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Learn about the day to day life of a successful private dog trainer in Chicago, IL. Gain insight into the challenges of being a trainer as well as tips to help you with your dog.
March 2008 - Posts
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 "Settle" is simply another name for an extended down cue. However, it is often used as an “off” switch for dogs that are a bit too exuberant, mouthy, or wild. There are many strategies to get a good Settle cue.
I recommend that you first work in a calm manner at first and periodically ask your dog to “Settle” during training sessions. You should then continue practicing when your dog is more excited until you can eventually get the behavior reliably no matter how excited your dog is. If you ask for the behavior and your dog is too excited or is not motivated to do it, gently help your dog into position by luring the behavior with a treat or walk away from your dog until he calms down. Then, work at a more calm level the next time until you are able to successfully get the behavior at any time.
There are a few general strategies for teaching behaviors and here are descriptions to help you get started teaching this behavior.
Shape a Settle
- When your dog is lying down, gently pet him and give him treats
- If he gets up, you can either ignore him or ask him to lie down again and then pet him and/ or give him treats
- Say the cue, “Settle” after he is fairly calm and then continue petting and treating occasionally
- Release him at some point, “OK” and stop petting him
- Whenever you see him lie down, give him more attention and/or treats. This will motivate him to do that behavior more often.
Cue Settle
- This is the same as above, but you will cue your dog, or ask him, to do the behavior
- Say the cue, “Settle” or “Enough” and then ask him to lie down and periodically pet him and/or treat him
- If he gets up, gently say, “Eh! Eh!” ask him to lie down again, and pet him and/ or give him treats
Speed Settle
- This is the final goal
- Work with your dog practicing a short training session or a game of tug
- Say, “Settle” and stop moving, interacting with him and put your hands behind your back
- Ask him to lie down and then treat him
- Work with him a bit more and repeat the “Settle” cue, but require him to lie down and settle for a longer period of time
- If he gets up, you can say, “Eh! Eh!” and ask him to lie down again, or say, “Too bad!” and walk away from him. Eventually he will learn that to continue playing with you, he needs to turn it off when you ask.
Keep in mind that you can turn this into a game by using a lot of enthusiasm and excitement when your dog performs the behavior. You can also reward your dog by throwing his favorite toy.
Have fun with it and use it periodically throughout the day and reward with a variety of rewards such as throwing a toy, playing tug, taking your dog for a walk, giving a belly rub, feeding dinner, etc. Have more questions about training? Ask in my dog training Forums. Have a wild puppy that nips? Watch a FREE Chapter of my new Puppy Biting Video.
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 I read an amazing article yesterday about an experiment training sea bass to respond to a tone and swim back to a certain location for feeding. At some point the signal would entice them to come back for the last time when they would be caught and harvested for food.
The reason for this strategy is to save money on the large pens that are currently used for farmed fish. If the fish can swim free for periods of time and come back for feedings, the fishing companies can save money on enclosures. Ethics about hunting and farming the earth's resources aside, this is a fascinating use of positive reinforcement. Yes, it is still considered positive reinforcement up to the point where the fish are harvested. "It sounds crazy, but it's real," said Simon Miner, a research
assistant at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Wood's Hole, which
received a $270,000 grant for the project from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. The big question mark for this experiment is how long the fish will remember the signal and come back to the enclosure once they are set free into the open ocean. Not surprisingly, they have found that there is a dropoff that correlates to how long the fish are trained. Fish that are trained longer, remember for a longer period of time once the training stops. Positive Reinforcement is Powerful
I always look for real-world examples to prove how powerful positive reinforcement training can be. Positive reinforcement training is taught without the use of fear or pain. When I read the article, I knew immediately how the scientists got the fish to come to the defined location because I understand the principles of classical conditioning and operant conditioning, both necessary for training. Most people know about Pavlov and the salivating dog experiments. He discovered classical conditioning, or associative learning, when he rang a bell before feeding dogs. At some point he realized that the dogs salivated before the food was presented after hearing the bell. They also responded to the assistants in lab coats that came to feed them in the same way. They anticipated an event based on another event. In this case, the bell or "person in lab coat" predicted food. Classical conditioning occurs regardless of the behavior of the animal. The dogs did not have to sit to get the food, for instance, it was presented each time following the bell no matter what they were doing. They learned that the bell was the predictor of food, not their behavior. Operant conditioning occurs as a result of an animals behavior, and doesn't occur if the behavior is not present. For instance, a dog can learn that he gets a treat if he sits when asked and doesn't get a treat if he lies down instead. In the real world, it is often difficult to separate classical and operant conditioning and they are often intertwined. In the sea bass experiement, they started with classical conditioning and sounded a tone before dropping food into a defined area that the fish could only reach by navigating a small opening. The tone predicted the arrival of food for the fish. The fish then had to learn through operant conditioning that they had to swim to the location in order to receive the food. Researchers played the tone for 20 seconds, three times a day, for
about two weeks. Afterward, whenever the tone sounded, "you have
remote-control fish," Miner said. How can you use this for dog training?
First of all, I want you to feel empowered that if fish can be trained, you can train your dog! A skilled trainer thinks about conditioning their dog to do a behavior many, many times before they are expected to "know" the behavior. As mentioned above, the fish that were trained for a longer period of time retained the information longer. A Dog Training Example to Try
So, keep this in mind when you are working with your dog. Let's use "Come" as an example. To teach Come, put your dog on leash, say the cue one time, and gently pull your dog to you and give a treat. Back up a few steps and repeat. Provide help each and every time that your dog needs it. Help might be gently pulling the leash or tapping your leg. Keep in mind that you should pause slightly after saying the cue before providing help in order for your dog to hear the cue with being distracted by your movement or sounds. Eventually your dog will be conditioned to come to you when he hears the cue. Yes! If you need to see this in action, you can purchase my Come When Called Video for only $7. The price drops if you purchase more. I also have other videos such as Puppy Biting, Emergency Stop, Leash Walking and more. Check out my free Puppy Biting sample chapter here. Questions about training your dog? Join my Dog Training Forums for free and ask me questions. I am glad to help!
