by Positive Dog | Dec 13, 2019 | General Training
What does your pup/dog do that you wish they didn’t do?  
Much of dog or puppy training is helping them set good habits. To a dog, squirrel chasing is a fun activity, but in the human world this can be an annoying and dangerous habit.
Barking at the mail delivery person, running off to visit other dogs, counter surfing – these are all habits many dogs find super fun.
A Dangerous HabitÂ
At about 6 months old, my sweet adorable puppy decided that running away from me and herding horses was the most fun thing in the world. This was extremely dangerous. At about her age, one of our other dogs was run over by a horse and ended up with a very badly broken leg. *We did not own Maxi when her accident happened.
Reinforcement Drives Behaviour
In order to stop this dangerous habit, I needed to prevent Jubilee from herding horses and receiving the thrill and adrenaline rush she now associated with it.
Step 1. Management
Jubilee had zero free access to the yard while I worked on this issue. Her exercise was elsewhere or on a long line. Near the horses, she was always leashed.
Step 2. New Habits and Incompatible Behaviours
Every day while I cleaned the paddocks and the horses were busy eating at a distance, Jubilee came with me (on leash). She practiced simply lying down while I shoveled. I set up the horses at a feeding station far enough away for Jubilee to be successful. Because they were eating, the horses mostly stood still which made the challenge easier.
Next we played fetch on a long line in the paddock. This is a fun game that is incompatible with chasing horses.  In addition, we practiced playing fetch as we walked past or near the paddocks.
A New History of Reinforcement
With time and patience, Jubilee now expects to play fetch or settle beside me when near horses. Her new habit is to look to me for an opportunity to play.
Dogs usually look for pathways to reinforcement. By using boundaries and incompatible alternate behaviours, Jubilee’s anticipated pathway to reinforcement became looking to me.
“To make anything a habit, do it; to not make it a habit, do not do it; to unmake a habit, do something else in place of it.” ~Epictetus
by Positive Dog | Sep 1, 2018 | General Training
Regularly, and again in the last few weeks, social media has been swamped with posts about why you should not allow your dog to meet other dogs while on leash. They usually show a powerful info-graphic and use compelling language.
I’m here to say that if you like letting your dog greet other dogs on-leash, you are not a bad person or a bad dog owner!
There are exceptions, but in general, the average friendly dog can learn to be safe and polite when greeting other dogs on leash.
Dogs with Social Issues
If you have a dog with reactivity or anxiety issues or one that has been in dog fights on-leash, this post is not meant for you. If you have that dog and want him to learn to greet other dogs on leash, please consult with a certified positive reinforcement trainer.
Safety
In the real world, sometimes dogs are not under control and will run up to you and your dog. I don’t want my dog to be scared by a dog approaching. I want my dog to think this is normal and to calmly say hi or look to me for guidance. Dogs who are never allowed to greet on-leash may not have good social skills to deal with these situations.
If you and your dog enjoy meeting other people and dogs on your walks, here is how to do it safely and politely!
Polite greetings
If we are going to allow our dogs to greet each other on leash, we must teach our dogs to be polite when approaching other dogs and to disengage when we ask them to.
Step one is impulse control. Just because you see a dog, it doesn’t mean you get to sniff them. 90% of the time, don’t allow your dog to visit that other dog. Instead, use positive reinforcement (cookies, pats, and praise) to teach your dog to sit calmly while other dogs walk past.
Once you have a calm and attentive dog who can sit while other dogs pass, continue to the next step.
3 second rule
Imagine two people meeting and shaking hands. How long does a handshake last? 2-3 seconds is polite. We teach our dog the same rule. Say hello politely, then disengage after 2-3 seconds.
Choose a calm well behaved looking dog whose owner is looking at you in a friendly way. ALWAYS ask if it ok if the dogs meet. Not all dogs want to be visited.
Assuming the other owner says yes, give your dog verbal permission to “Go Say Hi” and wave them forward. In your head count 1-one-thousand, 2-one-thousand, 3-one-thousand. Call your dog back to you for a cookie and praise. You may need to use a little gentle leash pressure at first. If your dog can sit calmly again, you can give permission for him to “Go Say Hi” again.  If you see any signs of stress from either dog, you should call your dog away sooner and not re-engage.   You can, and should, practice this with dogs and people your dog already knows.
