Dog Training Nation

In Dogs We Trust

You are here: Home / Archives for how to teach a dog

1 Easy Trick to Teach Your Dog to Stand Still

by

How to Teach Your Dog to Stand Still

Teach Dog to Stand Still

Standing still while someone pokes, prods and examines your body is tough for most dogs. Honestly, it’s tough for little and big humans too. Instead of forcing a dog to stand still, try this super easy dog training tip that works quickly and rewards your dog too!

Use a Peanut Butter Plate

A peanut butter plate is just as appetizing as it sounds! Smear creamy peanut butter across the entire surface of a plate and hold it up for your dog to lick away. When choosing a plate size, I recommend using a large dinner plate, especially if your dog needs to stand for longer than 3-5 minutes. By increasing the surface area of smeared peanut butter, it takes longer for your dog to lick than if you were to use a small saucer. You also want to make sure the plate doesn’t move around while your dog licks it, so choose a heavy plate. If you don’t have a heavy plate, place it on non-skid surfaces.

RELATED: Understanding Dog Nutrition

Check Ingredients First

Before using peanut butter, it’s important to check its ingredients first. Unfortunately, many companies are adding xylitol, which is a low-calorie sweetener. Xylitol is deadly for dogs—even the tiniest amount.

What If My Dog is Allergic to Peanut Butter?

Some dogs and humans are allergic to peanut butter; it’s actually pretty common. I suggest using a thick and creamy food to replace peanut butter. My Bull Terrier is allergic to peanut butter, so I either use cream cheese, squeeze cheese in a bottle or almond butter. If your dog is restricted to a prescription diet, I recommend purchasing several prescription dog food cans and using those in place of peanut butter.

RELATED: Get Your Dog to Take Treats Gently

How to Use a Peanut Butter Plate

AHow to Teach a Dog to Stand Stillsk a friend to hold up the food-smeared plate, so your dog can comfortably stand and lick the plate without lowering his head. If you live alone, I recommend placing a peanut butter plate on furniture; that way, your dog is comfortable while standing still. For example, I’ve placed food-smeared plates on top of ottomans and sofas for large dogs.

For small dogs, place the plate on top of stacked books or even smear peanut butter on washable walls. For baths, I recommend smearing peanut butter on the wall of your shower. After your dog is bathed, rinse off and voila!

Why Use a Peanut Butter Plate

I highly recommend using a peanut butter plate any and every time your dog needs to stand still. By pairing something good, such as a plate of peanut butter, with standing still, you’re teaching your dog to enjoy standing still. And it doesn’t stop there!

When you pair something good during a certain situation, you’re positively changing your dog’s behavior. I recommend adding something positive (peanut butter plate) during baths, nail trims, brushing, ear cleanings, massages, vet exams and weight checks.

Will You Always Need a Food-Smeared Plate?

Maybe or maybe not; it depends on how your dog reacts during specific situations. You may need to use a peanut butter plate during all nail trims because your dog might always dislike them, and that is OK. It’s easier and much kinder to hold a peanut butter plate than hold your dog down.

Please understand that using a peanut butter plate isn’t bribery. Food-smeared plates are an effective dog training tool for teaching your dog a new behavior. Expecting a dog to do something because he’s told to do it is completely outdated. Instead, teach your dog what to do. I promise, it takes much less time.

Peanut Butter Plate Demos

WATCH: Make Brushing Your Dog MUCH Easier

https://youtu.be/54vdWZSphFY

WATCH: DIY Comfy Dog Cone

https://youtu.be/M4LzVp3vLMI

4 Tips To Make Working From Home With Dogs Easier

by

Working From Home With Dogs

Anchiy/iStock
Anchiy/iStock

Working from home is amazing. I’m able to work while my dogs snore happily in the background or share a spot with me in my office chair. I’ve been lucky, as I’ve been working from home for 15 years now. Despite the convenience of a remote job, working from home with dogs can get a bit loud if you know what I mean. Here are four tips that will ensure peace and quiet during calls with the boss and your clients.

Go on a walk before work

For the most part, a tired dog is a good dog. Before your workday begins, take your dogs out for a 30-minute walk. Instead of walking swiftly, take your time and let your dogs sniff and see what “Facebook messages” were left in the grass by other dogs. Sniffing is wonderful mental enrichment, and it’s just as exhausting as walking quickly around your neighborhood or local park. Once home, make sure your dogs have plenty of fresh water available and start up your computer.

Keep your dogs quiet during conference calls

Working from home means you’re on the phone a lot, so it’s important to collaborate with co-workers on projects through individual phone chats and conference calls. During conference calls, I’m pretty good at figuring out which conference call attendees work from home too because I can hear their dogs barking in the background!