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 I just returned from Boulder, Colorado from a vacation with my wife and was blown away by the beauty and the nature. I was especially impressed with their forward-thinking Voice and Sight Control program that they implemented in 2006. There are designated trails and areas that require this level of control with dogs with very stringent requirements. Non-dog park areas in town require leashed dogs, and some trails are off-limits to dogs.
Here are the requirements for the Voice and Sight Control Program.
“Voice and sight control means the dogs you are responsible for must be within your sight and under your verbal command at all times, regardless of distractions which can occur during a walk. If your dog cannot immediately obey verbal command, your dog must remain on-leash. Also, keep in mind that dogs under voice and sight control are not allowed to charge, chase or display aggression towards other people or dogs or chase, harass, or disturb wildlife and livestock.”
To pass the requirements, all applicants much watch a video showing examples of dogs on trails, register their dog, purchase tags, and have them visible on their dog at all times.
 Besides missing my dogs even more, (all of whom would pass the requirements) these laws made our stay in Boulder even more pleasant. All of the dogs that we passed were either very well trained and under control, or on leash if still working on the training. I always appreciate when cities think about advanced training as an attainable and reasonable expectation for dogs.
Besides being my livelihood and my passion, I strongly believe that all dogs benefit greatly from training; to provide them with physical and mental exercise and also to make it easier to take them more places and expand their worlds. I think it is a shame when dogs stare at walls all day or only get to explore their back yard.
Do you wish you had better control of your dog when off-leash? You can learn how to work with your dog with my new video Off Leash Control – Stop as well as my other videos including, Come, Leash Walking and more. You can have the level of control and flexibility with your dogs if you put the time in and understand how to reach your goal.
If you have questions, you can also join my Forums.
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 This is another installment in my series about mistakes in working with aggressive dogs. I have tremendous success with my aggression cases and have been helping dogs overcome aggression for over 6 years. There are strategies that you can use that can make the situation worse.
I want you to avoid doing that and help your dog become more comfortable faster. Mistake - Using choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, or other positive punishment.
This is often incorrectly referred to as “negative reinforcement”. Positive punishment is the act of adding something aversive in order to stop a behavior. With aggression, trainers often recommend using a choke chain or shock collar and adding pain when a dog is aggressive.
Why it is a mistake. Similar to alpha rolls, the dog can seem to be “cured” because they stop showing aggression, but the underlying anxiety can still be present. It is also unnecessary and abusive to add physical pain to any animal that is under stress. It is unfair, irresponsible and unnecessary to add pain to a dog when he is uncomfortable. Move him away, manage him better and use systematic desensitization to build confidence and get him more comfortable with the situation. I equate punishing a dog for showing signs of aggression to punishing a person that is afraid of spiders. If any animal is afraid, positive punishment can stop the animal from showing outward signs of discomfort, but the anxiety has not been addressed, except to mask it. Note: I am 100% against using choke chains, prong collars or shock collars in all dog training situations. Period. Questions? Ask in the Forums. Comments? Please comment below.
Mistake - Moving too quickly or inappropriate expectations.
I was at a second appointment recently with a client that has a newly adopted dog that exhibits aggression towards people and dogs. She had bitten two people in the first week in her new home with little damage.
After working slowly and systematically during the first session, we made a lot of progress while I assessed Tulip’s anxiety and learned her signals. By the end of the session, I could walk slowly towards her up to about 10 feet away while she remained calm the entire time.
The second appointment we continued working and I was able to give Tulip a few treats from my outstretched hand, while Tulip was on leash the entire time. I advised my client to move her away at some point to a distance of 5 feet. He said he was surprised that I was still cautious at this stage. She seemed fine and was taking treats gently out of my hand.
The reason that I did not push too quickly and try and pet Tulip is that I did not want to put her in a situation where she felt nervous and that she had to defend herself by growling, barking or biting.
Aggression has obvious signals such as growling and biting, but before that happens, a dog starts to get anxious. In other words, if a dog would bite me if I touched her collar, she is not completely calm all the way until I touch her collar and then she gets instantly anxious and bites me. There is a point that she sees me approaching him when she starts to get anxious. If I push too quickly, I am proving to the dog that she needs to keep an eye on me and that I am a threat.
I want dogs to not care about the trigger (person, dog, car, bicycle, etc.) that is currently causing stress. If a dog sees me in her house and I always push her until she shows obvious signals, then she will at some point start to get anxious as soon as she sees me. “There’s that guy, I need to be cautious, I know at some point he is going to come over here . . . oh, he stood up, is he coming over? He looked at me, this is it . . .” If that is our relationship then she will never learn to be completely calm when I am in the room or it might take a really long time.
Desensitization is working below the dog’s stress level so she is not repeatedly thrust into defense or attack mode.
Go slowly. Pay attention to your dog’s signals, and it will pay off.
Have more questions about aggression? Ask in the forums.
Need more training help? Buy my videos.
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 There are a lot of reasons puppies and older dogs have housetraining problems. Besides normal factors such as maturity and lack of motivation to go potty in the right location, there can be other issues that can cause a dog to have accidents. It is important to understand some of the issues to avoid focusing on the wrong reason and getting frustrated.
If your dog is not housetrained yet, you can purchase my instant-access Housetraining Video for only $7. It includes a housetraining chart as well as almost 17 minutes of housetraining strategies.
Here are some of the issues that can contribute to housetraining problems.
Separation Anxiety
There are many symptoms of separation anxiety including accidents when alone, following a person around the house and not being able to be alone, scratching at doors and on the crate, barking for extended periods of time, not eating when alone and heightened anxiety when a person returns home.
If you think your dog has separation anxiety, listen to my radio show on the topic, or ask questions in the forums.
