How This Works...
1. Contact Me: The first step in training your dog is letting me know you would like to do some training! Check out the general info on the "For Dogs" page and then contact me by using the "contact me" button on this website or by email at [email protected]. I want to know a little bit about your dog, his behavior, your training goals, who else is in your household, where you live, and what days or times of day are best to meet for an in-depth initial consultation.
2. I assess your needs: After you contact me, I'll read the info you provided and then I'll email, text or call you to any more remaining necessary info and then we'll set up our initial consultation. That first session can be an in-person or remote consultation. We'll discuss the options when we chat and decide what's best for your specific situation.
3. The initial consultation: At our first live session together, I'll take a thorough behavioral history and we'll work together to construct a training plan that meets your needs. The process here is a little different for everyone, especially if we are working to address a serious behavior problem vs just teaching manners. Either way, you can expect that we'll work to address environmental challenges, correct problems with management, and of course improve communication between you and your dog.
4. Follow-up sessions: Although some behavior problems are addressed successfully in one session, follow up is usually very helpful. In most behavior cases, we must train a foundation in obedience by training you, your family and your dog. We'll do this using positive, family-friendly techniques. We'll decide how much follow-up is right for you and if we should do that in-person or remotely. Many clients like to sign up for the concierge training program and you can check out the page "For Dogs" for information about pricing and different training program options. You can also purchase follow-up sessions individually.
5. Proofing: Between lessons with me, you must practice on your own in short, frequent sessions to "proof" your dog's good behavior. Don't worry, I'll teach you how to make your practice sessions effective and fun! I'll teach you how to work with the whole family and how to manage the normal distractions that are part of life.
6. Communicating: Stay in touch. This is important to maintaining your training success! Conversations are usually conducted by phone, text or email periodically for several months following the last in-person session to check progress and troubleshoot as necessary. I always love to hear from old clients, whether their dog is behaving well or not!
For those who are interested, here's an overview of my training philosophy and methods...
Why We Train
If dogs could talk, they’d say they want owners who are kind to them, provide affection and attention, consistent but benevolent leadership, security and shelter. And food. Lots of food! When these desires (I’d consider them rights) aren’t met, dogs like yours can’t just tell us what the problem is. Through various behaviors, many of which are quite subtle, they attempt to change our behavior to meet their needs. Some of these behaviors are not so subtle and may even be obnoxious or frightening to us.
For their part, my human clients all tell me they want their dogs to be polite, friendly, and pleasant to be around. They want dogs who are safe and predictable with family and friends and with their canine companions. They want dogs who won’t run away and who don’t make pests of themselves. They want dogs who are obedient and fun and give unconditional love. The fact that most dogs do most of these things without training (and often in spite of imperfect owners) is the reason the canine species is so special. But what humans consider polite is pretty arbitrary from a dog's perspective. Take the example of greetings- even the best dog can use some help figuring out why jumping up is "bad" but sitting for attention is "good", or why barking is "bad" but wagging your tail is "good" when all these behaviors have the same meaning to a dog who's just happy to see you. This is why we train.
My Philosophy
It's my job to train you so you can train your dog. Why not leave you out of it and train the dog myself? Because you live with the dog and I don't. He may listen to me but not listen to you. In a normal, healthy dog, training and environment are not only the most important factors determining behavior, they are also the factors over which you have the most control. If you own a dog, then you are his trainer. Everyone who lives with and interacts with your dog is his trainer. Minus the effects of nature, your dog is what you’ve trained him to be. His shortcomings are your shortcomings. You control your dog's environment. You are responsible for keeping him healthy, entertained and exercised. You control your own reaction to his actions. Thus, you control how he learns to behave. Does stealing a sock result in a fun game of chase? You taught him that. Does begging at the table result in scraps of human food? You taught him that, too. Bad owners kick the dog. Good owners kick themselves and learn from their mistakes- and we all make mistakes. All good dog owners strive to be better dog owners, remembering that their dog's achievements are their own achievements! When your dog sits politely for greetings, you can take pride knowing you taught him that. When your dog walks calmly on leash past any distraction, you will feel great knowing that you are responsible.
Nature also plays a significant role in your dog's behavior, and though you might not think it, you have a lot of control over this factor, too. Take, for instance, your dog's physical health and well-being. Dogs cannot be expected to behave the way we want if they aren't in good health, haven’t gotten proper exercise, socialization, mental stimulation, etc. Once these needs are met, many behavior problems simply vanish. The ones that don’t disappear can be changed using training techniques that I will be sharing with you.
Consider, also, the effects of genetics and good breeding on your dog's behavior. You are in control of these factors when you are deciding which dog to get and where to get her from. Dogs, like humans, have a range of personalities. Choosing the right breed and temperament of dog for your lifestyle is very important. When there is a mismatch, that is the fault of the owner for choosing the dog, because certainly the dog didn't choose the owner!
