News Archives - Smart Dog University

Introducing Service Puppy in-Training, Rogan

April 3, 2018

Introducing Service Puppy in-Training, Rogan

Welcome, Rogan!

We’re back in the world of raising service puppies again! I promised our seniors (Nemo, Lily, and Tango — service dog dropouts themselves) that as they entered their “golden years,” they could retire from helping us raise service puppies. Levi was the last service dog we raised. We picked him up in January 2014 — four years ago since a service puppy in-training was in our house!

yellow Labrador, yellow Lab, service dog in training — Day 1

Sadly, we lost all four of our dogs over about a year and we found ourselves with an empty house. We brought on sweet Walter, a pup I’m raising for a client. And then, given the news of our (almost) empty house, a service dog organization asked us if we could raise a pup for them again. Adventurous is how you might describe us, and we said “Of course!”

There were eight puppies in Rogan’s litter. I wasn’t sure whether our pup would be a yellow or a black. I was ambivalent — I just lost the love of my life yellow Labrador, Tango. I was torn between really wanting another yellow in the house and being terrified that a yellow would come live with us. Obviously, Rogan is a yellow. It took a few days for me to adjust to another yellow in the house. He’s very different (of course) than Tango was which makes his presence in our house a lot easier for me and my heart.

yellow Lab, yellow Labrador, service puppy in training, service dog in training — Nap time

Needless to say, Walter is thrilled to have a young playmate. And we love having two dogs in the house together. While I don’t love the idea of litter mates, Walter and Rogan are seven weeks apart which means less risk of co-dependence and the other problems that come along with litter mates. We are, of course, also working hard to ensure that these puppies learn how to be independent and enjoy frequent people-time, as well. They are great playmates and entertainment for one another. These two tire one another out in a way that we never could.

yellow Labrador, yellow Lab, service puppy in training, service dog in training — A little “me” time.

Rogan’s training

Rogan’s training has already begun. Puppies are capable of learning so much that we start right away at eight weeks. These pups actually started their learning prior to going to their puppy raiser homes. They all learned to sit for whatever they wanted from any human. How, you ask, do you teach a litter of eight puppies to sit?! Simple: wait for it to happen, then reinforce it when it happens. What does this look like in real life? When it’s feeding time (or visiting time), the puppies get a morsel of food as soon as their rump hits the floor. They learn fast: all that stands between them and a piece of food (or some human affection and attention) is to put their rump on the floor! And it’s a whole lot easier to sit than it is to jump!

It’s important for any dog, but particularly a service dog, to learn that behavior has consequences. One of Rogan’s first training lessons was an “attention” session. I used part of his breakfast to teach Rogan that looking at me earned him a small part of his breakfast. I sat on the floor, clicker in hand, and simply waited for Rogan to look in my direction. The instant he did, I clicked and reached to give him a piece of his breakfast. The click tells him exactly what he’s doing to earn the goodie. I do a little bit of this everyday and it’s amazing how quickly Rogan voluntarily looks at me — not just in a training session, but whenever he’s not sure what to do.

There will be many lessons coming up for Rogan. Stay tuned, I’ll post updates and adventures here!

Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking? – Guest Post

November 22, 2017

Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking?

Guest Post by Hannah Branigan of WonderPups Training.

It’s our lucky day, folks. One of my very good friends, Hannah, has written a piece for Smart Dog U’s blog. Hannah’s a self-professed dog nerd, a brilliant trainer, and a wickedly funny person. If you haven’t caught her podcast, Drinking from the Toilet, make sure you head there after you read this. You can thank me later. Without further adieu, heeeeeere’s Hannah!

Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking?

Surely, there can’t be much.

Potato-potahto, right?

Not necessarily.

Depending on your goals and needs with your dog, heeling and loose leash walking can be two totally different behaviors with different functions.

Both are potentially useful in everyday situations and also in competition. And here’s the cool part… with training, ANY dog can learn to do both versions. It’s just behavior!

