I once had someone comment at the end of a class I was teaching, "I noticed that you never tell the dogs 'No!' Why not?"

I was impressed with the observation; it is true.  "No" is simply not a command that I use.  Commands are things that I use to tell a dog, "I want you to do this."  Most people just say "NO!" and then expect the dog not to do the thing they already did.  This is a poor communication and goes against all scientific study of Operant Conditioning.  Operant Conditioning is the way trainers teach a dog that certain commands followed by certain behaviors will have predictable results.

Basic Training for Commands

Command -----> Behavior -----> Consequence (Reward/Punishment)

"SIT" ---------> Butt On Ground --------->"GOOD" & TOY TOSSED (Marker Word... Reward)

Poor Training & Ineffective Use of "NO!"

"SIT" ------------> Dog Jumps ------->"NO!" (A Word... No Action/Consequence)

In the example just given, NO is just another word, the dog can ignore.  Because the word fails to predict a consequence, the dog will default to what was tangible about the situation or event.

Jumping ------->Paws On People (Touch), Voice ("No" Unknown...Ignore) Eye-Contact (Usually Precedes Good Stuff)

In this example, the dog learned nothing.  If your intended consequence is that the dog NOT JUMP.  There must be a true consequence for jumping.  

Consequences (Rewards/Punishments)

I don't want to give the dog a punishment because that will likely make them afraid of me of my guest, so I just take away something they are enjoying.  Reward Removal (Penalty) is an effective consequence and teaches the dog that jumping is unwise.  NOTE:  To be fair and speed along training you should also teach your dog to SIT or another acceptable behavior at the same time or BEFORE you give penalties.

How do you REMOVE A REWARD or GIVE A PENALTY?

If your dog is jumping they are enjoying the reaction from the person being jumped on -wiggling, struggling, pushing, squealing.  picture a puppy jumping on a little kid.  The kid screams (high-pitched noise) and struggles to get away.  The puppy reads this as:  Interactive-Squeaker Toy!  The trick to reward removal is to Mark the Offense Immediately and then remove the dog from the location where good stuff is happening or remove the good stuff (toy, person, attention).

>>>Next Blog... More on Reward Removals.

OK, so rabbit ears & wigs are silly items, but the training principals that were applied in the process of teaching this dog to wear them are universal.  The steps outlined below can be used to get your dog to love and willingly participate in wearing things you want or need them to wear.  In working with my clients and their dogs I use this system frequently when I need a dog to wear muzzle or head halter.  

With puppies preparation is the key.  I like to start early when teaching a pup to tolerate booties (paw protection for later injuries to the foot) or goofy collars (like the post-surgery lampshade).  Other uses include Other uses include getting your dog comfortable with the sight and feel of a comb, toothbrush, nail trimmers, or ear cleaning pads.  Ideally you will have time to do this training.  If you are in a crunch for time, please seek suggestions for speeding along this process from a certified trainer.

1.  Start by leaving the Training Item (TI) around so that your dog can investigate the TI and learn that its presence means nothing.  This is the first step: Convincing your dog that nothing yucky will happen when the Training Item appears.  

If you have a chew-prone puppy or dog, supervise your dog when you first present the item.  DO NOT punish the dog if they attempt to chew the item.  You do not want your dog to think that the item means they get in trouble.  If they start to chew the item, gently encourage them to chew on an appropriate chew toy.  

This step will take 1-3 days.  Place the Training Item (TI) on your dogs bed, on the floor or next to you on the couch.  Leave it out for 10-15 minutes then put the TI away.  DO NOT make any attempt to get your dogs attention or put the Training Item on or near the dog.

2.  Now start playing with the item.  Bring the TI out several times each day and fiddle with parts that make noise (velcro straps, clips, jingly parts, etc...) or if the TI has a smell like toothpaste or ear cleaners, open the container so that the smell can be perceived by your dog.

DO NOT attempt to put the Training Item on or near your dog.  Remember you are still teaching them that NOTHING YUCKY WILL HAPPEN.  You are simply adding a new parameter: the movement of the items, sound of the item and you holding the item.  Also repeat this step for several days.  Some dogs will show no concern over the noise or movement, others will take a long time before they are convinced that NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

3.  The work really begins in this next step.  Because your dog will be working too, you will need something to pay them with so that the job is fun.  

As far as paychecks go, dogs are most likely to work the hardest for toys or food.  Toys are great for dogs that love playing fetch or tug more than anything!  By this I mean that your dog will spit out a treat when looking at a ball and that will only drop a tug toy for another toy, but not for a treat.  If this is your dog, pick one toy and keep it special for the training.  Only play with that toy in training sessions.

If your dog LOVES food, or is luke-warm on toys (95% of pet dogs) FOOD IS THE IDEAL PAYCHECK for your dog.  If this is your dog, pick a special treat to use in training.  Do not give your dog this specially chosen treat unless you are training.  My dogs like cheese, chicken baby food, roast beef, french fries and meatballs BEST.  These are special training treats; they only get these treats when we are training!