Training
Whether you rescued your dog from a shelter or purchased her from a breeder, you will need to train your dog. Dogs are trained best with positive methods- the application of rewards for good behavior and the removal of rewards to punish unwanted behaviors. By "best" I mean that compared with other methods of training, the positive approach is faster, more enjoyable, more humane, more family-friendly, more effective, safer and the skills learned are retained longer. Positive methods are also by far the most appropriate and effective for resolving problems with aggression and fear.
The two biggest challenges in basic training are getting the dog to understand what we want him to do and why he should do it. Using a lure is an easy way to solve both challenges. It’s not the only way I train, for instance I have great success with "catching and shaping" and other techniques, but lure/reward is generally a fast and enjoyable method that works great with most dogs. Thus it's always what I try first.
Using the Lure/Reward Technique
Imagine the lure as a magnet and your dog’s eyes are attracted to it. Where his eyes go his body will eventually go, too. A lure can be any item you are able to fit into your hand (food, toys, etc) that is interesting enough to capture your dog’s attention and hold it. Try this simple exercise: take a soft, smelly dog treat and hold it in front of your dog’s nose. Don’t let him eat it immediately. Let him smell it and even nibble it. Is he interested? Good. Now slowly move your hand with the treat from side to side. Is your dog following your movement and staying focused on the hand with the treat? Congratulations! You’re luring. Now feed him the treat before he gives up!
When luring, hand gestures with treats or toys are used to focus and direct your dog’s attention. Different behaviors are taught with different movements of the lure- for instance, we teach the dog “down” by holding the lure close to the ground and in such a way that the dog can’t comfortably bend over, thus luring him into a lying down position. Likewise, we teach the command for eye contact by gesturing at our eyes while luring. Each of these gestures is “faded” into a unique hand signal and given an English word as a command.
Rewards follow the successful completion of a behavior and reinforce it so your dog is increasingly quick and eager to perform that behavior in the future. To start with, the reward is the thing you lured with. After your dog associates a particular hand gesture with a behavior, other rewards are substituted so you don’t have to lure forever (more on this in a moment). Rewards must occur within a second or two of the good behavior. If you delay too long, the connection is lost on your dog.
To help your dog recognize what he’s doing to earn the reward, you must mark correct responses the moment they happen. Most people do this by saying “Yes!” or “Good boy!” but many trainers like to do it by clicking a clicker. Short, distinct sounds are better markers than longer or less noticeable sounds. You want to hone in like a laser on the precise moment the right behavior happens. That’s what makes the clicker a great marker. The word “Yes!” is also great if you say it fast. “Good Boy” is not a great marker because it takes so long to say and is also something you might say even when you’re not marking anything. Whatever marker you choose, make sure you mark the right behavior at the right time, consistently.
Fading the Lure
Treats or toys make great lures since they work well to gain a dog’s attention. Luring is like showing the money right off! But…when used over and over lures becomes more like bribes. Dogs who expect a bribe won’t perform a behavior without seeing the reward first. This is something many inexperienced trainers neglect to prevent. Since our goal is to train your dog, not bribe him, we need to quickly move past luring. 5 or 6 repetitions of a hand gesture with a lure should be sufficient to teach the significance of the gesture for the easy commands like Sit. If a dog isn’t responding reliably after 5 or 6 repetitions, take a breather and when you try again later, see if you can break the behavior into easier steps. Mark and reward the easier step until it becomes reliable, then move on.
If that doesn’t work, try a better motivator. For instance, you may think a dog should want a dry dog biscuit but that doesn’t mean your dog feels the same way. You will still fade the lure but you can’t do that until you’re getting 5 or 6 consecutive successful repetitions of a lured behavior. For that, you may need freeze dried liver or something else super special and tasty. Some dogs show no interest in food at all! In that case, you will have to get creative and use toys or other positive motivators.
When your dog’s response to the lure is fast and reliable 5 or 6 times in a row, stop luring. Just use the hand gesture. You won’t need the lure and the reward becomes whatever seems to motivate your dog the most at that moment. Remember that lures and rewards are two different things. For instance, if you are about to go for a walk then you can reward your dog for sitting by putting his leash on and then going out the door for the walk. No lure needed, just the command (sit) and the reward (going for the walk). In another instance, you might be introducing your dog to a friend and the reward for sitting is that the friend will pet your dog. Same behavior, different rewards, no food treats needed.
