Britt teaches us how to train your dog with a clicker to play soccer!
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The DogZenergy Method
DogZenergy's owner and fabulous trainer Britt show's us a fantastic training tip when another dog is approaching when out on a walk!
Teaching your dog to come to you in any situation is one of the hardest things to teach a dog to do reliably. The reason why it’s so tricky is because it’s so hard to train ourselves as humans to consistently positively reinforce our dogs when they do come over to us. Humans are very busy creatures who are always trying to get from point A to point B very quickly. Dogs are very happy animals because they love to soak in the sights and smells of the moment. We don't find as much joy in smelling lamp posts or spending another twenty minutes at the dog park, and we want our dogs to come right away. If they don't come right away, people get really frustrated and end up calling their dogs over and over again. They start to yell more and more and then once their dogs finally do come, they're so frustrated with them that they may end up swatting them or giving them a big jerk on the leash. Nobody wants to run right over to a person who's a jerk. Instead, you want to teach your dog that coming to you is the best thing in the world, because you may one day even save your dog from a dangerous situation. A reliable recall is the most important command that you can teach your dog. Here's how to do it...
1) When first teaching your dog to come, never call your dog over to you when he is engaged in play or very interested in something smelly and wonderful. You will get ignored and then you will keep calling him and then he will learn that come basically means nothing to him. You might as well be yelling at the top of your lungs, "Keep ignoring me!". Instead, wait until your dog has lost interest in the present distraction, and then capture your dog's attention with an interrupter "kissy" noise and big hand motions. Once your dog looks at you and has taken one step towards you, call him over to you while waving your hand above your head and take a few running steps away from your dog. If you walk towards your dog, he will think that you are following him and he will continue to move away from you. By running away from your dog, he will think that you're running somewhere to have fun without him and then he'll want to get in on the action too. When teaching your dog to come to you, it's very important to always have a reward ready for when he comes to you. Once your dog is reliably coming to you, you can start using the variable ratio method, meaning that you only reward him sometimes and only for really quick and snappy 'comes'. It's also important to vary the different types of rewards and to use a very high value reward (think hot dog pieces or cheese) when faced with big distractions.
2) Call your dog to come for anything and everything good. Meaning, call your dog when it's dinner time, when it's time to go for a walk, when it's time to play, when it's time to cuddle, when it's time for a car ride, etc. Always call your dog consistently and constantly the same way. You should always say your dog's name first and then "come" or if you prefer, "here". So for instance, if your dog is in the other room, randomly pick up a toy and hide it behind your back, then call him over to, "Bruno, come!" and once he comes over to you and sits in front of you, give him the toy you've been hiding.
3) Using a 15 ft long line, a clicker and treat bag full of goodies, have your dog sit and then call your dog to come to you. Then take several fun running steps backwards. The second that dog takes a step in your direction, click and then treat. If you click and treat when your dog approaches you and sits, then he may think that he is getting rewarded for sitting. Also, by clicking right when your dog makes a move, it will make him come over to you much faster. Keep calling your dog while moving around with big, fun, erratic motions. Think of it as a fun game because you want your dog to think that coming to you is the best thing in the world. Be sure to end the game before your dog loses interest in the game to make sure that you're building his drive and motivation.
4) Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek with your dog and a friend will also build up your dog's motivation and willingness to come to you. Have your friend hold onto your dog while you go hide in another part of the house or yard. Make it easy the first few times and then call your dog to come to you. Once he races over to find you, give him lots of praise and a treat or toy. Then hold onto your dog and have your friend go and hide. This game will not only teach your dog how to reliably come to you, but it will also build up your dog's confidence when he finds you and it's a great way to burn off your dog's mental and physical energy.
