Training Tips

1. Practice multiple times a day in short 5-10 minute sessions. Short, intense, happy sessions are much more productive than long sessions. Dogs, like children, typically have short attention spans.
2. Learn to “read” your dog and develop techniques to gain his/her attention prior to giving a cue. A dog that is paying attention to you is much more likely to execute a cue than one that is not.
3. If you give your dog a cue (Sit, Down, Let’s Go, Come, Stay) be prepared to follow-through until your dog willingly complies.
4. Avoid “machine gunning” cues. This is the multiple repetitions of the cue when your dog is not responding. Dog obedience is the process of teaching your dog to perform a specific action after receiving a specific stimulus. If you dog does not respond to the cue the first time it is given, follow up with more information for the dog about what they need to do to earn the reward. For example, in a ”sit” command, if your dog does not sit, use a treat to lure them into position, say sit as they are getting into position and reward. Repeat a few more times then try the cue alone again.
5. Never call your dog to you to correct bad behavior. If you call your dog to punish them for chewing up a shoe, the dog will think they are being punished for coming to you. Also, remember you can only correct a dog in the act. If you were out of the house and came back to find the chewed up shoe, it is too late to correct the dog. They won't understand and any punishment would be considered random to the dog. If you came back in while the dog is in the process of chewing up your shoe, then you can correct and redirect them onto a more suitable toy.
6. The tone of your voice is very important when you talk to your dog. Use a high-pitch exuberant voice when praising your dog, and a low-pitch voice for corrections (only exception is the down command)
7. When giving cues to your dog, use a normal tone of voice. Cues do not need to be shouted. A dog’s hearing is approximately 4 times greater than a human’s.
8. Never practice skills with your dog when you are in a bad mood. Dogs are extremely perceptive to our moods and emotions. It only takes one negative experience to set back days of progress.
9. Try to incorporate obedience cues into your dog’s everyday routine. Example: ask your dog for a sit-stay before you allow them to pass through a door or put your dog in a down–stay while you prepare their food.
10. Vary the locations where you practice. Different locations introduce your dog to different distractions, as well as introduce a new element to keep training sessions interesting.
11. Do not underestimate the power of “PRAISE”. Like humans, dogs will respond much better to positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement.
12. Always end a training session on a positive note. What will be the most retained about a training session by your dog are its final impressions.
13. In training sessions, vary the order you practice the cues to avoid your dog “anticipating” the cues.
14. Remember have FUN, FUN, FUN.

“Praise, Motivators and Rewards”

Praise can be defined as a reward for behaving appropriately. There are many different ways to praise a dog. The types of praise are verbal, physical (petting), toys, games and food. The type of praise that you use should be geared toward your specific dog. Take some time to notice what means the most to your dog; is it treats, toys, petting or verbal praise? Whatever you identify will be the best motivator for your dog. If your dog likes all of the motivators but especially loves liver treats, then you may want to use liver treats only in situations where it is difficult to get the dog’s attention. However, if the dog has little interest in treats, you will need to use other methods to motivate him/her. NO two dogs are alike and what motivates each dog may change over time.

In using rewards, you must also look at what specific dog can handle. For example, if telling the dog to sit and rewarding him with petting causes the dog to break his/her sit, you will need to find another reward. Calm verbal praise would probably be appropriate in this situation. In other words, the reward should not excite the dog so much that it cannot concentrate and thus gets a verbal correction. As the dog matures, he/she will develop more self control and be able to handle more exciting rewards.

The praise and reward should also be tailored to the situation. In other words, the praise or reward given depends on how difficult the task is for the dog. For example, when you are teaching a new command the dog should receive a reward or motivator, while a dog that has learned the sit should get a simple verbal praise “good sit”. The dog should always earn the reward which is appropriate for the difficulty of the task.

The key to successful training is to establish a relationship such that the dog knows that he/she will be rewarded at some point in the training. When you use the release word you MUST always give a reward. This simple action establishes a relationship of:

“I dog, do what you, human ask, and I dog, get a reward”

“Timing”

Dogs learn in the present only. Because of this principle, it is important that praise be given immediately after the act is completed. If you delay the consequences, the dog will not associate the reward with this behavior. It is imperative for the dog to understand exactly which action he/she is being rewarded for so that he/she may alter his actions accordingly.

“Shaping”

In the beginning stages of learning a cue, the dog has little understanding of what his/her handler is asking. The handler must show him/her how to perform the required action and then motivate him/her to repeat the behavior. For example, we may show a dog how to sit by luring the dog with a treat into the position. When the dog first performs the “sit”, he/she may sit in front of you and roll onto one hip. Although the positioning is not perfect, the dog is rewarded for performing the basic concept.

As the dog becomes more accomplished at the “sit” cue, we can begin to shape his behavior. For example, we can teach the dog that he/she must, sit at the handler’s side and reward him/her for that behavior. Once he/she has accomplished that step, we can teach the dog to sit straight without rolling onto one hip. Again, the dog would be rewarded for accomplishing this next step. By taking an offered behavior and shaping it over time, we can gradually teach the dog to perform the exact command that we are asking.

