What Motivates Your Dog?

​It is important to know what motivates your dog. What motivates them affects everything they learn, good and bad. First, let's look at why it is important to know what motivates your dog by asking what motivates YOU.

Ice Cream?
Coffee?
Sleep?
Family Time?
Money?

Think of the motivator for your dog as their paycheck. We don't want to go to work and not get something for the time we spent there, so our motivation come Monday morning is the paycheck. What would your dog see as a valuable paycheck?

FOOD: Often dogs are motivated by food. Some dogs will happily work for their dry kibble and others need a little more encouragement (cooked burger, cheese, chicken). Food is typically the first "go-to" when it comes to positive training methods. Don't be afraid to experiment with different foods to find what your dog likes. I always recommend having two food rewards: a good one and a GREAT one. You will be using both.

TOYS: Some dogs just don't get very excited about mealtimes. It could be that they are not getting scheduled meals, or are being overfed. Sometimes it just is not something that excites them, and that's okay. In that case, it might just be a special toy that your dog would do anything for. Sometimes dogs aren't motivated by food or toys. You can create motivation for toys by getting down on the floor and having a great time with the toys yourself. Encourage your dog to join the fun. When you see even the slightest interest in your silliness with the toy, give lots of praise and encouragement, Be sure not to make your dog nervous though with all of the fun you have playing with dog toys.

​PRAISE & ATTENTION: Some dogs would do anything for the laugh of their favorite person. They love hearing praise, getting belly rubs and scratches behind the ears as their paycheck. This is both great and challenging. It is great because you never need to keep your pockets filled with praise. The challenging part is you can unintentionally reward your dog for doing something unwanted just by offering attention, even if it's negative attention.
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With Positive Reinforcement training, we will use food, toys, and praise/attention as your dog's paycheck. Be sure to have plenty of all three stocked up.

Name Recognition

Years ago in the first dog training class, I ever took, the trainer walked around the room saying the names of the dogs in class mixed with words like "treat", "car ride", "popcorn", "refrigerator". The purpose was to see if any dogs in class knew their names. Mine thought their names were Car Ride and Cheese. Their actual names were Barney and Becky.

What is the reason we give dogs names? A name is a unique sound we use to get the attention of someone. A name serves no purpose if the dog doesn't respond to it.
I am often asked if it is okay to give dogs nicknames. Yes, mine all have them! I typically wait until I am sure they know their name before using nicknames. I also recommend teaching your dog "puppy", "pupper", "doggy" as alternate names as well in case they escape, and someone is trying to help them get to safety. Years ago, a common thought was that dogs should be taught so that people can't take them. That thought should be tossed out the window because so many dogs escape and can never be caught by anyone but their owner and many times, not even the owner. Instead, we should train our dogs in a way that they can be easily caught in case of an emergency.
 
When it comes to the prevention of theft of your canine companion, ensure they are microchipped, wearing a properly fitting collar and tags and supervised when outdoors. When traveling with your pet, have them contained in a crate, in a seat belt or other vehicle safety devices.

How to Teach Name Recognition:
-With treats ready, wait until your dog is not paying attention to you. Make a small sound that you know they alert to, then as soon as your dog turns to look at you say her name. Click (or use your verbal marker) and reward with a treat. You can toss it to her, she doesn't need to come since this is not a recall exercise. 

-Wait until she is distracted again and repeat the above steps. By next practice session you should be able to skip the sound and use only your dog's name to get her to look in your direction. 

-Practice this using different tones and volumes in your voice as well.

Practice this everywhere! In the backyard, front yard, on walks, at the vet clinic. 

NOTE: Remember, this in not a "coming when called" exercise, it is simply acknowledgment of hearing her name.

Teaching “Sit”

Why do we tend to teach our dog to sit? Because it is easy! Plus, it is incompatible with so many other unwanted behaviors, like jumping, running, and pulling on the leash. If he is sitting, he can’t be doing those other things.

STEP 1:
  1. Put a yummy treat right to your pup’s nose. Bring the treat back and over her forehead.
  2. As her head moves up, her rear should move toward the floor. The instant she sits, mark and feed the dog while she is still sitting.
  3. Tell her she is great, release her or ask her to stand up and move a little bit with you so she’s no longer sitting, and repeat 5-7 times.

Note: There is no saying “sit” yet – the “sit” cue comes later!

If your dog walks backward, sit on a chair (lower your body posture) or try next to a corner that keeps the dog from walking backward If he jumps, lower your hand with the treat in it.

STEP 2:
  1. Lure your pup with your hand in the same position, but with no food in your hand.
  2. When she sits, mark and treat. The treats should be in your treat bag, other hand, or pocket.
  3. Tell her she’s great, ask her to move a little bit with you so she’s no longer sitting, and repeat 5-7 times.

Note: In step 2 there is still no saying “sit” yet – the “sit” cue comes later!

STEP 3:
  1. Say, “sit” just before you move your hand. She will predict that when you say “sit,” the known hand gesture will follow. Therefore, “sit” means, do that thing that gets 
      me a cookie after she moves her hand like that.”
  2. When she sits, mark and treat.
  3. Tell her she’s great, ask her to move a little bit with you so she’s no longer sitting, and repeat.
  4. Throughout the following repetitions, you can fade the hand signal by making it as small a gesture as possible, and then eliminating it after she understands. You’ve
      now got to sit on a verbal cue!