Here’s how to keep your dogs quiet while you’re on a conference call. About 5 minutes before a conference call, give each dog a frozen food stuffed toy and separate him or her. This way, they can enjoy their treats without squabbling. Log in to your conference call with confidence that your dogs are happily and quietly licking away at their frozen prizes, which is entertaining and completely exhausting too. Sure, the mute button is a godsend, but food stuffed toys are better! After your call, pick up each toy to refill after work.

RELATED: Summertime Dog Food Recipes for Interactive Toys

Play midday outdoor games

When employees work from home, they usually skip lunch, or worse eat lunch while working. Take it from me, disengage with your computer and phone for 20 minutes and enjoy your lunch. After lunch, take another 10 minutes and sit outside with your dogs, play a game of fetch or even take a short stroll around your neighborhood. Again, a tired dog is a happy and quiet dog.

Toss treats when the doorbell rings

It never fails; the UPS man always happens to ring your doorbell while you’re on an important call with your boss. Be prepared during important calls by keeping a cup of dog kibble, treats or Cheerios on your desk. Bring your dogs inside your office with you and close the door. When the doorbell rings, toss those treats like confetti. It’s tough to bark at the doorbell while devouring scattered treats on the floor. Tossing treats as a distraction also teaches your dogs not to bark at the doorbell.

If solicitors are constantly ringing your doorbell, place a note on top of the doorbell that reads: “Please do not ring the doorbell or knock. I work the night shift.” Believe it or not, a note works very well. My mother was a night-shift nurse, and this little note ensured she slept soundly during the day.

May your workday be swift and filled with dog snores!

UP NEXT: Protecting Your Furniture From Dog Hair and Nails

Do Different Dog Breeds Learn Differently?

by

No, Different Dog Breeds Learn the Same

Different Dog Breeds
kozorog/iStock

“Do different dog breeds learn differently?” is the most asked question and it’s usually asked by purebred dog pet owners. As a professional dog trainer, I’m always happy to answer this question. If you’re curious if certain dog breeds learn differently, read below for a professional dog trainer’s take on different-breed dog training.

The Answer

Okay, here it goes! Each dog, regardless of breed, is an individual; and all dogs learn by following the same principles applied to human learning.

Yup, we use the same learning principles to teach:

  • Rhinos to hold their feet up for nail grinds
  • Silverback Gorillas to open their mouths for flossing
  • Fish how to perform tricks
  • Butterflies how to put on a show
  • Children to tie their shoes

I’ve trained hundreds of dogs, and each dog was able to learn the same behaviors given the same learning principles. While a dog’s specific breed can determine his ultimate dog training reward or reveal some aspects of his personality, it has nothing to do with his ability to learn new behavior.

But What About Bouviers Being Lazy or Pit Bulls Being Aggressive?

I cringe when someone mentions that Bouviers are lazy, Basset Hounds are slow, Terriers are untrainable, Rottweilers need a firm training hand or Poodles are the smartest breed. I also find it unsettling when I hear people say all Beagles howl, Irish Setters are ditzy, Chihuahuas are ankle biters, all Pit Bull Terriers are aggressive or other certain breeds requiring special training skills. These statements are simply not true, and I’m sure pet owners living with these different dog breeds would disagree too.

Let’s think about the question on whether or not different dog breeds learn differently another way. If certain breeds of dogs learn differently, how would we train mixed breed dogs? About 20-plus years ago, dog trainers were successfully teaching thousands of mixed breed dogs new behaviors—and that was before dog breed DNA testing. The only thing DNA testing for specific breeds has taught dog trainers is we were incorrectly assuming a mixed dog’s breed of origin. 🙂

Easiest Way to Train Any Dog Breed

Positive reinforcement is key and it works quickly! You’ve probably heard of positive reinforcement before and wonder what it had meant. Positive reinforcement is one of the four quadrants of operant conditioning, and it increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated.

Positive reinforcement means rewarding with a good thing whenever someone does a behavior you like. It’s important for professional dog trainers to have a thorough understanding of each quadrant and how it applies to dog training, as this is the foundation for all learning. If your dog trainer doesn’t know that, it’s time to find a better dog trainer.

Picking a Good Thing to Motivate Your Dog

Just because dogs are a certain breed, don’t assume certain breeds all like the same things. As pet owners, it’s our job to find each dog’s favorite “good thing” or ultimate reward and use it to teach polite behaviors.

Ignore your dog’s breed type and discover what your dog truly loves. As an example of how dog breed type can become quickly confusing, some Terriers may love bits of hot dogs instead of fetch, some Basset Hounds may find a fast game of tug more rewarding than treats and some Chihuahuas may find a game of fetch more rewarding than hugs and treats. Remember, learning depends on each individual dog’s personality and not his breed.

