To Treat or Not to Treat

To Treat or Not to Treat

 

That is the Question?!

 

When is food valuable in training and when are we over using it and relying on it?

Using food can be a valuable tool in teaching your dog through the training process. Food has to be valuable to your dog and can act as a motivator to get them to perform a desired behavior.  We can use food as a lure during the teaching phase of training to lead them into different positions. Food can be used during all stages of training as a reward to pay them for a job well done. While we can treat and reward through all training stages we shouldn't rely on it or use it as a bribe.

1st step in using Food in training is to find a valuable treat for your dog. All dogs differ in what they find motivating or valuable, some arent interested in food at all. If your dog isn't interested in food don't keep shoving treats in his face. If he doesnt find it valuable and takes it from you but isnt interested in working for it, it is not a valuable reward. He/She may be just as happy with an enthusiastic "Good Boy". There are lots of dogs that aren't food motivated and we work with you and them to find another way that works for them. Or you may not have found the right kind of treat yet!

Some dogs are motivated to work for a piece of kibble, while others don't budge until you bring out the hot dogs. I vary my type of rewards based on the level of distractions present and how well they know what I am asking for or if I am motivating to teach something new. At home your pup might be excited about the Kibble but you can't get him to focus in class or at the park. And you "Don't understand he loves this at home" - Yes at home without the real world going on around him I bet he does. But in a new place, with distractions and teaching something new I prefer to use the best stuff! I want my dog to make the association early on that I am the most fun and always have the best stuff.

We use a combination of the following treats and find what motivates the dog we are working with :

• Kibble at home practicing something the dog is familiar with
• Freeze dried beef liver - pure bites brand (high value, easily broken up into smaller pieces with minimal crumbling) - teaching something new or out in public
• Stella & Chewys (Freeze Dried Raw - Beef) - we refer to this as doggy crack. - teaching something new or out in public we often use Stellas
• Sliced up Hot Dogs (Slimy and stinky but sometimes its whats needed!) Special occasions - high value distractions
• String Cheese - tear pieces off or slice it up - use with distractions or teaching something new

Nutrition wise, Hot Dogs and String Cheese shouldn't necessarily be a daily part of your dogs diet but can be a valuable tool if your dog isn't motivated by the others. Or to use it as something extra special. Example: I can have a stranger offer my shy dog a treat but instead of it being the same old treat she gets for training that she knows she can get from me later she gets hot dogs from the stranger. Making the fear of going to see the stranger worth the valuable reward she is receiving.

Once you have found a treat that your dog values you can use it for the beginning stages in training and lure your dog into the correct position. To lure the dog properly you stick the food in front of the dogs nose to grab their attention, Give the command and lead them to where you want them or use the food to help them position their bodies in a certain way. (Example: Sit! Stick your dogs treat in front of their nose and Say Sit then start to lure the food straight up over their head slowly and the second their butt hits the ground you reward and Release them with "Free") You can lure the dog to walk next to you in a heel position and reward when they are sitting next to you. You can lure the dog in to the front of you for a recall "Come" / "Here" command. Most basic commands can be taught using food as a lure.

Food can be used as a motivation to stay in a position. Once your dog is in the desired position you can walk back to them and say "Good" and then Reward. Using a word helps to make a positive association with the word if you reward every time after the word. Later when we aren't using food as often and have faded food out your dog will hear "good" and have the positive association. "Good" to my dog means: Keep doing what your doing. Good things will come. My dog still wags his tail when I say "Good" even though he rarely gets treats anymore for the commands he knows.

Treats can be used as a form of Payment of a job well-done. Through training we want to generalize all of our commands so that our dogs will listen and follow directions all the time and anywhere: In public, new places and with distractions. If my dog Sits the 1st time when asked and can hold their Sit command until released at home then I no longer need to treat for that command in that setting. If my dog holds his sit while I answer the door for the ups man that I should treat for. Or I take the time to correct him back into his sit 3 times and by the 3rd time i can walk to the door without him breaking - now its time to come in and reward because that was difficult for him. You know your dog and know what they can do well and is easy for them and what they are still having trouble with.

