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When is the best time to train your dog? The answer is all the time! TRAINING IS always 24/7
Dog training is done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether you know it or not. Bad habits are created during everyday life scenarios. For example, if Spot jumps up on you and then you pet him, you have just reinforced jumping up on people. Same if your dog is bolting out of doors.
Do you just open that back door and your dog races through it?
What have you just taught him?
Think about what you are reinforcing anytime you are interacting with your dog.
What is the best way to train your dog?
Don’t schedule only one training session a day for your dog. Do training constantly, every minute you and your dog are together! So if you are going to give your dog a treat or play, do some training so he might be rewarded. Be creative and use this time to teach some tricks or perfect skills.
Training 24/7 will get your dog into the great habit of being alert and be ready to respond to commands for food, walks, and attention!
Playing this game gets the dog WORKING for the treat, so there are no “freebies” and the dog HAS to continue to give effort in order to WIN the reward. In addition, it is a fun game for both the handler and their dog. Even dogs that don’t play with toys easily learn and like playing the “KrazyKookie” Game.
KrazyKookie Game – foundations to this game can be found at this link.
NOTE: Use this game INSTEAD of just handing your dog a treat. The treat will become more interesting and rewarding. In addition, your dog will stay ENGAGED with you for longer periods of time.
GOAL – Continue to build on games that will enable you ways to keep constant engagement with your dog. Like tugging, sustained engagement helps to build desire and in turn focus.
KK Reminders:
- Move your treat hand slowly so your dog can CATCH the treat. Let him think he is doing all the work.
- As your dog learns the game, keep your hand going at a speed that your dog can easily follow. This will give your dog confidence and help the desire to chase.
- Use treats that are of high value to your dog and something he can eat quickly.
- Keep your dog engaged before and after the game. Create the HABIT of staying engaged and focusing on you.
Once your dog has been introduced to the KK game, its time to add on to the fun game.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
- Review Repeats – Once your dog understands the basic game, to chase and catch your treat hand, add in having treats in both hands. When your dog chases and catches a treat in one hand, immediately pick up the game with a treat in your opposite hand. Your dog, then chases the second treat as you are getting a third treat in your free hand, etc.
- New Game – Speedy – When your dog LOVES the KK game, start to move your treat hand faster and more erratically. Keep the motion of your hand realistic for your dog. He needs to be able to catch your treat hand otherwise you will diminish his desire.
- Keep it fun for your dog to chase and catch the treat.
COMMON ERRORS – Handlers Make
- Moving the treat hand too quickly. Keep the motion and speed of your treat hand realistic for your dog to catch. As your dog learns the game, keep your hand going at a speed that your dog can easily follow it. This will give your dog confidence and help build the desire to chase. Only speed up the treat hand once your dog is engaged and loves the game.
- Stopping the treat hand and giving the dog the treat. This game is all about YOUR DOG doing the work. Instead, slow your treat hand so your dog can “catch” the treat hand.
- Not using appropriate treats. Use treats that are of high value to your dog and something he can eat quickly.
TUG – It’s My Toy Game
Some dogs need more encouragement and desire built in order to TUG with toys. The IT’S MY TOY Game is great great way to play with dogs. When using this game, basically the toy becomes YOUR toy. You play with it, tease your dog with it, and then put the toy in a location where your dog does not have access to it.
GOAL – To build interest and desire in toys through the act of teasing and withholding the opportunity of getting the toy. What you can’t have is often more desirable!
It’s My Toy Game Reminder:
- Use a convenient place to put a toy in a location that you pass often during the day, such as refrigerator or shelf t place toy/s.
- DO NOT let your dog GET the toy when teaching, just tease your dog with YOUR toy during this step.
- When your dog does grab the toy, only play/tug lightly with him AND only for a few seconds. STOP before he releases toy OR if your dog really starts tugging, take it out of his mouth before he tires of the game.
- DO NOT use an “OUT” command at this stage of training, just take the toy away. Rules to toys are ONLY taught once DESIRE is built.
- When finished, always hide the toy again.
- Always end the game BEFORE your dog tires of it. This process might take days, be patient!
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
- Remember the Pick a TOY? Use toys your dog picked out.
- Get a toy, or two, and place it (them) somewhere in your house so that your dog cannot get the toy (i.e., on a bookcase, on top of the refrigerator, on a counter, etc.) BUT each time you pass the toy, take it from its hiding place. and tease and taunt my dog.
- Have a blast playing with the toy by yourself. Toss it into the air, shake it, pass it from one hand to the next, etc. Let your dog know what a WONDERFUL time you are having and how much fun it is to play with the toy.
