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How (And Why) to Train Your Dog to Touch Your Hand

January 9, 2014

Hand targeting is one of the easiest dog training behaviors you can teach your dog.

It’s dead simple and is ridiculously useful. I wish I’d known about the many uses of hand targeting when I had my “bad dog” Lucky. That dog taught me so much about dogs, behavior, and dog aggression. I was relatively new to dog training when I realized the extent of Lucky’s behavior problems and while I did the best I could with him, I was still learning and didn’t have the depth of knowledge I now have.

Hand targeting works great for all dogs and it’s great for lots of different situations.

You can use hand targeting to keep your dog’s focus on you (instead of the jogger, bird, other dog, rabbit, etc.). You can move your dog around easily (instead of tugging on his collar and forcing him to move). You can make veterinary or grooming visits go more smoothly by being able to direct your dog’s head and body in a specific direction (instead of manhandling him into the perfect position). You can use it to help with loose leash walking (the dog can’t forge ahead if he’s targeting his nose to your hand). You can also teach your dog a neat trick like ringing a bell to let you know he has to go outside (the bells are the new target!).

For service dog training, we use targeting to show the dog exactly where we want him to push something.

For instance, if the dog is learning to close a cabinet drawer, it’s very easy to get the dog’s nose in the right position so nosing the cabinet closed is a cinch.

This week’s dog training video highlights how easy it is to teach targeting to your dog.

Schooner will walk you through the steps to teach targeting.

Step 1: Hold your hand out flat, palm facing the dog. Drop your hand right down in front of your dog’s nose so he can’t miss it. Click and treat the instant you feel whiskers, nose, or tongue on your hand.

Step 2: When your dog is successfully tapping his nose to your palm when it’s right in front of him, begin to present your palm slightly to the right or left. Then present a little higher or a little lower.

Note: If the dog doesn’t move toward the hand within 2 seconds, pull your hand away and put it behind your back. Get your dog’s attention and the present the hand again, very close to his face.

Step 3: When your dog is good at tapping his nose to your hand no matter if it’s high, low, to the right or to the left, then present your hand again and pull your hand forward a few inches as your dog reaches toward your hand. The goal is that your dog will take a step or two while following your hand.

Step 4: Begin to move your hand further so the dog has to take several steps to follow your hand.

Your Turn: There are lots of uses for targeting. What situations do you think you can use targeting with your dog?

2014 Goal: Train Your Dog

January 1, 2014

What’s your resolution for your dog in 2014?

Smart Dog University wants to help you make — and keep — a resolution with your dog. How about a little more training. It can be do-it-yourself style, a group class, or just teaching new tricks. Whatever, we just want you to spend some good quality time in 2014 with your dog. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) developed Train Your Dog Month in 2010 and it’s gotten bigger and better every year. SDU is getting involved this year and will be bringing you weekly updates, challenges, tools, and training tips to get — and keep — you and your dog motivated on this new goal.

WHAT is Train Your Dog Month (TYDM)?

A month dedicated to you and your dog — how much fun (and how helpful) training is for both of you.

Too many dogs are turned in to shelters because of behavior problems. Many of those issues can be easily solved with a little training and information. Smart Dog U’s mission is to make dogs and their people happy together. We want everyone to know that training can be — no should be! — fun for both of you!

WHY now?

January is great month to start teaching your dog. It’s a time when new habits are created and when people are looking for change.

WHY train?

Here’s a common dog problem: boredom. Your dog doesn’t have social media. He can’t sit and watch the entire season of Orange is the New Black. He doesn’t have a J O B. While many people dream of hitting the lottery and never working another day, we’d still keep ourselves busy. Unfortunately, our dogs don’t have the luxury of keeping themselves busy. Well, they do. But we tend to throw fits when the dog amuses himself (chewed carpet, destroyed sofa, cat chasing, you get the picture). Let’s do what we can to occupy our dogs’ brains and bodies and I bet both you and your dog be a lot happier at the end of the day.

Another common dog problem: lack of manners. Dogs don’t grow into good manners — manners need to be taught. You are your dog’s teacher. It’s up to you to convey the house rules, the neighborhood rules, and the life rules to your dog. Thankfully, that’s an easy fix by simply teaching your dog a few good manners.

Training your dog solves both issues fast. A dog who’s learning new things doesn’t get bored and look for ways to amuse himself. And a well-mannered dog will likely be able to go more places with you and have more fun. Guess what? A dog who gets to go places is also not bored! See how those two things are connected? A little bit of training not only solves each issue, but it’s got a synergistic effect (that’s fancy words for it works and it works great!).

WHO should train?

You should train your dog. Even better, get your whole family involved. The more people in your dog’s life that “know the rules,” the better.

WHEN should you train?