Submissive Urination
This can occur if a dog feels threatened and wants to tell the approaching dog or person that he means no harm. Puppies can often outgrow this, but if it is present in an adult dog it usually means there is a fear component. There are four specific triggers that usually trigger this response.
- Approach and eye contact
- Looming or bending over a dog
- Touching
- Talking
This often occurs when family members or guests approach or when a puppy is taken out of the crate. To help a dog get out of the habit of reacting this way, try and approach him in a submissive way. You can even turn your body to the side, avoid eye contact, crouch down and put the leash on. Every time that you successfully put the leash on and take him to the potty area without an episode of submissive urination occurring is one day closer to him changing this behavior.
There are also some other strategies you can use to avoid the repeated pattern resulting in submissive urination.
- Put your dog on leash and allow your dog to calm down when someone approaches. Then, have the person sit down and have allow your dog to approach the person. If a dog approaches a person, there is less of a chance of submissive urination occurring because it is less confrontational for the dog.
- You can also try throwing a toy down the hallway for your dog to chase and give him something else to do besides being the center of attention.
Bladder Infections
This can happen to young or old dogs. It can be quite frustrating. There are specific symptoms that are present and this can usually be treated with antibiotics. Talk to your veterinarian if you have questions.
- Frequent urination (often in unusual places)
- Bloody urine
- Dribbling urine
- Straining to urinate
- Weakness
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting and pain
Moving or a Change in the House
Dogs frequently have housetraining regressions when the family moves or if there is a new member of the family (marriage, baby, etc.). These new situations can be stressful and disorientating to the dog. Be patient and pay close attention to your dog's habits and routine during the first few weeks to avoid problems. Just a quick note, never put your dog's face in the accident if one occurs. This is abusive and increases anxiety. It is not helpful. Do you have any housetraining stories for the community? Share them to benefit everyone. See all my high-quality videos for purchase covering a wide variety of topics. Watch the free sample.
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 With Spring weather almost here in Chicago, it is time to start thinking about more frequent trips to the dog park. You might feel uneasy when your dog plays with other dogs. Hopefully this alleviates some of your concerns by teaching you what to look for and how to react if there is a problem. If you decide to take your dog to the dog park it is important to know about dog body language and how to react to bad situations. Even if you never decide to take your dog, it is still important to understand how to assess dog behavior when meeting a dog on the street.
Dogs are normally much rougher with each other than with us. That is completely appropriate as long as we can read their body language to determine if we need to intervene at any point. It is very important to understand what the term “inappropriate” means. Dog interactions are all situational. If there are two dogs that play extremely rough with each other but the situation never escalates into a fight that might be fine. However, those dogs go to a dog park and play at the same level of intensity with unknown dogs, it could escalate into a fight.
If a dog shows teeth to another dog and the other dog backs off, that is completely appropriate and there is no need for immediate concern. Keep an eye on the situation and if it happens more than a few times in a short time, then the play session should end just to proactively avoid a fight.
Dogs show body signals to inform the other dogs that they are about to play. Dogs only have their energy to survive and don’t want to unnecessarily get injured by getting bit. They basically tell each other “I am showing signals, and I am going to jump on you and bite you, but since I am showing you these signals, don’t hurt me, OK?”
Appropriate Playgroups Include
- Bouncy movements
- Relaxed body including eyes, mouth, tail, etc.
- Changes in body position. If one dog is on their back, we want to see him on top of the other dog at some point. If one dog is being chased, we want to see him chase other dogs. If one dog is biting your dog, we want to see him biting that dog, etc. If a dog is in a position for too long, than they are probably trying to escape and can’t.
- Dogs paying attention to dogs that don’t want to play. If a dog shows teeth or tenses up and emits signals in the “bad play” section, than other dogs should back off and play with another dog.
- Escape routes. We need our dogs to be able to run away from the activity if they want. If a dog is cornered or chased and has not way to add distance, then he may quickly start to fight to protect himself.
- Play bows. Dogs arch their backs and put their butts in the air.
Signs that a Dog is Stressed and the Situation Might Escalate - Tense movements.
- Full teeth, vertical teeth shows aggression, horizontal teeth shows fear. Fear can quickly turn to aggression if necessary.
- Slow tail movements, showing signs of being unsure.
- Freezing
- Air snaps. (possible neutral sign as well)
- Wide eye (you can see the whites of their eyes)
Neutral Signs If Happen Infrequently (watch for repeated signs such as yelping)
- Vocalization. Dogs that growl or bark are not necessarily aggressive or unhappy. Some dogs do that when they are playing.
- Yelping. If a dog yelps once, pay attention and make sure that the dog is not in a situation that they can’t get out of. If they are yelping continuously, end the play session and try another day.
- Air snaps. This is a warning signal or could be playful. If dogs back off, then it is not a problem.
- Relaxed-mouth mouthing. Dogs bite each other playfully. As long as the other dog is not showing stressful signs, then it is fine.
Breaking Up Fights
Damage can happen in a very short period of time, so it is important to be prepared to quickly intervene. It is very important that you think about your plan of action any time your dog is in a playgroup so you are not caught off guard. Look around your environment and choose items that you might make noise with (garbage cans, chairs, trees, etc.) if necessary. You should decide which of the following you should do. The suggestions are listed in order of severity. Keep in mind that any time you touch a dog you should prepare to get bitten. When dogs are in a frenzy and they feel contact on any part of their body, they often spin around and bite anybody, even if you are touching your own dog.
Ways to break up fights include:
- Make noise. First thing to try is running up, clapping and saying “Hey!! Stop it!! Ah! Hey! Hey! Heyyy!”. This is often times enough to break up the fight. Bang garbage cans, stomp feet, and use a bicycle air horn to make noise. etc.
- Throw things at the fight. This can include toys and balls, sand, wood chips, etc.
- Spray with hose or water.