4.  Preparing for the training session is important.  Start by teaching the dog that the presence of the paycheck means nothing.

I know that there is a lot of money kept at banks, but I don't get excited when I'm at the ATM because I know that the amount of cash in the building is irrelevant to me.  The amount that means something to me is what I have earned and put into my account.  Teaching this concept to your dog (about their paycheck) is important.  Your dog is already prepared to salivate and anticipate yummy stuff when they smell food in your hand or to get excited when they see the ball or tug toy.  Because this is the natural state of anticipation for your dog, you will need to undo it a bit, to help them make the connection you want.  

The connection you are hoping to achieve is:

Training Item Near Dog's Body ---------------------------------->Yippee!!!

What you are starting with is:

Training Item ------->Nothing & Food/Toy Paycheck --------->Yippee!!!

5. Making the Food/Toy Paycheck mean as little as the training item.  Because the Training Item (barring a bad previous experience) started an neutral it was quickly accepted as irrelevant.  The toy and food DO HAVE VALUE and meaning to your dog already (yum or yipee).  Therefore, we are going to start by re-teaching your dog that the paycheck is present but unavailable.

To do this, pick your paycheck (great food or fantastic toy) and prepare it.  

Get your training item (hat, booties, collar) and place it near you, but do not touch it.  

Then for 10 minutes randomly pick up the paycheck for 1-2 seconds (toy/food) let your dog see you touch (they can even sniff at it), but NOT let them get the paycheck.  

End the session and put everything away.  Yes, your dog will be confused and bummed.

Repeat this for 3-5 days until your dog is BORED with the game and wanders away or lays down -proof they know they are getting nothing.

6.  Now we are ready to teach the dog when when and how the paycheck can be earned.  At the next session, start the same way, but about a minute into the session, pick up the Training Item.  Immediately feed your dog or let your dog play with the toy.  Then continue picking up the paycheck.  Remember, no Training item, no paycheck.  Repeat this in short, frequent sessions (two to four, 5-10 minute sessions/day).

Each time you repeat this vary the number of times you fiddle with the paycheck before picking up the training item.  When your dog likes this game, slowly move the item towards the part of the body that it will be worn on.  Be sure that you know exactly what the dog has to do to earn a paycheck and don't deviate during a session.  Also, don't be afraid to stay at the same level for several sessions -until your dog is completely comfortble with the item at that level.

For Safety & Sanity, every dog should have a DROP command that means:  "Spit that out of your mouth right now!"

I prefer to have a separate , LEAVE-IT command, one that means:  "Don't look at it, smell it, go near it, or even think about putting it in your mouth!"  Because you will be teaching your dog what the command means, you can choose any word that you want.  For more on choosing commands click here.

To teach your dog DROP-IT, you will need:

A toy that your dog likes to pick-up (ball, frisbee, stuffy) or an item they steal (socks, bags, leashes).

Some treats that your dog really likes.

A second toy that your dog likes as much as the first toy, or more!

A leash that your dog can wear and drag on the ground.

A flat collar that does not pinch or choke.

Location, Location, Location!

Choose a quiet place where you will not be interrupted.  Remember you want your dog to be successful so eliminate any competition that might interfere with your dogs ability to focus or be successful.  I like to start training inside, then I repeat all of the steps quiet outside area where dogs are on-leash, last I practice at the park with other off-leash dogs.

Your First Session

Give your dog the toy & allow them to play freely with it.

When you are ready, give the command:  DROP-IT.  Only say this command once.

Casually step on the end of the leash (it should be dragging on the ground) to prevent your dog from playing keep-away.

Now slowly move the stinky, tasty treat you have in front of the dogs nose.  

Some dogs will go for the treat right away, other dogs need you to wiggle the treat.

As soon as your dog drops the toy, PRAISE & TREAT your dog with the food treat you showed them.

Now say TAKE-IT and let your dog have their toy.

*** If your dog refuses to take the treat and/or shows no interest:  

1) Try the exercise when your dog is hungry.

2) Try a different treat.

3) Try using another toy to interest them in dropping the item in their mouth.

4) Try just out-waiting them.  Your dog may just need to learn that you aren't going to take their toy.

REMEMBER:  Only say the command ONCE right BEFORE you step on the leash & DEFINITELY BEFORE you move towards your dog's nose with the treat.

When your dog starts dropping the toy before you can step on the leash or before you can show them the treat, take the exercise outside or to a more distracting environment.

In NEW ENVIRONMENTS, expect your dog's performance to slip.  Help them out again by stepping on the leash or using a treat.

Eventually you will be able to also pick up the ball using the principals of teaching LEAVE-IT.

Are you sure you are telling your dog what you want?

Dogs do not KNOW the "meanings" of words as we understand them.  This means we have to be careful not to confuse our dogs.  In general trainers share a set of common commands that have consistent expectations:  come, sit, down, stay, heel.  But since you will have to teach your dog what you want them to do anyway, you can pick whatever command you feel comfortable using.  Here are some general rules to help you be successful.  