Here is a great page to review stress signalsÂ
What if, when you give permission to “Go Say Hi”, your dog charges in rudely? This can scare the other dog or owner, and it simply isn’t polite. For these dogs, first work some obedience near the other dogs. Is your dog relaxed enough to give you eye contact, practice sits and downs, shake a paw, or perform any other tricks he knows? If not, work on that first.  If your dog still greets rudely, find a certified positive reinforcement trainer in your area to help you. I help a lot of clients teach their dogs to be polite greeters!
It is ok to be social
In general, humans are social creatures. In general, dogs are social creatures. As long as everyone is polite and happy about the situation, it is absolutely ok to socialize with other people and dogs if you and your dog enjoy doing so.
Note: Professional Dog Competitors
Professional dog trainers and active competitors live in a world where, in theory, all dogs are under control, people give each other space, and dogs are given plenty of other stimulation, exercise, and social opportunities. These dogs do not need to meet on leash, and it can be dangerous to allow amped up, high drive dogs to meet face to face in their training/competing environments. In general, please do not allow your dog to approach a dog at an agility, conformation, or flyball competition unless you know the other owner and dog well.
by Positive Dog | Dec 20, 2017 | General Training
Do you have a distracted dog? It takes some time and patience, but it’s not so hard to train them to want to pay attention.Â
People often tell me that when there are distractions, their dog doesn’t pay attention to them, won’t come when called, won’t sit when told to, etc.  One of the main games I play with my dogs, and with dogs I am training, is to teach THEM to offer attention. I don’t want to nag or beg the dog to pay attention to me, I want the dog to be the one checking in.
This is a basic foundation skill, not one you just play at the dog park.
To start teaching this skill, have some cookies or a toy on you, but do not engage your dog. When he looks at you, say ‘yes’ or click if using a clicker, and reward your dog with a cookie or a game of tug. If your dog is glued to you because you are super awesome and he knows you have cookies and his fave toy, toss a cookie away and tell your pooch to go get it. After he eats it, he will likely come looking for you again. As soon as he looks at you, say ‘yes’ or click and reward. Repeat. It’s that simple.
TIPS:
- If your dog is easily distracted and just learning this game, hold the leash in the middle, not at the end. Your dog can EARN the length of the leash by being attentive.
- Your dog will learn faster if you have A+ rewards like chicken meat, little bits of steak, etc. Â
- If your dog simply stares at you waiting for the cookies, be sure you are not standing there with your hand in your pocket or cookies in your hand. This is called ‘luring’ or bribing your dog – and it doesn’t work! The cookies or toy should be in a pocket or bait pouch and your hand should not reach for the reward until AFTER you say ‘yes’ or click to mark him looking at you.
Take the game outside.
Put your dog on leash. Hopefully he is well mannered and sits politely for you to open the front door, if not, work on that! =) When you give him permission to exit the house, take a step outside yourself and wait. How long will it take for him to stop pulling on the leash, scanning the environment, and look at you? Just wait!
Resist the urge to call his name, make little chirping noises, or jiggle the leash. Put the ball in his court. Nothing fun will happen until he looks at you. When he does, say ‘yes’ or click and reward with a super awesome reward. You might not want to start walking yet. Repeat this game, waiting until your dog stays focused on you, then start walking. If he immediately races to the end of the leash distracted by the world, simply stop and wait.
We go for walks together, mentally in sync.
Make this game a way of life.Â
This is one of my foundation games for any new puppy or dog. Everywhere we go, everything we do – we play this game. Gradually play this game in more and more distracting environments. Play this game before you let your dog off leash to run in a field, visit doggy friends, etc. Make offered attention how your dog EARNS the things he would like in life.
Once your dog is a pro, you can ask for more – attention AND a nice sit by your side… but don’t ask for calculus before you have taught Kindergarten!
Check out some of our other foundation skills:
