How to Crate Train a Rescue Dog

• Get a crate large enough for him to sit, lie down (full extension) and turn around. Match durability with your dog’s size.
• Encourage him to enter the crate on his own.
• Make it an inviting space with a bed/blanket, appropriate chew toys, treats.
• Go slow. In small increments, work up from a few minutes in the crate to longer periods.
• If your dog vocalizes or paws at the floor or is otherwise stressed, wait for the split second of calm before releasing so you reward calm behavior.

Tips:

• If your dog is stressed in his crate, go back to shorter increments of time and build from there.
• If he’s just not having it try a dog-proof room or area of the house and follow same steps.
• Some dogs do not like confinement even for the briefest of times. In those cases, consider a house sitter, small scale reputable daycare or reach out to a professional rewards-based trainer.

Dos

• Do find a long-lasting chew your dog loves: save it only for crate time.
• Do exercise your dog first: set him up for success to rest.
• Do put the crate in a low-traffic area for privacy and security.
• Do see if your dog likes a blanket/cover over the crate to help create a safe space.
• Do keep the door open all the time so he can go in at will and chill.
• Do provide water.

Don’ts

• Don’t go too fast. Allow your dog to ease into the idea at his pace.
• Don’t immediately confine for long periods.
• Don’t confine for longer than necessary. A full workday can be too much for any dog. See if a friend, neighbor or even qualified pet sitter can come give him a break.
• Don’t force him into the crate.
• Don’t use it as punishment. Ever.

How to Crate Train an Older Dog

Follow the same steps! Additional considerations should be given to padding and for space, particularly  if your dog has arthritis or is showing any signs of lameness and especially if symptomatic of canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia). Always good to check in with your vet here.

How to Crate Train a Dog with Separation Anxiety

If your dog already suffers from separation anxiety, or the equivalent of human panic attacks, crates are not the answer. Separation anxiety is a serious issue that needs serious help: call in the pros. You can find a certified rewards based CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer) trainer here.

Crates can be a dog’s den or his dungeon. Create positive associations and give your dog safety and security and yourself peace of mind.

The post How to Crate Train a Rescue Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Rally is an easy entry point into the world of obedience-based dog sports. Unlike traditional obedience, handlers can speak to their dogs even when not giving a cue and encourage them while competing. It’s an excellent sport for building your relationship with your dog and fostering teamwork, and many of the skills can be taught at home.

What is Rally for Dogs?

In Rally obedience, dog and handler teams navigate a course made up of 10 to 20 different signs, where each sign asks for a different skill to be performed. The signs range from basic exercises like sits and downs in the Novice level, to more complicated positioning and turns in the higher levels. There are 42 different signs in the Novice level of AKC Rally, and more signs are added on top of those 42 as you move up each level. By the time you reach the Master class, there are over 100 total signs that the course could contain.

In trials, teams are scored out of 100, where mistakes can cost you anywhere from one to 10 points off your total score. If you achieve a passing score (anything 70 points and above), you’ll receive a qualifying leg towards a title. There are a number of titling levels of AKC Rally: Novice, Intermediate (optional), Advanced, Excellent, Advanced Excellent, Master/Choice, and Rally Champion. These level names differ for different kennel clubs, like the United Kennel Club (UKC).

How to Get Your Dog Started in Rally

If your dog has baseline obedience skills like heeling and sitting and you’re comfortable training on your own, the AKC has images and videos of all levels of Rally signs that you can teach at home. Just watch the videos on the AKC Obedience and Rally YouTube channel and aim to replicate them at home. The foundational skills for the Rally Novice level are heeling with turns, sit, down, and front.

If you don’t want to teach the 42 Rally Novice signs on your own, or if your dog needs to learn a structured heel, look for a local Rally class to take. Many dog training clubs and private trainers offer Rally classes, and local all-breed kennel clubs may also offer drop-in classes where you can come learn with your dog. As a Rally instructor myself, I recommend taking at least a few classes with a trainer—especially if you haven’t practiced free shaping, luring, and clicker training before. Understanding these skills first makes it much easier to train your dog how to complete the signs.

Once you and your dog have learned the Rally Novice signs, look for Rally mock-trials or fun matches! Often held in conjunction with conformation fun matches, Rally matches can be a good way to practice Rally skills with your dog in a distracting, trial-like environment. The benefit of a fun match though, is that there’s no pressure to avoid mistakes, and you can often practice the laid-out course a few times while you’re in the ring.

How to Find and Enter Rally Events

To be eligible to enter AKC Rally trials, dogs need to be six months or older and have an AKC registration or PAL listing number. Deaf dogs can participate, but blind dogs and females in season can’t.