Even once you have faded the lure, continue using your marker for a few days. When you start working on increasing the duration of a behavior (how long a behavior is performed) or the distance (how far the dog is from you) or the distraction (what else is competing with you for your dog’s attention) delay the marker a little longer with each repetition. When the desired response has been achieved consistently and in all circumstances, you may stop using the marker altogether.
Labeling Commands in English
Hand signals are important but what if your dog is distracted or unable to see your hands? Verbal commands are auditory cues (the spoken word) that are paired with a visual cue (the hand signal) for the same behavior. For instance, the hand signal for eye contact is pointing at your eyes and the command is Watch Me.
Teaching a verbal command is easy if your dog already knows the hand signal. Make sure you have your dog’s attention. Say the command word. Pause for a moment. Make the hand signal. Your dog should perform the desired behavior. If so, give an immediate reward. Now repeat this process a few times.
After several successful repetitions, your dog will recognize the command word as going together with the hand signal. Now you can try giving the verbal command only. If your dog did NOT obey, do NOT repeat the command word (repeating a word is only instructive if the dog actually knows the word). You must return to practicing with the hand signal until you are sure your dog really has learned the behavior. Then after a break, try again with the word, then the pause, then the hand signal. If your dog obeys, give a reward and keep practicing for a few minutes. Remember to practice in quiet areas without distractions before graduating to more challenging locations.
Maintaining A Dog’s Interest and the use of Release Commands
Dogs have a tendency to get tired of the rewards used in training. When a reward becomes predictable it diminishes in value. Without value, the reward no longer holds the dog’s attention and training suffers. This results in the dog’s owner having to switch to a higher value reward. Over time, this escalation cannot be sustained and the dog ceases to respond to commands reliably.
Two techniques provide a solution: variable reinforcement and release commands. They are just as important as fading the lure if you want to avoid having your dog obey only when he feels like it. Variable reinforcement means that we keep switching up what we use as a reward and how often rewards are granted. Release commands tell a dog when he can stop performing a behavior that you have commanded.
Let’s discuss variable reinforcement first, and revisit the release command later. What makes variable reinforcement work is the same concept that makes gambling fun. If every pull of the slot machine lever always netted 1 dollar, you would have fun at first, but you would get bored eventually. Slot machines are unpredictable for a reason. There’s always the hope that the next pull of the lever will net the jackpot, or at least more than you got with the previous pull. The anticipation of the reward becomes rewarding in and of itself. You don’t need to hit the jackpot every time to want to keep pulling the lever.
If you always give just 1 treat per Sit then your dog will only sit for you long enough to get 1 treat. Eventually, he’ll blow you off altogether because he knows he can always choose to sit later when he feels like getting a treat. But if your dog can’t predict how many treats he might get then he will choose to obey because, hey, you never know, and he doesn’t want to miss out if this time is the jackpot.
We accomplish this by sometimes rewarding with 1 treat, sometimes with 3, sometimes with 10 and sometimes with none. Treats must be fed one at a time, not all together. Treats should be tiny- so tiny that they don’t require chewing. Soft treats or small pieces of kibble work better as training treats than dry biscuits for this reason. If the reward isn’t a treat- for instance if you’re using a belly rub as the reward- you can vary that by rubbing longer or better on some occasions than on others.
In addition to varying the quantity of rewards, we also must vary the quality of rewards. Rewards have varying degrees of value. Dry kibble or a pat on the head might be at the bottom with freeze-dried liver at the top and a few other things in between. Every dog is different and his preferences can change depending on the circumstances or his mood. You know your dog best but don’t make untested assumptions about which rewards are his Gold level prizes and which are Bronze. Test them out! Use the Gold prizes to reward the best behavior. Use the Bronze when the effort is there but not enthusiastically. Have some Silver rewards for middling responses. You can and should mix Bronze and Silver rewards in with the Gold for an added level of excitement and variety. Plus, the lower value rewards actually pick up some of the value of the Gold level reward, making them stronger and more useful.
When we are done rewarding and the behavior can stop, we tell the dog we’re finished and that it’s ok to move or change to another behavior. We call this releasing the dog. The word you use to signal the release is called a release command and should always be the same word. Any word you might use as verbal filler (like “OK”) or to praise your dog (like “Good Boy”) or mark your dog (like “yes”) is a poor release command. Consider using words like “All Done” or “Free!” or “Alright”.
Releasing your dog while he’s still interested in continuing the activity or behavior is a great way to help that interest carry over to the next time you need obedience. I find it helps to hold a few rewards obviously in reserve as I’m releasing a dog. The dog thinks he might earn those rewards if he just keeps doing his good behavior and he’s actually disappointed to be released! This makes him eager to perform the behavior next time. If you get distracted or wait until your dog gets bored with you, he will “release” himself. The next time you ask him to do that behavior, he’ll be less reliable. By using release commands and variable reinforcement you maintain the value of your rewards and your dog will remain eager to obey. Remember that the point of obedience training is to create a reliably behaved dog. Don’t forget the release command!