While Food has major value in dog training it can also be a burden if used incorrectly. I hear lots of people say he will do it if theres a cookie.. and no cookie - no command.  If you tell your dog to Down and he doesn't you DON"T then get out the bag of cookies and repeat your down command and he quickly gets into the down position because now there is something to work for. You have just taught your dog not to down unless the treat bag is out, OR to hold out until there is something better. When your dog doesn't down the 1st time either you need to go back to square 1 in your training because he may not understand it, OR you have taught it properly and he is blowing you off in this moment and you need to correct him. We want to avoid using food as a bribe. Anytime I have to correct my dog for a behavior they failed to perform, I want to release them or attempt the behavior again until it is successful with no corrections so I can end it on a reward and a good note. If my dog is in a down and a kid walks by waving an ice cream cone if my dog breaks his down i dont get the cookies out and bribe him back into the down position.  You have just taught your dog to break their command more often to get another treat.  If your dog is holding a down and they break correct them then if possible ask the child to walk by again and when your dog is successful reward him. Pay him for a job well done. Don't bribe him into doing a behavior he knows for you.

Only treat for Effort, Enthusiasm and Attention. If you reward for So-So or Good enough behavior then your dog will learn to only do good enough. While your luring and teaching commands Rewarding for progress and effort is O.K.  Once your dog understands the concept make them work for the treat. Make them earn it and get it perfect. Heeling next to you is one where I see a lot of people make this mistake. Heel: Dog is walking next to you and Sits at your side when you stop.  If your dog understands this and is sitting readily when you stop but is sitting crooked and a 90 degree angle to you instead of next to you DONT reward! Say heel and move forward again and when your dog sits in Heel position praise and reward. If you are treating for good enough - you will never get to where you want to be and your dog will only perform mediocre behavior because they are getting a cookie anyway why work harder?
Expect more and your dog will give you more.
Change how you use food with your dog and you will see a change in your dogs behavior and your relationship.

Discover the Potential In your Paws!
Paws In Progress Dog Training
www.pawsinprogress.com

E-Collar Step by Step TEACHING PHASE

E-collar / Shock Collar / Remote Collar

It goes by many names and is terribly misunderstood by those that are not properly educated on them. There are hundreds of E-collar videos on youtube and articles but after another session teaching a client yesterday I want to have a resource for my client on how we teach and proof and use them.
1st Things 1st

Many trainers use these tools differently and I don't believe there is any one right or wrong way, only what works for the dog. Before diving into the how to's I want to make it clear that these are only guidelines and I highly recommend seeking out help from a professional with this tool before trying to dive into it yourself. Every dog is different and we adjust the training to the individual dog. This will be a rough guideline of our process across the board but again adjust to your dog. Also I want to give credit to some of the trainers who I learned from when learning how to use an ecollar and my method is a blend of the following peoples methods for teaching Ecollar: Michael Ellis, Tyler Muto, Chad Mackin, Sean Oshea and Jeff Gellman. I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with all of them and I like to give credit where credit is due.

What brand do I use?
We recommend Dogtra, Garmin/Tri-tronics or Ecollar Technologies. Ecollar Technologies is what we use most of the time with our clients. Some of the Garmin / Tri-tronics collars work at higher levels and don't have as many levels so they jump in variation more and can be too much for some dogs but may be just what another dog needs. Before investing in something like an E-collar talk with your trainer or make sure you know the return policy in case what you are purchasing isn't the right fit for your dog.

What does my dog need to know before we start E-collar training?
I prefer to teach dogs all of their obedience 1st with a normal training collar, then I layer the obedience and proof with the Ecollar. I believe it is far easier on the dog when they already have a basic understanding of what is expected.

The basics I like them to know when we begin: Loose Leash Walking, Sit, Down, Place and Here.
That they understand to hold their Sit, Down and Place until you release them. Not just sit and they can get back up. 

Have you felt it yet?
Most clients are squeemish at first, but ALL of my clients that want to use an ecollar with their dog are required to feel it themselves. Turn the unit on. Put the Contact Points in the palm of your hand and hold the receiver. Turn the dial up one at a time until you can feel the stim. "Oh that tickles" is the typical response I get. Its not a horrible sensation and its not painful. With an Ecollar Technologies "Mini-Educator" is what we use for most of our clients the owners feel it between a 9-25. Most dogs are starting their working level where they feel it between a 4-10.
Wasn't so bad? Right? Now Bump it up a few more above where you feel it so you understand how it increases 1 step at a time.
 I encourage everyone in the house to feel it so everyone has understanding of what the dog feels.

From here on out when I refer to levels and use I will be referring to Ecollar Technologies Mini-Educator unit.

