Some Minor Dog Training

04/26/2025

Oftentimes, people get so caught up in our own fast-paced world that we forget that "time" doesn't mean the same thing for other animals as it does for us. So we schedule things based on our timetables, and we move as quickly as necessary for US to get where we need to go. We don't think about the fact that the dog may need more time to learn or get comfortable.

And that's why I love dogs. Because they force us to interpret reality as it really is, not how we, as humans, view it. We love to live in the past and future, but dogs force us to live in the present. 🐶❤️

04/25/2025

All behavior is communication. If we get caught up in how the communication is delivered, instead of the emotional need behind it, a dog will "turn up the volume" in order to be heard, or they'll shut down completely. We can correct a problem behavior momentarily, but in order to enact real change, we need to recognize what they're saying and address that. 🐶❤️

04/23/2025

As children, all of those little rules and boundaries that our parents set on us (bedtimes, curfews, dinner times, where we were allowed to go, etc) are the things that shaped how we viewed them. Our friends could tell us to do something, but if we didn't want to then we wouldn't. But our parents held an authority that our friends didn't have, and it was because of those relationship dynamics.

That's what we want to do with our dogs, as well. Which is why, even though a trainer can teach the dog to do certain things, the owners have to practice it at home, because those things are what will help shape the relationship the dog has with them. It's not simply about teaching the dog to Sit or Lie Down or Come When Called, it's about using those things to create a parent/child relationship between the owner and the dog. 🐶❤️

04/22/2025

WHEN CAN WE STOP USING TREATS?

Personally, I will wait until the dog can do a particular behavior 10 out of 10 times WITHOUT me luring them or having to repeat myself. Then I will start to randomize the treats, while increasing the duration in between them. Meaning that I will give treats every other time they correctly perform the behavior, and then every 3 or 4 times, and then I'll drop back down to every single time again for a couple of reps, then go back to 3 or 4 times and continue to build from there. Again, every once in a while, I'm dropping down to every single time, and then going back to the number I was previously at.

This randomization lets the dog know that a treat is coming, they just don't know WHEN, and so they'll continue to show effort. Eventually, we may be giving treats once every 50 times. However, if we start the process and the dog starts to regress (they're not being as responsive), then drop back down to every other time for a little while longer, because they might not be ready for that part, and continue building up.

An important part of this process is that we're doing this with one behavior at a time. So, if we're weaning them off of treats for "Sit," we're still going to be giving treats every single time for "Down" until we have a reliable "Sit" without treats 10 out of 10 times (meaning that I will continue to randomize them until I'm AT LEAST giving treats only once every 10 times they do the behavior). Then we can start working on "Down."

Another important thing is that, when we move into a new environment, we want to start over with treats every time, even if we've already weaned them off in the house. This is just to remind them of the rules of the game, and we'll be able to go through the process a lot faster.

A final note: For me, I will always give treats for the recall (come when called). This is because this is a life-saving skill, so I want the dog as motivated as possible. And, for other behaviors, even after I've weaned them off, occasionally I'll still give treats every single time, just because I want them to always assume a reward COULD BE coming.

04/20/2025

Dogs are incredibly smart, and quick to pick up on things if we do them the exact same way every single time. The problem is that we, as humans, are often too inconsistent to turn those things into habits that they'll naturally do without us asking.

That's why our job, as dog trainers, is to work with the human to teach them how to train their dogs. Because being able to do something once or twice while we're standing there does not mean the dog is trained. Even with a board-and-train program, after the dog goes home, the trainer should be working with the human, because the dog may know the behaviors, but if the human is inconsistent then the dog won't continue.

Dog training is just as much about the human as it is the dog. 🐶❤️

04/18/2025

Yesterday marks my (Allen) 14th year of dog training!

04/16/2025

In dog training, the boring stuff is the important stuff. 🐶❤️

04/13/2025

"Real" Reactivity vs. "Fake" Reactivity

Some dogs are reactive because they have genuine mental health issues, such as extreme anxiety. These dogs need long-term behavioral training to change how their brain operates.

Some dogs are reactive because they lack the rules, structure, or boundaries to prevent the behavior. So the dog may legitimately think this is an acceptable action, despite how the human reacts. For these dogs, once we add in the structure of obedience training, the reactivity will often be faster to disappear.

So, if your dog is struggling with reactivity, don't look at how quickly other dogs are progressing in their training and judge your dog based on that, because you don't know that other dog's situation. Focus on your dog, and let the process take as long as it's going to take, because this is a journey that you and YOUR dog are traveling, not other people or their dogs. 🐶❤️

04/11/2025

Some dogs are not motivated by food. They'd prefer a game of tug. Or maybe they're happy just getting your attention. Find what motivates your individual dog, and use that in their training.

The key with dog training is focus. We want the dog to find us more valuable and appealing than anything else in the environment. Part of doing that is making OURSELVES more rewarding. We can use whatever we need to in order to make that happen, and then, as they become more reliable and the behaviors become habits, we can start weaning them off the motivator, while maintaining our own value.