Say Please
As the final step in teaching any new obedience command, food rewards and other obvious “bribes” are faded out almost (but never quite) entirely. You will eventually substitute most food treats with life rewards. This is called a “Say Please” protocol and will help ensure a dog’s continued obedience. This means that your dog will be required to offer good behaviors in return for the things he wants. For instance, you come home from work and won’t pet your dog if he jumps on you, but you will pet him if he’s sitting. Another example would be making your dog lie down while you eat your dinner but afterwards you let him lick your plates clean!
Some owners are reluctant to make their dog obey commands to earn things but you should think of it as manner training- like teaching a toddler to say please. Who likes a bratty kid? It’s the same with dogs. Rowdy, rambunctious, even aggressive behavior are all signs that a dog isn’t being taught manners. You can’t blame the dog. He’s a dog! As the responsible human, you can’t expect your dog to value you or respect you if he gets everything for free. And if you needed one more reason to implement the Say Please protocol, know that weak or inconsistent owners have a tendency to generate insecurity in their dogs. The lack of leadership leaves dogs feeling vulnerable and agitated. This can result in some serious safety and behavior problems- everything from anxiety to aggression.
Make a committed, consistent effort to teach “Say Please”. It may seem strange at first but it quickly becomes a very rewarding lifestyle. Eventually, without much continued effort on your part, your dog will learn what constitutes acceptable behavior and offer it on his own without being commanded. A polite dog is such a pleasure to live with that you’ll wonder how anyone could live with a bratty dog.
Start by making a list of all the things you do for your dog and things he wants that you control access to. Think about it- you open the doors, put food in the dog dish, provide petting and attention, dog toys, chew bones and more. Make your dog sit or do another polite behavior before you provide him with any of these things.
Some important considerations:
· A dog must be fully trained to do the desired behaviors before they can be part of the Say Please program.
· New environments or changes to familiar environments can be disruptive to the Say Please program. Dog behaviors are strongly connected to the environments where those behaviors were learned and practiced. Do not expect your dog to obey in places or situations that are new or scary to him.
· Acclimate your dog to an environment before you begin insisting on obedience there. You can tell that your dog is beginning to get acclimated when he will focus on a lure. Run him through a few simple commands with a lure. Then try the command without a lure. If he can do this perfectly 5 out of 5 times you can consider him adjusted to the new environment and you may implement the Say Please protocol.
· Watch for signs of stress: licking lips, yawning, looking away from you, whimpering, barking, pacing, piloerection (hair standing on end), and inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating). If your dog seems excessively stressed, do not insist on obedience. End the activity and remove your dog from the area. Take him some place to relax and allow him to rest.
· Meal time is a great opportunity for Say Please training. Have your dog sit while you lower the food bowl to the floor. If he goes to move, say “Et!” and remove the bowl. Begin again when your dog has resumed sitting.
· Insist on having visitors and anyone who wishes to interact with your dog wait while you command and enforce a Sit or other polite behavior.
· When your dog is being uncooperative, be patient and calm and wait him out for 10 seconds or so. If he still isn’t obeying, repeat the command once more in case he didn’t hear you or was confused. Wait 10 seconds for him to comply.
· If it’s obvious he’s not going to cave, end the activity without allowing him to get whatever it is he would have earned had he obeyed you. Do not yell at your dog or scold him, but it’s perfectly alright to shake your head and look disappointed and say something like “You blew it, kid!” Dogs are excellent readers of body language and if you exaggerate the signs of disappointment the message will get through that your dog has let you down.
· Use a “No Reward Marker” like an “ET!” sound when your dog is trying to be polite but makes a mistake (like standing up when he was just sitting but hasn’t been released yet).
· Always keep things light and positive. If you are overly serious, a sensitive dog will stress out. Give commands in a calm but happy tone. When using a No Reward Marker, make it distinct but not scary.
· Learn to use your body to block access to resources. This forces your dog to relax and wait for you to grant permission. Over-reliance on the leash to achieve and maintain control is a common problem in dog training. Excessive yanking on the leash can cause aggression and anxiety, not to mention it makes you look weak and ineffective to your dog. Realize that you can simply stand between your dog and a desired resource to control that resource and enforce your leadership.
· Body blocks work by giving you command over the physical space between your dog and whatever it is that your dog wants. Use the technique to control access to valuable real-estate, like the front door. You can also position yourself to block your dog if he tries to jump on people or chase something without permission. If he has to pass through space to get from point A to point C, you are point B standing in his way. When your dog Sits or obeys some other command, you magically melt away and your dog can proceed to point C.