While your dog looks like a specific breed, he learns just like every other living being!

How to Get Your Puppy Used to a Collar

by

Training a Puppy to Wear a Collar in One Week

Puppy Doesn't Like His Collar
ChrisLeRoy/iStock

Puppies aren’t born wearing collars, so when a collar is first fastened around a puppy’s little neck, it can feel strange for her. Most puppies will bite, scratch, turn circles or refuse to walk while wearing a collar. This is totally normal behavior. As pet owners, it’s our job to train a puppy to wear a collar.

How to Teach Your Puppy to Wear a Collar

Once your puppy is home, it’s time to teach her that wearing a puppy training collar makes good things happen. Move slowly and reward your puppy often while she’s wearing a collar.

Choose the Right Puppy Collar

Puppies should wear an expandable flat buckle collar without tags at first. ID tags can be a bit distracting, as most puppies will mouth or paw at the dangling bits of metal clanging under their chins. They’re simply too distracting for an inquisitive puppy. After a week of your puppy successfully wearing her collar, then you can add ID tags.

Puppies, or all dogs really, shouldn’t wear choke chains, cloth slip collars or prong collars. They need a flat buckle collar. Harnesses are OK too, but make sure the straps don’t rub against your puppy’s skin, apply pressure to your puppy’s neck or restrict her movement.

Give Her a Food Stuffed Toy

Before introducing a collar or harness to your puppy, fill a toy with food and freeze overnight. Now, fasten your puppy’s collar in place and immediately give her the food stuffed toy to enjoy while she’s wearing her collar.

Once she’s emptied all the food from the toy, remove her collar and toy and place both up high, so she can’t reach it. Practice this several times a day. Feel free to stuff your puppy’s regular meals inside of a food toy for additional practice sessions. By pairing good things with the sensation of wearing a collar, your puppy learns that collars are harmless and pretty darn fun.

Puppy Doesn’t Like Her Collar?

If your puppy starts pawing or scratching her collar, distract her by playing a 1-2 minute game of “touch.” Distracting her without saying “stop” or “no” gives your puppy something else to do instead of worrying about the collar on her neck.

Learn how to teach the “touch” behavior in the video below. This dog training game is easy to teach and extremely useful in many different situations. The “touch” behavior is vital—so much so that it’s the first behavior I teach during dog training classes or private lessons.

WATCH: Teach Your Puppy the “Touch” Cue

https://youtu.be/d-spTywRXEo

Teach Collar Pressure = Treats

Once your puppy is completely comfortable with the sensation of a collar, it’s time to teach her that collar pressure makes treats happen. Collar pressure can cause a puppy to freak out because she may not be used to feeling pressure against her neck, which limits her movement.

Collars can scare puppies so much that they will usually hop, buck, or “pancake” on the ground and refuse to move forward. If this happens, immediately stop the pressure by walking over to your puppy or letting go of her collar, and practice the collar pressure game.

When teaching collar pressure, you’re not pulling against your puppy. Instead, you’re holding your puppy’s collar in place while your puppy pulls against it. The moment your puppy stops pulling against the collar, you click and reward your puppy.

Pulling against pressure is a natural reaction to restraint; it’s called opposition reflex. Your goal is to teach your puppy to move with pressure. This is the first step when teaching loose leashing walking and teaching your dog to walk with you while touching her collar. Plus, every time your puppy pulls against her collar, it increases her chances of injury in her neck area.

Practice this dog training behavior several times a day with super yummy treats. If your puppy balks when you reach for her collar, take a step back and teach her that collar touches are a good thing.

WATCH: Dog Training Tip: Teach Collar Pressure

https://youtu.be/I39BE4xOnLY

Attach a Leash

Always teach your puppy how to wear a collar first, then master the collar pressure game before attaching a leash to her collar. On average, it takes about a week for a puppy to feel comfortable wearing a collar and respond well to collar pressure. Attaching a leash to your puppy’s collar is a completely different lesson.  Check out this article on teaching a puppy to walk on leash for additional details.

Puppies are tiny little sponges. Take advantage and teach them that the world is full of fun!

What to Do When Your Puppy Won’t Walk on Leash

by

How to Teach a Puppy to Walk on Leash

Leash Training a Puppy
Ollleke/iStock

Puppies refusing to walk on leash is an extremely common behavior. Walking with restricted movement due to a leash is unnatural for dogs, so we as pet owners should positively teach puppies and dogs that walking on leash is a good thing.

So many times, we snap a leash onto a puppy’s collar and take off walking, but the puppy becomes confused and tries running the opposite direction or refuses to walk. They flatten themselves onto the ground like a pancake. When we continue to pull on the leash, it causes the dog to panic. If you combine this scary scenario with a highly distracting environment, such as the park, neighborhood or vet’s office, or continue to pull on your confused puppy’s leash, you’ll teach your puppy that leashes make scary things happen.

