Clicker Training Archives - Page 17 of 46

Ask the Dog Trainer: What Goes on During Service Dog Training?

June 12, 2013

What goes on during a check in with the service dog agency? A lot of talk like “He’s grown so much!,” “Look at those feet!,” and “Show us what he can do.” So we try to show off all the things we’ve worked on over the last month. Things like coming when called, walking past food on the floor, polite walking (walking without pulling on the leash), lack of stress around crowds, ease with and acceptance of trimming nails, grooming, etc.

Schooner didn’t get the memo that it was show-off time. He thought the memo said “social butterfly” time. I tried to show off his really nice front-paws-on-a-box move, but he thought I said “go visit the other dogs.” And he did! And did a darn good job of being the social director of his newfound friendly gang of fellow service pups in training.

Here he is sharing the crate of his fellow Great Dane service pup in-training, Jetty. She didn’t really invite him in, he simply assumed her lack of protest was the open door he’d been looking for all day. (She’s about 3 months younger than Schooner and hasn’t hit her growth spurt yet.)

I gave up on the two-paws demo and moved onto showing how Schooner could recognize his name. I called his name and he looked at every person except me. Yay Schooner! You’re really doing a bang up job of demonstrating your important service dog skills. At this rate, they’re going to take you away from me and send me home sans dog!

We decided it would be better to abandon the training demonstration and visit the mall. He was Mr. Looky-Loo there, as well as walking up to everyone who gave him a sidelong glance. When you’ve got a Great Dane in the mall, many people give you sidelong glances, let me tell you.

We walked the entire mall, pausing at the children’s play area. My husband and I don’t have kids, so it’s quite difficult to expose Schooner to the noise and activity of children. He thought they were a little odd at first — all the yelling and quick movements, but when he found out they had treats (we provided treats to the kids to give to the dogs), he was less suspicious.

It was clear to see that the whole experience had wiped out the two Great Danes. We decided to sit a spell and that’s when we lost the dogs. When I say “lost,” I don’t mean they ran away, of course. I mean they went away to dreamland. Both Danes collapsed on the floor and were asleep in a matter of minutes.

Learning is hard work!

The 3 Essentials for Your Dog: Teach. Play. Love.

June 5, 2013

Everyone knows that dogs need food, water, and
shelter to survive. I’m here to
tell you three more things you can provide for your dog that will take their
life with you from good to GREAT! Your dog needs you to teach, to play, and to love. You’re probably already doing
some of these, but this newsletter will give you new ideas for ways you can
truly meet your dog’s needs.

TEACH.

A little training goes a long way. You don’t need to spend a year in a training class
with your dog (although there are some really fun training classes out there, such as K9
Nose Work which every dog can do,
that’ll make you want to keep going back!).

Most dogs need a class or
two so you can teach them good manners. Good manners are the way dogs get more
freedom in life – the better behaved they are, the more places they can go with
you. The more places they can go, the more fun the two of you can have
together.

Teaching can go beyond (far beyond!) good manners.
You can teach your dog really
useful things like getting you a cool drink from the refrigerator, finding your
car keys, pulling your laundry basket to the washing machine. I’m talking about
really cool tricks!

Don’t stop there! Your dog is capable of learning almost anything. You can teach your
dog how to be calm during veterinary visits, how to accept having his nails
trimmed and his ears cleaned. And all of those things can be taught (and ARE
taught at Smart Dog U) with dog-friendly clicker training.

Smart Dog U works with a service dog agency to
teach dogs how to be service dogs.
These dogs can pick up a credit card and hand it to a cashier, bring the phone,
pick up the remote control, indicate high (or low) blood sugar, and provide
balance to a person. The dogs we work with aren’t any different from your dog –
these dogs start out in Puppy Charm School, move onto K9 Building Blocks, have
a little fun in K9 Nose Work, and then learn even more advanced skills specific
to what service they’ll be providing.

Teaching your dog new things – any new things – is
great for his mind. Teaching new
things can tire your dog out. A thinking dog is a happy dog!

PLAY.

Playing with your dog might seem like a no-brainer. Everyone knows how to play with his or her dog,
right? Yes. And no. Some dogs make it easy to figure out what toys they prefer
and what games they like to play. But what happens when your dog tires of that
game or that toy? Then what?

There are some really fun and interactive toys
available to pet parents these days.
Twenty years ago, we had to be creative and inventive– there weren’t many
options on the supermarket shelves for dog toys. From toys that can be filled with
food to toys you can make
at home, the options are as varied as they are plentiful.

Some dogs enjoy learning new games to play. Instead of fetch, try hiding your dog’s toy – see
if he can use his nose as well as he can use his eyes. If your dog loves to
retrieve, get a “Chuck-It.”
It’ll launch the tennis ball a lot farther than you can throw it
yourself – and it’ll give your dog a lot more exercise, too.