We have talked about the appropriate ways to give praise or reinforcement with a reward. By remaining calm and using a reward in a timely manner, the handler can help the dog to develop into a responsible, well behaved and “happy dog”.

“Body Language”

A good handler learns to read the body language of the dog that he or she is working. By looking at the position of the tail, the body posture, the eyes and other details, the handler can determine how the dog is feeling and adjust his training methods accordingly.

“Play Bow” – Dogs exhibit this posture as an invitation to play. They will use this posture with other dogs, people, cats or whomever they are interested in engaging in play with them.

“Stress” – At certain times, the dog will become stressed just as humans do. Dogs will experience stress when learning new commands, discovering new places or meeting new people or animals. Moderate amounts of stress are natural and motivate the dog to respond to new cues or approach new situations. As a handler, you should watch the dog for signs of stress and break off a training session when the dog becomes too stressed. Breaking off and relieving stress means simply taking a break and doing a fun activity or asking for a simple behavior the dog is always successful doing. Resume the training exercise when the dog has relaxed or later in the day. Stress signs include licking their lips, a "tight" mouth, showing the whites of their eyes, looking away, yawning, scratching, and escape or avoidance behaviors.

“Defensive Aggression” – A dog that exhibits these signs is often fearful of the situation. This dog will retreat unless it feels that it does not have an escape route. Given the choice of flight or fight, he or she will choose flight --- if allowed. However, the dog does have the potential of defending himself/herself should he or she feel that he or she cannot escape.

“Offensive Aggression” – A dog that exhibits these signs may be dominant or protective. If a dog exhibits this posture, contact your trainer. If you meet a dog exhibiting these signs while you are with your dog, immediately place your dog in a sit. This is a submissive position and will often satisfy a dominant dog. While the natural instinct may be to run, this will excite the dog and invite trouble.

“Alert” – This is a posture that you may see when you produce the dog’s favorite toy or treat or when the dog is focused on something in the environment such as birds or a passing tennis ball. If you are working the dog at the time, you will have to get the dog’s attention focused back on you. When his ears lay back on his head, you have gotten his attention. This is typically called “attention ears”

“Happy” – This posture is the one that you will see when you arrive home from work, play games or give a belly rub. If the dog appears to become too stressed when training, break off and bring him back to this posture.

“Sadness” – Dogs appear to feel sad just as humans do. However, dogs live in the present and do not carry over feelings from the past. For example, a dog may feel sad when he is left at home at that time. He or she will not continue to feel sad two days later. This applies to the concept of guilt. Dogs relate only to the immediate consequence of their actions. If a dog makes dinner out of your shoe, he or she will look guilty when the discovery of the chewed shoe is followed by a scolding. It is important to remember that the dog offering appeasment behaviors in reaction to the scolding and not showing feelings of guilt over the shoe. ONLY SCOLD IF YOU CATCH YOUR DOG IN THE ACT.

Finally, body language can provide us with cues on how to train each individual dog as well as read dogs that we encounter in public. Paying close attention to the dog that you are working as well as other dogs, will help to make each training session and outing successful and enjoyable.

“Behavior Drives”

“Behavior Drives” are the instincts that make your dog act the way he does. Everything that your dog does is determined by a specific behavior drive. When a dog bites, chases cats, or raises a litter of puppies, they are being driven to do so by their instincts or genetic make-up. A trainer/owner looks for these specific drives or instincts when beginning training. A trainer/owner will manipulate these drives to create the desired behavior, such as playfulness, subordination, defensive behavior etc. Every dog has similar drives relating back to their common ancestor, the wolf. Through selective breeding, the humans have emphasized certain drives in certain breeds according to the tasks desired. This domestication began in prehistoric times to bring out important survival traits such as speed, good scent ability, good barking/watchdog ability, and so forth. There are five important basic behaviors: play, pack, food, defensive, or fight.

“Pack Behavior” is social behavior. The dog wants to be part of a group or pack. In order to maintain social order within the pack certain rules of behavior must be observed. Licking, smelling, courting gestures (mounting), warning gestures, and correcting are all part of a harmonious dance dogs do with each other and humans too. After all, we are part of their pack; they actually see us as funny looking dogs. Dogs bond closely with humans and want to be with them. Your dog almost certainly prefers your companionship to that of another dog. If your dog is well trained and you are the leader of his pack, he will always come to be with you rather than another dog.

Every time you work with your dog you are working as a team or pack. Dogs, like wolves, do not survive on their own. They rely on each other to survive. It is part of the group dynamic to hunt together, raise puppies together, and live socially together. There is, of course, a hierarchy within the pack and unless you, as the human leader establish dominance over your dog, your dog will assume that role. Pack drive is elicited by petting, praising, smiling, grooming, playing and working with your dog. Your dog loves to be with you and is unhappy when left alone, so spend time with your dog.