Now, let’s start on the right paw and discuss how to teach a puppy to walk on leash. 🙂 Dog leashes are basically a safety line that keeps pets safe. They should never be used for jerking, yanking or any other type of punishment.

Leash Training a Puppy Tips

Teaching a puppy to walk on leash is pretty easy. You’ll need lots of super yummy treats, a body harness, and a six-foot nylon or cotton leash.

There are a few steps on teaching this dog behavior, so take your time and teach your puppy each step thoroughly before moving on. If your puppy or dog becomes confused, take a step or two back until your puppy is comfortable again. Understand, it’s completely normal to take a few steps backwards before moving forward again; it’s part of the learning process. I’m sure you painfully remember learning a foreign language or algebra at one point. 🙂

Also, it’s important to teach this behavior before attaching a leash to your puppy. Plan ahead and teach this puppy training skill before vet visits or walks around the neighborhood.

Step One: Introduce the Leash

Goal: Teach your puppy that leashes are positive things and leashes make treats happen.

With your dog indoors, sit on the floor and put your puppy’s leash on the floor in front of you. Whenever your puppy looks at the leash, click and give your dog a treat. If your puppy stays next to the leash (that’s a good thing), toss a treat in the opposite direction of the leash (e.g. toss treat across the room). That way your puppy must approach the leash for another click and treat. Play this game for a minute or two, then pick up the leash and put it in a location where your puppy can’t see it.

Practice this step 2-3 times per day for 3 days. By then, your puppy will run toward the leash whenever you bring it out.

Step Two: Fun Happens While Wearing a Leash

Goal: Puppy is comfortable with a leash attached to his harness or collar.

For this step, I’ll assume your puppy is already comfortable wearing a harness or flat collar. If not, take a moment and teach your dog that wearing a harness/collar is a good thing before completing this step.

Fill an interactive toy with food and freeze overnight. Now, attach a leash to your dog’s harness and let your dog drag it around the house for a bit. To make this experience positive and to keep a puppy from chewing on the leash, give your dog a frozen food stuffed toy to enjoy while wearing and dragging his leash around the house.

Once your dog has finished his food stuffed toy, remove the leash and put it away. Practice this game several times a day. You can certainly fill interactive toys with your dog’s daily meals for more leashes-make-fun-things-happen moments.

Remember, you’re not holding the other end of the leash. Your dog is learning that attached leashes are harmless and make good things appear like food stuffed toys. Practice for 3-4 days before moving onto the next step.

Step Three: Hold Other End of Leash

Goal: Puppy learns that leash pressure is fun.

By now, your dog has learned that fun things happen when a leash is present, so it’s time to hold the other end of the leash. This is the part that usually freaks some puppies out. They’re not used to limited mobility caused by leash restraint, so they pull, buck or lie flat on the ground. Teach your puppy or dog that collar pressure is a good thing by watching the video below.

WATCH: Teaching Collar Pressure

https://youtu.be/I39BE4xOnLY

Treats = Leash Pressure

You’ll need a handful of super yummy treats and a clicker. Attach the leash to your puppy’s harness and hold the leash handle in one hand. Lure your puppy around with a treat while holding the leash, and give him the treat. You’ll notice your puppy pulling ahead or lagging behind. Call your puppy to you and reward with many dog treats. Practice for 1-2 minutes and end the dog training session.

If your puppy freaks out when he feels leash tension, don’t pull the leash toward you. Instead, move toward your dog to release the pressure. Once your puppy is completely comfortable walking on a leash, you can then teach him how to walk politely on leash. Remember, crawl before walking. 🙂

Practice this step for 3-4 days and make a game out of it. Reward your puppy often like every 10-20 seconds.

Step Four: Walk on Leash Outdoors

Goal: Puppy learns how to walk on leash outdoors.

By now, your puppy should be completely comfortable walking on leash indoors, so it’s time to take leash walking outside. Practice luring and holding the other end of the leash in your backyard for several days—you’re not ready for walks in the neighborhood just yet.

You’ll notice your puppy becoming a bit more distracted, so he’ll probably feel more leash resistance while in the backyard due to him lunging toward squirrels or watching neighbors walk by. When your dog pulls, stand still and reward your dog the moment you feel less pressure on the leash. I recommend tossing a few treats in front of your feet, so your dog returns to you for rewards.

Once your puppy will walk around your backyard on leash comfortably, then you can try walking in your neighborhood.

Make walking on leash fun for your puppy, so he learns that fun things happen when leashes are present no matter where you are.

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

Dog Training Nation

Quick Links

Dog Training
Dog Behavior
Dog Training Videos
Become a Dog Trainer
About
Contact Us