Keep in mind, always say “sit” then give the hand signal. You can practice both verbal and hand signals, but don’t say “sit” while you signal your hand. Practice just verbal or just hand signals several times throughout the day and in many different locations.

There are benefits to continuing to use a hand signal with a verbal cue. There will be times when your dog is in the car or on the other side of a door or several feet away from you. In those instances, instead of yelling a verbal cue, you can then use your hand signal and get a response from your dog.

Use “sit” before letting your dog out, before feeding her, before throwing a toy! This way she learns that “sit” means good things will follow and she will learn sit can be a way to ask for permission.

Teaching “Down”

Down is yet another building block behavior. Once your dog knows down it can be used for so many other behaviors! Getting a dog to lie down when and where you want him to and for the time you want him to remain in that position is very useful. It is the foundation for all stationary and calm behaviors, like settle and go to your mat.

Step 1
1. It might be easiest to start when your dog is sitting. But you can also start training with your dog standing in front of you. Get your dog’s attention with a yummy treat kept between your fingers, almost touching his nose. Your dog should follow this treat with interest.

2. Move your hand swiftly toward the ground close to his chest until it touches the ground between the dog’s front paws. He will probably follow the treat with the nose and lower the elbows to the floor, as this position is more comfortable for him. If he doesn’t try using a higher value treat.

3. If your dog is sitting and his head moves toward the floor his elbows will follow. Mark when his elbows touch the ground. If your dog is standing initially, you’ll mark when his elbows and butt are on the ground.

4. When you mark, be generous and give several treats in a row, not all at once, to celebrate this achievement. Release him by throwing a treat or invite him to stand up. Repeat 3-4 times.

Note: There is no cue for “down” at this stage of training.

If your dog walks instead of lying down, keep the treat closer to his nose and chest or try to lure him under a low chair or through your lowered leg, so he learns to lower the elbows and hind end. You may need to hold the treats in your hand while he licks your hand. Then, he’ll probably get bored and lie down to lick, and you will surprise him by opening your hand and giving him the treats.

Step 2
1. Lure your pup with your hand in the same position, but with no food in your hand.
2. When he goes down, mark and treat. The treats should be in your treat bag, another hand, or pocket, but be able to “jump” into your dog’s mouth fast while he’s lying down.
3. Tell him he’s great, ask him to stand up again, or roll a treat for him to follow. Repeat a few times.

Note: There’s still no “down” cue at this stage.

Step 3
1. Once he’s consistently following the hand gesture, say, “down” just before you move your hand. This will predict, for him, that when you say “down”, the known hand gesture will follow. Therefore, “down” means, “do that thing that gets me a cookie after she moves her hand like that.”
2. When he does go down, mark and treat. Give him a treat that he will take some time to chew or several tasty treats in a row. Then invite him to stand up. Repeat 2-4 times.
3. Throughout the following repetitions, you can “fade” the hand signal by making it as small a gesture as possible, and then eliminating it after he understands. This way, you’ll get a verbal “down” cue very quickly! Keep in mind to always say “down” and then give the “hand signal”.

You can practice both verbal and hand signals, but don’t say “down” while you signal your hand. Practice just verbal or just hand signals several times throughout the day and in many different locations.

Reducing Leash Excitement

The type of leash used is also very important. Flexi-leashes, bungee-type leashes that have "give" to them do not help your dog learn that tension on the leash is not acceptable. Those leashes encourage your dog to pull to gain just a couple more inches. It is much better to choose just a basic leash.

If your dog becomes very excited at the very sight of the leash in your hand, then frequently pick up the leash and move it around the house. Do not draw your dog's attention to the leash, just pick it up and move it. Doing this frequently on a daily basis will reduce the excitement of the leash. Your dog will no longer see the leash as the cue that he is going someplace or beginning a training session. Your dog will get bored with your weird behavior and stop caring about the leash.

If your dog is nervous about the leash (trembling, avoiding it, etc.) you will need to work on teaching your dog the leash is a good thing. Place the leash in an area your dog feels comfortable (the room you do training in, the living room). Encourage your dog to look in the direction of the leash and say "leash" and give a treat. Do this until you can say "leash" and your dog shows more interest (walks towards the leash, gives a bit of a tail wag, etc.) . Next, put the leash on the floor and drop a few treats around the leash so your dog needs to make contact with the leash to get the treats. As you see more signs of your dog becoming more comfortable with the leash you can clip the leash to the collar, then take it right back off. Over time your will work up to having the leash clipped to your dog and allowing him to drag it through the house so he can see it is nothing to be afraid of. Periodically, hold the leash, encourage your dog to follow you by walking backward and offering treats for steps towards you.

Remember to keep sessions short, fun, and positive. If you see your dog starting to seem a bit unsure, stop the session before fear sets in.

Don’t Sabotage The Recall

Before even starting to teach your dog to come when called, we first need to look at ways that we might risk sabotaging a good recall.