- DO NOT let your dog GET the toy at the start, just tease your dog with YOUR toy during this step.
- NEXT step, only when your dog is excited about the toy, hold the toy out towards your dog and let him TRY to get it BUT don’t let him get it. Then put it away again in a teasing manner.
- Lastly, when your dog is VERY excited about the toy, let him grab the toy. He might even offer to tug! If he does, play tug lightly with him for a few seconds. Go with him, let him pull you around. BUILD his EGO.
- After a few seconds, take the toy away from him (remember NO OUT COMMAND), tease him with it again, and then put the toy back up OR if your dog really starts tugging, take it out of his mouth before he tires of the game.
- Always re-hide the toy again. Over time, gradually increase how long you allow your dog to tug with the toy before you hide it again. This process might take days, be patient!
COMMON ERRORS – Handlers Make
- When your dog starts to tug, he stops when you try to engage. When starting to tug, let him pull you around a bit. PRAISE your dog when he tugs. Make him feel that he is strong and empower him. BUILD his EGO!
- Your dog starts to play and then quickly loses interest. Keep sessions SHORT when playing this game. Do not add any release word until your dog is driven and is crazy for the toy. Rules of tug are added only after the game is FUN! Switch toys while tugging. Haha. A toy smorgasbord!
Many times, in training and showing (obedience, rally, agility, etc.), you will be required to take the Leash On/Off your dog. If your dog’s attention is on you while doing this, your dog will be ready to start the performance focused on you. Ideally, you want your dog to focus on your face any time you take off or put the leash on your dog, regardless of whether you are getting ready to train, show, go for a walk, etc. Why not make this skill into a “FOCUS HABIT”?
Goal – Creating the HABIT of your dog FOCUSING on your face when you bend to put on or take off a leash. This behavior will eventually become a HABIT and occur in all environments and situations such as going for walks, training, or going into a ring.
LEASH ON/OFF Reminder:
- Always start in a low distraction location. Use areas like your living room, or an empty training building.
- Use large visible treat placed in your mouth and make sure that your dog can easily see the treat.
- Little dog? Sit on a stool or kneel on the ground. As your dog becomes accustomed to the “taking the leash clip” cue, start to practice while you are standing up.
- Over time, BENDING OVER will become the nonverbal cue.
- Use random placement rewards. That is sometimes reward as you start to bend over. Sometimes as you reach toward the collar. Other times as you clip on leash or pretend to. Finally as you stand back up right.
- NOTE: If you are handing your dog a treat, take the treat from your face down to the dog. This action will help teach your dog to focus on your face. If your dog breaks eye contact to watch the cookie being delivered, no worries! The treat is being delivered along the imaginary line between your dog and your face.
- NOTE: It is not necessary to put the leash on or take it off. BENDING OVER is the cue to focus for your dog to learn.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
- With a visible treat in your mouth, have your dog standing or sitting beside (right or left) or in front of you in a no or low distraction location.
- As you bend to touch the collar/clip, spit a treat to your dog.
- BENDING OVER will become the main non-verbal cue for the Leash O/O and taking the leash snap/collar in your hand is a secondary cue.
- As you bend, if your dog drops or turns his head away from you, stand back up and abort the repetition.
- Once your dog looks back at you, praise and point to the treat that is hanging out of your mouth and begin to bend over again to take your dog’s collar/snap. Always praise and reward when your dog remains focused on your face as you bend.
- NOTE: If you are handing your dog a treat, take the treat from your face down to the dog. This action will help teach your dog to focus on your face. If your dog breaks eye contact to watch the cookie being delivered, no worries! The treat is being delivered along the imaginary line between your dog and your face.
- Over time, wean off the visible treat in your mouth BUT, continue to reward your dog for looking at your face randomly during the motion of bending over OR standing up.
COMMON ERRORS – Handlers Make
- Your dog will not look at your face. Hang a strip of string cheese out of your mouth, so your dog can easily see it. Verbally praise your dog while he is looking at your face. Point to the treat if needed BUT do wean off the pointing to the treat as soon as possible. Make the cheese shorter in length over time.
- Your dog will look at your face as long as you have the treat visible in your mouth, but when weaning off the visible treat your dog stops looking at your face. Bend over and wait for your dog to respond or look at you. Sometimes it takes a bit for the dog to “think” about what he is to do.
- Once you put your dog’s leash on or stand up, your dog looks away from you. Have you rewarded your dog as you stand up? Remember to randomize your rewards when bending over as well as standing back up.
