Trainer Tips for Reactive Dogs

Trainer Tip Video:
What to do with a reactive dog.

A dog that barks, lunges, or has a negative reaction to other dogs, people, or objects is what we would call a reactive dog.  So how do you help train a reactive dog to act in a manner that you like?  Find out in the video...
The distance from a dog to the other dog, human, or object that they react to is what we call the threshold.  For this training, we are working on decreasing the distance of that threshold.  Basically, any time your dog reacts in a negative way or way you do not like, you are going to mark that behavior with a No Reward Marker...saying "Uh-oh" or "eh-eh," and move the dog away from what they are reacting to.  Once the dog calms down a bit, move back towards whatever has made them react.  Again, once the dog barks or lunges, mark the unwanted behavior and move the dog away.  Continue this exercise until you are able to get close to the other dog, person, or object without the dog reacting in a negative way.  Take your time doing this exercise and remember to stay calm and have lots of patience with your dog.  This training will take time, but does work.


Related Blog Articles:
Socialization Video with Lucy & Yoshi
Socialization Video with Ripley
Trainer Tip Video:  Socialization
Proper Dog Socialization
Walking a scared or timid dog
Redirection / No Reward Marker

BML1--Class #6

Dogs from L to R:  Hope, Koa, Boone, Maybe, Devo, & Ogi.

Basic Manners Level One:

Positive Reinforcement Training

Energy Balance

Marker Word

No Reward Marker

Food Lure

Look/ Watch Me, Basic & the T position

Come when Called, 3 Steps & 3 Rules

Loose Leash Walking

Sit & Auto-Sit

Down

Up/ Stand

(Hand Signals)

Stay with Release Cue

Impulse Control

Leave It

Drop It

Class #6 of Basic Manners Level One is a review of all things learned.  We go over each cue and play different games to improve on each command.  At the end of class #6, each participant is given a certificate of completion.  Below are some pictures of the dogs working on "Stay."

Maybe.

Devo.

Boone.

Ogi.

REMEMBER to Keep Training Going:

Proper Exercise:  Every dog should be walked every day!

Good Relationship with the owner:  When you get frustrated, remember why you got your dog, he’s your buddy, he’s your pal.  Don’t take set-back’s personal.

Socialization:  It is very important to have a dog that is comfortable in as many different situations as possible.  Take your dog everywhere you can, but proceed at your dog’s pace.

Consistency:  Everyone in the household should have all the same rules, all the same cue words and commands, ALL THE TIME!

Generalizing:  Dogs do not generalize well.  It is important to practice everything you learn, everywhere you go.

Training Sessions:  Keep them short and sweet.  3-5 minutes a few times a day.

BML1--Class #2

Basic Manners -- Level One, Class #2

Such Good Dogs Basic Manners Class #2

Commands & Cues:

All commands or cue words like Sit and Come should be said ONE TIME and ONE TIME ONLY.  Never repeat your command word.  Instead give your No Reward Marker, move positions, and then try again.

Marker Word:

Use your chosen marker word:  “Good” or “Yes” (or the Clicker).

This is the word (or sound) that says to a dog, “Yes! That is exactly what I wanted you to do!” and is then followed with a reward.

No Reward Marker:

This is what we do when the dog does not do what we are looking for.  Try using an “Uh-oh” or “Eh-eh.”  This will let the dog know that the behavior just performed is not what we wanted, while still encouraging the dog to continue to try.  After using the NRM, physically move places (both you and the dog should move) to help “re-set” the training, then try again.  Never repeat a command more than once.

Food Lure:

This is something we use to teach many new behaviors and commands.  A food lure involves getting the dog to follow your baited hand into a desired position.

Look / Watch Me:

We want a dog who looks to us for direction and permission.  Having a dog that is well focused on the owner will give you control over many situations.  This is the exercise you will practice when your dog becomes distracted during training.  This is meant to help focus (or re-focus) the dog back to the owner.