Another tip is that we want to adjust our rewards to the distractions. So, if I'm practicing in the backyard, where there are no distractions, I may use a lower value reward, like a toy (depending on the dog, of course), but when we're out on the street I may use something higher value, like food. Experiment, and find what works best for your individual dog. 🐶❤️

04/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW...

Dogs have something called the "Jacobsen's Organ," a secondary olfactory system (a second way to smell things) located in the roof of the mouth behind the upper incisors. This organ allows dogs to detect and interpret chemical signals, which are often odorless to humans.

So, sometimes, when dogs put things in their mouths, it's not necessarily because they want to eat it. It's because they want to "smell it further" and investigate.

04/08/2025

SOCIALIZATION: Oftentimes, people will tell us to socialize our dogs and puppies by letting them interact with other dogs and people. Those interactions are great, but they aren't socialization.

In dogs, socialization is learning to be neutral around those other dogs or people. And a big reason for that is because not every dog is a social butterfly who wants to play with other dogs, especially strange dogs. If we allow them to interact, but don't teach them how to be neutral, they could start running up to strange dogs thinking it's playtime, and put themselves into bad situations.

They also need to learn how to be calm around EACH OTHER. Some dogs love to play, while others like it occasionally, and others don't like it at all. So, in a multi dog household, we want to teach them how to simply hang out with each other. They don't need to be playing all the time

There are also times when they NEED TO be around other strange dogs without interacting, like the vet. If they've only ever practiced unrestricted play with other dogs, then they will have a hard time controlling themselves in those situations.

And, finally, it builds a positive association with simply existing around other dogs, while also trusting our judgement, which increases our bond. The most important thing about working outside, or around distractions, is that they find us more valuable than anything else. Activities like this photo teach them that we will advocate for them, and they can trust that we won't put them in a bad situation. That means, when we're outside, they'll trust that I'll do the same thing. This is a big part of building a more parent-like relationship, because it builds trust. 🐶❤️

04/06/2025

04/05/2025

Training is just as essential to dogs as school is for kids.

School actually plays a big role in early childhood development, and not only because of the academics. School gives the child mental exercise, which is necessary for proper brain growth and maturity, as well as teaching them how to behave politely in society, building their impulse control, and teaching them how to follow schedules and routines.

It's the same for our dogs. And that doesn't mean to enroll them in puppy classes (though that's helpful). It just means that, if we want our puppies to grow into mature, responsible dogs, they need education just as much as human children do.

Dog training is a building process. Even once the dog knows how to do it, that doesn't mean they can do it in all environments, or with distractions. Children don't go to school, learn math, and then that's it. They learn the foundations, and then their skills are built upon that foundation. We want to do the same with our dogs. Keep challenging them. 🐶❤️

04/04/2025

COUNTER CONDITIONING: The process of changing a dog’s emotional reaction to a situation from negative to positive. This is done by gradually exposing the dog to the situation in a way that doesn't push them too far past their threshold, while pairing it with a desirable reward. The goal is to create a positive association with the situation.

An example of this is encountering another dog on a walk. Through counter conditioning, the dog can be taught that the approach of another dog is the signal for a treat, rather than the signal for uncontrolled barking and lunging.

04/02/2025

Dog training rewards have different value depending on the environment and situation.

Say you’re walking down the street. You don’t have anywhere particular to be, and you’re relaxed and just enjoying yourself. You catch a glint of something in the corner of your eye. It’s a dollar! Just sitting there on the sidewalk. You pick it up and feel pretty lucky.

Now, say it’s a different day. You’re late to an important meeting and you’re running down the street. Maybe it’s cold or raining. You’re stressed out and thinking about how you’re going to explain this to your boss.

Maybe you don’t even see the dollar this time. Maybe you see it, but you’re so stressed out it’s not worth the effort to go and pick it up. So, what would be worth the effort in this situation? $10? $20? $100?

Dogs are the same. A piece of kibble isn’t going to be worth much in a high stress or high activity environment. If you want to make it worth the effort for your dog to go and “pick up that dollar”, you have to raise the value.

03/27/2025

If a child draws on the wall, I'll redirect them to paper and praise them. But I'm also not going to let them near a wall unsupervised with a pencil for a long time.

Maintenance is part of training. 🐶❤️

03/26/2025

We didn't realize it, but as children, all of those little rules and boundaries that our parents set on us (bedtimes, curfews, dinner times, where we were allowed to go, etc) are the things that shaped how we viewed them. Our friends could tell us to do something, but if we didn't want to then we wouldn't. But our parents held an authority that our friends didn't have, and it was because of those relationship dynamics.

That's what we want to do with our dogs, as well. Which is why, even though a trainer can teach the dog to do certain things, the owners have to practice it at home, because those things are what will help shape the relationship the dog has with them. It's not simply about teaching the dog to Sit or Lie Down or Come When Called, it's about using those things to create a parent/child relationship between the owner and the dog. 🐶❤️

03/23/2025

Often, when adding a second dog to our household, the training of the first dog will drastically decrease. So, if the first dog were to stop progressing in their training, would you be happy? If the answer is no, then we should wait until it is before adding another. 🐶❤️