During the filming, I noticed Karrde was more distracted when I used my right hand to take his collar. My saying is, “if I find something my dog doesn’t like, I do it twice as much.” :>) Even though we are working on the Leash On/Off skill, Karrde is still required to stay focused on me. When he looks away, I poke or tweak him, and then praise when he looks back at me.
While training, I vary Karrde’s position to me. It is important that he learns this skill regardless of his orientation to me. Karrde is offering a sit during much of this session even though it is not required for this skill. By the end of the video, I could bend over and Karrde maintains focus on my face. Over time, he will generalize this skill, and anytime I bend over, he will look up at me.
NOTICE HOW I RANDOMIZE WHEN I SPIT TREATS TO KARRDE. At times, I reward when bending down, other times Karrde is rewarded as I am taking his collar, and still other times he is rewarded as I stand up. I constantly vary rewarding him while training this skill.
In the last clip of the video, Karrde is learning Leash On/Off in various positions. That is, we are practicing while he is on my right or left side, or a sit or a down. This is a great way to have Karrde generalize the Leash On/Off behavior.
K9 Focus – Unleash the Focus 1 – Week 3
Before planning your training session:
- Take into consideration, the Level your dog is currently performing at in training.
- FOCUS on building DESIRE in ALL engagement!
- Once your dog loves a game, use them to reward simple skills.
- Post Questions or 1-3 minute of VIDEO on the FaceBook group.
Below are training session ideas for the week. Make your training plan, write it down, and after make notes after of successes and results. All the skills this week and be done in your home or yard. :>)
TRAINING SKILLS THIS WEEK
Leash On/OFF
- With a visible treat in your mouth, have your dog standing or sitting beside (right or left) or in front of you in a no or low distraction location.
- As you bend to touch the collar/clip, spit a treat to your dog.
- BENDING OVER will become the main non-verbal cue for the Leash O/O and taking the leash snap/collar in your hand is a secondary cue.
- As you bend, if your dog drops or turns his head away from you, stand back up and abort the repetition.
- Once your dog looks back at you, praise and point to the treat that is hanging out of your mouth and begin to bend over again to take your dog’s collar/snap. Always praise and reward when your dog remains focused on your face as you bend.
- NOTE: If you are handing your dog a treat, take the treat from your face down to the dog. This action will help teach your dog to focus on your face. If your dog breaks eye contact to watch the cookie being delivered, no worries! The treat is being delivered along the imaginary line between your dog and your face.
- Over time, wean off the visible treat in your mouth BUT, continue to reward your dog for looking at your face randomly during the motion of bending over OR standing up.
KrazyKookie
- Review Repeats – Once your dog understands the basic game, to chase and catch your treat hand, add in having treats in both hands. When your dog chases and catches a treat in one hand, immediately pick up the game with a treat in your opposite hand. Your dog, then chases the second treat as you are getting a third treat in your free hand, etc.
- New Game – Speedy – When your dog LOVES the KK game, start to move your treat hand faster and more erratically. Keep the motion of your hand realistic for your dog. He needs to be able to catch your treat hand otherwise you will diminish his desire. Keep it fun for your dog to chase and catch the treat.
NEW Tug game – It’s my toy.
- Remember the Pick a TOY? Use toys your dog picked out.
- Get a toy, or two, and place it (them) somewhere in your house so that your dog cannot get the toy (i.e., on a bookcase, on top of the refrigerator, on a counter, etc.) BUT each time you pass the toy, take it from its hiding place. and tease and taunt my dog.
- Have a blast playing with the toy by yourself. Toss it into the air, shake it, pass it from one hand to the next, etc. Let your dog know what a WONDERFUL time you are having and how much fun it is to play with the toy.
- DO NOT let your dog GET the toy at the start, just tease your dog with YOUR toy during this step.
- NEXT step, only when your dog is excited about the toy, hold the toy out towards your dog and let him TRY to get it BUT don’t let him get it. Then put it away again in a teasing manner.
- Lastly, when your dog is VERY excited about the toy, let him grab the toy. He might even offer to tug! If he does, play tug lightly with him for a few seconds. Go with him, let him pull you around. BUILD his EGO.
- After a few seconds, take the toy away from him (remember NO OUT COMMAND), tease him with it again, and then put the toy back up OR if your dog really starts tugging, take it out of his mouth before he tires of the game.
- Always re-hide the toy again. Over time, gradually increase how long you allow your dog to tug with the toy before you hide it again. This process might take days, be patient!