To do this, we place the treat directly in the dog’s nose then raise it straight up next to our eye, while standing back up.  As you raise your hand give your command word, “Look.”  Eventually we want the dog to look directly in our eyes, but to begin with, it they look anywhere in the general area of your head, say your “Good” and give the treat.

If your dog remains in position but is not looking at you, do NOT repeat your arm movements or verbal command.  Instead, hold the treat in position next to your eye while looking at the dog and WAIT.  You will wait 30 seconds to a minute.  If the dog still has not looked, give your No Reward Marker or “Uh-oh,” move positions, take a breath, and then try again.

Watch a VIDEO teaching the "Look/ Watch Me" Cue in Basic Manners dog training class.

Come when Called:

The Rules:

1.  Always have a leash (or fenced-in area).

2.  When you say come, you have to see it happen.

3.  NEVER punish a dog for coming to you.

The Steps:

1. Say the dog’s name, and Come.  ONE TIME ONLY.
2. Have a party.
3. Lure the dog back to you.

When first teaching a dog Come when called, we start with step 1 & 3.  Standing directly in front of the dog (No distance), put the treat in the dog’s nose, say the dog’s name and Come (one time), then quickly back up a few steps.  When the dog follows, stop, say “Good!” and give the treat.  (Explained & Demonstrated in training.)

Loose Leash Walking:

Loose leash walking (LLW) means that a dog walks nicely, not pulling on the leash, and not completely all over the place.  LLW is not the same thing as Heel.  To teach a proper Heel, you must first teach LLW.

Consistency is very important when teaching LLW.  Doing this technique is actually very easy, but does require a LOT of patience.  Remember to stay calm.  If you are calm and consistent, your dog will be walking nicely on a leash in about a week.

To begin, go out for a walk with your regular 4-6 foot leash and buckle collar properly fitted to your dog’s neck (so they can’t slip out).  As soon as there is tension on the leash, you have two options:

When the dog pulls:  1)  Stop and wait for the DOG to move in a way that releases the tension.  When s/he does, continue walking.

2)  Say “Let’s Go!” and walk off in the opposite direction.

It is best to try and do option #1 as much as possible.  Be sure that when you stop and wait, you do not move in a way that is releasing the tension on the leash…the dog must do it.

REMEMBER:  Patience!  Patience!  Patience!

Meeting new friends.

Boone, Koa, & Maybe...these three are excited to play!

Basic Manners Review

SGDs has two new dog training classes coming up soon.  First is our Basic Manners Level One dog training class.  Below is a review of this class for anyone thinking about attending.  This review is also a check list of the things your dog should be familiar with before taking SGDs Level Two class.  This is a list for review.  If you are unfamiliar with these Basic Commands, please look in our blog for previous, detailed explanations.

Basic Manners Review

3 Things on your body that are Rewarding to Dogs:

1. Voice
2. Eye Contact
3. Touch

Anytime you engage your dog in one of these things, you are basically rewarding whatever behavior they are doing at that time.  This is important to keep in mind so we do not unintentionally reward bad behaviors.
You must catch a bad behavior within 2 seconds to change the behavior.

Marker Word:  “Good” or “Yes” or the clicker
This is what we say to mark the behavior we wanted.  Saying this is telling the dog, “that was exactly what I was looking for!”  The more you mark good behavior in a positive way, the more your dog will want to engage in good behavior.  

No Reward Marker:  “uh-oh” or “eh-eh”
This is to let the dog know that this is not what I was looking for you to do now.  We want to mark the behavior as not what we wanted, but we want to do so in a way that will still encourage the dog to want to learn.  When using an “uh-oh” while training, remember to take a step away from the dog to help “re-set” the brain, then try again.  Remember to only say cues ONE TIME, then wait 30 seconds to a minute before giving your “uh-oh” (give the dog a chance to make the right decision).