Train whenever you can fit it in. Train while your coffee is brewing. Train while you’re brushing your teeth. Train while you’re waiting for your kid’s bus. Train while the commercial is on. Train whenever you can!

There’s no hard and fast rule about when to train. The more you do it, the more you’ll like it. The more you like it, the more your dog will like it. The more your dog likes it, the more you’ll train. The more you train, the more you’ll love your dog.

WHERE can you train?

Train at home. Train in a class. Train wherever you can!

WHAT can you teach?

The sky’s the limit. You can teach your dog anything he’s physically able to do. Can you teach your dog to fly an airplane? No. He doesn’t have opposable thumbs. Can you teach him to bring you a soda from the fridge? Yes, indeed! You’re limited only by your own creativity and imagination.

HOW to teach your dog?

The how is the fun part. There isn’t any required equipment. At Smart Dog University, we like to use a little dohickey called a clicker. But it’s not imperative that you have one. You’ll get much faster results and your dog will understand you much more quickly by using one, but dogs can learn without it. (You just have to be full up on patience without the clicker.)

The internet will make your head spin when it comes to the “how to’s” of anything. Here’s the straight skinny on dog training:
There isn’t good behavior. There isn’t bad behavior. It’s all just behavior.
Here’s an example:
Your dog hears someone come through the door. He greets the person with woofs and barks, jumps right up on them planting his paws on their chest, and grabs their hand in his mouth. Is that good behavior or bad behavior?

That kind of depends, doesn’t it?
If it’s your mother in-law, you’ll probably tell me that it’s bad behavior.
If it’s an intruder bent on doing you harm, you’ll tell me your dog’s the best dog in the whole wide world.

Behavior is just behavior.

Most dog owners hate that statement. That statement doesn’t help them fix their dog.
Ah, but it does!

Because behavior is just behavior, there’s not a whole lot we can’t fix about your dog! Your dog jumps on mother in-law? Not a problem: we’ll teach your dog a new and different behavior. We’ll teach him to sit. And not only to sit. But to sit when people come to your house. Problem solved. Just like that.

It’s that easy.

We’re spending January teaching you how to teach your dog. We do this every month of the year, yes, but we’re highlighting all the training why’s and wherefore’s this month. All in one place. We’re giving you the tools, schedule, tips, and information you need right now to start teaching your dog.

We’re making it easy to understand, easy to fit into your lifestyle, and even better, easy for your dog.

Ready? Let’s get started!

I’m learning how to run a 5K. In all my 45 years, I’ve never liked running. I’ve not stuck with any running program for more than about a week. Until I met Couch to 5K (C25K), that is. C25K is a program designed for couch potatoes who’d like to get in shape to run a 5K. (A 5K is 3.1 miles.) I’m two weeks away from finishing the program and I’m running without stopping now and I look forward to running. Two things that have never happened to me before!

The key to my success is the way C25K set up their program. They make it really hard to mess it up! And they make each step really easy so I’m rewarded every single time I run.

Smart Dog U is setting up TYDM the same way. We’re going to ease you into training your dog, set up lots of fun rewards for you and your dog, and then sit back and bask in your success!

Stick with Smart Dog University for your dog training needs for the month of January and beyond.

This is just the beginning. Come along with us as we get you geared up to get your dog’s training in shape. Think of all the progress you can make in four short weeks. Think about how impressed your friends and relatives will be by the end of the month.

The next article will get you prepped to start teaching with a (very short) list of training supplies. We’ll also have articles with ideas on what to teach, as well as videos to show you how to teach. We’ll also be dropping in all month with cool ideas and training secrets to help you reach your goal.

Learning to Run: Doggie Style

December 23, 2013

These statements are both true: I’m going to run a 10K. I’m not a runner.

I hate running. It’s hard, I get out of breath, I feel like a loser, and it’s boring. Or at least, I’ve hated it in the past. I recently started a running program for beginners called Couch-to-5K. If you were like me and didn’t know what a 5K entailed, here’s a quick thumbnail sketch: a 5K race is 3.1 miles. To serious runners, it’s a warm-up. For me, it’s kinda like torture.

**If you noticed, I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I’m going to run a 10K.**

That’s two 5Ks (I’m good at math). So instead of 3.1 miles, I’ll have to run 6.2 miles (see, I really am good at math).

This isn’t an ad for Couch-to-5K (we have no relationship — in fact, I’m a nobody on their radar). I’m mentioning them because they excel at something known in dog training as “shaping.”

Shaping in the dog training world means taking tiny steps toward a big goal behavior.

For instance, we shape a dog to settle: the dog goes to his bed (or crate or mat), lies down, and relaxes there for awhile. Not many dogs can do that on their first try. So we break that “big” behavior down into little — easily achievable — steps:

Go to the mat
Lie down
Stay and relax on the mat

Breaking behaviors down into small steps does a few things for the learner.