These two behaviors have a lot of things in common.

With both heeling and loose leash walking, the dog should stay (more or less) beside the handler, matching the handler’s direction and speed. You stop when I stop, you go when I go. In both cases, that requires a certain amount of the dog’s attention to stay with the handler, so that he can adjust his behavior based on the handler’s movement.

So in both cases, the handler’s body movements act as cues to the dog. The way you move your body, shifting your weight, turning your head and such, predict which direction you are about to go. And that acts as information, aka a “cue,” to tell the dog what he needs to do to stay close to you. You’ve already experienced this at home anytime you start walking toward the kitchen. Your dog can read the very smallest of movements that indicate you are about to head toward the refrigerator, and that is VERY important information for dogs to have.

The primary difference between heeling and loose leash walking lies in the level of precision, and thus how closely and quickly the dog must respond to those movement cues and adjust his behavior. The relative intensity of these two different behaviors is reflected in the mechanics of how the behaviors are performed (how the dog uses his body to meet criteria). The “heeling” dog is tightly coiled, ready to respond instantly, and so he carries his body differently and changes the way he moves in order to be able to quickly change direction.

As sort of a side note, this means there are also significant differences in the duration of performance… how long the dog is expected/able to maintain the behavior. Typically, loose leash walking is performed for a MUCH longer period of time… 30 minutes or an hour, easily, where heeling is usually performed in shorter, intense bursts of 30 seconds to a minute, maybe 2 minutes, at a time.

heeling, loose leash walking, walking dog, dog walk, loose leash walking, clicker training, Smart Dog University, Smart Dog, Frederick When we take the dog for a walk (you know, just a normal dog walk) around the neighborhood, we mainly want to relax and get a little exercise and enrichment for ourselves and our pups. So functionally, we need a behavior that keeps the dog within a 6ft radius of us as we go along, and keeps the dog from tripping us as we walk.

Generally, staying to one side, and responding to turns or stops within a couple steps, is plenty to meet our needs. So the dog needs to have enough awareness of the handler to register a change of direction within a second or so, but the rest of the brain can be in chill-out mode. Since the human is usually in chill-out mode at the same time, this usually works pretty well. We aren’t making any sudden changes that would require the dog to stay particularly vigilant.

heeling, dog training, clicker training, Smart Dog University, Smart Dog, dog training, Frederick Heeling is a lot more “expensive” for the dog because he has to really focus tightly on the handler to maintain a precise position and change direction and speed almost simultaneously. With heeling, we want the dog to stay within a SINGLE INCH of the same position relative to the handler. So if the dog’s collar is level with the handler’s kneecap, that collar should never drift more than an inch ahead or behind, or closer or further away. It should be as if there is an invisible, 1-inch long bungee cord, tethering the dog to the handler at all times.

In order to maintain this high level of precision, the dog has to REALLY be paying close attention to what the handler is doing, and be physically prepared to change speed or direction at any moment. Visualize an athlete on the balls of her feet, ready to explode when the starter pistol fires. Perfectly balanced, every neuron focused on what’s coming next. It’s intense! You can’t maintain that kind of intensity for long.

My favorite analog for comparison is the trail horse versus the dressage horse. (Remember that time Laurie went to a dude ranch?)

When on a relaxed trail ride, the horse still pays attention to cues from the rider, but his head is down, and he focuses on putting one foot in front of the other. There’s no urgency (I mean, assuming there isn’t a bear or something) and most of the horse’s attention is on the world around him (and under his feet). He may still walk, trot or gallop, but the transitions are more gentle (unless there’s a bear).

When performing in the dressage ring, the horse shifts his weight much further back, so that more of his weight is balanced on his hind legs (this is called “collection”). This allows even a big horse to perform delicate maneuvers on a dime because his body is prepped to move in any direction. He carries his head much higher by comparison, and his responses to his rider are almost instantaneous.