Basic Manners Training Review:

Look/ Watch Me:
We practice this command because we want a dog who looks to us for permission and direction.  Practice this cue both the simple way (directly from the dog’s nose up to your eye), and with the T position (start the same, then when the treat comes to your eye, move both arms out into a T position).

Come When Called:
The Rules:

1. Safety first.  Always have a leash or be in an enclosed area.
2. When you say come, you have to see it happen.
3. NEVER punish a dog for coming to you.

The Steps:

1. Say the dog’s name and Come, one time only.
2. Have a party.
3. Lure (or gently lead) the dog back to you.

Loose Leash Walking:
When your dog pulls on the leash, you have two options…
1.  Stop and wait for the dog to move in a way that releases the tension of the leash.
2.  Say “let’s go” and go off promptly in the opposite direction.

Leave-It:
This should mean to a dog, turn away from that, don’t pay attention to that, leave that thing alone.  Remember that whatever you are asking your dog to Leave It, he should NOT get that item at the time you are practicing the Leave-It.  Never practice Leave-It/ Take-It (this can teach a dog to leave something alone for a second, then take it anyway).  We want our dogs to know that when I say to leave something alone, you don’t touch it ever.
     Making Leave-It harder:  1. Treat in closed hand, 2. Treat in partially open hand, 
3. Treat in open hand, 4. Treat in open hand on the ground, 5. Treat on the ground.

Stay:
Means to your dog, stay in this position until I come back to release you.  This is not the same thing as Wait.  
There are 3 parts to the Stay Cue:
     1.  Duration (Time)
     2.  Distance
     3.  Distractions

Drop It/ Give:
When teaching this cue, we must be aware of possible Resource Guarding.  Remember to NEVER steal things from your dog’s mouth.  To teach Drop It/ Give:

Have the dog have a toy in his mouth that is not of super high value.  Once the dog has the toy and is engaged with it, present a treat or reward of higher value than the toy, as the dog drops the toy, say “Drop.”  It is very important to give the reward to the dog AT THE SAME TIME as you pick up the dropped toy.  Do not let your dog get into the habit of snatching the reward then snatching the toy back up.


Sit, Down, & Stand:
All these positions should already be well practiced.  Dogs should know the verbal and hand signals for each command.

(For more Help, also see Common Training Terms.)

If you are interested in signing up for one of our group classes (or any other service), 

please contact us at:  Suchgooddogs@gmail.com

Or give us a call at:  808-463-4684

Animal Behavior College Mentor Training--Part Two

As a graduate of Animal Behavior College (ABC), I was very excited when they asked me to be apart of their mentor training program.  As part of the program to become a dog trainer, ABC requires both book knowledge and hands-on training.  The latter is where I come in.

(First see Animal Behavior College Mentor Training--Part One)

PART TWO:

Class may be over, but my Mentee also accompanied me on several private training appointments.  During these appointments Jess was required to watch, participate, and eventually help teach.

For this private lesson, Jess was asked to go over the Leave-It command with Melissa and her dog Lucky.  Melissa has been training with Such Good Dogs with her two dogs Lucky and Hazel.  In this lesson we focused on just Lucky.  Since Hazel has come into the picture (about a year ago), some of Lucky's bad behaviors have gotten worse.  One thing we have been working on is Lucky's aggression towards men.  With the addition of the new dog came a power struggle in the house.  Although Melissa is doing amazingly better about being a good pack leader, there are still things to work on.  One helpful command to practice is the Leave-It.  When properly taught, this command can be used to tell your dog to leave anything alone, from people to other dogs, or even small animals and random trash.  Properly teaching a good Leave-It command can help keep yourself, your pet, and everyone else safe.  

