Tuesday Training Tip Number 7. A whole load of dog training tips!!

My friend asked me to write up a list of dog training tips for her and her puppy that I have been helping her train.  I decided to share this list with all of you.  I didn't go super in depth with this stuff like I usually do because she already knows the basics and just wanted pointers to follow.  Everything from house manners to tricks is covered in here.  If there is something else you would like me to cover or you would like more of an explanation on any one of these things please tell me.  I would like to start posting videos as my TTT at some point.  I'm not sure how this would work out but it would certainly take much less time than typing for me!  Also, having a visual is always helpful for me.

Around the house

Staying off the furniture.  Don't let her on the furniture ever!  If she gets on the furniture tell her no and take her off.  If she tries to get on the furniture repeatedly, put her into a stay until she calms down.  If she is still disobeying you can take her into a different room and lock her up by herself for a few minutes until she calms down.

Meeting guests.  When guests come over distract her from barking/jumping/hyperness.  When she gets distracted and is good reward her.  Have guests wait to pet her or show her any attention until she is calm.  It will help her be calm if you can put her into a stay and hold onto her.  Once she has met the guests calmly then she can be allowed to roam.  If she starts getting hyper put her into a stay again or lock her up away from guests so she gets a chance to calm down.  If she is roaming discourage her from racing to the door.  Someone can distract her with treats and attention while someone else opens the door.  When there are no guests you can spend some time teaching her not to bolt out of the door and this will help guest greeting time a lot.

Bolting out the door.  This is one of the best things you can teach your dog.  This greatly reduces the chance of your dog getting lost because it runs out the door every time its open.  It also makes letting your dog out and guest greeting time way better when your dog isn’t scrambling to get out of the house.  Start practicing at the back door and eventually move to the front door.

Progress along these steps.

1. Make your dog wait until the door is open completely before letting it out.   When telling your dog to stay give a command like “stay in”.  This command will be what you use to tell your dog not to go through a door that is open.   Give the release command after the door is open completely. 
2. Have your dog wait until the door is open and you have stepped out first before releasing your dog.  It is VERY important that your dog continues waiting until you release them.  If not, they will think they can go as soon as you go out.
3. Add flexibility to your dogs stay.  The point isn’t to have your dog go sit by the door all the time.  You also want them to be comfortable walking around.  Start giving your dog its command without putting it into a specific position first.  Its fine if the dog moves.  If the dog goes out of the door before released, chase them back into the house and “guard” the door until they back away submissively and wait for your release command.
4. Start opening the door without giving the stay command but still expect your dog to wait until you release them.
5. Periodically open the door and have the dogs stay in the house while the door is open.  You can slowly move further and further from the door until the dog is content staying in the house with the door open.

    At any time in the training if your dog decides to disobey and bolt out the door take a lightweight leash and attach it to the dog.  KEEP THE LEASH LOOSE until the dog bolts.  As soon as the dogs front feet cross the threshold give a hard correction that jolts the dog back into the house.  (Make these corrections much harder than normal corrections.  You DO NOT want to stand by the door correcting your dog a lot.  You want to make your corrections with this so unpleasant that your dog will never want to bolt again.  It is very important that you be firm with your dog from the very beginning with this exercise.  If you are not, your dog may see this as an opportunity to test you and it could even make its bolting habit worse.)

 Tips for Training Exercises

Heel.  When practicing heeling keep the following tips in mind.  If you follow these tips the training should go well.  If you do not follow them then your dog probably wont learn how to heel well.

1. KEEP THE LEASH LOOSE AT ALL TIMES EXCEPT WHEN CORRECTING YOUR DOG.   “Loose” means with a visible drape in your leash.  This insures that it does not periodically get tight and also gives your corrections more power.
2. Correct your dog every time it gets a LITTLE BIT out of line.  If you wait till your dog is really out of position then your dog will always want to push for more leeway.
3. When you say “heel” always enforce that your dog heels.  If you don’t mean it, don't say it, your dog doesn't know the difference and will start disobeying when you really want it to heel.

Stay.  When you put your dog into a stay always put THEM back where they were if they get up.  MAKE SURE that you only release your dog when you are ready for them to get up.  If you return and they jump up put them back and make them stay next to you for a few seconds before you let them up.  If your dog gets into the habit of getting up every time you return then that habit can easily turn into getting up whenever they feel like it.  It is a good idea to wait a few seconds after you return to your dog before releasing them.

Wait.  Enforce this the same way that you enforce the stay.  Use the wait command when your dog will be waiting for a little bit until you call them.  The stay command means that your dog will be staying for an extended period of time before you return to them.  At first, both commands will seem the same to your dog.  As time goes on and you practice, your dog will prepare to be called when given the wait command and will settle in when given the stay command.  A common problem with this command is that as soon as you face your dog they will get up and come to you before you call them.  People often give their dog the come command after it has already gotten up.  This is wrong, then the dog learns that it can get up whenever it wants and it tries to predict you.  If your dog gets up before you call it, put them back, leave again, and wait a little while before calling your dog.  

Leave it.  When you give your dog the leave it command make sure they know exactly what you are talking about.  If the dog is looking at it and heading towards it then they will know what you are talking about.  If they aren't paying attention to it you can take them over by it and show it to them and command them to leave it.  After you give your dog the leave it command correct them every time they try to get it.  Reward them whenever they turn their attention somewhere else.

Come.  Come is a very important command to work on with your dog.  Try to always have really yummy treats when your dog comes to you.  Don’t stand around and call your dog multiple times when they are not coming.  This reinforces that they don’t actually have to come when you call them.  If your dog doesn't come at first, run away from your dog playfully.  This entices most dogs to come.  If they still don’t come, go to them slowly and calmly, grasp by the collar, and walk the dog to where you were standing, have them sit in front of you and reward them.  Start this in a small inclosed area, move up to a larger inclosed area and eventually your dog should obey you even in the open with distractions.

Tricks

Shake.  This trick can be achieved a few different ways depending on how stubborn your dog is.

Method 1.  (For dogs that are not very stubborn)

During the first two steps you don’t actually shake your dogs paw very much.  You just hold it mostly.

Step 1:   Reach down and hold your dogs paw near the ground, say shake, and give your dog a treat simultaneously.  

Step 2.  Hold your hand on the ground, say shake, and hopefully the dog will put its paw in your hand to shake.

Step 3.  As your dog gets better at the last step you can start raising your hand higher and higher until your dog is raising its paw to chest height when you say shake.

Method 2.  (For moderately stubborn dogs.)

Step 1.  Grab your dogs paw and shake it at chest height while saying shake and giving your dog a treat.  Continue this step for a while.  Eventually your dog should pick up its paw for you when you say shake.

Method 3.  (For very stubborn dogs or dogs who simply do not want to raise their paw.)

Step 1.  Grab your dogs paw, say shake, and treat your dog.  Continue this step for a couple weeks so your dog gets the idea.

Step 2.  Hold out your hand, say shake, and wait to see if your dog will pick up its paw.  Alternate between shaking your dogs paw and just holding out your hand waiting for them to do it.  If they wont pick up their paw for you then move on to step 3 which gets a little bit different.

Step 3.  Say shake.  When your dog doesn't pick up its paw then flick the paw.  When you flick the dogs paw it should pick up its paw.  Always say shake first and give your dog a chance to obey before you flick its paw.  Eventually your dog should learn that keeping its paw down when you tell him to pick it up will be uncomfortable and he should pick it up on command.