Training is for the Life of Your Dog

I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer, but let’s face it, dogs are sentient beings who think and feel. Therefore, sometimes when new experiences are thrown at us, we are reminded of what we need to work on the next time it happens.

I learned a new training exercise for me when I took Tristan to the vet for his annual wellness exam today. He’s always been a bit shy and squeamish when it comes to shots and bloodwork, so I was prepared. I had treats for us to play a Find It game while waiting for the vet and vet tech (to get him relaxed and in a jovial mood). Plus, I brought a container with some peanut butter (natural kind of course!) to have Tristan lick from my fingers while the vet and vet tech did their business at his back end.

What I didn’t take into consideration was that I would need to pick him up to get him on the examination table. He’s a 45 lb. cat. Okay, he’s really a dog. But he’s so lean and flexible I swear he must have been raised by cats while out on the streets the first year of his life. Because he’s 45 lbs. I don’t typically lift and carry or hold him.

He was in a sit position and I bent down to pick him up and hold him like a baby, with head over shoulder. After a few seconds of that, he squirmed and contorted and eventually wiggled his way out of my arms and onto the floor. Whew! No broken legs. But, boy do ‘we’ have something to work on.

After a few moments of gently coaxing and persuasion, with heart rate down for both of us, I did it again. A whole lot quicker this time and got him on the table with a glob of peanut butter for him to start licking before he knew what was going on.

Pretty much smooth sailing after that; got him back on the floor as soon as the blood was drawn and shots given. My vet and I chatted for a bit and Tristan just lay quietly on the floor. Bygones!

Guess what I’ll be working on with Tristan (and the rest of the dogs)? Holding and picking them up, but it will be in short successful stages. The end result… to love being a baby in mom’s arms.

It will be a very similar process to what we did with Katja and nail trimming. That used to be a full week process. Now, easy peasy. Time us! I bet we can do it less than a minute AND she enjoys it.

First, we put treats around the nail trimmer and let her get used to the device. Next, we moved the trimmer next to her paws and opened and closed it. Treat! Then, when she was comfortable with the moving of the nail clipper near her feet, we trimmed one nail and treat. Tada! Session done. She lets us handle her paws, so that wasn’t so much of an issue.

Each day we would do a nail or two with lots of treats and happy talk. And end it at that, just a nail or two. From there we would build up to an entire paw. WooHoo!! We were almost home free at this point. Sure, it may have taken a month of what seemed like constant nail trimming, but this is a dog who needs her nails cut several times a month because they grow so fast.

It takes an initial investment in creating a nurturing, positive experience with stressful tasks. But, it’s well worth it when you think about it. Dogs will need their nails trimmed and bodies examined for the duration of their life. Wouldn’t it be much nicer if it was a pleasant experience for both you and your buddy?

How to Use Treats When Training

Treats are probably the easiest way to reward your dog in training. Luring with a food treat can accelerate his learning, especially in the beginning when your dog has no idea what you want. But there is a little skill needed to prevent it becoming a bribe.

Most dogs LOVE to eat and therefore, consider food a high reward and will be motivated to continue to receive the reward. There are a few dogs out there who think treats are alright, but really could care less if they got one or not. Find out what motivates these finicky pooches. Is it ball? Belly rubs? Just hearing your voice? That will be their reward. It’s really important for your dog to perceive it as a reward, not just you.

When considering a treat, use small soft treats. Your dog can quickly gobble them and he won’t be loading up on the calories. Many companies now make pre-cut soft treats, but the ole favorite is Natural Balance’s dog food rolls. You can cut them into any size piece, so they’re great if you have particularly tiny or giant dogs (or both!). Plus, they’re lower in calories than traditional treats.

When you first teach a new cue to your dog, have the treat out to lure your dog. After several repetitions, he’ll start to grasp the concept and the lure can be tapered back to a reward. This means that you’re not blatantly showing him that you have a goodie; he’ll see the treat when he performs the cue given.

Don’t bribe your dog. If your dog understands what you want and you feel you have to bring the treat out to get him to perform the cue, then it’s a bribe. Sometimes if you wait a few seconds for him to complete the command, he’ll do it. Just hold still, be quiet and let him think. So many times we just want him to do it now and don’t give the dog enough time to think about what was just asked of him. We throw up our hands and the treat out to have him do the command quickly. It’s not a race. Be patient. If your dog is thinking, yeah! That means he’s using mental energy and will be tiring out.

Timing is important for him to associate the reward with the cue he just did. You have less than 3 seconds for him to make that association. That’s it. Otherwise, he’ll think he’s getting rewarded for something else.

Nikita is lured for new command, Dance.

Nikita is rewarded for new command, Dance.

Once you have about 80% success rate with a cue, then you can move towards giving a treat on a variable ratio (remember PSCH 101 in college?). Sometimes he gets a treat, sometimes he doesn’t. Dogs don’t have a sense of morality, so they won’t hold it against you if you didn’t treat the last time. Think of it as a slot machine. How many people sit in front of those electronic boxes performing the same behavior over and over because little pieces of metal might spit out?

TIP:  You can also only provide treats to the best or fastest cue to encourage that behavior over the sloppy or slower ones.

Eventually you can wean treats off altogether and just tell your dog Good Boy and that will be enough for him. But in the beginning you want to heavily treat to motivate your dog and show him, yes, that’s what I want.