RULE ONE -Be consistent.  Use the same command for the same expected result all the time.  When working with a new dog avoid confusing differences such as LIE-DOWN, GO-LIE-DOWN, DOWN.

RULE TWO -Be clear.  Avoid confusing situations and unwanted behaviors.  Don't pick similar sounding words for different activities like: GO (as in you are released from stay) and NO (you were about to get up, don't do it) or HERE (as in come-here) if your command for walking is HEEL.

RULE-THREE -Be Fair.  You can't use the same word in commands for different activities.  DOWN can't mean lie-down & get-down and SIT-DOWN is a terrible command choice.

Here is an example:  A client of mine was frustrated at her dog who was "deliberately disobeying" her when she wanted her dog to move off the furniture.  If the dog was sleeping on the couch and my client commanded the dog, "Get Down."  The dog would not move.  

For my client DOWN had two meaning:  1) Lie-DOWN   2) Get Down from there.  

For the dog, down meant LIE DOWN and since he was already lying down on the couch he didn't feel a need to do anything further.  

We taught a new command OFF and used a toy to lure the dog off the couch and reward the dog for Four-On-The-Floor and soon everything was solved.

Some command suggestions:

DOWN:  Lie down where you are.

BED:  Go to your bed and lie down.

OFF:  Get your paws to the floor (off a couch)

SIT:  Place your bottom on the ground.

STAY:  Do not move form that position until told that you are free.

WAIT:  Do not move forward, jump in or out, cross the threshold.

GO:  You are free to do as you like (released from STAY or from COME).

COME:  Run to me immediately.

THIS WAY or HERE:  When you are done... (sniffing, playing, peeing) please come find me over here.

DROP/OUT:  Spit out the item.

GIVE:  Place item in my hand.

LEAVE-IT:  Don't go near it, smell it, look at it, think about putting it in your mouth.

OUT: (if not used above) Get to the other side of the threshold (room), or the the nearest surface texture change (tile to carpet, sand to grass).

UH-OH/AH-AGH:  You are about to mess up, stop and I will forgive you.

TOO-BAD:  You messed up (timing is important) right there.  Aways leads to Time-out or Party-Ends

STOP NAGGING YOUR DOG!

Teaching/Learning is a Three-Part Equation

I.  The way you let the dog know something is expected.

II.  Whatever the dog decides to do (based on instincts, learning, motivation)

III.  The consequences that are connected to the actions.

Part-I  THE CLUES  

Usually people focus on the first part -humans love to give verbal instructions (commands).  This part of the equation is really the LEAST IMPORTANT PART of teaching an animal to DO SOMETHING.  Furthermore it is the LAST part I worry about when training a new dog or teaching a dog that a new situation requires a previously known behavior.

Part-II THE OPTIONS

Dogs that are trained with force/aversion often get stressed out during the second part of the equation.  Stress is NOT conducive to relationships or learning.  In Aversive training the risks for getting answer wrong can be high and/or the motivation to give an alternate answer to great to avoid putting the dog in a double bind (I really need to pee, but if I do I might get punished).

In contrast dogs trained systematically with rewards are encouraged to try stuff and praised & rewarded at first for:  Good-Attempts, Better-Answers, Correct Responses.  The consequences for mistakes are "bummers" they don't get access and/or loose a reward, but they are never given aversive treatments for failing.

Part-III CONSEQUENCES ARE CRITICAL!!!!

This is **THE MOST** important part of training any lasting behaviors.  Sadly most people never think about it, they just keep repeating commands to their dog.  Consequences are where it is at.  

Whenever I ask something of a dog, I already know in my mind three questions.

1)  what will I give them if they do it right  

2) What will they loose if they give the wrong answer

3) How will I know they don't know they don't know the answer and need a hint for training to stay fun and successful.

YOUR HOMEWORK...

Teach your dog to offer good options & give consequences.

For the next 3 weeks, whenever you are going to leave with your dog through a door...  Leash your dog and get your stuff.  Put your hand on the door knob, but don't open it.  SAY NOTHING!!!!

Week-1:  Wait.  Do & Say nothing.  Ignore your dog.  As soon as your dog sits, Say "AWESOME!" and open the door.  Let the door do through the door however they want as long as they are on-leash and safe.

How long does it take before your dog sits as soon as you are at the door?

Week-2:  Do everything from above.  As soon as your dog sits, open the door SLOWLY!!!  If your dog's butt pops up, close the door.  Again, SAY NOTHING.  If your dog re-sits, open the door slowly.  If the butt-pops up, close the door.  Repeat.  If you get the door open 6" and your dog's butt is still on the ground... Say, AWESOME! and open the door allowing your dog Out!

Week-3:  Everything from above, but go for door open 12"... Door open 18"... Door open 6" & 30 seconds... Door open 12" and 30 seconds... Door open all the way, 5 seconds...  Door open all the way, 30 seconds.  

NEVER SAY A THING!  Just close the door (preventing access to outside/walks/play) if the dog's butt moves from a sit BEFORE your can say AWESOME!