· Sit is the most common “Say Please” behavior but you should tailor the behavior to the circumstances. Any behavior, like shaking a paw, can be polite behavior if you deem it so.
2. I assess your needs: After you contact me, I'll read the info you provided and then I'll email, text or call you to any more remaining necessary info and then we'll set up our initial consultation. That first session can be an in-person or remote consultation. We'll discuss the options when we chat and decide what's best for your specific situation.
3. The initial consultation: At our first live session together, I'll take a thorough behavioral history and we'll work together to construct a training plan that meets your needs. The process here is a little different for everyone, especially if we are working to address a serious behavior problem vs just teaching manners. Either way, you can expect that we'll work to address environmental challenges, correct problems with management, and of course improve communication between you and your dog.
4. Follow-up sessions: Although some behavior problems are addressed successfully in one session, follow up is usually very helpful. In most behavior cases, we must train a foundation in obedience by training you, your family and your dog. We'll do this using positive, family-friendly techniques. We'll decide how much follow-up is right for you and if we should do that in-person or remotely. Many clients like to sign up for the concierge training program and you can check out the page "For Dogs" for information about pricing and different training program options. You can also purchase follow-up sessions individually.
5. Proofing: Between lessons with me, you must practice on your own in short, frequent sessions to "proof" your dog's good behavior. Don't worry, I'll teach you how to make your practice sessions effective and fun! I'll teach you how to work with the whole family and how to manage the normal distractions that are part of life.
6. Communicating: Stay in touch. This is important to maintaining your training success! Conversations are usually conducted by phone, text or email periodically for several months following the last in-person session to check progress and troubleshoot as necessary. I always love to hear from old clients, whether their dog is behaving well or not!
For those who are interested, here's an overview of my training philosophy and methods...
Why We Train
If dogs could talk, they’d say they want owners who are kind to them, provide affection and attention, consistent but benevolent leadership, security and shelter. And food. Lots of food! When these desires (I’d consider them rights) aren’t met, dogs like yours can’t just tell us what the problem is. Through various behaviors, many of which are quite subtle, they attempt to change our behavior to meet their needs. Some of these behaviors are not so subtle and may even be obnoxious or frightening to us.
For their part, my human clients all tell me they want their dogs to be polite, friendly, and pleasant to be around. They want dogs who are safe and predictable with family and friends and with their canine companions. They want dogs who won’t run away and who don’t make pests of themselves. They want dogs who are obedient and fun and give unconditional love. The fact that most dogs do most of these things without training (and often in spite of imperfect owners) is the reason the canine species is so special. But what humans consider polite is pretty arbitrary from a dog's perspective. Take the example of greetings- even the best dog can use some help figuring out why jumping up is "bad" but sitting for attention is "good", or why barking is "bad" but wagging your tail is "good" when all these behaviors have the same meaning to a dog who's just happy to see you. This is why we train.
My Philosophy
It's my job to train you so you can train your dog. Why not leave you out of it and train the dog myself? Because you live with the dog and I don't. He may listen to me but not listen to you. In a normal, healthy dog, training and environment are not only the most important factors determining behavior, they are also the factors over which you have the most control. If you own a dog, then you are his trainer. Everyone who lives with and interacts with your dog is his trainer. Minus the effects of nature, your dog is what you’ve trained him to be. His shortcomings are your shortcomings. You control your dog's environment. You are responsible for keeping him healthy, entertained and exercised. You control your own reaction to his actions. Thus, you control how he learns to behave. Does stealing a sock result in a fun game of chase? You taught him that. Does begging at the table result in scraps of human food? You taught him that, too. Bad owners kick the dog. Good owners kick themselves and learn from their mistakes- and we all make mistakes. All good dog owners strive to be better dog owners, remembering that their dog's achievements are their own achievements! When your dog sits politely for greetings, you can take pride knowing you taught him that. When your dog walks calmly on leash past any distraction, you will feel great knowing that you are responsible.
Nature also plays a significant role in your dog's behavior, and though you might not think it, you have a lot of control over this factor, too. Take, for instance, your dog's physical health and well-being. Dogs cannot be expected to behave the way we want if they aren't in good health, haven’t gotten proper exercise, socialization, mental stimulation, etc. Once these needs are met, many behavior problems simply vanish. The ones that don’t disappear can be changed using training techniques that I will be sharing with you.
Consider, also, the effects of genetics and good breeding on your dog's behavior. You are in control of these factors when you are deciding which dog to get and where to get her from. Dogs, like humans, have a range of personalities. Choosing the right breed and temperament of dog for your lifestyle is very important. When there is a mismatch, that is the fault of the owner for choosing the dog, because certainly the dog didn't choose the owner!