Now, this isn’t entirely fair labeling, because (just like with our behaviors above) both types of horses have to perform both types of tasks as they go through life. But generally, a dressage horse performing at high levels has a much higher degree of precision (requiring focus and physical skill) for short bursts, compared to the trail horse who is expected to walk much more casually, and for longer periods of time. Of course, a good trail horse also needs to be able to move with focus and precision from time to time, as anyone who has tried to open and close a gate without dismounting can tell you… inches matter! And the dressage horse isn’t in performance mode all the time, just for short bursts.

The same is true for our dogs.

When is heeling helpful?

Tightly focused, attention heeling is of course part of performing in obedience or rally. But it’s also really handy when navigating tight spaces or distracting environments. Trying to squeeze between parked cars to pass another dog on a walk? Calling your dog to a close, focused heel is really helpful for the few seconds it takes to get by.

Loose leash walking?

Of course, this is the behavior we want most of the time with our dogs. When going out around the neighborhood, we don’t need (or want) to try to maintain focused heeling. Here, more casual “walk with me and be cool” is a perfect fit.

4 Mistakes People Make When Exercising with a Dog

July 12, 2017

4 Mistakes People Make When Exercising with a Dog

Exercising with a dog is a smart way to get in shape and also get your dog the exercise he needs.

Plus, if your dog is well trained, working out with your dog makes exercise more fun.

Great Dane, Schooner, run with your dog, exercise with a dog

I’m thankful I have Schooner, the Great Dane, as my running partner. He also likes hiking, too. Anything outdoors (that doesn’t involve swimming) makes Schoons happy.

If you’re going out to a park or other public space to exercise with your dog, there are some common etiquette mistakes to avoid.

This month’s newsletter will focus on four mistakes that tick people off. Keep reading to see if you make any of these mistakes!

Mistake #1: Letting your dog off-leash.

Many states and municipalities have leash laws. And for good reason. Off-leash dogs can be a nuisance, can be dangerous to others, and can damage property or wildlife. If there’s a leash law, OBEY IT. Plain and simple.

It doesn’t matter that you “probably won’t see anyone else” out on the trail. If the law says your dog must be leashed, leash her. Think the trail you’re on is so far out in the boonies that you won’t run into anyone else? That’s usually where other dog owners go to walk or hike with their dogs off-leash. Back when I had an aggressive dog (to humans), we’d look for those out-of-the-way places in the hopes we could have a quiet, incident- Exercise with a dog, on leash, dog training, Frederick, clicker, Smart Dog

Exercise with a dog, on leash, dog training, Frederick, clicker, Smart Dog

free walk. We always kept our dog on a leash, however, because we almost always ran into other dog owners who also had aggressive dogs.

Even if your dog is super friendly and wouldn’t hurt a fly, it’s still not ok to let your dog off-leash. Remember: not every dog on the trail is as friendly as yours. If your off-leash dog runs up to greet one of those aggressive dogs and gets injured, you’re at fault.

Believe it or not, not everyone loves dogs. Even friendly ones like yours. If your dog is running off-leash and you come upon someone who is frightened, it’s not good enough to yell “She’s friendly!” as your dog bounds up to someone afraid of dogs.

There are some places where dogs are allowed off-leash. Those places also require that your dog is under your voice control. That means that if your dog sees a deer or another dog, you can call them and they’ll come right back to you. Right then, not 20 minutes after you call. Not after they jump on the person up ahead on the trail. Not after they get tired of chasing the deer and come loping back. So if you don’t have that kind of recall on your dog and you’re in one of those off-leash areas, you’ll still want to leash your dog.

Mistake #2: Using a Retractable Leash

Leashes, again. While it is important to have your dog on a leash, the type of leash is also important. Retractable leashes are exactly what they sound like — they are long leashes that automatically recoil into their case that also serves as the handle of the leash. At first glance, they seem perfect — your dog gets some wander room, but you can quickly control how far the leash plays out.