You will notice that Jess seems much more confident and calm.  She is standing close to the dog while still remaining upright, and her overall body language has improved.  Also notice the close attention the dog is paying to her.  This is something we have been working on improving with the owner.  I am very proud to see Jess jump right in and take command over this dog.  She is projecting a calm and confident energy.  Doing this during training will help you build a better bond with your dog, help your dog pay attention, and also encourage your dog to learn.  Seems simple right?  It is.  The problem comes because as humans our emotions are easily swayed.  Don't let that anger or frustration get the best of you.  Take a deep breath, calm down, then continue your training.

Finally Jess is asked to observe the client perform the Leave-It command she just demonstrated.  While watching the client, it is important for Jess to notice what she does right, but also where she could use improvement.  Jess was correct to remind the client to only repeat the command one time.  This is important for any cue or command you are teaching.  Say it ONE TIME, and ONE TIME ONLY.  Repeating a command only teaches a dog that maybe the 5th or 10th time I say it means do it.  Say your command one time only.  If the dog does not comply, wait 30 seconds, then give your "Uh-oh" (No Reward Marker), move positions (this helps re-set the training in the dog's mind), then try again.

In this picture, Jess works with Hazel (Melissa's other dog).  Hazel is young and very high-energy.  One of the issues Melissa has with Hazel is her need to want to chase after things when out on a walk.  She enjoys picking up anything from leaves and branches, to random trash and dead animals.  We will again use the Leave-it command to practice getting Hazel to leave things as they pass.  Jess assists by walking by Melissa and Hazel and dropping random plant objects.

Finally, Jess is asked to teach several basic manners commands.  In this first picture, Jess demonstrates to a client how to do a proper Look.  Here you can see the dog looking directly at Jess.  This is exactly what we want.  At this point, Jess will give her Reward Marker, "Good!" then treat.



Here Jess is teaching the same Look command.  Jess is observing the client performing the cue.  As you can see, the dog is looking at the owner, which is what we want to happen.  Again, the client will give their "Good," then reward.

Although Jessica successfully performed and taught all commands, I will not show all of them here.  Instead I will end with one of the most important things you can teach your dog, a reliable Come When Called.  This is something every owner should strive for.  After discussing the 3 Rules and 3 Steps to teaching a dog Come when Called, Jessica demonstrates with a game called Puppy Ping Pong.  For this game, you need 2 people and one dog.  Each person will take turns practicing calling the dog over.  After the dog successfully has performed the Come cue, the person will practice one or two other commands.  These can include:  look, sit, down, up, and any tricks your dog may know.  The point of this game is to reinforce the Come when Called, but it is also an easy and helpful way to add an auto-sit after a come when called.  First practice and reward the dog for performing the Come command, then immediately ask the dog to sit every time.  After several repetitions, the dog will automatically start to sit after they come to you. 

Overall my experience training an ABC student trainer was a pleasant one.  Although breaking my leg in the middle of our training definitely caused set-backs, we were still able to complete Jessica's training.  I'm very happy and proud to have been a part of this experience and I wish Jess all the luck and success in the future.  With a bit more practice and confidence, I believe Jessica has the potential to become a very good dog trainer.

A special thank you to Animal Behavior College for the opportunity.

Animal Behavior College Mentor Training--Part One

As a graduate of Animal Behavior College (ABC), I was very excited when they asked me to be apart of their mentor training program.  As part of the program to become a dog trainer, ABC requires both book knowledge and hands-on training.  The latter is where I come in.  So a few months ago, I got to meet my Mentee, Jessica.

PART ONE:

For the first part of her hands-on training, Jess brought her dog, Kaiko, to one of my Basic Manners Dog Training classes.  She took the class as any other client would.  Basic Manners is a 6-week, one hour per week class.  Each week the class learns new things to take home and practice with their dogs.  Handouts are given at the end of each week, and a certificate is given upon completion.  Items covered in the Basic Manners class include:  Come when called, Look/ Watch Me, Loose Leash Walking, Sit & Auto-sit, Down, Stand/ Up, Stay, Leave-it, and Drop-it.