- Grab dog near waist and pull back with dog’s head facing away from you and pointed down towards the ground. Good chance you will get bitten.
- Grab base of tail and pull away. Good chance you will get bitten.
- Put something in between dogs fighting, this can include a tennis racket, umbrella, your bag or purse, your arm wrapped in a jacket, etc.
- Put a jacket over the dog’s head.
If your dog is uncomfortable at the park, get him out of there. If there is an aggressive dog at the park, leave. One of the challenges with a dog park situation is some people do not take responsibility for their dogs. Another issue to keep in mind is the amount of time that you spend. Some dogs are fine at the park for 15 minutes and repeatedly get in fights after 20 minutes, for instance. If your dog starts to get uncomfortable, leave and come back another day. If you need training help including off leash control a the dog park, you can purchase my high-quality training videos to help. I have videos on Stop, Come, Leash Walking, Puppy Biting and more. You can watch the free sample here.
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 I frequently hear very similar questions from multiple clients. I also have random dog training thoughts that come to mind that might not lend themselves to a complete blog post. So, I thought I could blend the two and start this as an occasional series. This might contain questions and answers, observations or other dog training thoughts. When applicable, I will also reference other posts that expand on the answer for you.
Why does a trained dog sit?
If you are using positive reinforcment, he has a history of being rewarded for sitting. The cue is just a signal that if he sits he might get a reward. If you use positive punishment, or training using fear or pain, your dog is sitting to avoid pain. I hope you are using positive reinforcement.
How much should I train my dog every day?
Your dog is learning every single, waking moment. If you want him to learn what you want, it is up to you to supervise, guide and teach him so he learns what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in his new home. Institute a “nothing for free” regiment to train your dog. Make him sit before he gets his food, make him sit before he goes outside, make him sit before you will pet him. When you are doing active training sessions, do short 2-10 minute sessions multiple times every day for a total of at least 15 minutes. Read Stop Training Before Your Dog Wants To for specific tips. How do I motivate my dog?
Dogs need to eat, drink, play, and socialize. Use whatever he wants at that moment as the reward. How do dogs learn?
Dogs learn through associations and consequences. If a behavior brings about a reward, either from you or the environment, the behavior is likely to be repeated. The best way to “tell” him and establish good behavior in your dog is to associate behavior you like with rewards so that he learns that it is in his best interest to repeat good behavior. What should I use for treats for my dog?
As long as there are not specific dietary restrictions, you should experiment with many different treats. A treat is anything your dog finds enjoyable. There are a wide variety of treats available for sale. You can also use cheese, liverwurst, boiled chicken, lunchmeat, summer sausage, hot dogs, bananas, mango, etc. Don’t forget you can also use “life rewards” as treats. These include praise, petting, tug, throwing a tennis ball, Frisbee, chase, playtime with another dog, etc. Keep in mind that there is always a balancing act of treats and the possibility of diarrhea. If this happens, rotate the treats until you find something that is OK with your dog’s tummy. Remember to compensate by giving him less kibble each day as well. Some dogs work great on kibble, others need more interesting treats. It is usually really helpful for training to provide new treats every few weeks to keep your dog interested. Make it fun and experiment. What is dangerous for my dog?
Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, grapes, onions, antifreeze, certain plants, cooked chicken bones, rat poison, plastic bags, among other things. Here is a list for you to familiarize yourself with dangerous items. Visit the ASPCA site for a list of dangerous food and plants. Will Playing Tug Make My Dog Aggressive?
No. If your dog already is aggressive, tug can escalate behaviors and cause problems. But, tug does not cause aggression. Read how to play tug safely or buy my puppy biting video that shows how to play tug as well as how to teach a soft, gentle mouth. Comments? See below. Questions? Ask in the forums.
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 Planning on getting away? What are you going to do with your dog?
Listen to Jeff Millman of Watch and Train for dog training vacation
tips whether you are taking your dog with you or boarding your lovable
pooch with someone else.
Listen directly on your computer to Jeff's radio show Vacation Tips for Dogs. This is a big topic, so if you have specific questions, make sure you select the link above and call in with your questions. The show will be played Thursday, March 13th at 6:30pm. Topics that are important when planning for your vacation: - Are you going to take your dogs with?
- Are you going to board them?
- How can you make the trip more pleasant?
- How can you make sure your dogs are comfortable?
- How can you plan ahead in preparation?
- What are some of the rules for flying with dogs?
There are a lot of topics to cover, so if you have a trip planned call in and get advice for your situation. Listen. Call. Get FREE advice from
one of the best dog trainers in Chicago. Jeff runs a successful private
dog training business and also publishes high-quality dog training video lessons
that are viewable instantly on a computer. He only uses positive
reinforcement and studied with Jean Donaldson at the world famous
Academy for Dog Trainers in San Francisco, CA.
You can also listen to any of the past shows here.
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 Stubborn is used frequently to describe dogs that don’t perform a task that is asked of them. Maybe the dog is pulling on his leash, maybe he doesn’t lie down when cued, or maybe he lies down when you he was asked to “Sit”. I think it is much easier to call a dog stubborn than to get at the root of the problem.
One of my areas of expertise as a positive reinforcement dog trainer is motivating a dog to do something without the use of fear or pain. That takes much more skill and thought than physical means such as mindlessly jerking a dog around. But, if you know some simple strategies to get started I think you will find it is not as daunting as a task as you might think – and more effective.
These are some of the “big picture” ideas. As you gain experience, you can fine-tune your understanding of what motivates your dog. For instance, one of the suggestions outlined below is to say, “Too bad” and walk away from a dog if he does not do the request that is asked of him. For some dogs that is an incredibly effective strategy because you removed any chance of playing with you. The motivation happens because either they listen to you or you stop playing with them. However, if a dog is happily self-entertaining himself by playing with chewtoy and doesn't sit when you say, "Sit", saying “Too bad” and walking away is not the correct strategy. He is already enjoying chewing on the toy and that is the current reward. You are just an afterthought, when you leave the room, he will happily continue chewing. Instead, you should take the toy away, ask him to "Sit" and then give the toy back when he does. Control the rewards and control the motivation. The following strategies are used to troubleshoot situations when a dog does not do the cue when asked such as sitting, lying down, coming when called, dropping an object, etc. When I am training a dog and he doesn’t do a behavior, I always look at a few factors to determine my next move.