In reality, they are one of the most dangerous inventions of the last 20 years. Google “Flexi-leash injuries” and take a look at the horrible leash burns, cuts, and amputations (yes, amputations) that have resulted from retractable leashes. Both dogs and people risk injury from retractable leashes.

Additionally, retractable leashes contribute to bad leash manners from your dog. Those leashes actually reward your dog for pulling. A retractable leash is always tight. Tension is always on the collar. In order for the dog to move forward, the dog actually has to lean into the collar/leash to move further forward. That extra effort — the pulling — gets the dog exactly what she’s seeking, more distance. So if your dog is a pulling maniac and you walk your dog — even sometimes — on a retractable leash, you’re actually perpetuating the leash pulling.

The only place retractable leashes are appropriate is large, empty areas; places like beaches, meadows, or pastures. If there are trees, shrubs, people, other dogs or animals, don’t use the retractable leash. You’re more likely to get tangled, injure yourself, your dog, or another person when using a retractable leash in any area where there is other stuff. Those hikers on the trail do not want to run into your dog who is 26 feet away from you, covered in mud, and wanting to say hi oh-so-badly. The cross-country runner would rather stay on her feet than trip over the thin, almost invisible flexible leash.

Mistake #3: Allowing your dog to visit any person or dog that you come across.

I’ve heard horror stories about dog fights that happened when two dogs were allowed to meet on-leash. Unless I know you — and your dog really well — there’s a mighty good chance I’m going to keep my dog close to me while we pass on the trail. It’s the occasion dog who enjoys meeting every single dog she comes across. Even if your dog is the friendliest dog on the block, the dog you come up to on the trail may not be. The other dog might be a big scaredy cat. She might be aggressive. She might be anti-social. She might be fine, but her owner’s in the middle of a really good workout and has no plans on wrecking his workout just to let your dog say hi (raising my hand — I don’t wear my running watch and heart rate monitor to be trendy, I’ve got a training plan to stick to!).

Even if I’m out for a recreational hike, there are very few dogs I’m going to let Schooner, the Great Dane meet. Not because HE’S unfriendly. But because I don’t know if the other dog is friendly. The last thing I want is another dog ruining my dog’s fun because “they just have to say hello!” No. No, they don’t. In fact, if you come across me on a trail, I’m going to head way off the trail to let you pass with your dog because I don’t want to find out the hard way that your dog “is a little iffy” around bigger dogs.

From a training perspective, I don’t want my dog thinking he can say hi to every dog that crosses his path. Because in reality, he can’t. We’ve come across lots of dogs who don’t care to be investigated from stem to stern by a huge dog like Schooner. And that’s a-ok. Because Schooner doesn’t need to investigate every dog he comes across. And if set him up to think that he is able to visit with every dog, of course he’s going to expect it in the future.

Instead, I teach Schooner (and all my dogs) that the presence of another dog is the perfect time to check in with me. Checking in with me results in a hearty “Good BOY!” and a small treat.

Mistake #4: Leaving Your Dog’s Poop

PICK UP THE POOP, PEOPLE!

This one seems so obvious to me, but by the piles of poop I see on my local running routes, I guess it’s not as obvious as I thought. Poop bags are easy to carry, they can be free (if you recycle those plastic grocery bags or plastic sleeves your paper is delivered in. Or you can buy fancy schmancy poop bags with spiffy poop bag holders (check Amazon, they have dozens of choices).

Some people try to justify leaving their dog’s poop behind saying “Well, who picks up the deer poop? How about the raccoon poop? Who picks that up?” When’s the last time you heard someone complain about stepping in deer poop? I haven’t ever. But dog poop? Yeah, we’ve all been there and done that. It ain’t fun, is it?

Look, wildlife doesn’t have owners. No one is responsible for picking up after the deer. There aren’t laws that say deer must pick up the poop. There IS a law about dog poop, though. Because dog poop is gross! People who walk their dogs also need to be responsible enough to pick up their dogs’ poop.