During this class, Jess learned what it is like to be in a group class and take direction from an instructor.  Having participated in this class, Jess has learned not only how to better work with her own dog, but also got to see how a large training class is properly run.  A good instructor should be able to keep everyone under control and on-task.

First we must work on a student's technique in working with the dog.

These first few pictures are the first day Jess worked with her dog in class.  Remember, your body language when training a dog is very important.  You can see in these pictures that Jess is not only back too far from the dog, but is also arching her back outwards and away.  In the dog world, this makes you a weak energy.  To correct this problem, she should step in and stand straight up.  In this first picture, you will also notice the leash is tight.  You want your leash short but loose when working with your dog.

Always remember to stand tall and calm, but not stiff.  When working with your dog, stand directly in front of them.  There should be no more than 12-18 inches between you and your dog.  

In the second picture, you can see Jess is still standing too far away, but has loosened the leash.

One of the most important things students learn in Basic Manners Dog Training is Loose Leash Walking (LLW).  This basically means the dog is walking nicely on a leash, not pulling, and not all over the place.  (Also visit our Trainer Tips for more help).  To train a dog how to Loose Leash Walk, you basically have two options.  When the dog pulls you 1) stop and wait for the dog to move in a way that releases the tension on the leash, or 2) say "Let's go!" and walk off in the opposite direction.  Here you can see Jess demonstrating the stop and wait technique for LLW.  If you are consistent in teaching LLW to your dog, you will have a dog that is a pleasure to walk with in a short amount of time.  But remember to be consistent!  Letting your dog just pull every now and then sets back your training.

The first class with owners and their dogs can very hectic and stressful.  This is to be expected.  Many new dogs are coming together for the first time and can get easily over-excited.  People are also excited and sometimes nervous about what might happen.  As class progresses, a good trainer will make all students feel comfortable and welcome, while still helping them to improve their training techniques with their dog.  In these next pictures, if you look at the body language in both Jess and Kaiko, they seem slightly more relaxed.  Noticing little things like this is important.

This next picture is Jess working with her mom and Kaiko.  Part of being consistent is making sure that everyone in the household has all the same rules, all the same cue words, all the time.  Not being consistent with your dog confuses her, and sets back training.  I highly encourage families to have all member present during training.  It is important that everyone is on the same page when it comes to training.  If you have a large family, it may be helpful to keep a list of rules, cue words, and commands you use for everyone to see.  Practice training together.  Help each other.  Remember not to get frustrated.  Stay calm and make it fun.


As class progresses week by week, participants succeed in some areas and have trouble in others.  As a trainer, it is vitally important to help correct the weak parts, but also point out the things that people do well.  We do positive reinforcement training for both dog, and human.  Clients training their dogs must also be told when they do things well and encouraged to continue.  In this picture, you can see that Jess has gotten much closer when working with the dog, and has much better body language.

Sadly, 6 weeks goes by very fast and class is over.  Above are the graduates of Basic Manners Level One, April 2014.  Jess is on the left, with other class participants to the right.  Clients are always proud and excited to receive their certificates.


Continue reading Animal Behavior College Mentor Training--Part Two.

Reward Marker

To begin dog training, you must first pick a Marker Word (Reward Marker) for when a dog does something you like.  

The Reward Marker (or marker word) is the thing that tells the dog, "YES! that is exactly what I wanted you to do!"  It is then immediately followed with a reward (treat, toy, petting, praise).

Most people either use "Good" or "Yes" for their marker word.  It does not matter what word you choose, as long as you always use that same word (this is true of every cue).  Remember to keep a happy and upbeat voice when saying "Good," and remain calm and confident.  Do not use any anger or frustration.  If you feel angry, frustrated, anxious or upset, you should put training on hold until you can calm down.

Henry receiving his "Good!"

To begin, we must first "charge up" the marker word.  To do this, say your Marker word, then give a treat.  Very simple.  Say "good," give a treat, repeat.  Do this 5-10 times to charge up your Marker Word.  By doing this, you are pairing the Marker Word with something the dog likes, therefore teaching the dog that this word means good things.  This is important.  The more you reward a dog for engaging in behaviors you like, the more the dog will want to engage in good behaviors.