Let's get started!
Before we turn it on
If I have the time and the option. I like to have the dog wear the collar around without it on for at least a few days preferably a week. So its no big deal just something else they wear to avoid them being collar smart. Dog should not wear the collar for more than 8hrs at a time or if they do make sure to move the collar to the other side of the neck. The collar fits snuggly to ensure it makes contact when you need it but that also means its snug and slightly rubbing all the time. We move the collar to make sure no sores develop from the contacts rubbing on the skin on one spot for too long. All of this initial training should be done at home, inside, or in a yard with not much going on. We are teaching and want the dog to have an understanding before we are using the collar to correct in any way.


Collar is on the dog, I have turned it on now what?
Find your dogs working level. Have your dog in a quiet space with not much going on and wait for them to be a little relaxed, sit, stand... doesn't matter what position they are in and please don't put them in a command but I want them to be in a calm state so I/you can see the slight behavior change and body language when they feel the collar.
Start with the Remote on 1 Set on Continuous and tap the black button above the red button twice, no response move the dial to 2. You will repeat this until you get a small reaction out of the dog. To wear you can tell the dog feels the stim even if its is a very minimal reaction. I only go as high as 12-15. Most dogs will feel it below these levels. If they don't act like it... they are feeling it and just not sure what to do with it so I will work them on a 12-15 then as they understand it you will most likely be able to move down in levels to their working level. If you have a fluffy dog and they arent acting like they are feeling it your collar may need to be snugger or you may need to move it around a bit to nestle it into the skin better. Your looking for an ear twitch, for the dog to look to the side of its body that the collar is on as if there is a bug on them, eyes may look unsure or curious.

Now that you know your dogs working level for explanation sake were  going to say its 5.
I start layering it on the obedience they already know.

Place.
Stand next to Place with your dog no commands yet. Press and hold the black stim button (Above red button) (remote is already set to 5) Say Place. (Yes you are pressing the button a 1/2 second before you give the place command) If your dog doesn't start to move towards place use a small bit of leash pressure toward the place as soon as your dog moves towards the place let go of button. If your dog stops and doesn't continue onto place: button again and repeat place and leash pressure if necessary.
Repeat several times. If your dog is food motivated reward with food on place once they are all the way on place.
I repeat this until I feel the dog has made progress and is starting to understand the concept. If they start to move off of place before you release them press the button again and use leash pressure to help them get back onto the place, let go of the button as soon as the dog commits to moving toward the place on their own.
*Many dogs learn better by holding the button down until all 4 paws are on place when teaching and when putting them back* Just depends on the dog. If I feel like I am struggling and not getting the results with what I'm doing I will try the other.
I attempt to give them the opportunity to make good choices and use as little pressure as necessary and let them do most of the thinking and work on their own. 

Sit
Slowly walk around to get the dog to stand. Press the button Say "Sit" and leash pressure if necessary. The second the dogs butt hits the ground I let off the button and verbally say "Good" and reward with Food. If the dog goes to break the "Sit" press the button and help with leash. Once the butt is back on the ground release both leash pressure and pressing the button.
Repeat several times until you feel the dog is getting the gist of it

Down
Stand with the dog. Press the button Say "Down" and leash pressure towards the ground if necessary. The second their elbows hit the ground let go of the button and verbally say "Good" and reward.
If the dog goes to get up. Press Button again repeat Down and leash pressure if needed until the dogs elbows hit the ground then release your finger from the button.

Here
Let the dog wander out in front of you on a leash preferably 6ft or longer. When the dogs attention is out ahead press the button and say "Here" the second the dog turns toward you finger off the button and say "Yes" and run backward to help bring the dog into you.
If the dog detours and goes a different direction on their way back to you. Press button again until they turn back to your direction, again running backward to help guide them to you.
If you press the button and you have no response start to turn up the dial while holding the button until the dog turns toward you. Then you can turn it back down to their working level.

Loose Leash Walking
Walk with your dog as soon as you start to feel ANY tension in your leash tap the button. As soon as your dog makes their leash loose stop tapping. For walking it is more distracting and you may need to bump it up a few levels.

Heel 
Tell your dog to Heel. Tap the button as soon as your dogs body is ahead of heel position until they return to proper position. You can help guide with the leash if you need to. When you stop, your dog should be sitting at your side if they aren't I tap or hold the button down until they sit. Some leash pressure with the leash straight up may be necessary to help teach the dog.


 You will practice with your dog in the teaching phase for a few days - week practicing daily until your dog is fluent in understanding the ecollar stim is only on when they aren't doing what they should be and understand how to return to the command without needing help from you with the leash.