It ensures easy success. When something’s easy, you’ll find that the learner will stick with it.
It makes the task fun. It’s fun to succeed!
Learning happens without effort. Because the steps are so tiny, progress comes easy.
Confidence increases. When the learner succeeds frequently and easily, their confidence grows.

Notice I said “learner,” not dog. That’s because these concepts that we use in dog training aren’t limited to just dogs. These concepts apply to anyone — or anything — capable of learning.

So back to my torture-fest of running a 10K…When I made the decision to do this, I searched for something to help me ease into running. I needed a program built for a true beginner. I can run away from a serial killer (or toward a chocolate cake), but I can’t really run just for the fun of it.

Couch-to-5K is built for non-runners.

They know how to shape a non-runner into a 5K runner. I’m impressed by the small, easily achievable steps. The workouts are doable — for the first week, they’re a mere 30 minutes. And within those 30 minutes, there are 10 minutes devoted to warm-up and cool-down. They know their beginners: I’m jogging only 60 seconds at a time, then walking for 90 seconds. That’s definitely doable.

Each week’s workout is just slightly more difficult than the previous week.

For instance, the workout for Week 2 is 90 seconds of jogging and 2 minutes of walking — a mere 30 seconds more of jogging than the previous week. That’s doable, right?!

As the workouts progress, the ratio of walking to jogging shifts so that you’re jogging more than you’re walking. And finally by Week 7, you’re jogging 2.5 miles nonstop. By Week 9, you’re running a 5K! After I’m able to run a 5K, I’ll start on their Couch-to-10K program to be ready for my race!

That’s shaping for humans! I love it!

I’m enjoying learning how to run. I can’t believe I typed those words. That’s the power of shaping!

Your turn:

Have you ever shaped yourself to do something? Do tell! What new skill, sport, or activity did you learn? Or, have you shaped your dog to do something? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your experience with shaping!

Dog Treat DIY: Easy, Healthy Homemade Dog Biscuits – Video

December 12, 2013

I’m not a chef, but I do like to make yummy dog treats for my dogs!

The easier the dog biscuits are to make, the better the chance that I’ll actually make ’em. Here’s what I like the most about cooking for my dogs: they’ll eat anything! It doesn’t matter what it looks like — or really, what it tastes like — they love everything!

For Schoon’s birthday — the big lug is one already — he got some homemade cheesy dog biscuits.

Handmade by moi! They’re so easy, they’d actually be a great project for the kids to get involved with, too.

Here’s how easy they are.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine flour and oats in medium bowl.
Add water, cheeses, and applesauce to flour mixture.
Knead the ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
Turn out onto a floured surface and roll to about 1/4″ thickness.
Cut biscuits with cookie cutters.
Place on a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until browned.
Cool and let your dog enjoy a snack!

Talk Back.

Do you have a favorite snack to make for your dog? Leave a comment and let us know!

Service Dog Training: Transfer Camp with Caysun

December 2, 2013

Sweet Baby Caysun. I had the pleasure of raising her for the beginning of her service dog career. We got that sweet pup in September of 2011.

We lived with and loved her until she had to go back to the service dog organization a short ten months later. I had a pretty big lump in my throat for turn in. But that’s the story of my life.

She was a dream to work with and picked things up so easily. She fit our family like a glove.

But she has a job to do. An important one. Much more important than lounging around keeping me company.

I had the opportunity to visit Caysun during Transfer Camp. Transfer Camp is a two-week program in which the recipient and the dog learn to work together. It’s a “get to know you” and a “show me what you can do” period that goes both ways. The dog gets to get used to her new partner, and the person learns how to work with the dog.

Caysun’s going to be a diabetic alert dog. She’s done terrific in her training, both with general service dog tasks and with the alerts. By Day 3 of transfer camp, Caysun was alerting her person pretty reliably to sugar highs and lows. It was impressive!

It was also the first time I’d had a chance to see Caysun’s completed training. In addition to the alerts, Caysun can fetch the insulin kit and bring it to her human partner. She can also alert a family member when requested (in case the person needs more help than the insulin kit can provide). Her “dog manners” are stellar: she can leave food alone that’s on the floor, her loose leash walking manners are impresive, and the attention to her person is beautiful to see.

I had mixed feelings about a week before seeing Caysun and her new person. I loved that little girl like crazy. Would I be ok seeing those two together, learning each other’s habits and quirks? I thought it might be a little like seeing an old boyfriend with his new girlfriend.

I needn’t have worried. Caysun was very happy to see me, but was also very serious about her new job. It took only a day or two of working with her new partner for Caysun to realize that this was a special person. It was fun to watch Caysun greet her enthusiastically every morning. And downright amazing when the first spontaneous diabetic alert happened. I cheered a silent cheer inside when I saw that little dog doing what she trained two years to do!

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