Exercise is great for you and for your dog.

Get out there, have fun, stay safe!

A Decade Ago, This Happened

April 14, 2017

A decade ago, I left my super-secure, good paying, super benefit providing federal government job.

The only real job I’d ever had in my adult life. I was a federal employee for over 18 years. I basically grew up in the government — I started working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) when I was a high school student. We had a class that allowed us to get out of school half-days if we had a legit job. I think I actually got the job through the high school class.

Anyway, I started out as a clerk, graduated high school, went off to college, and still continued to work at NIST.

When I graduated from George Mason University with an M.A. in psychology, I went back to the government.

At some point, I found that I really loved working with dogs.

Australian shepherd, clicker training, Smart Dog — Freckles, my first clicker trained dog

I had an Australian shepherd and just happened into a clicker training class. The dog made me look good — she was amazing. The instructor noticed how well my dog did and asked me if I wanted to help her teach dog training classes. I ran with it, spending as many evenings as I could helping her with classes. I continued to take classes with my dog, too, and immersed myself in learning about how dogs learn.

It dovetailed perfectly with my formal education, psychology, because it was all about teaching and learning. I was good at it and it was interesting and fun. Does it get any better than that?! Not for me, it didn’t.

I started working my federal job during the day and the hobby dog training job in the evenings (and weekends).

At some point, I was packing way too much stuff into one day. On a good day, I had 15 minutes between getting home and heading off to teach classes. If traffic was bad, I’d call my husband and ask him to put my Lean Cuisine french bread pizza (so easy to eat while driving) in the microwave, so I could just grab it on my way out the door after changing my clothes.

Eventually, after several years of living like this — seeing my husband and dogs for about 15 minutes a day — someone suggested I just quit one of those jobs.

Make a choice! Imagine that! That someone was my husband, who was probably tired of living with the grumpiest version of me he’d ever known.

So I started planning.

I couldn’t just leave the federal government and strike out on my own. Not yet, at least. I had to build up a customer base, I had to prepare to replace my (cushy) federal salary with a self-employed salary. It was heart-stopping, let me tell you. I formulated a plan, implemented that sucker, and in about three years, I left my federal job.

Exactly 10 years ago.

I was really scared to leave a sure thing. A known thing. An easy gig! I mean, at NIST, I was able to combine both my federal and my dog training world because NIST allowed me to bring a service dog-in-training (SDIT) to work with me. I wasn’t training a dog at work, mind you — NIST merely allowed me to bring that SDIT to work each day. There’s an entire blog post in that one little sentence. Maybe one of these days I’ll recount that adventure.

So anyway. I planned. I worked. I marketed. I burned the candle at both ends. I loved it. I eventually was miserable trying to live both lives. And I had a really good husband who actually said to me “Pick one.” Before that, I’d never (ever) considered leaving the federal government.

But I finally did.

And Smart Dog University was born.

(I need to write another entire blog post on how I settled on the name — wasn’t my first choice, let me just say that.)

I jumped into Smart Dog U — I had to make it work!

Laurie Luck, Smart Dog University, yellow lab, clicker training — One of my first set of professional photos.

I got a logo, business cards, professional photos to put on the website. I got a website! I networked, I joined a couple Chambers of Commerce, I marketed, I recruited. I did it all.

And ten years later, I’m happy to say I’m making a living doing what I love.

Smart Dog University teaches people how to be good dog owners. How to help their dog learn good manners, to love going places with their well-behaved dog. I am so happy I listened to my husband and took that leap into the scary work-for-yourself life because this is how it should be.

Helping people who love their dogs. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Whether you found me a day ago, a year ago, or a decade ago, thank you. Thank you for reading this blog, watching the Smart Dog University YouTube channel, and hopefully even coming to Smart Dog U classes with your dog. This really has been a fabulous adventure for me.

