G is for Go!

It is critical that you tell your dog when they are released from duty & free to do what they want.

I really suggest that you use a special Release Word, like "Go," "Free" or "Done!" so that your dog clearly understands when they are no longer required to Sit, Stay, or  be in their Bed.  "Ok" is a poor, release-word choice  because it is so often and casually thrown about in conversation.  Pick a clear word that you rarely use if you want to avoid mistakes.

Dogs love to put together puzzles, especially ones that they think have meaning to them.  

BUT... being clever sometimes gets them in trouble!

Here is an example:

When I leave the house and my Aussie-dog is usually expecting to come with me --He usually is.

When he is invited out the door, he always does a Sit-Stay on the front porch.  

I rarely ask for this, he knows it is expected and beats me to asking nearly every time.  Clever, right?

In other situations he is also proficient at Sit & Stay --He can perform them perfectly in the hardest of distractions.  

But he started breaking his Stay (go before being released) in the mornings on the porch.  

What happened?

I used to hit the car-alarm button on my way down the steps.

Then, open the back of the car for my Aussie.  

I would call him, "Load-up!"

While he loaded himself in the crate, I would load my bags and ever-present mug of coffee.  

Finally I would get him settled in the back, shut the tailgate, go around to the driver's side and we would be off.

NAUGHTY, or CLEVER?

Clever!  Absolutely, clever.  He started chaining the events together.  

Bip-Bip...        Predicted...        Click-Woosh...        Predicted...        "Load-up!"

It took awhile, but eventually my dog learned the sound of the new alarm un-locking the doors and the sound of the tail-gate opening.  

BEFORE I could call him, he would be screaming down the steps and jumping in the back.  

What happened is that the EVENTS over-shadowed (they were bigger and more noticeable) than my words "Load-up."

It became pointless for my dog to listen for a "release word" because he could PREDICT what was going to happen.

I like when he does this on the porch -he predicts that I am going to ask him to sit, so he just does it.  

However, I did not want him predicting a release before I checked that the coast was clear -what to do?

The solution.

I mix up the routine a lot more now.  Sometimes I call him BEFORE the alarm, sometimes after.  Sometimes I load my bags first, sometimes after.  Sometimes I have him heel to the car and sometimes I come get him.  Sometimes I open doors I don't need to, just to test him.

BUT I ALWAYS, ALWAYS say, "Done!" (his release from the stay) before I call him.  That way he knows that until he hears "DONE!" he needs to STAY!.  The word is now more important than ever because I made it THE MOST IMPORTANT CLUE.

Do you have a question for Kelley? by DogTime blogger Kelley Filson

There's almost 400 Pounds of dog in my house right now!  

This would be OK if I had two Neapolitan Mastiffs that were sleeping like rugs.

BUT, I have a 1000 sq. ft. California Cottage and, one German Shepherd under the age of 10 months, 1 Border Collie just over a year, a Hound Mix, an AussieX, a Chow/PitX and a 6mo Pittie, plus one very old, slow moving Schnauzer.

Keeping play tame, furniture standing, and knees from being blown out is NOT OPTIONAL!   ...BUT it is simple.

When a new dog is thrown into the mix they get a quick lesson on home-manners. The rules are as simple.  There are 3 obedience phrases and 2 consequences.  I NEVER yell any of these.  I never threaten (everything has a consequence).  I am always right.

Commands:

Yellow Warning Light: "__dog's name__, Cool-it."

Red Light: "Too-bad."

Green Light: "Thank You."

Consequences:  

Errors earn a dog a 10-15 second time-out in a crate, bathroom, or tied to leash.

Compliance earns the dogs Praise & Freedom, maybe a toy tossed to them, perhaps a cookie.

THE RULES:

1. Bump into Kelley, get an automatic time-out:  "Too-bad."
2. Bump into grandma (schnauzer), get an automatic time-out:  "Too-bad."
3. Bump into furniture, get an automatic time-out:  "Too-bad."
4. Get TOO LOUD, get a warning.
5. Head the warning, and become quiet, get a green light to keep playing.
6. Ignore warning, get a time-out:  "Too-bad."
7. Play with anything but a dog toy, get an automatic time-out:  "Too-bad."
8. Go in the no-dog-zone, get an automatic time-out:  "Too-bad."

BONUS:  "PLAY BREAK"