If you feel ready to compete, the best way to find Rally trials is through AKC’s Event Search Tool. Just open the page, select “Companion Events,” then “Rally.” You can then filter the results by state, date range, and more. Once you hit “retrieve events,” you’ll get a number of results that match your selected criteria. Click on the link to the Premium page for more details like the venue address, the price of entries, and you’ll find instructions for how to enter the event. Though they can be held as stand-alone events,

Rally trials are typically held in conjunction with all breed and specialty dog shows, which means you’ll have to find the superintendent of the larger show in order to enter Rally. The superintendent will be listed in the premium, and you’ll then need to search for the event on the super’s website and follow the online instructions to enter.

Most Rally trials allow online entry and payment, but mail-in entries and payment may also be available. Note that AKC rally trials close for entry two weeks before the event, and same-day entries are not normally allowed.

If you’re looking for an event, are having trouble locating a class near you, have questions about Rally, or just need some help with specific skills, joining a Facebook group dedicated to Rally may also help you find the information you’re looking for.

UKC also offers rally events, though there are differences in signs, ring procedure rules, and scoring. UKC Rally Obedience events can be found through the kennel club’s All-Breed Sports Calendar tool.

How to Earn Rally Titles

Once you start competing, it’s easy to get hooked on completing titles. When a dog completes a title, not only do they get a fancy new ribbon—they also get title letters added to the end of their official, or registered name. Here are the AKC Rally titles, title abbreviations, requirements, and details.

Novice (RN): Teams need three qualifying runs scored 70 or higher from two different judges. This level is performed on-leash and courses are made up of 10-15 different signs.

Intermediate (RI): Intermediate is an optional class, so teams can choose to skip it and go straight to Advanced if they wish. Intermediate courses contain between 12 and 17 signs. This class is performed on leash and requires three 70+ scored runs from two different judges to earn the title.

Advanced (RA): Advanced is the first class performed off leash, and courses are made of 12-17 signs. Dogs need to have already completed the RN title and earn three qualifying scores of 70 or higher from a total of two judges.

Excellent (RE): Excellent is also performed off leash, and courses can contain between 15 and 20 different signs. Dogs must have the Advanced title, plus three qualifying runs scored 70 or higher from two different judges.

Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE): Advanced Excellent departs from the titling status quo, since dog and handler teams are required to qualify in both Advanced and Excellent in the same trial 10 separate times.

Master (RM): Master is performed off leash, and dogs must already have the RE title to begin working towards the RM. Teams will need to complete 10 qualifying runs of 70 or higher under two different judges to earn the RM title.

Rally Choice (CRC): Choice is an optional, off leash class at the Master level, but doesn’t require any signs that contain jumps. Teams who earn the typical three qualifying runs of 70 or higher can claim the title.

Rally Champion (RACH): A Rally championship is the most difficult and time-intensive Rally title. To earn one, dogs first need to have their Rally Master title. Next, dogs need 20 triple Q’s, which means they must qualify in Advanced, Excellent, and Master in the same trial, 20 separate times. Dogs also need to accumulate 300 RACH points from the Advanced, Excellent, and Master classes, with at least 150 of those points from the Master class. Points are earned from runs scored 91 points and up, where a perfect 100 will get you 10 RACH points.

Should I Try Rally with My Dog?

If you’re interested in learning basic obedience skills and trying out a new sport with your dog, Rally is a great option. Not only will you and your dog learn loose leash walking, position work, sit and down stays, and other obedience commands, but you’ll also strengthen your relationship. Even if you don’t want to compete, just trying out a Rally class can boost your dog’s confidence and help you and your pup work together as a team.

The post How to Get Involved in Rally, an Obedience-Based Dog Sport appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

This least sexy of all tools addresses the three most common frustrations we trainers hear about from dog owners: leash-pulling, reactivity, and a refusal to come when called. The trick, of course, is learning how to use that extra length to teach the good stuff.

Learning Not to Pull

The ever-changing outdoor environment is wildly exciting for our dogs. Alas, when they enthusiastically zigzag after every scent, bike, or friend, they yank us along with them.  Caught without a plan, we end up pulling right back. Very quickly, a pattern becomes ingrained: walks consist of a constantly taut leash, and conflict.

To break free, start fresh! Head to a new spot, with a different approach. Ditch the 6-footer and grab a long line, which is essentially a longer, thinner, lighter leash. This beautifully simple device can allow you and your dog the graceful distance to begin learning how to move through the world together in sync, without constant two-way tugging. (I don’t use retractables for many reasons, including the fact that it teaches a dog that constant leash pressure is normal.)