5) Be very mindful of not calling your dog to come to you when something unpleasant is going to happen to him. For instance, when it's time to clip his nails, clean his ears or come towards anything that your dog is fearful of. You want the command for come to mean that great things are coming to him once he reaches you. If something negative happens, you will be decreasing the behavior and the effectiveness of the command. When your dog is playing at the park, teach your dog to check in with you when you call him over to you and then reward him by telling him to "go play" again, but never put him on his leash and leave when you call him. Instead, just walk over to him when he’s taking a break or getting water and then snap his leash on him. It’s also always good to keep a goody stash in your car with lots of different kinds of treats and toys so that you can give your dog something great when you leave the park. Your dog will want to leave if he gets a goody every time. Same thing goes for at home when you call your dog inside when he's been playing outside. Make sure that the fun doesn’t end when you call him in and then be sure to give him a treat or toy when he comes inside. If you do this consistently when your dog is young, he will have a very reliable recall when he is older.
Most importantly, never ever get frustrated or mad when your dog doesn’t come right away. Nobody wants to hang out with somebody who they can't trust. Always exercise great patience when dog training. Dogs who have very calm, confident and benevolent owners have great recalls. They know that their owner isn't going to punish them for coming over to them and they also know that they just might get a jackpot of good things. Be the happiest human ever and your dog won’t want to leave your side. The happier you are, the faster your dog will start coming to you.
Let's face it- owning a dog takes lots and lots of time and time is a very precious commodity in this day and age. Luckily, if you have a well-trained, calm, happy, Zen dog, the time that you spend with your dog should be the most relaxing and enjoyable out of your 24 hour day. The problem occurs when people are just too busy to give their dog the attention that they need, deserve and require, which results in "bad behavior". There's no such thing as a bad dog. DogZenergy truly believes this and we also don't believe in bad owners. Dogs are a constant source of love, but also a constant source of guilt. Most of us are really busy. I'm a dog trainer and I find myself feeling very guilty all the time about not giving my dogs enough off-leash time and/or not playing enough training games with them. I am the first to admit it- it's tough to be the perfect dog owner. It's also important to realize that trying to be perfect in any way creates a lot of stress and anxiety that your dog will pick up on. However, always trying your best and not being afraid to ask for help is a must. Ask a neighbor or a friend who doesn't have a dog, but loves them, to borrow your dog for a jog or a trip to the coffee shop. They'll be happy, your dog will be happy and you'll be happy too! Or you can hire a professional dog walker (insert shameless DogZenergy plug here ; ) or sign your dog up for weekly dog park visits. Just by being out and about all day with doggy pals, your dog will be better behaved and more mellow by the time you get home from work. Plus, dog walkers spend all day with dogs so they're very well trained in dealing with doggy problems and if they're good dog walkers, they'll happily help you with any behavioral problems that you've been dealing with.
Because I spend all of my time with dogs or with my own dogs, I don't have a ton of time to read, but when I do get around to reading, it's usually about dogs. The last book that I read is called The Tao of Puppies: How to Raise a Good Dog Without Really Trying by Krista Cantrell, and I absolutely loved it. Cantrell's training style closely aligns with the DogZenergy Method in that all training should be an effortless mindfulness all throughout the day. Cantrell emphasizes that people need to relax a little (or a lot) and go with the flow of puppyhood. It's not easy having a puppy, but patience and awareness of puppy behavior will make the process much easier and more fun. Being consistent, but not too rigid is key. Some puppies have different personalities, which she describes as being Ying or Yang. Yang puppies are more active, brave and assertive, while Ying puppies are more submissive, shy and quiet. Both need different approaches to training. She also talks about how every command has a pair. For instance, sit/down, take it/leave it, up/off etc. It makes perfect sense to pair the commands for a puppy's optimum understanding and performance. It also controls the puppy's behavior and their endless energy. Energy has to go somewhere and to deny outlets for it results in resistance. Cantrell offers a very clear, successful approach to puppy training and I would advise everyone to pick up her book, The Tao of Puppies before bringing home their new pup.
