Come When Called Part 1: Intro

September 8, 2014 by Fanna Easter

How to Train Your Dog to Come to You

Does your dog ignore you and run off? View part 1 of our “Come When Called” series, which will teach you how to:

Perform an emergency recall
Call your dog indoors from the backyard
Call your dog back to you around distractions (squirrels, etc.)
Teach multiple dogs to come back to you
Fun games

Directions

View first video and practice homework for seven days.
View second video and practice homework for seven days.
View third video and practice homework for seven days.
View fourth, and final, video.

Each video contains tons of information, so rewind and watch several times. Bookmark for easy future reference.

What you will need:

Delicious treats the size of a pea
Six-foot leash
Flat buckle collar or body harness
Clicker

Note: Always enroll your dog in a group dog training class. This video should not be used in place of dog training class attendance.

WATCH: Come When Called Part 1: Intro

NEXT: Come When Called Part 2: Adding Distance to “Come” Cue

How to Train Your Dog Around Distractions

August 12, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Training Your Dog for Distractions

Teaching your dog a new behavior is the easy part! The tough part is practicing your new behavior around many distractions. 🙂

I think it was Bob Bailey saying, “10% of a new behavior is teaching your dog how to do the behavior. 90% is practicing the new behavior around distractions.”

When a pet parent says, “My dog does not listen at the park,” this means more practice at the park.

How to Train Your Dog

Attach a leash to your dog. 🙂

Have a party. Show your dog you are the best and most fun thing around.

o Carry the best treats ever! The really good stuff.

o Reward your dog every two seconds, especially if in a high distraction area, such as a park.

o Use high-pitched tones, such as clapping or verbal “puppy puppy puppy.” It’s best used when dog is distracted. The sound will draw his attention back to you, so click/treat!

o Move away from your dog really fast. Your fast movement is fun and will bring your dog’s attention back to you!

o Keep a hidden tug toy that may pop out for impromptu games. Rotate between treats and tug game if your dog likes to play too!

Start slow. Ask your dog to stay for two seconds instead of 2 minutes in a new situation. Always set your dog up for success or you’ll create a confused dog.

Measuring Success

When training your dog around distractions, what does good look like? When your dog will perform a cue 90% of the time. This means, you say “sit” and your dog immediately (within 2 seconds) puts his behind on the ground 9 out of 10 times. Move to the next step. 🙂

If your dog struggles to reach this criteria, you are moving too fast. Go back one or two steps and try again. This is not your or your dog’s fault. This usually means your dog is too distracted by the distraction. Move slowly and only move to the next step when your dog is successful.

Distraction Check List: Ready, Set, Go!

Begin practicing new behaviors around distractions in the below order. By following each step, your dog will learn to respond to cues quickly!

Your Home
1. Hallway
2. Kitchen
3. Living room with TV playing
Outside Yard
1. Outside yard with kids playing (On leash)
2. Outside yard with kids playing (Off leash)
3. While squirrels are playing (On leash)
4. While squirrels are playing (Off leash)
In Car
During Dog Training Classes
Vet’s Office
1. Waiting area (no dogs -> 1-2 dogs -> several dogs)
2. Inside vet’s exam room
3. While vet is examining your dog
Walking Along Your Street: Always on Leash
1. With no one in park (late evenings work best)
2. While other people are walking around
3. Dogs walking past you and your dog
In a Park: Always on Leash
1. Begin far away from any distractions
2. Move 5 feet closer to distractions (maybe it’s a walking trail with people and dogs)
3. Move even closer (another 5 feet)
4. Practice 3 feet from walking trail
5. Practice on walking trail
6. On trail with other people
7. On trail with other people and dogs
8. 15 feet move children playing (move until dog will perform cue within 3 feet of children’s play area)
Around Guests
1. On leash
2. Off leash

Dog training is like long division mathematics. When you stop practicing, you forget how to do it. Keep practicing and reward often! Happy training!

Now it’s your turn! What other distractions would you add to the list above?

READ ALSO: Come When Called Part 1: Intro

Can Dogs Speak Human?

August 6, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Communicate With a Dog, Don’t Scare Him!

Can dogs understand human behavior? Yes and no. Mostly, humans confuse dogs. Some human behaviors are offensive to dogs, especially when we crowd and insist on petting them. In this guide, we teach you how to better communicate with a dog.

How to Communicate With a Dog

Dos

As a dog approaches you, stand still and turn sideways.

Turning sideways is much more inviting than facing a dog with your body held forward (same for people too!).
Standing still asks the dog to make the first move.

Allow a dog to approach you first.

If a dog ignores you, it’s OK. Do you want to meet and shake hands with everyone in the grocery store? Probably not.
Dogs can engage without physical contact just like when a person nods and then goes about his business. Take the hint and do the same. 🙂

Bend down when attaching your dog’s leash or collar or petting him.

It’s intimidating when someone looms over you. I’m 5’2″ and it’s uncomfortable when this happens. I move away from the person.
Toss treats toward your dog. He learns you equals treats.

RELATED: Dog Socialization Tips

Only pet a dog when he wants to be petted.

Never reach out and sneak a few pats in. Read the dog’s body language if he’s ignoring you. Take the hint! 🙂
If you reach out to pet a dog and he moves away, it’s OK. Most people take this as an insult, but it’s your dog’s way of saying, “Nice to meet you too, but I’m not too sure about this situation.”
Always listen to the dog’s body language, then explain to the pet parent, “Well, she’s not too sure about me, so I’ll respect her space.”

Allow a dog to sniff you before petting him.

When dogs sniff you, they’re deciding if they want to meet you or not.
Just because a dog sniffs you does not mean he wants to be petted. If he moves away from you, do not attempt to pet him.

Provide plenty of space, especially if a dog is fearful or stressed.

Respect a dog’s bubble. We all have space bubbles and some have larger bubbles than others. We dread the guy who gets in your face when talking. He has a small bubble!
If a dog is uncomfortable, take 4 steps away from the dog. Respect the bubble!

Don’ts

How to Interact With Dogs — Good job! Bend down, stand sideways and pet dog’s chest.

While you’re reading these examples, imagine a person doing these things to you. Scary, right?

Stare directly into a dog’s eyes. Instead, look at the dog’s chin or upper neck.

Walk directly toward a dog to pet him.

Reach out and pet a dog you’ve never met before. Allow the dog to approach your hand held by your side.

Greet a dog and pet him on top of the head or face.

Force a dog to meet another person, dog or scary object.

Force your dog to play with other dogs, and it’s clear he isn’t comfortable in that situation. Not all dogs enjoy playing with other dogs. Just like some people don’t like hanging out with a bunch of other people.

Put your face next to your dog’s face (hugging or kissing your dog). In the dog world, this is rude behavior. Remember, dogs smell each others’ butts as greetings. 🙂 If your dog turns his head away or pulls away from you, he doesn’t like it.

Yell or scream at your dog. Dogs don’t know why you’re mad. They live in the moment and act guilty because you’re scaring them. Acting guilty is a combo of stress behaviors.

Play “I’m gonna get you!” game with a dog you’ve never met before. Usually, this involves a person jumping toward a dog, which is very scary to dogs. I’ve seen dogs lunge and attack a person because they were terrified. Dog are fast and have huge teeth, so never tease them.

Chase a scared or stranger dog. Instead, stop, bend down and say “puppy puppy puppy” in a high-pitched voice. Remember, when you’re standing still and squatting down, you’re more approachable and the high-pitched voice will draw the dog toward you.

Take a treat away from a dog. Instead, play the trade game.

Scare your dog by hiding and jumping out, wearing a mask, etc. Your dog learns you’re unpredictable, and this could cause a dog to become aggressive to people.

Can you imagine a person patting you on the head or a stranger walking directly up to you and touching you—yikes, respect the bubble! If you’ve done some of these human behaviors dogs hate, don’t beat yourself up. You did it because you didn’t know any better. 🙂 But now you do! It’s time to try to communicate with your dog again with these tips! Trust me, your dog will thank you!

Now, it’s your turn! How well do you communicate with your dog? What human behaviors have you noticed your dog hates? Please comment below!

Is Your Dog Confused?

August 4, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Confused Dog: Dog Training Tips

If you’re wondering whether or not your dog is confused, the answer is probably yes!

I will say it: it’s our fault when a dog becomes confused. We didn’t give clear instructions. Many teachers are quick to blame their students, but it’s not the students’ fault when they make mistakes. The teacher wasn’t clear enough for the students to understand. Students must be successful within 1-2 attempts. If not, they will become confused.

Don’t allow your dog to make mistakes. If he doesn’t understand within 1-2 attempts, stop and make the next attempt easy. Mistakes are part of the learning process, but too many mistakes cause frustration, which stops the learning process.

What does a confused dog look like?