Training for a Race is EXACTLY Like Training Your Dog

November 4, 2016

I’ve been running all spring and summer to get ready for a race: Across the Bay 10K.

It’s this weekend!

All my training is ready to be tested on Sunday when I run 6.2 miles across the Chesapeake Bay. At the highest point, I’ll be almost 200 feet above the water. I’ve run this race before (twice, to be exact) and the view is spectacular.

Chesapeake Bay, Bay Bridge, Across the Bay 10K — **We have to tackle this beast!**

Across the Bay 10K, running, Chesapeake Bay — Up and over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge!

Across the Bay 10K, Chesapeake Bay, 10K, running — At the top of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge — almost 200′ above the bay!

Across the Bay 10K, Chesapeake Bay, running — What a view of the Chesapeake Bay!

I certainly don’t expect to run this race without preparing for it.

I need all summer to get ready for this thing. I’ve got a training plan with daily, weekly, and monthly goals. I follow that plan almost to a T. There are some days I swap one workout for another due to weather (rain or fog — I run on the road and it can be dangerous to run in those conditions), but for the most part, I stick to that training plan.

As part of that plan, in addition to my weekly running goals, I ran formal races so I can be as race-day ready as I can be for my goal race, the Across the Bay 10K. I ran 5 races (4 5Ks and one 4-miler) to practice my race running. Yes, that cost money (and time), but it’s important to practice running a race before the real thing. I got to work out some kinks on those race days (going out too fast, wearing clothes that were too hot, not paying attention to my breathing, etc.) so I could optimize my race day preparation and execution.

One of the things I love about running is that I’m competing against myself. I might come in 974th place overall (that would actually be incredible considering there are 25,000+ runners), but could still beat my PR (personal record). In practice, I might actually run my best 5K pace ever. So the opportunity for reinforcement is always there when I’m practicing or when I’m running a race. Same thing with your dog: you’re not entering a dog show and competing against other dogs — you’re just trying to improve your dog’s behavior from where it is now.

Working with your dog is no different than my running regimen.

You need to practice A LOT before you really need your dog to use those skills in real life. Huh? What does that mean? It means: you’re practicing loose leash walking in your house, not just when you take your dog for his regularly scheduled walks. It means you’re practicing his good dog greeting manners long before you have people over (for the holidays, for example). You’re practicing “leave it” long before he grabs the Thanksgiving turkey. You’re working on stay before you plan that holiday party at your house.

Imagine if I declared “I’m going to run the Across the Bay 10K” and never trained for it. Would anyone be surprised if I failed? I wouldn’t. You wouldn’t be surprised either. Most people would say “Duh! You didn’t train for it yet you expected to run 10K? That was kinda dumb. You can’t expect to run a 10K without practice — everyone knows that.”

So don’t be surprised when your dog can’t walk politely on a leash if you only practice on your walks.

That’s the same thing as my expecting to run a 10K without working up to it through my training program.

And I can’t just run a 10K, then slack off the training, and expect to be ready for my next 10K in April.

Nope. I’ve got to keep practicing! That which you don’t use, you lose. What’s true in running is also true in dog training. Your dog might be great at something now, but if you slack off and stop practicing, that skill is likely to atrophy. Just like my muscles and lung capacity will do if I stop running.

My point is: if you want good behavior from your dog on “race day” a.k.a. “when it really counts” you’ve got to develop a plan and follow it!

You can’t expect to train your dog in the moment and expect good results (or any results, honestly). Good behavior is a skill. It takes time and effort to develop those skills. And if you don’t have a plan — and the time to execute that plan — you’re setting your dog up for failure and yourself up for disappointment.

So now what? So identify those exact problems.