If your dog is young, healthy and active, see if
your dog is interested in agility.
Agility is sort of like an obstacle course for dogs. There are tunnels made out
of fabric, jumps (tire jumps, jumps with bars, etc.), A-frames, poles that the
dog weaves in and out, and all kinds of fun stuff. You can make your own
equipment, too. Until the agility bug bites you and you need to find
competition-grade equipment!

The best part about play is that it’s fun for both
you and the dog. And that’s what it’s all about.

LOVE.

This one’s easy – you wouldn’t have a dog if you
didn’t love him. But we go past the basic love idea. We’re talking about
things that go past just the emotion and get deeper into how you can keep that
dog you’re crazy in love with healthy and happy for as long as possible.

Safety falls under the Love category. Do you
know what common
household items are toxic to your dog? Know these items, know the symptoms,
and know
what to do. You’ll also want to program this number into your cell phone
contacts: 888-426-4435 (ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center).

Health is a big rock in the Love category. Lots
of people equate food and treats to love. If you do this, you could be loving
your dog to death, literally. Do you know how many calories a day your dog
needs? Do you know what an overweight dog looks like? Is your dog at his ideal
weight? If he’s not, you can help him find his svelte and athletic figure
again. Ask your veterinarian to show you the Body
Condition Chart and help you identify where your dog is on that chart.
Getting your dog’s weight into the normal range can be the best way to love
your dog. Put the treat down! Go out and take your dog for a walk! That’s
something both of you will love and it’s good for your dog’s waistline (and
yours, too)!

Teach. Play. Love.

Applying even one of the ideas in this article can
help you and your dog have a happier life together. All of the ideas are easy. They’re all fun. And
they’re sure to enhance the bond and the joy you share with your dog. Have fun
with your dog – he’ll love you for it.

What do you do with your dog to teach, play, or love? Share your experiences with a comment below!

Service Dog Training: 5-Month Old Puppy Training Goals

May 6, 2013

It’s hard to believe how quickly Schooner is growing up! Just a few weeks ago it seems, he was but a wee little pup!

Physically, he’s growing at an astounding rate. Mentally, he’s taking big leaps as well (thankfully!).

I just completed his five-month old questionnaire for the service dog organization and was amazed at all the things this boy knows (and is in the process of learning).

If you have a puppy, your pup is also able to accomplish all these things. Schooner is just a regular puppy, he has no special intelligence or skills. So if you’re looking for more to teach your pup than just sits, downs, and loose leash walking, take a look at Schooner’s list for inspiration.

By five months, Schooner is expected to be at least working on all of these. Some of these he should already be pretty good at.

Don’t worry, it’s not all work for Schooner. In fact, it’s usually a lot more play than work! As you can see from this picture, we take lots of training breaks and field trips where he can let it all hang out and be a regular pup. Here he’s trying to figure out just how those two dogs got all the way out there (they jumped off the dock and swam) and whether he’s brave enough to try this amazing feat (he wasn’t — at least not that day).

Watch me (look at me when I call his name once)
Auto check in (looking at me frequently just to “check in”)
Leave it (don’t touch it) with food in a closed hand, open hand, on the floor, and while walking past the food on the floor
Touch (his nose to my hand or lid) from 1′ or 2′ (or farther if possible)
Touch that object when it’s affixed to the wall
Loose leash walking (polite walking without pulling)
Recall (come when called) in the house, outside, away from play
Sit (in front, on my left, and on my right)
Down (in front, on my left, and on my right)
Stay (from either a sit or a down, to hold that position)
Release (tells the dog when they can get up or move or quit the behavior they were doing)
Meet and greet (meet people and dogs without pulling on the leash or jumping)
Look at that (dog will look at a distraction when asked) By asking the dog to look at something, we are getting rid of the startle/bark, and also getting the dog’s attention back on us while letting them check out the distracting thing)
Mat (go to your mat and lay down)
Kennel (run to your crate, go in, and lay down)
Up/Off (put your paws up onto something, take your paws off something). Can also mean get up onto something (onto the bed, for instance) or get off of something
Back beside handler (helpful especially for a large dog so they are easily maneuverable in tight spaces like hallways, trains, restaurants, etc.)
Back in front of handler (helpful when the dog has gone through a door first, turned to check on the handler, then needs to move backwards for the person to come through the door)
Go in (dog goes under table and lays down)
Wait (dog waits at the gate, door, etc. for the signal to go through)
Over (roll over)
Shake (fun trick) — dog offers his paw when asked
Hurry up (dog goes to the bathroom). This is really handy when the handler needs to go into a public place and needs the dog to empty before entering the building or meeting.

In upcoming posts, I’ll dissect each of these a bit more and give you tips on how to teach them and why they’d be helpful for you to teach your pup. Even older dogs can learn how to do these things. They’re fun to teach, and helpful for you to use. What have you got to lose?!