Training
Whether you rescued your dog from a shelter or purchased her from a breeder, you will need to train your dog. Dogs are trained best with positive methods- the application of rewards for good behavior and the removal of rewards to punish unwanted behaviors. By "best" I mean that compared with other methods of training, the positive approach is faster, more enjoyable, more humane, more family-friendly, more effective, safer and the skills learned are retained longer. Positive methods are also by far the most appropriate and effective for resolving problems with aggression and fear.
The two biggest challenges in basic training are getting the dog to understand what we want him to do and why he should do it. Using a lure is an easy way to solve both challenges. It’s not the only way I train, for instance I have great success with "catching and shaping" and other techniques, but lure/reward is generally a fast and enjoyable method that works great with most dogs. Thus it's always what I try first.
Using the Lure/Reward Technique
Imagine the lure as a magnet and your dog’s eyes are attracted to it. Where his eyes go his body will eventually go, too. A lure can be any item you are able to fit into your hand (food, toys, etc) that is interesting enough to capture your dog’s attention and hold it. Try this simple exercise: take a soft, smelly dog treat and hold it in front of your dog’s nose. Don’t let him eat it immediately. Let him smell it and even nibble it. Is he interested? Good. Now slowly move your hand with the treat from side to side. Is your dog following your movement and staying focused on the hand with the treat? Congratulations! You’re luring. Now feed him the treat before he gives up!
When luring, hand gestures with treats or toys are used to focus and direct your dog’s attention. Different behaviors are taught with different movements of the lure- for instance, we teach the dog “down” by holding the lure close to the ground and in such a way that the dog can’t comfortably bend over, thus luring him into a lying down position. Likewise, we teach the command for eye contact by gesturing at our eyes while luring. Each of these gestures is “faded” into a unique hand signal and given an English word as a command.
Rewards follow the successful completion of a behavior and reinforce it so your dog is increasingly quick and eager to perform that behavior in the future. To start with, the reward is the thing you lured with. After your dog associates a particular hand gesture with a behavior, other rewards are substituted so you don’t have to lure forever (more on this in a moment). Rewards must occur within a second or two of the good behavior. If you delay too long, the connection is lost on your dog.
To help your dog recognize what he’s doing to earn the reward, you must mark correct responses the moment they happen. Most people do this by saying “Yes!” or “Good boy!” but many trainers like to do it by clicking a clicker. Short, distinct sounds are better markers than longer or less noticeable sounds. You want to hone in like a laser on the precise moment the right behavior happens. That’s what makes the clicker a great marker. The word “Yes!” is also great if you say it fast. “Good Boy” is not a great marker because it takes so long to say and is also something you might say even when you’re not marking anything. Whatever marker you choose, make sure you mark the right behavior at the right time, consistently.
Fading the Lure
Treats or toys make great lures since they work well to gain a dog’s attention. Luring is like showing the money right off! But…when used over and over lures becomes more like bribes. Dogs who expect a bribe won’t perform a behavior without seeing the reward first. This is something many inexperienced trainers neglect to prevent. Since our goal is to train your dog, not bribe him, we need to quickly move past luring. 5 or 6 repetitions of a hand gesture with a lure should be sufficient to teach the significance of the gesture for the easy commands like Sit. If a dog isn’t responding reliably after 5 or 6 repetitions, take a breather and when you try again later, see if you can break the behavior into easier steps. Mark and reward the easier step until it becomes reliable, then move on.
If that doesn’t work, try a better motivator. For instance, you may think a dog should want a dry dog biscuit but that doesn’t mean your dog feels the same way. You will still fade the lure but you can’t do that until you’re getting 5 or 6 consecutive successful repetitions of a lured behavior. For that, you may need freeze dried liver or something else super special and tasty. Some dogs show no interest in food at all! In that case, you will have to get creative and use toys or other positive motivators.
When your dog’s response to the lure is fast and reliable 5 or 6 times in a row, stop luring. Just use the hand gesture. You won’t need the lure and the reward becomes whatever seems to motivate your dog the most at that moment. Remember that lures and rewards are two different things. For instance, if you are about to go for a walk then you can reward your dog for sitting by putting his leash on and then going out the door for the walk. No lure needed, just the command (sit) and the reward (going for the walk). In another instance, you might be introducing your dog to a friend and the reward for sitting is that the friend will pet your dog. Same behavior, different rewards, no food treats needed.
Even once you have faded the lure, continue using your marker for a few days. When you start working on increasing the duration of a behavior (how long a behavior is performed) or the distance (how far the dog is from you) or the distraction (what else is competing with you for your dog’s attention) delay the marker a little longer with each repetition. When the desired response has been achieved consistently and in all circumstances, you may stop using the marker altogether.