Big hint: “My dog doesn’t listen” isn’t the problem! That is code for “my dog has no idea what to do in the real situation.” Sure, your dog might listen to you when you’re home alone. But that doesn’t mean she can listen to you when there are people at the door, or squirrels on the walk, or when there’s food on the table. You have to teach the individual skills (sit to greet politely, good leash manners, solid settle on her mat, respectively), and then (and only then) will you start to incorporate those skills into real life. That’s like me doing all my daily running on the road — to acquire the skill of running — then registering for a race — to practice my running skills — so that I can finally enter the Real Race — and kick some major running butt in said race!

If you’ve been disappointed in the past because your dog’s behavior fell apart when you really needed it, think of me and my race training.

I’ve spent eight months (logging 425 miles) getting ready for one 6.2 mile race.

Wish me luck on Sunday!

I’ll post some pics from atop the Bay Bridge on the Smart Dog University Facebook page, as well as my finish time! Cheer me on, I’ll need it!

3 Ways to Make Training Stick: Easy Ways to Get Your Dog to Listen to You

September 7, 2016

What if I told you that YOU had the power to get your dog to listen to you more often? Does it sound too good to be true? It’s not and even better: it’s really easy!

These three things are simple enough for everyone to do with their own dog. Try it for a month and let me know how much better your dog is doing when you ask him to do something for you.

Why do these things?

It may feel like a waste of time to do this extra work. You’ve already taught your dog good manners, why should you have to do more? Because, like people, dogs do better when they get a little more support, attention, and instruction.

Sure, you can go along with a dog that sorta sometimes listens, but why stop halfway? Especially when it’s so easy to take it to the next level where your dog isn’t only listening to you but is happy to do it!

Plus, life is a whole lot easier for you when cooperation is the norm, instead of the exception. Wouldn’t it be nice if your dog came the first time you called (and was wagging his tail the whole way), instead of going out into the yard and chasing him around a bit, resulting in your being late for work?

What are the three things?

These are all pretty easy, dirt cheap, quick, and effective. Let’s dive right in without delay!

Change up the reward. Make a list of the things your dog really likes. No need to spend much time on this — make your list on the back of an envelope or on your phone, even. It doesn’t matter where you write all this stuff down, the purpose of this quick exercise is to show you just how many things your dog enjoys.

Here’s what would be on my dog’s list:

cherry tomatoes, cheese bits, any food leftovers, really
dog treats
pork rawhide
back scratches, tummy rubs
walks
car rides
“squirrel” and then racing to the door to chase the bird feeder pilferer to the fence
squeaky toy
face massage
happy talk
opportunity to be chased by me through the house
opportunity to chase ME through the house
a quick training session
stuffed Kong
meal
game of tug
a round or two of fetch

Look at all those different things I can offer my dog when he’s done something I’ve asked! Switching up rewards keeps your dog interested in what you’re asking, makes it fun to listen to you, and will greatly improve his manners.

Make it unpredictable. If your dog knows that when he comes inside, he gets a boring old dog cookie, you can bet he’s not going to be in much of a rush to do what you’ve asked. Think of it this way: if you knew that when you go back to work after lunch, you’ve got a 4-hour boring teleconference, wouldn’t you want to hang out at the restaurant a little longer? Would you really want to rush back to work? Just to sit in a meeting all afternoon? (If you answer yes to this, you’re an odd character and I don’t understand you.)

With the list you created above, you’re now ready for huge variability in how you reward your dog for doing what you like. You’re the gatekeeper to all the things your dog loves. Open that gate to those things when your dog does what you like! Be generous! No one appreciates a stingy gift. If your dog comes to you — no matter how long it took him — reward generously with one (or two or three!) of those things on the list above. I’ll bet you he comes even faster the next time you call him. And even faster the time after that! It’s a beautiful cycle — you reward generously and unpredictably and your dog responds faster and with more enthusiasm. It’s a cool thing to see when your dog recognizes that listening to you opens up the door for him to have fun, get a goodie, or play a game with you.