What cool things have you taught your puppy to do? Leave a comment below and share with us and the readers!

Lessons on Dog Training from ClickerExpo

March 11, 2013

ClickerExpo (CE) is a fantastic conference where animal training and behavior experts converge. We talk about horses, assistance dogs, birds, and of course, pet dogs and their people. This year was CE’s 10th anniversary and there were lots of special topics, surprises, and guests.

Tango and I (left) presented at Expo together this year — we’ve done it once before and I really enjoy the chance to take the stage with Tango. He soothes the frayed nerves, the trouble with the microphone, the pressure to get the talk delivered within the allotted time — all the things that go along with presenting.

I can’t count the new things I learned at CE, that’s how much I learned. And I go to this conference every year! That’s how good it is and how much new research is conducted each year.

My epiphanies came from several sources and many of them hooked up with one another even though they came from different lectures and from different topics. That’s you know it’s really good — when different speakers lead you to the same place.

Both Ken Ramirez and Kay Laurence talked about the true nature of dogs and how some pet owners really just want a stuffed animal. The owners don’t want their dog to jump. Or bark. Or dig. Or pull on the leash. But every one of those behaviors is natural dog behavior. And — even worse — we (the ones who don’t want the behavior in the first place) actually reward the very behavior we say we don’t want.

Example: The dog jumps, so we look him in the eye, push him off, and tell him he’s a bad dog. Instead of getting rid of the behavior, we just made sure that behavior will come ’round again. We rewarded the dog for jumping. Yet, we’ll push him harder and yell louder the next time. And when that doesn’t work, we may actually get physical with the dog and knee him, pinch his toes, or — heaven forbid — get a shock collar to “teach” the dog. And really, when you get right down to it, WE’VE reinforced the jumping, yet now the dog will pay.

I was thrilled to watch Kay Laurence’s “Connected Walking” seminar where she relies on nothing more than silence and warm affection to teach the dog to connect with his owner so they can both enjoy the walk together. This requires some adjustment on the human’s part. Quite a bit of adjustment, actually. For connected walking to happen, the dog needs to care that the human is at the other end of the leash. To get here, the human has to change his (or her) expectations.

The first thing to get tossed is the idea that the walk is for the human. N-O, no, says Kay. The notion of going for a walk should be for the dog’s enjoyment and enrichment. Taking time to smell the fence posts, the sign posts, the fire hydrants, the bushes, the pile of poo — THAT’S what a walk is all about. Not about walking at your side, devotedly staring into your eyes.

I’ve advocated for sniff-walks for years now. My dogs get to lead the way on our walks. Because the walks are for them! If I need exercise, I’ll go by myself and really step it off. Not hurrying my dog from one bush to the next, pulling and tugging on his collar to get him to move it along.

No way! If I’m walking for me, I’ll walk by myself.

Kay’s analogy goes like this: what if someone kept your iPhone from you all day, save for 15 minutes three times a day. And then, when you were in the middle of checking your email, they’d take your iPhone away after you read the subject line? How satisfied would you be with that setup?

Not very.

Neither are our dogs when we herd and pull them from one “doggie email” to another.

I came home with lots of ideas for new articles, so stay tuned for lots of blog posts referencing CE!

Three Must Have’s (From My Perspective)

March 6, 2013

I’m a practical girl; I don’t want a lot of stuff taking up space. If I have something, it’s because I use it.
A lot. This article was born when I realized that over the past year, I’ve
found myself recommending the same things to clients, both in-home training and
in my group classes. These are the things I simply couldn’t live without,
things I use every day with my own dogs. This month, I’ll give you an inside
look at the three things I can’t live without (and I recommend you don’t live
without them either).

Food Stuffed Toy

Why it’s on the list: Inexpensive, easy to
use, used every day, solves many problems (or prevents problems from
developing)

Specifics: The two I use the
most are Kong and Busy Buddy. They come in all kinds of sizes, colors and
shapes. Some you can stuff with gooey things (Kong and Busy Buddy Squirrel
Dude) — and even freeze to make it more challenging for your dog — and others
can replace your dog’s food bowl (check out Kong Wobbler, Busy Buddy’s Magic
Mushroom for two “food bowl replacements).

Why you should have it: You can’t find a
better tool to teach your dog to love the crate (another tool I can’t live
without) than a food stuffed toy. The crate becomes the delivery spot for all
things food-stuffed! After just a few deliveries, your dog will start to run to
the crate as soon as you prepare his toy!

This is also a great way to teach your dog how to enjoy being alone. A
dog focused on his food stuffed toy won’t also be barking and worried that
you’re away from the house (or in a different room). If you need some alone
time (yes, even I occasionally need some time away from my dogs — to work on
this article, for instance), give your dog a food stuffed toy and enjoy the
silence and dog-free-ness. This is a great solution for both you and the
dog. Wanna know how to stuff one? Check this short video
out.