1. Call your dog to you during playtime, take them inside and crate them (typically before going to work, eating dinner)
2. End playtime at the park by calling your dog to you and then leaving.
3. Calling your dog to you then disciplining her

These are extremely hard habits to break! It is better to use different verbal cues for each thing you need/want your dog to do, have great rewards for each time she does come. If you need her to go inside after playtime, say her name then say "inside", then give her praise and a couple treats as soon as she is inside. If you need to crate her, give her a verbal cue to go to her crate. Separating these behaviors out and into their own saves come for just that, coming to you and getting treats, snuggles, head scratches, a walk, car ride. Coming to you should always result in good things.

Come when called is the #1 behavior people want their dogs to do, yet the #1 behavior people struggle with the most. Coming when called should be the most exciting skill for your dog to learn - like winning the lottery. You will use your best treats, toys, and your most enthusiastic praise.

Calm Greetings: Method 1

Note about the video: This videos shows this method being done from a standing position, however that can be more intimidating for some dogs. During training, it is best to have guests call or text before coming over so you can set your dog up for success.

Get a small reusable bag and have a few things ready to go into it at a moment’s notice:
-Stuffed Kong Toy
-Snack bag of yummy treats
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When someone lets you know they are coming, put the bag with the Kong and treats outside the door. Have your guest pick up the bag and get ready to help your dog learn better manners!

1. Have your dog settled on their mat or bed and leashed as your guests enter and sit. Remind your guests to ignore your dog. Once you see that your dog is calm, take the leash and begin to slowly approach your guests one step at a time. If your dog remains calm, give praise and tiny tidbits of treats. If at any time your dog becomes nervous, pause and go back to the last distance your dog felt safe. 

2. Pause forward motion about 6 feet from your guest (provided your dog is comfortable at that distance). Have your guest start tossing treats to your dog (not for your dog to catch but for her to pick up of the floor/ground. Continue to praise your dog as your guest feeds the treats. If your dog appears calm, move a little closer. Keep slowly edging forward as your dog appears calm, keeping the leash loose at all times. A tight leash sends the message to your dog to be afraid.

3. Once your dog is taking treats from your guests hand, have them go ahead and offer a hand to request consent for petting. Regardless of whether your dog says yes or no to handling, have your guest next offer the stuffed Kong to your dog. Once your dog takes it, walk your dog back to her mat/bed and have her settle there. If she breaks from the mat, take her back. Continue to periodically praise your dog for calm behavior. Have your guests continue to ignore your dog.

Calm Greetings: Method 2

Nobody likes a dog that jumps on people. It's frustrating, embarrassing, and can injure someone. Even small dogs can injure someone by scratching up their legs or hitting them just right from behind and causing them to lose their balance.

Teaching a dog to greet people calmly is best done after the dog has learned to sit with a verbal cue. The sit cue will be used as a way of preventing the jump from ever happening as well as giving the dog instruction on what behavior you do want them to do.
Note: "No" is not a direction. When we say "no" or "off" to a dog that is jumping on us, it doesn't give the dog instructions as to what we do want them to do.

How to begin:
Have treats in your training pouch at your side before starting. If your dog is a jumper then you should not need anything exciting to entice him to jump.
Start to approach the dog. When you see him showing interest in you, ask for a sit. When he does, mark and reward by tossing the treat to the dog (do not approach to offer the reward). Take a few steps back and start over. You don't want the dog to jump at or on you. Be sure to pay attention to your dog’s body language so you can predict when your do is likely to jump so you can have him sit BEFORE he launches at you.

What you are doing is teaching the behavior you want without causing the behavior you don't want to appear.

STEP 2:
Your dog is likely starting to sit automatically when you begin to approach. She is probably wiggling, maybe even vocalizing her excitement.
Now when she sits, hold your position and wait for her to offer more calm behavior. Do not give any further direction, just let her do some problem-solving. Wait for her to stop wiggling or barking, then mark, reward, and promptly take a step towards her. As you take that step towards her remind her to "sit". This should keep her sitting as you take that step. Mark and reward.

STEP 3:
Continue working on step 2, but don't move too fast. Take your time and only progress forward when you see her being calm consistently. As you get closer, she will have a hard time with "keeping her cool" and will become more excited. If you have been progressing slowly, she should be showing a bit of understanding of remaining calm.

If she begins to raise her feet as if to jump on you, say "Oops!" and take a step away and turn your back. Once she settles back into the sit and is calm, try again. This may take a couple times before you can remain at that closer distance. Be patient. This can be very difficult for many dogs, especially small breeds.

STEP 4:
When your dog has this mastered with you, have someone else take turns practicing this with you. Friends, family members, pet store staff, vet clinic staff are all going to be more than happy to help your out with this. Just be sure to give clear instructions.

Instructions for strangers (toss them a snack bag of treats): Take a step forward and cue "sit". Once the dog sits begin to approach. If they break the sit say "Oops!" and back up. Once they do finally get close to the dog, they can offer one treat following the other but DO NOT PET THE DOG! This is not an exercise in allowing petting. It is only a calm greeting.