Keep Dog Training Sessions Short

March 2, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Dog Training Practice Session Tips

Keep it Short and Reset

When teaching your dog a new behavior, practice sessions are important. You can’t build muscle doing one repetition of an exercise, right? You need multiple reps to build and sculpt muscles, and this holds true when teaching a new behavior. Practice does make perfect!

Before beginning a dog training practice session, it’s important to follow a few tips to ensure success.

Let’s Get Busy

I gather my clicker and small, yet super yummy treats and head for our training area, which is usually my living room. For a training area, choose an area with non-skid flooring with plenty of space so your dog can move around freely. Personally, I inform my dog a training session is about to start. I say “let’s get busy,” which means “it’s time to punch in for a training session.”

Is reaching for treats and/or the presence of the clicker a cue? Probably. Is walking to our training a cue too? Maybe. But I like to settle in our training area and give the green light by saying “let’s get busy.” It’s basically like saying “we’re up for business.”

Count Out Five Treats

Count out five treats and practice until they are gone. This is the easiest way to keep training sessions short. I’m as guilty as the next person. I used to time practice sessions for one minute. Oh, when we were on a roll, I would turn off the timer and keep going. My dog suffered the burn out from it too! He would miss a cue or offer “sit” because he was confused.

It’s hard concentrating for five full minutes. Most people tackle a problem for one or two minutes, take a tiny break to refill their coffee cups, take a deep breath or ask a fellow dog owner a question. So give your dog a break, count out five treats and practice until they gone. 🙂

Resetting

Resetting is the easiest way to move a dog during practice sessions. Many times, clients practice “sit” using five treats so how can you ask a sitting dog to “sit” again, right? Allow me to introduce you to resetting. It will make your dog’s life so much easier! Instead of pulling your dog out of a behavior, click and toss her a treat about three feet away. When tossing the treat, she must get up, find and eat it. Now you can ask her to “sit” again. Voila!

Tossing treats on the floor will not teach your dog to “vacuum” for food. This happens during controlled training sessions. If you’re worried about feeding your dog from the ground, place a paper plate about two feet away and toss treats into the plate. 🙂

VIDEO: Dog Training Tip: How to Reset Your Dog

All Done

Once all five treats are gone, say “all done,” which means your dog can take a break, and have a quick game of tug or lots of petting. Now, move away from your training area and catch up on emails or find another short task to complete. Most likely, your dog will take a deep breath, grab a few licks of water and lay down for a bit. After five minutes or so, it’s time for another practice session so “let’s get busy!”

Usually, I complete two or three training sessions per day and mostly in between my dog’s scheduled meals, as everyone needs a snack. 🙂

When to Move On

When you’re willing to bet $5 on your dog for performing the behavior, move onto the next step.

The Right Way to Do Lure Reward Dog Training

February 27, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Using a Food Lure During Dog Training

Lure Reward Training — There is a right way to use a lure! pakornkrit/iStock

Using food lures during dog training can jump-start a behavior. However, it’s important to understand how to use a lure effectively. Check out these steps and video on using food lures while training your dog. Lure is not a four letter word–it’s a valuable tool in dog training!

A Bit About Food Lures

Somehow, using food lures and food rewards during dog training is considered cheating. I’m still scratching my head on this concept. Surely, you can capture (click and reward a dog when he’s doing a specific behavior) or shape (reward small steps toward a behavior) a new dog behavior, but sometimes a lure gets you started faster.

Now, some folks feel lures are bribery. Again, I’m scratching my head. I’m not bribing dogs. I’m luring them into a behavior and giving them the treat (lure) when they do the behavior. Treats are your dog’s currency so use properly and reward often. OK, I’m off my soapbox!

How to Use Food Lures Properly

There is a technique to using food lures properly. Follow these steps:

When choosing food lures, I use a large piece of treat about ½ inch or so.
Tuck the food lure behind your fingers with a tiny bit poking out.
Place the food lure on your dog’s nose. Think of it like a magnet.
Slowly move your food-lure hand in the direction you want to move your dog.
If a dog falls off a lure, meaning he stops following the lure, stop and place back on his nose. Most dogs fall off a lure if you’re moving your hand too fast or the dog doesn’t really like the treat being used.