Puppy Handling / Mouthing

Video we made with Foster Puppy Flash on Puppy Handling that also discusses mouthing.
FLASH is looking for a home!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgcobN_SOWA&list=UUUcqW_f8ZqmHni8Pk0Eq7GQ

Potty Training

There is NO reason for your dog to STILL be pottying in the house!!!

I want to squash all rumors / sayings and go on to answer all the questions you have.
 It is NOT harder to housebreak smaller dogs.

Also Puppies can hold their bladder longer than YOU think!
STOP making excuses for the dog it won't help you in fixing this problem.
NO your dog does not know better or you wouldn't be having this problem.
NO doggy doors until your dog is 110% Housebroken!  Doggy doors are a great convenience for dog owners but make sure your dog is fully housebroken 1st.
Do I need Potty Pads? NO! Teach your dog to go outside right off the bat.

Now lets move forward on how to fix the problem.
Your dog needs your 100% commitment and EVERYONE in the house on board with the training plan for your dog to be successful. Your dog really wants to please you, help them by giving them the rules and guidance they need to grow into the dog you know they can be.

So your dog is pottying in the house where do you start?

SUPERVISION     SUPERVISION    SUPERVISION

It all comes down to that simple thing called Supervision.

Crate Train your dog + Praise for Potty Outside

Get them confident walking into their crate and being there for extended amounts of time.

Make sure they potty OUTSIDE before going into the crate and have had playtime and its not right after a meal or a bunch of water.

When you let them out of the crate take them outside on a leash to potty. Use a word "Hurry Up" is what we use. Stand in one spot and let them walk around and smell. 

When they potty outside PRAISE and make it a PARTY! Excited... YAY good dog! If you think you look stupid then you are doing it right. Just make sure to wait until they have finished going to praise or you will stop them mid pee. 

How long can I leave my dog in the crate?

Puppies 8-16 weeks: Up to 4-5hours. YES they can hold it that long.

4months - old age: 8 hrs

What if I work long hours? 

Get a pet sitter or dog walker to come in and let them out midday.

I read or someone said to treat them when they potty outside is that right?

NO!!!! Do not treat your dog for pottying outside just lots of praise. So many dogs will start fake peeing and just squating to get the treat and they become more focused on the food that pottying for you. 

When I let my dog out of their crate what if they don't potty when I take them out?

Put them back in their crate and let them out in 10-20 minutes and try again. You don't want to give your dog any freedom in the house until they have pottied outside. When you take your dog out to potty take them out for 2-3 minutes if they don't go take them back in.

My dog cries in her crate should I let her out to potty when she is crying? What if she is telling me she has to go?

Make this a business mission out of the crate. No contact, talking, petting or ANYTHING
. Just leash pup up take outside and let them potty (no praise when they potty - You can say good but nothing else don't get excited and put them back in their crate after. You don't want them to learn that crying gets them freedom from the crate. It will get them a potty break and that is it.

What if my dog potties in their crate?
Get your dog a smaller crate or put something in the crate to make it smaller (a box or a crate divider)
Do not give your dog ANY bedding in the crate if they potty in the crate it will only soak it up and make it not as bad when they do. You want them to have to stand it when they potty in the crate. They shouldn't be able to potty in one corner and sneak away and sleep in the other corner.

SUPERVISION inside

After your pup has pottied outside and you let them back in leave a leash dragging so you have more control and do NOT let the dog out of your eye sight!

My dog sneaks around the corner and always goes when Im not watching?
You CANNOT let this happen while housebreaking your dog. You MUST keep your dog where you can see them. EVERY time your dog gets the opportunity to sneak away and potty they are self reinforcing the behavior of pottying inside. When they potty it feels good and is a physical relief which in itself is reinforcing the behavior and if they can sneak out of the room and potty and they feel better why not?  So you MUST be watching so they don't get the opportunity to sneak away!

What do I do when I catch my Puppy Pottying in the house?
IMMEDIATELY Surprise the puppy to interrupt the behavior to get them to stop and drag them outside.
I recommend Yell / Scream "No" "STOP" Whatever makes it out of your mouth 1st. Rush over to the dog and drag him outside. By the scruff of the neck or collar is best. Once you are outside become Normal and allow them to finish pottying outside. Praise if they potty outside. Take them back in and clean up the mess. DO NOT rub their nose in it. There is no lasting punishment. Just in the moment correct. You want to be as dramatic as possible to make it clear to the dog this behavior is NEVER to happen again.