Once your Marker Word is charged up, be sure to consistently use it EVERY time your dog performs as you request.  This is important.  Mark that good behavior EVERY time and your dog will be engaging in good behaviors on a regular basis in no time.  Remember to be consistent!


Along with your Reward Marker, you must also have a No Reward Marker.  
This is the opposite of your marker word.  

The No Reward Marker tells a dog, "No, that is not what I was looking for you to do."  The important part is that the No Reward Marker tells the dog this while still encouraging him to try something else.  A No Reward Marker should not be the word "No."  The reason I say this, is that it is very easy to get any anger or frustration you may be feeling to come out with a "NO!"  Instead we recommend the use of, "Uh-oh" or "Eh-eh."  This still lets the dog know that's not what we wanted, but does not discourage them from continuing to try.  It is very difficult to sound angry when saying "Uh-oh."

Common Training Terms

When beginning training your new dog, a LOT of information will be thrown out at you.  Everyone from the person you got your dog from, to the vet, to your next-door neighbor will be willing to offer you advice about how to train your new pet.  My advice?  Find a trainer that uses positive reinforcement methods and that you are comfortable with.  I highly recommend that EVERYONE take a basic manners dog class.  I have had dogs my entire life and had never taken a basic manners dog class until recently.  Even with everything I knew about dogs then, the information I learned in dog class was amazingly helpful.  Below is a helpful list of terms that you will probably come across in your dog training adventure.

Bribe.
Prior to asking your dog to perform a known cue or behavior, you show the dog something he values in an attempt to gain his compliance.

Capturing.
This is basically just waiting for a dog to do something specific, then rewarding him the second he does it.  Capturing training does not cue or prompt the dog in any way.

Lure.
Using a lure is enticing the dog with something he values in order to lure him into a position or cue.  The food lure is used in positive reinforcement training.

Molding.
This is actually physically placing the dog into the position you desire.  This is not generally recommended.

No Reward Marker.
This is a simple sound or phrase like "eh-eh," or "uh-oh" that communicates to the dog that the behavior you just presented me is not what I was looking for.  This is telling the dog, "that's not it, please try something else."

Proofing.
Proofing is the process of testing the dog's knowledge of a known behavior.  By testing where your dog is at with a cue, you can determine what he needs to work on and where to go from here.

Punishment.
A penalty that the dog does not like that will decrease the likelihood the dog will repeat that behavior.  This can be as simple as removal from an area, or as harsh as a physical correction (not recommended).

Reinforcement.
Anything that will increase the likelihood a dog will repeat a behavior.  Reinforcers are different for all dogs but generally include things such as:  treats, toys, attention, eye contact, and talking to a dog.

Reward.
Surprising the dog with something he values after performing the correct cue or behavior.
Example:  you ask a dog to sit, he sits, he take our a hidden food treat and give it to him.

Shaping.
This is rewarding any slow progress the dog makes towards the desired goal.  This is something that is helpful to be used with shy dogs.

No Reward Marker

A No Reward Marker is a signal or cue to a dog that is paired with punishment each time the dog gives an incorrect response.  This marker should motivate the dog to try something else, and stop presenting the current behavior, or mistake.

The best example of using a No Reward Marker is simply saying an "Uh-oh" when the dog makes a mistake, and trying again.  It is important to remember not to get frustrated when your dog makes a mistake.  Stay calm, try again.

When we teach our dogs a clear system of communicating with us, we can easily point out the behavior we are looking for.  Dogs experience the world quite differently from humans.  Dogs communicate mainly through body language and some small vocalizations, and learn through their senses of hearing and smell.  Never assume your dog just knowns what behavior is good or bad.  We must clearly communicate with our dog what we expect from them, and mark behaviors we like.