Practice. How many days a week do your kids spend practicing with their school sports teams? How many practice days do professional athletes put in before every game? A LOT in both cases. We completely expect athletes to put in the practice time if they’re going to be star players, right? The same thing goes for your dog. Your dog will be as good as his practice. If he’s going to be a star, he needs practice time.

What does this mean for you? It means that right before you’re going to give your dog something from that list you created (above), you’re going to ask him to do something for you. If we look at the coming when called example again, it means maybe you call your dog three times before you really need him to come in. Let’s say you’re getting ready for work and you know that you have to leave the house at 7:30a to get to work on time. Instead of calling your dog to come in at 7:25a (where he’ll be “rewarded” by being crated and your leaving , call him at 7:10a. When he comes to you, give him a tasty treat and send him back outside to play in the fenced yard. Call him again at 7:15a. Maybe you throw a squeaky toy for him and let him continue to play and explore the yard. At 7:20 call him again, this time you chase him for 15 seconds around the yard (if he loves to be chased, of course). Then at 7:25, the for real, I need you to come right away call, he gets a stuffed Kong inside the house (in his crate if you crate him during the day) as you leave.

This doesn’t take much extra time, but boy does it make a big impression on your dog! If you stick to this practice regimen (calling your dog when you can reward him and send him back out to play [another reward!]), before you know it, your dog’s recall will be stellar! He’ll come to you the first time, every time!

These three things work independently of the other. They work even better if you implement all three strategies together. This stuff is easy — anyone can work it into their schedule. It’s cheap, it’s easy — and it’s effective. Start by making the list of the things your dog loves, then start the program. You’ll be amazed at the difference you can make!

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Introducing Service Puppy in-Training, Rogan

Welcome, Rogan!

Rogan’s training

Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking?

Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking?

Depending on your goals and needs with your dog, heeling and loose leash walking can be two totally different behaviors with different functions.

These two behaviors have a lot of things in common.

When is heeling helpful?

Loose leash walking?

4 Mistakes People Make When Exercising with a Dog

Exercising with a dog is a smart way to get in shape and also get your dog the exercise he needs.

If you’re going out to a park or other public space to exercise with your dog, there are some common etiquette mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1: Letting your dog off-leash.

Mistake #2: Using a Retractable Leash

Mistake #3: Allowing your dog to visit any person or dog that you come across.

Mistake #4: Leaving Your Dog’s Poop

Exercise is great for you and for your dog.

A decade ago, I left my super-secure, good paying, super benefit providing federal government job.

Anyway, I started out as a clerk, graduated high school, went off to college, and still continued to work at NIST.

At some point, I found that I really loved working with dogs.

I started working my federal job during the day and the hobby dog training job in the evenings (and weekends).

Eventually, after several years of living like this — seeing my husband and dogs for about 15 minutes a day — someone suggested I just quit one of those jobs.

So I started planning.

Exactly 10 years ago.

And Smart Dog University was born.

I jumped into Smart Dog U — I had to make it work!

And ten years later, I’m happy to say I’m making a living doing what I love.

Helping people who love their dogs. It doesn’t get any better than this.

I’ve been running all spring and summer to get ready for a race: Across the Bay 10K.

It’s this weekend!

I certainly don’t expect to run this race without preparing for it.

Working with your dog is no different than my running regimen.

So don’t be surprised when your dog can’t walk politely on a leash if you only practice on your walks.

And I can’t just run a 10K, then slack off the training, and expect to be ready for my next 10K in April.

My point is: if you want good behavior from your dog on “race day” a.k.a. “when it really counts” you’ve got to develop a plan and follow it!

So now what? So identify those exact problems.

If you’ve been disappointed in the past because your dog’s behavior fell apart when you really needed it, think of me and my race training.

Wish me luck on Sunday!

What if I told you that YOU had the power to get your dog to listen to you more often? Does it sound too good to be true? It’s not and even better: it’s really easy!

Why do these things?

What are the three things?

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