When can I start giving my dog more freedom?
Start with Crate or in your sight for the 1st week.
As you are successful with this then you can use an x-pen or a baby gate in a small section of your home. Try leaving them in this confined area for a few hours (Start slow and not long) - while you take a shower, leave the room etc. Then move up to being able to leave for a short errand. If your pup is successful and no accidents great! You can start leaving them out more in this confined space. If they have an accident. Back to the crate. They weren't ready for that freedom yet. Give it another week or so before you try leaving them out again.
If your pup has been successful with the xpen or penned off in the kitchen or other confined space for a few weeks you can make that confined space a little bigger.
Your dog EARNS their right to be loose in the house it is never just given to them.
This also depends on how the rest of your training is going. Assuming they weren't chewing on your walls and baseboards in the confined space. This post is just about pottying but use your best judgment based on your dog and their other behaviors.

I have been really good about watching my dog and taking him out regularly he hasn't made ANY mistakes at all do you think he knows and is good now?
As with all training you want to start PROOFING your puppy/dog. This means set them up in a situation and let them make the choice. If they make a mistake and its the wrong choice you will correct and they will learn from it. If they make the right choice great!  But we don't want to just prevent mistakes as your dog won't learn that way. We do want to help them and create a good foundation and make sure they can't make mistakes where we can't see us. But it is important for them to make mistakes to learn from them. Again true of all training. So... When you think your pup is Awesome and are almost sure they wont potty in the house. Set them up to fail and see what happens. In the morning after breakfast when you know they are going to need to potty again instead of taking them outside asap wait them out. Keep and eye on them and see if your pup will wait for you to take him out or if he starts to sniff and circle beside the door. You ultimately want your dog to learn to wait until you have time to take him out. Right now your life runs on the pups schedule but you don't want your whole life to look like that.

What if my dog goes to the door? Should I teach him to ring a bell?
Initially right off the bat its ok to let your dog out when they go to the door (ON A LEASH) it is not playtime when we go out to potty!   You want to reinforce the pup starting to tell you he needs to go out. NO do not teach him to ring a bell or scratch at the door. It may seem cute now and useful so you know he needs to go out but what happens when you are gone for the day at work and your not right there to let them out? What happens when you are in the shower? The dog starts to demand it and if your not there will potty by the door. See the answer to the question above about how to PROOF your pup. Also sooo many dogs are too smart for their own good and start scratching/barking at the door to go out because there is a squirrel or bird or they want to play. Don't let your dog train you.

Food / Water
You should be regulating Food and Water so that you know when your pup needs to go out.
Food should be set meals. Feed your puppy if they don't eat it in 15-20min. Take it away and they can wait for their next meal. You will not starve your pup. They will eat when they are hungry and will learn to eat set meals.
Water: You want to make sure your pup drinks plenty of water during the day but don't leave the water down for them to have all the time. Keep it up so that you know when you are giving them water and you will know when they need to go out.

 

Be Flexible - adjust your training to the dog

Training tip of the day: training the dog to perform any command is not just about teaching a behavior as much information as we are giving our dogs it is so important to listen to your dogs too, read their body language and their actions and adjust your training method, style and speed to your dog. If your dog seems confused or doesnt seem to be getting something then don't blame your dog figure out what you can do differently to help your dog succeed. They are all different even dogs we have in for day training. Some dogs practice their obedience best straight out of a nap in the crate, others do better after a romp in the yard, some work better starting with a short walk down the street and back and others the treadmill 1st. We have a variety of dogs here today and not one of them is the same it is up to jason and i to read the individual dogs and decide what we believe is best for that dog then go with it but we are constantly listening and tweaking what we do to adjust to the speed and what works for that individual dog. This is what keeps my job fun. Sit is sit and down is down but how we teach it and reinforce it is different for very dog.

K9 Aprehension training

Super Cute Video
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=570506523041969

Treats: Lure! Don't Bribe

This is exactly why I instruct you to start with luring with treats or use food as a reward not as a bribe because they already aren't doing it. 
For example we started teaching "Cash" a 15wk Pom how to walk on the leash and he had never even had a leash on before today so he was extra stubborn so we started walking he dug his heels in and with a little encouragement after a few steps on his own he got a treat. Then after 3 or 4 more steps next to me he got another treat. If I had come back to him and bribed him with a treat after he had dug his heels in he would think "Cool the more stubborn I am the more treats I get, I will continue this behavior" Use food as a lure from the beginning, or as a reward never as a bribe.