- Has he had a lot of experience with the cue that I am asking? In other words, do I think he knows how to do the behavior? If not, I need to do more repetition of the behavior.
- Have I ever seen him do the behavior in the current environment? Distractions are ever-present in dog training. Whether it is because a dog is scared, excited, hungry, has to go potty, is thirsty, wants to play, has never seen snow, etc. Dogs have incredible senses and have to learn to focus around distractions. If you put a dog in a new situation you can’t expect him to do a new behavior if he is completely distracted. If I have never seen a dog do the behavior in the current situation and I think he is distracted, I need to move him away from the distraction and do more repetitions and/or provide more help to get the dog to do the behavior.
- What does he want? The answer to this question is often tied to the distraction. If he wants to go play with a dog 100 yards away, that is what he wants. If he wants a treat more than anything, than that is what he wants, or he might want to play with a toy. Pay attention to what your dog wants and then use it as a reward.
- Is he physically able to do the behavior? That is always a crucial question to ask. If a dog has an injury or bad hips, he might have difficulty performing tasks such as lying down.
So here is an example of a training exercise and the strategies for motivating a dog to do the correct behavior. You might have to do many repetitions of a behavior in each situation before you can feel confident that your dog knows the behavior. Don’t get frustrated. Pay attention to making a bit of progress each session and eventually you will have success. One of the biggest mistakes novice trainers make is that they have expectations that are too high.
The example that I am going to use here is a common one. In this example, a dog is asked to lie down and he doesn’t do it.
Here are four strategies to try if your dog doesn’t do a cue when you ask.
- Put food in your hand, get him to do the behavior and reward.
- Put food in your hand, get him to do the behavior, get really excited “Good Boy!” but don’t give him the food reward. Then, quickly take food out of your hand, ask for the behavior again and only reward when he does it on his own. This strategy is used to motivate the dog to do the behavior on his own. If he always gets the reward and then the rewards stop, he will be a bit frustrated. Then, ask him to do the behavior again and wait him out to see if he does the behavior on his own. If not, give him just a little bit of help such as a more subtle hand signal. He might start to anticipate what you want him to do and start lying down. Great! That is the point; he is starting to understand to do the behavior when asked. Reward him when he does the behavior.
- Wait him out. Ask for a “Down” and then just wait. DON’T say the cue again. If you see a delay frequently, focus more on conditioning the behavior by helping more using the treat until he is doing the behavior more reliably. Then, ask for it and wait. The goal is that he starts to do the behavior on his own without help.
- Say “Too bad” turn around and leave. Then, come back after a short period of time (5 seconds) and ask for the behavior again and reward. If he doesn’t do it again, help by luring with a treat or using a hand signal without a treat in your hand. This is a way to teach him that he has to do the behavior when asked in order to play with you. Don’t rely on this strategy more than one or two times in a row. If you do this constantly, it is a good indicator that your dog doesn’t know the behavior or is too distracted.
The overall goal with training consistent behaviors is to condition the response through repetition. Think of repetitive movements that you have learned such as playing a sport, typing, or even learning the alphabet. Everything involving learning and physical movements takes repetition for any animal.
Focus on saying the cue ONE TIME and helping your dog get it right. If you find that your dog is too distracted, move him away to a less distracting environment, or provide more help. More help would mean using a lure to help your dog do the behavior, gently guiding him with the leash, tapping your leg to get his attention or motivate him to come to you, etc. Another important strategy is to do really short training sessions. A session might be only one minute to start. You don't want your dog to get tired of training, you want your dog to want MORE. Do short training sessions and stop before your dog wants to stop. If you focus on being a good teacher and being consistent while using a variety of rewards that your dog wants, you will do great.
Still having trouble? See me in action instantly on your computer. I have high-quality dog training videos that cover a variety of topics.
Have comments about how you motivate your dog? Share them below.
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Approximately half of my private dog training caseload involves aggression directed towards other dogs or people. While more difficult than basic or advanced training, my success rate for helping a dog overcome aggression is very high. I practice very measured, systematic strategies to lower dogs overall anxiety and help them learn to be comfortable in situations that currently make them aggressive. I only recommend, and use, positive reinforcement techniques. When I am working with my clients, I focus on determining what strategies are most effective with each individual dog. I have found certain techniques to be extremely effective and I also see mistakes and read about other trainer’s suggestions that can create problems and cause the treatment to take longer or be ineffective.
This will be an ongoing series of one or more mistakes that you can learn from to adjust your training strategies.
Mistake - Alpha Rolls
Some trainers recommend flipping a dog on his back when he shows aggression. This is called an "alpha roll". Sometimes I have heard that it is also recommended for someone to put their face close to the dog’s face while they are in this position. This is named after the supposed, and incorrect, notion that the best way to modify a dog's behavior is to "show it whose boss" or "be the alpha". Trainers lacking in understanding of animal behavior think that wolves flip subordinate wolves on their backs in this position to exert dominance in a pack situation. In reality, submissive pack members will roll over on their own to show that they mean no harm. Why it is a Mistake
You are punishing the behavior and not addressing the underlying anxiety. A dog often shows aggression because he is uncomfortable with something and wants it to move away. For instance, if a dog growls at a child and then the dog is alpha rolled, this puts the dog in a very vulnerable position at the same distance away from the child that originally caused the anxiety and aggression.
