own behavior.  This type of correction brings welcomed change.

Our dogs also make mistakes and to not acknowledge them or to help them make a change means by all accounts that we are accepting subpar behavior.

This type of behavior comes in all forms, sometimes it is a blatant behavior that a dog does not want to change (jumping on you) and sometimes it is an obscure

What is a "Perfect Sit" Mom?

behavior like a “perfect sit” and your dog just doesn’t understand what you want!

So WHEN is it Okay to use a “correction” in Dog Training?

Anytime your dog makes a mistake or does something wrong, you can make a correction to the behavior to get the behavior that you want as long as you reward the dog for the behavior you want!

For example, that jumping dog; I want to change the behavior of jumping so I correct the jump (by ignoring the dog, or giving him a time out, or denying him treats, or even plucking him off with a leash) and reward the dog for staying down on all fours!  This way he knows what I want!

I am working with my dogs and getting them ready to compete, so I am working toward infallible dog obedience training.  Each aspect of what we do and how fast we do it will be critiqued!  Did you know that points can be taken off for what the judge considers a slow sit?

And, I am not talking about a slllooow sit where you could tell the dog to sit a few more times before he actually does sit.  I am talking about taking points of for a few milliseconds as your dog processes the command and before his butt actually hits the ground!

During the beginning of training, the learning stage, obedience and the new behavior is not quick.  It takes time for your dog to understand what you want, and then execute the behavior which slows down the performance.

However, later in training and once my dog knows what I want and when I want it I need to “correct” the slowness of his sit or down once the command is issued if I expect to score high when we compete.

My dog will do ANYTHING for her Chuck It

So WHAT “correction” Should I Use?

Well, this totally depends on whatever dog I am working with at the time.  What is effective for one dog may be totally ineffective, excessive or even cruel for another dog in the same family!  You must know your dog accurately before you can use corrections to effectively change his behavior, whatever that behavior may be!

All of my dogs are totally different!  My oldest dog only needs to be ignored when he has made a mistake.  When he was young and if, say, he had shredded a toy or had gotten in the trash all I had to do was ignore him and not interact with him.  This detachment drove him crazy and he would struggle for my affections.  However, I recognize that most dogs are not this attached to the interaction of their human.

My year and a half old dog is “ball crazy” I could ignore her until “the cows came home” and not only would she not care…she probably wouldn’t even notice!  I could also yell, curse or chastise her (which I don’t) and she would also make no notice of me.  So when she makes a mistake or a poor choice all I have to do is deny her access to her ball which makes her want to work harder.  This also works for access to her treats.   So if she doesn’t sit fast enough, she doesn’t get her ball… the faster the sit the faster she has access to what she wants!

My 7 month old is very, very sensitive and therefore just the look of disappointment that crosses my face is enough to get him to stop any behavior he is showing.   The “stank eye” as I like to call it, could bring him to his knees.  Now this is good, because he wants to be good and doesn’t want to make a mistake, but it is also difficult to totally hide my emotions if   I  do something wrong and am disappointed in myself for my own mistake.  Yelling, cursing, or even raising my voice would be cruel and totally destroy his confidence!

BTW I don’t EVER yell, scream or curse at my dogs or anyone else for that matter, because I know that it is an ineffective way of training anything, and it destroys my credibility as a trainer and  I think as a “human”.  I only use it as an example, because I have seen people do it in the past.  A dog should respond to a whispered command or verbal “correction” if you are using it.

So all of my dogs are different and I have to gage how I train them by their personality.  I also gauge the “correction” on the behavior and how offensive I find it.

For instance, if any of my dogs puts his teeth on me (even by mistake) while we are training that would be the end of the session.  I would tell him NO at the moment it happened so that he knows which behavior it was that I found offensive.  And, I would very dramatically put his toys and treats away so that he knows this is NEVER acceptable!

A happy, successful dog is what its all about!

Using the word “correction” in dog training doesn’t have to be disconcerting and it doesn’t have to mean that barbaric or negative methods were used.  To correct a behavior should just mean to change it.  And, a person should use the smallest modification possible to get the wanted behavior.

There is no need to use loud voices or unnecessary punishment to get your dog to correct a problem behavior.  Simply denying him access to what he wants and TEACHING him what you desire is the most effective way to get your dog to do what you want him to do!