Wondering how to teach your dog to enjoy and unload a food-stuffed
toy? Put a little bit of peanut butter,
cream cheese, or yogurt just inside
the opening and show it to your dog. You may need to hold the toy for him at
first, until he gets the hang of it. Make it super-easy at first, so the dog
understands very quickly just how rewarding the toy is.

Crate

Why it’s on the list: effectiveness,
solves many problems (or prevents problems from developing), occasionally not
an option (injured dog, veterinary stays, grooming appointments, boarding,
etc.)

Specifics: There are several
types of crates: hard sided (airline) crates, soft (fabric) crates, and metal
(wire) crates. My favorite crate (for a dog that’s comfortable being crated) is
the soft crate because it’s light and easy to move (great for traveling with
your dog).

Why you should have it: A crate helps keep
your dog out of trouble. Your dog can’t chew the sofa, pee on the rug, or get
into your closet to chew your shoes if he’s in his crate. I couldn’t raise a
puppy without a crate — the crate is both a playpen for the pup, as well as a
house-training assistant. It’s also where the pup relaxes, eats his meals, and
enjoys his food stuffed toy. All good things come from the crate.

The crate can be mandatory if your dog is recovering from an injury.
Crate rest is often prescribed for dogs recovering from surgery. The crate
limits your dog’s mobility and increases the chances of a quicker recovery.
Often, boarding kennels may require that your dog be crate-savvy so they can
ensure your dog’s safety. Sometimes, groomers will hold your dog in a crate
either before or after grooming, so it’s very important that your dog is
comfortable with crating.

If your dog hasn’t ever been in a crate before or has a bad
association with the crate, use the food stuffed toy to help him discover that
the crate contains all things fabulous. Feed your dog’s meals in the crate,
deliver all treats and food stuffed toys to the crate. Check out how much this dog loves the crate!

Clicker

Why it’s on the list: it’s crazy
effective. This is the primary way I teach all my dogs, client’s dogs, and
service dogs their good manners and skills.

Specifics: There are a couple
types of clickers out there — different sizes and types, and some are softer
than others. It’s really a matter of personal preference (which one feels
better in your hand, and which one your dog prefers).

Why you should have it: Put simply, there’s
no easier or faster way to teach your dog good manners than with a clicker. The
clicker tells your dog when he’s doing something right and that he’s earned a
reward. As soon as your dog figures out that when you click, he gets a treat,
he’s on board immediately, trying to get you to click him. Because he’s trying
to get you click, that means he’s trying to do what you want him to do. Right
away, you and the dog are on the same page, trying to reach the same goal. No
more fighting with your dog! Here’s a great example of a dog learning to wait at the gate with the clicker.

There you have it: the three tools I don’t live without and the tools
I recommend most often to my clients. They’re all relatively cheap and worth
every penny in the problems they prevent and the solutions they provide.

Is there something on YOUR list of things you can’t live without?
Leave a comment and let us know!

Dog Training: How to Teach Your Dog Self Control

January 15, 2013

One of the things on Monti’s list of things to learn is self control. Self control doesn’t come naturally to dogs (or to people, for that matter). It’s something that we need to teach our dogs. One of the easiest and fastest ways to help your dog learn self control is to start when your dog is young. The younger the better!

Self control can be taught without any fancy tools (no clicker, no food, no special collars). One of my favorite ways to teach self control to young dogs is to let them figure out that they can get the attention they so desperately seek if (and only if) they put their bum on the ground.

You can do this at home with your dog! Here’s how:

Hold your dog on his leash (or fasten their leash to a piece of furniture, the back of a doorknob, something sturdy).
Have someone walk up to your dog, but remain about 1′ – 2′ away from where your dog can reach the helper.
You and your helper shall remain silent. Silent. Shhhh…
The instant your dog’s bum touches the ground, your helper will move in and pet your dog (in a calm, quiet way).
If the dog stands up, that’s ok, your helper can continue to pet your dog.
If the dog puts his paws on your helper, your helper instantly leaves. And leaves silently. No words, just turn and go.

As your dog realizes that he makes the person come closer or go away, you’ll see your dog start to exert some self control. Because your dog is the one that can make you (or your guest, someone on the sidewalk, whatever) come closer, your dog will give you immediate buy-in. It’s so different than “making” your dog sit to be petted. It’s so much faster to let your dog be in control of whether or not the person approaches.

Try it at home, then come back and leave a comment to let me know how it worked. We do this in our Puppy Charm School class and everyone is amazed at how quickly their pups are sitting when people approach (without ever having to ask!).

Menu

Clicker Training

Subscribe to Email Updates

What People Are Saying