The dog will not become more comfortable in that situation. He is still uncomfortable, but now he is also more vulnerable. This can increase the negative association with the child because sometimes it results in the added trauma of being rolled. It can also have the added problem of punishing signals. Barking or growling is a signal to the child to move away. If the dog is punished for giving signals, he might stop giving signals but still remain anxious. Besides being anxious that a child is going to come too close, the dog is also anxious that he will be punished for giving signals. The dog might remain quiet in that situation, but this is a false reading of comfort around children. As the anxiety builds over repeated exposures, a dog is repeatedly put into emotional turmoil and can reach a point where he can’t handle the proximity to the child and attacks, seemingly unprovoked. A few months ago a client called me up because her dog bit her in the face after she alpha rolled him when he growled at her. She was told to roll her dog and put her face right up to the dog's face and say, "NO!". This advice was given to her by a trainer that advocates choke chains and other physical punishments. Her dog bit her in the face, requring 5 stiches. After assessing her dog for handling, approach and resource guarding issues, we worked together over a few weeks and I showed her positive reinforcement strategies to address these issues. She has had no problems since and she also doesn't have to jerk her dog around with a choke chain. The dog isn't afraid to growl at her, he is more comfortable with the specific interactions that my client has with him. Big difference. Do you have techniques for dealing with your aggressive dog that you would like to share? Comment below. All comments welcome.
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 Wouldn't it be great if you could just sit a dog down and say, "Welcome to the house. Let's have an arrangement. I will walk you, play with you, feed you good food and give you medical care. The only requirements are that you don't destroy my house or urinate on my rug, ok?"
Well, you can't have that conversation, but you can teach your dog those rules. You do that by managing his behavior in a crate or other dog-proofed area until he is able to be out in your home and not destroy anything or urinate or defecate in the wrong location. How do you know when you can give your dog more freedom and avoid destruction? I recommend that you follow general guidelines and customize the timing based on how well your dog is doing. If there are any regressions (meaning destruction or housetraining issues) you should return to full management for at least two weeks. You can then give a bit more freedom for shorter amounts of time at first until you have a history of success. My General Guidelines
I always recommend increasing the physical exercise, appropriate chew outlets, and training when you are working on giving your dog more freedom. The root of destruction is often boredom. A tired dog is more mellow and often sleeping. It is also important to keep in mind that training provides mental stimulation, which is an important component of preventing boredom. These are guidelines. Each dog has different tendencies and needs. Your dog might need to be managed until he is much older, until you find the correct balance of exercise, training and chewing outlets. Always puppy-proof the location that you are providing freedom. Puppy proofing consists of removing anything that might be enticing or dangerous to your dog. You can also set up exercise pens or baby gates to remove access to certain locations of your house. - At approximately 8 months of age is you can start leaving the crate door open in your bedroom with your bedroom door closed
- If you notice destruction or housetraining accidents when you wake up, go back to at least 2 more weeks of full management using the crate
During the period between 8 months and 12 months, you should pay close attention to your dog's daily habits. If there is ANY destruction, I do not recommend moving to the next stage of increased freedom. I also recommend working on Counter Surfing prevention and pay close attention to items in your house that you want your dog to ignore. Work on perimeter training, and provide appropriate chew outlets such as rawhides, ostrich tendons and other approved chewtoys. I never recommend leaving chews with a dog when the guardian is not there to prevent choking. - Assuming there has been 30 days of destruction-free days and zero housetraining accidents, at approximately 12 months of age you can start leaving your dog for short periods in puppy-proofed area
- Short periods means running to the mailbox, going into the kitchen to grab a glass of water, etc.
- If you ever come back to any destruction, work on Leave It (described in my Counter Surfing video) with the off-limits items and watch your dog more closely for a couple of weeks
Eventually you will find the balance of puppy-proofing, proper exercise and time that you can leave your dog alone. Don't rush the process. The main strategy is to prevent your dog from learning bad habits of destruction. It is usually easier to manage for a longer period of time than teach a dog not to destroy something once he finds enjoyment in doing so. Note: The ages mentioned in this article refer to a dog that you have had since a puppy and know his or her energy requirements and tendencies. If you adopt an older dog, I recommend that you use management techniques for a month, minimum. Even an older dog can have regressions or have destructive tendencies after adoption from boredom or the stress of the new situation. You can find a variety of video lessons including counter surfing, puppy biting, off leash control, jumping, leash walking and more to help with your dog training needs. Good luck and happy training!
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 Thinking about getting another dog and
aren't sure if you should? Do you have multiple dogs and are having
problems? Listen to my radio show on Thursday, March 6th at 6:30pm CST and learn from a professional dog trainer how to bring a new dog into the house as smoothly as possible. You can also call in and ask questions live.
There are a lot of topics that you should think about when deciding if you get a new dog: - How old should your first dog be before you get a second dog?
- What is the best way to train your dogs when you have more than one?
- How do you avoid aggression problems when you have more than one dog?
- What are other daily strategies to practice to maintain a peaceful household?
Listen directly on your computer to my Multiple Dog Household Tips show and call or text questions whether you are thinkiing about getting a dog or already have more than one dog. Listen. Call. Get FREE advice from
one of the best dog trainers in Chicago. Jeff runs a successful private
dog training business and also publishes high-quality dog training video lessons
that are viewable instantly on a computer. He only uses positive
reinforcement and studied with Jean Donaldson at the world famous
Academy for Dog Trainers in San Francisco, CA.
You can also listen to any of the past shows here.
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 I get this question quite often, and I always ask people to clarify why they are concerned that this might be a problem. They usually tell me that they heard from someone else or saw a television show that talks about "putting dogs in their place" or making sure dogs do not become the "alpha" in the house. Other clients tell me that they heard that if a dog is allowed on the couch, this could lead to aggression.
So, let’s look at the original question. Should dogs be allowed on the couch?
The answer is, if you want your dog on the couch, let him lie on the couch. If you don’t, that is fine too. A lot of people have very nice couches that don’t mesh well with a hairy pup, no matter how cute he or she is. That is totally understandable and your choice.