Labeling Commands in English
Hand signals are important but what if your dog is distracted or unable to see your hands? Verbal commands are auditory cues (the spoken word) that are paired with a visual cue (the hand signal) for the same behavior. For instance, the hand signal for eye contact is pointing at your eyes and the command is Watch Me.
Teaching a verbal command is easy if your dog already knows the hand signal. Make sure you have your dog’s attention. Say the command word. Pause for a moment. Make the hand signal. Your dog should perform the desired behavior. If so, give an immediate reward. Now repeat this process a few times.
After several successful repetitions, your dog will recognize the command word as going together with the hand signal. Now you can try giving the verbal command only. If your dog did NOT obey, do NOT repeat the command word (repeating a word is only instructive if the dog actually knows the word). You must return to practicing with the hand signal until you are sure your dog really has learned the behavior. Then after a break, try again with the word, then the pause, then the hand signal. If your dog obeys, give a reward and keep practicing for a few minutes. Remember to practice in quiet areas without distractions before graduating to more challenging locations.
Maintaining A Dog’s Interest and the use of Release Commands
Dogs have a tendency to get tired of the rewards used in training. When a reward becomes predictable it diminishes in value. Without value, the reward no longer holds the dog’s attention and training suffers. This results in the dog’s owner having to switch to a higher value reward. Over time, this escalation cannot be sustained and the dog ceases to respond to commands reliably.
Two techniques provide a solution: variable reinforcement and release commands. They are just as important as fading the lure if you want to avoid having your dog obey only when he feels like it. Variable reinforcement means that we keep switching up what we use as a reward and how often rewards are granted. Release commands tell a dog when he can stop performing a behavior that you have commanded.
Let’s discuss variable reinforcement first, and revisit the release command later. What makes variable reinforcement work is the same concept that makes gambling fun. If every pull of the slot machine lever always netted 1 dollar, you would have fun at first, but you would get bored eventually. Slot machines are unpredictable for a reason. There’s always the hope that the next pull of the lever will net the jackpot, or at least more than you got with the previous pull. The anticipation of the reward becomes rewarding in and of itself. You don’t need to hit the jackpot every time to want to keep pulling the lever.
If you always give just 1 treat per Sit then your dog will only sit for you long enough to get 1 treat. Eventually, he’ll blow you off altogether because he knows he can always choose to sit later when he feels like getting a treat. But if your dog can’t predict how many treats he might get then he will choose to obey because, hey, you never know, and he doesn’t want to miss out if this time is the jackpot.
We accomplish this by sometimes rewarding with 1 treat, sometimes with 3, sometimes with 10 and sometimes with none. Treats must be fed one at a time, not all together. Treats should be tiny- so tiny that they don’t require chewing. Soft treats or small pieces of kibble work better as training treats than dry biscuits for this reason. If the reward isn’t a treat- for instance if you’re using a belly rub as the reward- you can vary that by rubbing longer or better on some occasions than on others.
In addition to varying the quantity of rewards, we also must vary the quality of rewards. Rewards have varying degrees of value. Dry kibble or a pat on the head might be at the bottom with freeze-dried liver at the top and a few other things in between. Every dog is different and his preferences can change depending on the circumstances or his mood. You know your dog best but don’t make untested assumptions about which rewards are his Gold level prizes and which are Bronze. Test them out! Use the Gold prizes to reward the best behavior. Use the Bronze when the effort is there but not enthusiastically. Have some Silver rewards for middling responses. You can and should mix Bronze and Silver rewards in with the Gold for an added level of excitement and variety. Plus, the lower value rewards actually pick up some of the value of the Gold level reward, making them stronger and more useful.
When we are done rewarding and the behavior can stop, we tell the dog we’re finished and that it’s ok to move or change to another behavior. We call this releasing the dog. The word you use to signal the release is called a release command and should always be the same word. Any word you might use as verbal filler (like “OK”) or to praise your dog (like “Good Boy”) or mark your dog (like “yes”) is a poor release command. Consider using words like “All Done” or “Free!” or “Alright”.
Releasing your dog while he’s still interested in continuing the activity or behavior is a great way to help that interest carry over to the next time you need obedience. I find it helps to hold a few rewards obviously in reserve as I’m releasing a dog. The dog thinks he might earn those rewards if he just keeps doing his good behavior and he’s actually disappointed to be released! This makes him eager to perform the behavior next time. If you get distracted or wait until your dog gets bored with you, he will “release” himself. The next time you ask him to do that behavior, he’ll be less reliable. By using release commands and variable reinforcement you maintain the value of your rewards and your dog will remain eager to obey. Remember that the point of obedience training is to create a reliably behaved dog. Don’t forget the release command!