When and What Corrections, If Any, Are Acceptable in Dog Training is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Some of our World's Finest

Today I want to discuss a working dog theory and get everyone’s opinion on the idea and why people are so adamant that it works.  Although I really won’t weigh in on what I think, only giving the facts and the pros and cons, those who know me and my writing will probably know where I stand!  I am fascinated by the fact that this particular theory seems to work so well for so many.

Let me clarify, for today’s article working dog=police/military/competition dog.  This theory would not work for Guide/Service/Hearing working dogs.

As the theory goes; working dogs should not be treated as pets and are not pets.  Working dogs should be kept outside in a kennel and not live inside with their handler or owner.  The dog should be taken out a few times a day to work and some work related play is allowed.  It is believed that this aloofness creates a better working dog.

Let me be clear, I am not talking about people who leave their dogs in a kennel constantly and rarely if ever take them out at all; this type of treatment is abusive there is no question about it.

I am talking about police officers, military trainers and handlers and those that run kennels and some who train at a national or world level.   In order to have a quality working dog, they must devote the time to taking the dog out and engaging the dog in training, which is usually done several times per day.  And then they take the dog to work with them for 8 hours or more; these are not dogs rotting in a kennel 24/7.

Some police departments don’t allow their officers to bring their police dogs in the home and treat them as pets.  Military dogs are NEVER taken home to live, they only live on base in a kennel.

Why It Works

The dog LIVES to come out and do his work!  This is in fact the only time the dog really gets to come out so he is intent on listening and obeying each command.  He pays attention with fervor and he wants to please his partner.  His whole life revolves around his training, playing control games and his work.

When he comes out of his kennel he is happy and animated and ready to work!

Not working well and ignoring commands often gets him remanded back to his kennel until he is more prepared and eager to work.  Mistakes are not ignored, and commands are expected to be executed immediately!  Commands are also never repeated, but behaviors are often repeated until they are accomplished with precision and only then are they rewarded.

He is given positive reinforcement, affection, praise, sometimes a yummy treat and a good game to play when he works well.

He normally gets to be involved in a large number of fun activities like; agility, retrieve games, detection work (sniffing), bite-work and all kinds of other behaviors the dog enjoys.

Defiance is rare because he wants to stay out and continue the training and playing as much as possible.  He is more than willing to refine his behavior and performance to perfection to get his rewards.

He doesn’t know where his handlers “buttons” are and probably wouldn’t push them anyway because he has only a working relationship with him.

Why it is More Difficult Once he becomes a Pet

Affection is lavished on our pets for just being…our pets.  We stroke them we talk to them and we coo to them, almost constantly.  We rarely ask them to perform tasks before petting them or showing them affection.

Living with someone allows you to find their weaknesses and exploit them (pushing their buttons) for your own needs, this isn’t just dog behavior this is mammal behavior!  Once you have found someone’s weakness, you can use it to your advantage when you don’t want to comply with commands or whatever you don’t find convenient!

Admit it; your dog has a certain “look” or behavior that you LOVE and think is totally adorable and when he does it, you allow him to get out of or away with certain things.

I use to have a Rottweiler that would jump in the bathtub whenever he thought he was in trouble or didn’t want to do something.  When he was young it was like pulling teeth to bathe him, so by jumping in the tub he was showing us he was still willing to please us in some way!

Living with a dog (or a person), means you are almost constantly asking them to do something for you but when they don’t immediately comply most of us don’t jump straight to enforcement.  Dogs get use to ignoring us because we drone on constantly and because we give so many commands and directions that we don’t enforce; we simply all get sloppy.

Precision and perfection are lost.  And dogs are rarely worked multiple times a day, some dogs are lucky to get worked weekly.

I think it is like a new relationship:   when you first begin dating you do everything right away to make sure things are going well and everything is successful; or perfect.  You listen to your partner, romance is almost constant and positive reinforcement is abundant!

Just don't get toooooo comfortable!

But once we have been with that person for months or years, we begin to slack and set up expectations that haven’t been reinforced and therefore are unrealistic!   Praise is rarely given and the relationship sometimes is strained and contentious.

I think, we as dog owners, spouses or significant others can keep the magic alive…if we are willing to do the work, invest the time and not get sloppy!  But, not getting too comfortable is definitely the key!

What do you think?

Working Dog Theory is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog