Top 10 Puppy Training Tips

August 14, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Puppy Training Guide

Your puppy is an open learning funnel and training this learning funnel is key to your dog’s success. The puppy learning funnel closes around 16 weeks of age. Implement these 10 puppy tips the moment your puppy is welcomed into his new home. We’ll train your puppy to learn the importance of polite manners from the beginning. Taking the time to train your dog or puppy is what sets everyone up for success!

1. Enroll in Puppy Class (Using Positive Reinforcement)

After your puppy’s first set of puppy vaccinations, enroll yourself and your puppy into a Positive Puppy Group Class. Choose a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement. This means no yelling, pushing, yanking or pulling your puppy around. During classes, choose treats your dog loves!

2. Socialize Your Puppy

Puppies are sponges until 16 weeks of age so show them the world now. Introduce them to friendly strangers, cars passing by, loud sounds and so on. Ask friendly strangers to give your puppy treats. Your puppy will learn people are fun.

3. Create a Set Potty and Play Schedule

This is a dog training secret! A set schedule provides reminders so your puppy is given plenty of opportunities to potty. We live busy lives and forget it’s been hours since our puppies have had a chance to potty. Two- to three-month-old puppies can only hold it for a couple of hours max! Place the schedule on your refrigerator for quick reference. Also, all members of your family should follow this schedule.

4. Participate in Supervised Puppy Play Time

Supervised dog training means a professional dog trainer is monitoring puppy play at all times, and it’s a great way for puppies to learn dog etiquette. Supervised sessions invite puppies under 5 months old and allow a maximum of 10 puppies to play at one time. This ensures everyone has a positive experience. Stay away from dog parks, as no one is monitoring play sessions (no one with professional experience, that is). This is the #1 reason dogs become aggressive, as they are bullied by an adult dog and learn other dogs are unpredictable.

5. Crate Train

Your dog’s crate is his sanctuary. He feels safe and can relax in his crate so make it fun to be in his crate. Feed meals in his crate and provide special food stuffed toys to enjoy while relaxing in his crate.

6. Have Patience (Mistakes Will Happen)

Mistakes are part of the learning process. Have patience and invest in a good enzyme cleaner for potty mistakes and follow your set schedule. If teaching your puppy a new behavior, setbacks happen so stop and figure out what caused the mistake and vow not to let it happen again. If your puppy makes multiple mistakes, they may be confused.

7. Teach the Trade Game

Never chase a dog or puppy if he has something in his mouth. As you show your puppy a piece of cheese, say, “Trade.” When he drops the item, pick up the item and give him the cheese. After a week or two of practice, your puppy will learn to drop items when he hears the “trade” cue. This method will not reinforce your dog to pick up random items in hopes of trading. Rather, he is rewarded for dropping the item for cheese. 🙂

8. Keep Training Sessions Short (1-2 mins)

Practice once or twice daily and keep sessions to 1-2 minutes long. Even if your puppy is doing well, end the session. Use a timer or count out 5 treats and practice until these treats are gone. Puppies’ attention spans are limited for right now so keep it short and fun.

9. Teach Him to Enjoy Body Handling

Puppies are sponges so teach them to enjoy body handling now. Click/treat as you touch his ear, paw, tummy, look in his mouth, lift his tail, touch a toenail, pick him up or restrain him with a hug (preparing for vet visits).

Click and treat your puppy during vet visits with a goal of using 60 tiny treats while the vet is examining your puppy. Give your puppy 5 treats in a row while he’s getting a puppy shot. 🙂

VIDEO: Body Handling

10. Prevent Puppy Biting

Puppy teeth on human skin is not allowed so squeak the moment you feel his teeth touch your skin. The squeak tells your puppy this hurts you. Then, reward your puppy when he removes his teeth from your skin. Also, if your puppy is really excited, wiggle a toy next to your body. This redirects him from your skin and onto a toy.

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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?

Supervised Dog Tethering

July 29, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Tethering Dogs

Supervised tethering is an invaluable dog training tool and can be used for potty training and teaching your dog new skills, such as calm behavior.

What is Supervised Tethering?

Tethering means to connect a dog to a stationary object (wall mount, your body or heavy furniture) using a 4- to 6-foot leash. Supervised tethering means you are always able to visually watch your dog.

Connect to dog. Attach tether to dog’s flat buckle collar or body harness. I prefer using a body harness so the dog is comfortable. Never use a slip collar, which can choke your dog.
Tether. Use non-chewable materials, such as cable cord or thin chain leashes with a snap on one end and hand loop on the other end. Long tethers (longer than six feet) are cumbersome, tangle easily and become caught on furniture.
Stationary Object
- Wall mount. Chose an eye hook mount and drill in a wall. Always drill into a wall stud for maximum strength.
- Heavy piece of furniture, especially useful if you are sitting on it, which provides additional weight.
- Your body. Try leash around your waist or tether to a belt loop. I prefer to use a hands-free leash combo, which attaches the leash to a built-in belt designed to fit most people.

How to Use a Tether

You’ll need a clicker, lots of yummy pea-sized treats, your dog’s favorite chew stick or a food stuffed toy.

Click/treat while snapping the tether to your dog’s harness. Your dog learns it’s fun to be tethered.
Reward your dog when the leash is loose (he is not pulled against the tether).
When tethered, always provide a favorite chew stick or food stuffed toy so your dog learns that tethering means yummy stuff!
If your dog barks or whines while wearing his tether, ask him to sit instead and unsnap the tether. Never unsnap a tether when your dog is barking or whining. He will learn to bark and whine until you remove the tether. 🙂
When your dog is tethered to you, call his name before you begin moving. This will teach your dog to focus attention (by using his name) and prevent you from pulling your dog around.

For safety concerns, never leave your dog alone when tethered (either indoors or outdoors).

When left alone, your dog can chew through the tether and escape.
Tethers can wrap around your dog’s body and cause major damage. I’ve witnessed dogs jumping over furniture and hanging themselves.
When leaving your dog alone, put him in his crate with a food stuffed toy.

When to Use Supervised Tethering

Potty Training

Pet owner learns puppy’s cue for “I need to potty”: If your puppy becomes squirmy or stares at you, bring him outside. Your puppy will learn to cue you by staring at you that he needs to potty.
Tethering provides supervision, which prevents your puppy from wandering off and pottying in inappropriate places.
Tether dog while everyone is in the same room, such as eating in the dining room or watching a movie in the family room. This prevents potty accidents, your dog wandering off and your dog chewing on inappropriate objects.
I recommend tethering in conjunction with crate training. When I leave, my dogs are in their crates. When I’m home and need to supervise a puppy, I tether him to me or furniture. This provides plenty of opportunities to learn calm behavior outside of his crate.

RELATED: Housebreaking a Puppy

Teaching Self-Control (It Pays to Be Calm)

When watching TV, tether your dog near you, preferably to the chair you are sitting in.
Click and treat when dog is calm, chews on his favorite chew stick or enjoys a food stuffed toy.
If your dog gets up and pulls on the tether, ignore him. When your dog stops pulling on the tether, click and give him a treat.
Every night, while watching TV, tether your dog, so he will learn to settle down while you are settling in for the night too.

Multiple Dog Environments

One dog harasses the other dog: Tether the dog doing the harassing dog. This works perfectly for a young puppy, which constantly harasses an older dog.
- Example: Sobek (large puppy) would chase Stella (small adult dog), trying to elicit a play session. Stella refused to play and preferred a nap instead. I tethered Sobek to my chair, provided him a wonderful food stuffed toy and clicked/treated when he did not pull on his tether. Sobek learned calm behavior is more rewarding than harassing Stella for a play session. Plus Sobek learned to enjoy being calming instead of relishing the excitement of hyperactivity!
Two hyperactive dogs: Tether both dogs. However, separate them by tethering them across the room from each other. Use visual barriers, so they cannot see each other. Examples of visual barriers could be furniture, a person sitting in between, etc.

More Tethering Options

Tether your dog while eating dinner. This will eliminate begging at the table.
If your dog likes to dash out an open door, tether him.
Your dog bugs you for attention, tether him.
Dog jumps up on guests, tether him.

Are Tethers Forever?

Nope! Tethers are a tool used to teach your dog polite behaviors. Once your dog learns how and can remain calm, then discontinue use of tethers. Dogs should earn privileges, which means if they remain calm, then no tether. If they begin harassing a resident dog or sneaking off and causing mischief, they are tethered until they learn calm behavior pays.

Now it’s your turn! How can you use tethering to teach polite behaviors? Comment in the section below. I want to hear from you!

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