I will look at the two most common concerns about having a dog on the couch and try and dispel any concerns you might have.
Myth # 1 - dogs will become the “alpha” if they are allowed on furniture. This philosophy has become popular by trainers such as The Dog Whisperer and others that talk about making sure you are the “leader”. This includes ridiculous, unfounded suggestions such as making sure that you go through doors before your dog, that you eat first, and that your dog is not allowed to walk even 2-feet in front of you on a walk.
These ridiculous suggestions gain momentum from untrained or improperly trained dogs ruining it for the rest of the dog community, leading to countless dogs being manhandled and mistreated in the guise of dog training. The advocates of these methods often make it seem like dogs should do as we please when we please. If they don’t heed our every whim then the trainer needs to step up the physical methods until the dog knows who the “boss” is.
Any memory planted from first-hand experience with a dog that is allowed to run rampant through the house, terrorizing guests, destroying furniture and barking at everything can strike fear in the new dog guardian. “If I don’t take charge RIGHT NOW, my dog will be like the Taylor’s dog that I knew growing up. I definitely DON’T want that to happen.”
The new dog guardian then feels that they need to be tough, show discipline, and “be the boss” to avoid problems in the future. What frequently happens is that dogs are unfairly punished for just acting like normal dogs. There have been so many occasions that I have been hired by someone that has a dog that is destroying the furniture, but they don’t think it is fair that they use a crate or baby gate in another dog-proofed room. They just want their dog to stop chewing on the furniture. The answer is simple; don’t allow the dog to be near the furniture unless you are watching. If you can’t watch your dog, put him in the crate. Period.
Many dog “problems” can be stopped before they get started if there is forethought and understanding. A dog will never learn that the antique dresser tastes “yummy” if he is not allowed to chew on it. If a dog is managed and trained properly, it is amazing how they become better behaved. Does that make you “the boss?” I would say it makes you someone that is intelligently setting ground rules and making sure you prevent your dog from learning bad habits.
If dogs are trained properly, given enough mental and physical exercise, socialized properly, and kept from exhibiting escalating behaviors that cause aggression, then they will happily coexist with your family. If you adopt an older dog that is lacking in any of the areas mentioned, you can still humanely train him or her without resorting to archaic and abusive training methods including “alpha rolls” and more physical methods “to put a dog in its place”.
Myth #2 - dogs on the couch can lead to aggression. I also frequently hear the same concern about dogs on the bed. I have also heard that dogs “need to be at a lower level” than people so they know their place “in the pack”. There is not basis to these claims taken at face value.
In other words, if you have a well socialized dog without handling issues, territorial aggression or resource guarding and allow him on the couch, this will not turn him into an aggressive dog. The history of this myth probably stems from dogs that DO have handling issues, territorial aggression or resource guarding issues. Dogs that have one or more of the above issues might bite someone if they are on the couch or bed. But, the act of lying on the couch or bed did not CAUSE the aggression. This is when the aggression shows up and is noticeable.
If your dog has any of the above issues, you can ask questions in the Forums, or find a qualified positive reinforcement trainer in your area. Don’t hire anyone that uses choke chains or prong collars, using these methods are unnecessary and can make the problem worse.
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 One of the biggest challenges with caring for a dog is providing adequate daily physical and mental exercise. If a dog loves toys, it is often much easier to find games and training strategies to keep him entertained. For those of you out there that have a dog that doesn't like toys, this is for you.
You can increase the chances that your dog will like toys by following the suggestions found here. You can practice these strategies with any age dog, but an older dog might take some time before he shows any interest. Think of this strategy as an investment in your dog's future. I adopted Trooper; one of my Collies, when he was two-years-old and it took him a long time before he became interested in toys. He is still not as toy-crazy as my other dogs that played with toys since they were puppies, but his increased interest gives me more ways to keep him interested in training, reward him and exercise him.  Here are some general suggestions for increasing interest in toys:
- Buy a variety of toys and see what your dog gravitates towards. Most dogs show some interest in toys that squeak, but you should experiment with hard rubber, soft rubber, cloth, furry, tennis balls, and the huge variety of styles that can be found at stores or online.
- Feed your dog occasionally out of Kongs or other stuffable toys. I consider these toys "food dispensers" and nothing else. If dogs play with these toys when they are empty, great, but that is just a bonus. If used correctly, these toys provide you a way to keep your dog occupied for hours.
- Put toys away when you are not training or actively using them to keep your dog occupied. Dogs definitely get bored with toys that they have access to all the time. Keep them novel and interesting.
- Keep an "outside only" toy that your dog loves to use for leash walking or other outside training exercises when you are competing against distractions. Reward your dog with the toy from your pocket when your dog walks nicely, looks away from a distraction on cue, or sits before greeting another dog.
- Learn how to safely Play Tug with your dog
- Show a lot of interest when your dog plays with toys. Start petting him, get excited, make all the fun START when he touches the toy!
Exercise: Increase Motivation to Play With Toys
Here is a really fun way for you to teach your dog to like toys more. You can do this exercise with any toy including a Frisbee, tennis ball, Kong or squeaky toy. Make sure you put all the toys away when you are not there to encourage your dog. You don't want him to get bored of it. It should be FUN when toys are around! One very important strategy is to do really short training sessions so your dog does not get bored. You might even just do this exercise for 1-2 minutes a couple times a day and put it away when you are not using it. You know you can increase the length of the sessions when your dog actively shows excitement when you bring it out. - Have 10-20 pea-sized treats that your dog LOVES
- Hold the toy 1-2 inches away from your dog's nose
- As soon as your dog sniffs the toy, say, "Yes!" and give your dog a treat
- Move the toy to a new location, still only 1-2 inches from your dog's nose and repeat
- As your dog shows more reliability with his behavior, don't reward each touch, but every other or more
- Put the toy away BEFORE your dog gets bored. You want your dog to want to play with the toy because good things happen. If he gets bored, or gets sick of the treats, the motivation is decreased.