To train your dog with little time, it's important to be mindful of your everyday interactions and habits with your dog. That being said, understand that your dog is constantly understanding you through the process of operant conditioning- the law of cause and effect. If your dog does something and you give attention to it or not, your dog will learn based on the observation and experience of that moment. You may be busy, but taking a second out of your day to quickly reward your dog for good behavior will make the world of difference. For example, if your dog comes up to you and automatically sits patiently without nudging, jumping or whining, reach down and give your dog a pet and a "good girl". I promise it will only take a second. If your dog is quietly laying on her bed instead of the couch or in your guests lap, walk over and give another "good girl". Capture the good moments with positive reinforcement and praise and you will quickly and easily shape your puppy into a good dog.
Weaving in good dog owner habits throughout your day will also shape up your dog and encourage good behavior. For example, simply asking your dog to sit and "leave it" before putting his food bowl down will foster your dog's self control and calmness. Your dog will learn to follow your wishes instead of charging or lunging for anything that he wants. Same goes with the front door, back gate, the car, or any access to fun and exiting things. By teaching your dog to sit and wait for things that he wants, you are actively training your dog throughout the day to ask permission for all things good. Does your dog want a belly rub? Ask for a down/stay first. Does your dog want to jump up onto the couch? Teach him to wait for permission only and invite him with the "up" command. Does your dog want to go for a walk? Ask for a down before putting on the leash. Does your dog want sniff and smell on a walk? Ask him to heel for fifty feet and then reward the behavior with "Ok, go ahead". You should be the gatekeeper to all things good in his life and your dog should be rewarded with these things if he follows your clear, consistent and benevolent leadership all throughout the day. All of these things require mindfulness of your dog's daily interactions with you, but it only requires a few minutes here and there to shape up your dog's behavior. So go get busy! Just kidding!
Learning how to read your dog's body language will open up a whole world of communication between you and your dog. Remember that with positive reinforcement training, you are always looking for all of the positive things that your dog does and rewarding that behavior with praise, treats, toys or life rewards. Therefore, you must always be one step ahead of your dog to set him up for success and to show him what you want him to do instead of just reacting to what he does.
Being one step ahead of your dog means “seeing” things before your dog does and also appropriately responding to your dog’s body language before he becomes overly excited or stressed out by a stimulus. For example, if you are working with a leash reactive dog, you must always be aware of your environment and your dog's body language. Where their eyes go, their bodies follow. Where their ears perk up to the body will follow. If a dog licks his lips, yawns, pants excessively, salivates, lifts a paw, shakes off, ducks his head, puts his ears back, tucks his tail or raises his tail and wags it stiffly, these are all signs that your dog is experiencing a stressful response to stimuli in his environment. Capturing your dog’s attention before his body language reads, “I’m completely stressed out and overwhelmed,” and then redirecting his attention by taking the lead and showing your dog what you want him to do instead will alleviate his stress. By learning your dog’s body language, you will be more successful in being a benevolent, calm and confident leader.
At the same time that your dog is giving you cues with his body, he is also responding to the cues that you are giving him with your own body. Are you stiff? Did you tighten up on the leash, back away, pull away or clench your jaw? Did you suck in a deep breath? Are you staring at something intently? These are all stress signals from a human that your dog is very attuned to reading. Just remember, 90% of human communication is through body language and merely 10% is oral language. We are speaking to our dogs with our bodies all the time.
So what does a happy, relaxed, calm dog look like? Posture is balanced, comfortable and steady. Eyes are bright, but not fixed on one thing too intensely. Tail is held low and wagging with long sweeps or circles (unless the dog is a breed with an upright tail). The dog is breathing regularly and evenly, and sometimes dogs even "laugh" with a type of snorting and breathing sound when they are playing or happy to see you when you get home. Ears should be relaxed or forward. A happy dog trained with positive reinforcement methods, who trusts his owner and has all of his basic needs met will watch his owner's every move, ready for the next fun adventure. Whether it's just another tummy rub, playing his favorite training game, running on the beach, fetching his owner's shoes or going for a car ride to do errands, a happy dog's body language reads, "I'm ready to have fun and I'll do whatever you say because I trust you!"