Confused dogs display many signs, such as:

Become hyperactive
Ignore you and their high value treats
Startle easily
Bark or lunge at other dogs
Lay on the ground and totally ignore you

During group dog training class, when I notice a confused dog, the owners are usually very frustrated at this point. They feel the dogs are blowing them off. I gently explain their dogs are simply confused and they should take a break. If you keep pushing, your dog will shut down completely, and we never want to get this far ever.

What should I do?

When you have a confused dog, remain still and drop 10 treats on the ground for your dog. Take 5 deep breaths and relax for a few minutes. Continue relaxing until you and your dog feel better. Pushing, pulling, tugging or yelling will only make the situation worse.

In a few minutes, your dog will look up at you, so smile and ask your dog to “touch.” Touch is an easy cue, which sets your dog up for success immediately. We all like small wins, right? Now, you and your dog are feeling much better, so you can get started again.

VIDEO: Teach the “Touch” Behavior

How to Prevent Confusing Your Dog Again

Use treats your dog loves! Confused dogs are more forgiving if you’re using fabulous treats. 🙂
Take lots of breaks: Let your dog drink some water, enjoy a quick play session in the backyard or let him sniff outside. Meanwhile, you should sit and relax, drink some water, or read the paper.
Keep dog training sessions short: Think 1-2 mins.
If your dog becomes confused and isn’t successful within 2 attempts, this means it’s too difficult for him to understand. End the dog training session with an easy behavior, such as “touch.” Then, try to simplify the behavior further by breaking it into smaller sections.
- Example 1: Your dog will stay until you step away. This is normal, as your dog has learned that your movement means he’s moving too.
- Instead of stepping away, shift your feet while remaining in the same place.
- When your dog is successful, take one step back and then one step forward, and so on.
- Move at your dog’s pace until he learns “stay” means to remain in this spot while you walk away.

Prevent Learned Helplessness

Learned helplessness is when your dog shuts down, meaning he’s become so discouraged. Make sure to listen to your dog.

It’s your turn! When does your dog become confused?

Choosing the Right Dog Trainer

July 23, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Find a Trainer for Your Dog

How do you pick the right dog trainer for you and your dog?

Dog Trainer Requirements

Use positive reinforcement training. This means he uses treats to reward good behaviors and redirects or ignores bad behaviors. Positive reinforcement works!
Use positive reinforcement on humans too! Basically, dog trainers are teaching you how to train your dog. And if it’s not fun, who wants to do it, right? 🙂
Provide a safe, clean and fun learning environment. Potty accidents must be cleaned immediately. Dogs should not be allowed to bark and growl at each other. Good dog trainers will provide visual barriers to ensure everyone is safe and having fun! If a dog is barking constantly, the dog trainer should be offering the pet parent tips to manage this barking.
Has excellent communication skills. Dog trainers should smile, encourage, ignore mistakes, offer different tips to ensure success. Students should feel comfortable and encouraged.
Understands dogs are individuals. Dogs learn differently, just like humans, so a dog trainer should have plenty of fun ideas in his Dog Trainer Tool Box. He needs to find what works for your dog.
Provides plenty of time to practice behaviors during class. While your dog trainer will explain how to teach a behavior, his stories should be kept to a minimum. About 70% of class time should be focused on practice time.
Shows up on time for each session and is available to answer questions after class.
Helps pet parents meet or exceed their training goals. Dog trainers should check in with each team before, during and after class even if it’s a “thumbs up”or “high five” when they reach their goal 🙂
Leaves you feeling empowered. You must feel successful during and after each class. Fabulous dog trainers strive to ensure you and your dog are always successful.

For additional details, click here.

Locating a Dog Trainer

My advice is to begin searching for dog trainers at Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainers, Karen Pryor Academy, Council of Certified Dog Trainers Database, International Associates of Animal Behavior Consultants, and American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior Consultants.

Interviewing a Dog Trainer

Now that you understand the requirements and have located a dog trainer, it’s time to interview them. It’s best to speak with dog trainers on the phone and ask to observe a class in session. Dog trainers are honored when pet owners ask to observe a class because they can show off their skills. Using your list of dog trainer requirements, observe a group class in session. Are they meeting your requirements? If, at any time, you are not comfortable observing/practicing any techniques, stop and speak with your trainer. I’m empowering you to be your dog’s voice. 🙂

Tell us about your dog trainer in the comment section below!

More: 
Dog Trainer Fanna Easter 
Dog Trainer Karen Pryor 
Dog Training Classes 
Dog Obedience Training