More Advanced
As you get more reliable behaviors, then you can increase the expectations between rewards. You know you are ready for this stage when your dog is more motivated to interact with the toy. This might not happen for some time. Don't get frustrated, just focus on keeping your dog REALLY interested in the toy for short sessions. Eventually it will pay off. - Move the toy around so your dog has to chase it to touch it
- Put it above your dog's head so he has to jump for it
- Wait until he grabs it before rewarding (this might happen sooner than this step, great!)
- Throw the toy and when he touches or mouths the toy, say,"Yes!" and give him a treat
- Get more and more touches or grabs between rewards. Eventually your dog will just enjoy playing with the toy without the need to motivate with treats
This can eventually lead to catch and retrieve, two topics that I will talk about in another post. Do you have any suggestions for the community to get dogs interested in toys? Let everyone know!
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 If your dog barks at the doorbell, the vacuum cleaner, noises in the hallway or other events in his environment, then you should work on desensitizing him to those noises. There are many reasons why it is important to work on barking problems including neighbor complaints, repeated anxiety for your dog, and the fact that barking is often a beginning indicator of territorial aggression. You can also read my post on barking out of the window or behind a door or fence, which can lead to barrier frustration.
The term desensitization describes working at at level that has no bearing on your dog's consciousness. If your dog is anxious during the exercises, he might eventually learn to be calm, but by definition, you are using the strategy of habituation, not desensitization. Habituation could backfire because a dog can start to generalize fear and actually become more reactive, not less. Some trainers use flooding for treatment, which I think is completely ridiculous. Flooding occurs if an animal is presented a level of stimulation that is too much and causes him to completely shut down. In all of the exercises, I use a clicker, but if you don't have a clicker you can say, "yes" whenever I mention click and treat. You can mark the event by saying, "yes" and treating. I recommend the clicker in general, but especially for anxiety and aggression because the clicker is very consistent and the noise cuts through background noise in the environment. If you have questions about Clicker Training, you can listen to my radio show about clicker training or ask questions in my Forums. Barking at the doorbell is very common. It is important to be aware that if your dog gets anxious when he hears the doorbell, this can escalate into territorial aggression. You should work on these exercises both when the events naturally happen and also do “setups” by having someone ring the bell or knock on the door when you are prepared. One suggestion is to have each person that is coming home to call ahead so the person in the house can get prepared to do the exercises. Even if each person can ring the bell periodically for 30-60 seconds at a time while the person inside clicks and treats every time the doorbell rings. This will help your dog in two ways. First, each ring does not indicate that someone is at the front door, and then someone that he knows comes in the door after multiple rings. This can lessen the natural tendency to get anxious when strangers ring the bell. There are a few strategies that you can use to lower the anxiety as well as redirect your dog's behavior to something more appropriate. These strategies can be used for noises in the hallway, knocking on the door, the doorbell or noises outside. General Strategies
- As soon as your dog orients towards a noise, but before he barks, Click and Treat
- Put him on leash so he is not able to rush the door, and make sure you can get him to come to you when you call
- As your dog gets more relaxed, start saying “Good boy, nice job” and then Click and Treat after a longer duration of the noise
- The goal is to have him get used to the noise and redirect his normal pattern from: hear noise and bark, to: hear noise and be calm
Barking at the Doorbell Treatment Strategies
- Have your dog on-leash. The time that your dog spends running towards the door barking can feed into his behavior and cause it to continue
- Warm him up initially at the beginning of sessions, then do “cold trials”
- Warm up – one ring, one treat with your dog right near the door, maybe even having him see you press the bell. You can say “Ready?” to give him even more of a hint that you are about to start “the game”.
- Harder – you are farther away from the front door
- Even harder – farther still where you try for two or three rings between treats. Say “Good Boy” after each bell and only click and treat (C/T) after the second or third ring
- If you are stuck at any stage, go slower or back up to a previous level
Incompatible Behavior - Come When Called
This is another strategy that can be useful to stop barking. Make sure your dog is on leash, call your dog only once, and then gently pull your dog to you and reward him. You want to condition your dog to do the behavior quickly after the bell rings. Do not waste your time repeating the cue. - As soon as the bell rings, call your dog to you, while holding the leash
- Call him even if he barks, and always gently pull your dog, no need to be rough
- As you do more practice, have the treats in another room and call him into the room after the bell
- If you do enough repetitions he will hear the bell and run to you and use his energy and tension in that manner instead of rushing the door
Desensitization to the Vacuum
It is important to introduce noises at a level that your dog does not react. If he reacts consistently to an event, he could generalize the fear to other events or it could get worse.
- Break down the event into small increments
- For instance, with the vacuum cleaner there is the sight of the vacuum, movement and noise
- Keep the vacuum cleaner out and when he looks at it, Click and Treat
- When he moves towards it, Click and Treat
- Start moving it slowly and Click and Treat
- Turn it on for one second and Click and Treat without moving it
- When he is comfortable for a length of time, add movement while it is moving and continue the exercise
- It is usually much more effective to work with two people and randomly turn it on and off in another room and reward him whenever it goes on and ignore him when it is turned off
Troubleshooting
- Click and Treat BEFORE he barks
- If the noise instantly causes your dog to bark, try and lower the intensity of the noise
- Have your dog on leash so he can’t charge the door or the window
- Do setups where you are prepared to do training so you can do a lot of repetition and control the level of the noise
- Make the noise lower if your dog is anxious
- Ideally your dog doesn't care at all about the noise
- Increase the intensity as you do more training
Final Thought
Even though it may seem like slow progress, you will get to your goal faster if your dog is calm each session. I always say, "if it is boring you are doing it correctly", meaning that your dog ideally should not react the entire session. Barking can be very complicated, and frustrating, but if you do it correctly you can have steady progress with each session. If you have questions, ask in the Forums.
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