“Prey Drive” is associated with hunting, chasing, and killing prey for food. You never see a dog chasing a parked car. The object has to move to trigger the behavior: catch, shake and kill. Prey drive is activated by seeing, smelling and hearing. The dog will listen, smell the air, stalk or track the victim, chase it down, pounce, bark, shake it, and tear it apart even if it is just an old stuffed teddy bear. Destructive behaviors such as tearing, ripping apart, carrying, eating, digging, and burying are associated with prey drive. Prey drive can be stimulated by the use of hand or object movements, a high-pitched tone of voice, throwing a stick or ball, chasing or being chased, or tug of war games.

“Defense Drive” is ruled by self-preservation and survival. It includes both fight and flight behaviors. This is a complicated drive because the same stimulus can make the dog go into either aggressive or avoidance behaviors. A dog may bark and seem aggressive when it is really afraid. A puppy may crouch and urinate out of fear when you correct him for a negative behavior that you are trying to change (like urinating in the house). A dog will stand with his fur roughed and guard his food or toys. He may dislike being petted or groomed. He may lie in front of doorways, challenging the owner to go around. These are fight behaviors. On the other hand, flight behaviors show that the dog is insecure and unsure of himself. He may run away from new situations or hide, trembling to the touch.

When wolves see an opponent, they know they cannot beat; they simply put their tails between their legs and run as fast as they can. Their ego is not involved. It is not logical for a dog to hold his position against a stronger threat unless he is cornered and has no choice. You know the old saying, “fighting like a cornered rat?” They can’t leave or flee so they have to fight. That’s what fear biting is all about. The dog is afraid, he feels threatened, and he can’t flee, so he attacks to protect himself. He defends himself for self-preservation. Fight or flight behaviors can be triggered by the same stimulation. The dog growls and bares either his teeth or runs away shaking; these behaviors are both possible reactions to stimulus.

When training a dog we must recognize which behavior drive stimulates the dog to perform the task desired. Which drive do you use to motivate the dog to do the task willingly? The behavior drive is the nature of the dog. As the trainer/owner, you control, stimulate, or diminish the behavior drives. You have the ability to switch the behavior drives by giving the dog the right cue.

The concept of behavior drives is recognizing the character that each dog has. During the process of domestication humans recognized the different behavior drives that some wolves possessed and genetically exaggerated them or diminished them by selectively breeding for the behaviors they wanted a dog to have for a particular task. Early humans recognized that if they wanted to have a dog to stick around the children, that particular dog could not have a strong defense or hunting nature because that dog would not tolerate the children touching him all the time. They chose only those dogs that would work best in each situation. Humans furthered selective breeding throughout history, so that now we have designer dogs for every purpose under the sun. Each breed is suitable for the tasks for which that have been designed.

“Digging”

Your dog digs holes when you are not around and he/she is left in the back yard. You have tried to scold him/her but it does not seem to help. Digging can be caused by boredom or anxiety. The following are ways to set up your dog. First the handler should make hellos and good-byes calm and uneventful to avoid building up anxiety. This helps to keep the dog calm so that they do not need an immediate release of energy. Second, increase their exercise and make sure that they are exercised DAILY. Third, place a little peanut butter in his kong toy and give it to him ONLY when he is going to be left alone in the back yard. These 3 steps are designed to eliminate the underlying problem – relieving his/her anxiety and/or boredom by digging. Finally, bury some of his/her feces in his/her favorite digging spots as dogs are generally very clean animals and will not dig where feces is buried. Within a few weeks, your dog’s digging should stop and his/her overall behavior should improve.

Digging is a difficult behavior to eliminate especially in dogs that have a natural tendency to “enjoy feeling the cool earth beneath their toes”. If burying feces is not effective, you may want to try placing chicken wire underneath a small layer of dirt. An alternative is to give the dog his/her own place to dig. Bury treats or favorite toys in his digging spot and praise him/her every time he/she digs appropriately. Finally, prevent the dog from digging up your favorite rose bush or garden area by placing a fence around it or providing him/her with an enclosed dog run.

“Jumping Up”

Your dog is extremely friendly and gets excited when family and friends come over. In an effort to greet them, your dog consistently jumps on whoever walks through the door. You have tried “OFF” command or even a squirt bottle. Nothing works.

The handler needs to begin solving this problem by making entrances and exits very calmly. Your dog is affected by the excitement of arrivals and only becomes more excitable when given a correction. Second, your dog should only be greeted when she/he is sitting as he/she cannot SIT and jump up at the same time. The handler should begin by ignoring the dog for the first 3-5 minutes after they come home. If he/she jumps up, they should simply turn their backs. Once your dog has calmed down, the handler should tell the dog to “SIT” and calmly praise and pet him/her. And this is the only if he/she stays calm. Your dog will soon learn that jumping up does not get him/her the desired attention and he/she will try more appropriate behavior.

Your dog should be exercised regularly in order to help reduce his/her energy. However, these exercise sessions should not begin immediately upon arriving home as this will only increase his/her anticipation and excitement.