RELATED: Healthy Dog Treats

Fading Food Lures

I think the confusion about food lures is due to people who never fade a lure so their dogs become dependent on its presence or they won’t do the behavior. Well that’s our fault and not the dogs’. We never taught them otherwise. 🙂

Once you jump-start a behavior, you can fade a food lure. Follow these steps to fade food lures.

Step 1

Once your dog can be lured into a behavior 4 out of 5 times, it’s time to add a cue.

Step 2

Say cue and lure into behavior. Now, you’re pairing a cue with a behavior. Once you’ve practiced for several days, move to step 3.

Step 3

Say cue and wait for dog to perform the desired behavior. Once he does, click and treat.

Usually, when adding a cue to a behavior, your dog may become confused and won’t respond to the new cue. Don’t repeat the cue. Wait a few seconds. If your dog still doesn’t do it, use the food lure. If this happens, this means your dog does not know the cue so go back to step 2.

Step 4

Once your dog responds to a cue 4 out of 5 times during a training session, reward your dog after the behavior is finished. Reward with a food treat, game of tug, toss of the ball or whatever game your dog loves.

VIDEO: Using a Food Lure During Dog Training

Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery

February 27, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Dog Harness for Cruciate Ligament Recovery

Having a large to medium dog tear or rupture his cruciate ligament is tough. Supporting his rear end and keeping him quiet is enough to make you crazy! Here’s a must-have harness for your dog, which protects his back while providing support during a canine cruciate ligament recovery regardless of chosen healing process.

Help’em Up Harness

This harness is amazing! It’s heavy duty with adjustable straps to fit any size dog (10-220lbs) and wide-padded handles, yet minimally invasive so what’s not to love? Help’em Up Harness is not only for cruciate ligament repairs, but also for senior dogs with limited mobility, hip repairs and basically any type of recuperation.

Help’em Up Harness contains two pieces: a front harness and rear harness (hip lift), which attaches in the middle. You can use the front harness alone. However, it’s recommended the hip lift harness be used in conjunction with the front harness for safety measures. Check out their website for sizing and fitting.

And yes, the boys have plenty of room to potty while wearing this harness! Some folks balk at the price. Personally, I don’t see any issue. It’s worth every penny. Plus, you can’t put a price on your back so dig in your pockets — you won’t regret shelling out your hard earned cash.

Uses for the Help’em Up Harness

Supports dog’s rear when encountering steps.
Prevents slips by steadying dog’s rear end during walks.
Slows down a large dog during rehab walks to prevent further injury.
Controls dog during hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill) as harness is made from neoprene, making it buoyant and comfortable.

My Personal Recommendation

Obviously, I really like this product a lot! This harness has helped steady and slow down Sobek (Rottweiler) during cruciate ligament repair and it seems really comfortable when worn. We don’t leave it on all the time. We take it off during naps and at night. Many years ago, I purchased a large Help’em Up Harness for Kira, my Bouvier. She was riddled with arthritis during her later years. This harness was perfect for lifting, steadying and guiding her during potty breaks and car rides. Plus, it saved my back.

More:
Cruciate Ligament Repair in Dogs
Preparing for Dog Cruciate Ligament Surgery
Dog Cruciate Ligament Surgery
Dog Harness

Teaching Your Dog to Wear a Cone

February 26, 2015 by Fanna Easter

How to Make Wearing a Cone Comfortable for Your Dog

All dogs, during their lifetimes, will need to wear a cone to protect a healing surgical site or wound. A cone, also known as an Elizabethan collar, keeps your dog from licking or gnawing a specific area. Don’t forget: healing wounds itch so who wouldn’t want to scratch it, right? So instead of wearing a cone of shame, make it into a party hat!

Make the Cone a Party Hat

Most dogs wake up after surgery wearing a plastic cone and do really well wearing it. Now, there are some dogs who hate it and even freak out while wearing it. So teach your dog that wearing his party hat is fun!

Practice each step several times a day. Move onto the next one once your dog performs the behavior 4 out of 5 times during a training session.