Say Please
As the final step in teaching any new obedience command, food rewards and other obvious “bribes” are faded out almost (but never quite) entirely. You will eventually substitute most food treats with life rewards. This is called a “Say Please” protocol and will help ensure a dog’s continued obedience. This means that your dog will be required to offer good behaviors in return for the things he wants. For instance, you come home from work and won’t pet your dog if he jumps on you, but you will pet him if he’s sitting. Another example would be making your dog lie down while you eat your dinner but afterwards you let him lick your plates clean!
Some owners are reluctant to make their dog obey commands to earn things but you should think of it as manner training- like teaching a toddler to say please. Who likes a bratty kid? It’s the same with dogs. Rowdy, rambunctious, even aggressive behavior are all signs that a dog isn’t being taught manners. You can’t blame the dog. He’s a dog! As the responsible human, you can’t expect your dog to value you or respect you if he gets everything for free. And if you needed one more reason to implement the Say Please protocol, know that weak or inconsistent owners have a tendency to generate insecurity in their dogs. The lack of leadership leaves dogs feeling vulnerable and agitated. This can result in some serious safety and behavior problems- everything from anxiety to aggression.
Make a committed, consistent effort to teach “Say Please”. It may seem strange at first but it quickly becomes a very rewarding lifestyle. Eventually, without much continued effort on your part, your dog will learn what constitutes acceptable behavior and offer it on his own without being commanded. A polite dog is such a pleasure to live with that you’ll wonder how anyone could live with a bratty dog.
Start by making a list of all the things you do for your dog and things he wants that you control access to. Think about it- you open the doors, put food in the dog dish, provide petting and attention, dog toys, chew bones and more. Make your dog sit or do another polite behavior before you provide him with any of these things.
Some important considerations:
· A dog must be fully trained to do the desired behaviors before they can be part of the Say Please program.
· New environments or changes to familiar environments can be disruptive to the Say Please program. Dog behaviors are strongly connected to the environments where those behaviors were learned and practiced. Do not expect your dog to obey in places or situations that are new or scary to him.
· Acclimate your dog to an environment before you begin insisting on obedience there. You can tell that your dog is beginning to get acclimated when he will focus on a lure. Run him through a few simple commands with a lure. Then try the command without a lure. If he can do this perfectly 5 out of 5 times you can consider him adjusted to the new environment and you may implement the Say Please protocol.
· Watch for signs of stress: licking lips, yawning, looking away from you, whimpering, barking, pacing, piloerection (hair standing on end), and inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating). If your dog seems excessively stressed, do not insist on obedience. End the activity and remove your dog from the area. Take him some place to relax and allow him to rest.
· Meal time is a great opportunity for Say Please training. Have your dog sit while you lower the food bowl to the floor. If he goes to move, say “Et!” and remove the bowl. Begin again when your dog has resumed sitting.
· Insist on having visitors and anyone who wishes to interact with your dog wait while you command and enforce a Sit or other polite behavior.
· When your dog is being uncooperative, be patient and calm and wait him out for 10 seconds or so. If he still isn’t obeying, repeat the command once more in case he didn’t hear you or was confused. Wait 10 seconds for him to comply.
· If it’s obvious he’s not going to cave, end the activity without allowing him to get whatever it is he would have earned had he obeyed you. Do not yell at your dog or scold him, but it’s perfectly alright to shake your head and look disappointed and say something like “You blew it, kid!” Dogs are excellent readers of body language and if you exaggerate the signs of disappointment the message will get through that your dog has let you down.
· Use a “No Reward Marker” like an “ET!” sound when your dog is trying to be polite but makes a mistake (like standing up when he was just sitting but hasn’t been released yet).
· Always keep things light and positive. If you are overly serious, a sensitive dog will stress out. Give commands in a calm but happy tone. When using a No Reward Marker, make it distinct but not scary.
· Learn to use your body to block access to resources. This forces your dog to relax and wait for you to grant permission. Over-reliance on the leash to achieve and maintain control is a common problem in dog training. Excessive yanking on the leash can cause aggression and anxiety, not to mention it makes you look weak and ineffective to your dog. Realize that you can simply stand between your dog and a desired resource to control that resource and enforce your leadership.
· Body blocks work by giving you command over the physical space between your dog and whatever it is that your dog wants. Use the technique to control access to valuable real-estate, like the front door. You can also position yourself to block your dog if he tries to jump on people or chase something without permission. If he has to pass through space to get from point A to point C, you are point B standing in his way. When your dog Sits or obeys some other command, you magically melt away and your dog can proceed to point C.
· Sit is the most common “Say Please” behavior but you should tailor the behavior to the circumstances. Any behavior, like shaking a paw, can be polite behavior if you deem it so.