Give it a try. Take a 20-foot lead, grab a pouch full of terrific treats, and head to a big park at a time that’s not too busy so that you’ve got some room. As soon as you get out of the car, reward your dog for some things that are easy for her to do even amid distraction. (It’s okay if that’s just “find it” as you keep tossing a treat right in front of her!)  Now she knows you have the stuff she loves best— dried liver? tiny bits of cheddar?—on board.

Next, let your dog follow her nose, perhaps encouraging her to the edges of the wilder-looking areas where animal smells will naturally slow her down. The beautiful thing here is that she can enjoy her sniffari—scenting back and forth, leaping forward, then lingering—without pulling that very long leash taut. If you tried to do this with a six-footer you might already be in conflict, and annoyed.

Now, here’s the big moment that will be the cornerstone of your future loose-leash walks around the block: After at first being too absorbed in her surroundings to check in with you, your dog is finally going to look in your direction. The very second she does, reward her! Give a happy “yes!” and a taste of the very best you have, maybe the salmon-flavored Bark Pouch.

It is so very easy to miss this incredible moment! Don’t. Train yourself to watch for and reward every single voluntary check-in: the head swivel in your direction, the quick moment of eye contact, the move closer to you, the circle back to hang next to you. Remember, you’re not asking for or cueing this engagement, you’re waiting for her to offer it. That’s the dynamic we want to set up for the future! We don’t want you to have to constantly ask for her to move with you through the world—we want her to choose it.  This simple, beautiful activity teaches just that.

Once you’ve been rewarding simple check-ins for a while, and she’s choosing to hang out near you, the next stage is to offer an easy “find it” as you walk along.  Is she sticking with you even though she’s got 20 feet of freedom? Now you know she’s in a perfect state to learn that it feels great to engage with you on leash. You can start asking for whatever she does easily at home—maybe that’s just sits and touches, or maybe it’s downs and stays. Maybe you’re going fast, slow, fast, slow, encouraging her as she matches your pace. At this early stage, there are treats galore as you work to instill a deep sense that hanging close to you is the most rewarding choice no matter the environment. That understanding is the prize, and it’s what will eventually allow you and your dog ready to walk in sync on a 6-foot leash around your own block.

Build a Great Recall

A long line is also an incredible tool for teaching a terrific recall. Perhaps your dog is happy enough to come when you call him at home, but the second you’re anyplace more interesting—forget it! That’s a typical stage in recall training, and many people stall out there.

Enter the long line. Start with exactly the scenario outlined in the previous section: 20-footer, great treats, big park, and a sniffari. Wait for those voluntary check-ins, and reward a few. Now we’re ready to teach a great recall.

Here’s the crazy-sounding key to training your dog to respond to the cue “Come!”: Don’t call him until he is already coming to you! If, in the beginning stages of training, you call him when he’s completely engaged in a scent, or staring at a bird, the odds are low that he’ll respond. If you do that over and over, the word “come” will become background noise that is, if anything, just annoying. Instead, wait for an obvious win for you both. When he finishes sniffing a particular plant, turns to you and begins to meander over, cheerily start calling him, and then reward with something terrific.

Here’s the important next step: then encourage him to go off and have more fun. So often, dogs don’t hear “come” until the end of the adventure, right before they have to get in the car and go home. An enormous part of successful recall training is making sure that negative link does not get established. Right after you reward that “come,” follow up with “Let’s go sniff some more!”

Then . . . repeat, and repeat. Spend a lovely hour at the park, marking and rewarding engagement, calling your dog as she is already coming. Now it’s going to be really sinking in that engaging with you is like winning the jackpot.

If you’re like the rest of us, you’ll now be tempted to push it. You see your dog at the end of the long line, staring at another dog across the park, and you want to call her, just to see if it worked and you now have a great recall. I know it’s tough to resist, but I promise that the tortoise really does win the race. Don’t call a dog who is having a great time doing something else until way, way down the line in your training. Great dog training is like watching paint dry, folks. It’s really boring—but then at some point the result is actually beautiful.

You can definitely build on your recall training by doing all of this off leash in your own yard, but the benefit of the long line is that it mimics the situations where you’re really going to want that recall. If your dog is used to being pretty far from you in an interesting new place and still coming when called, that’s a big win.

Decreasing Reactivity through Observation

One of the things I most like “prescribing” to a client who’s upset about her dog’s reactivity is to go hang out in a park with a long line. It’s easy, it’s relaxing, and it helps—sometimes dramatically.

It’s jarring when your dog who’s so sweet at home turns into Cujo on a walk, barking and lunging at dogs, people, cars, bikes, or whatever else. It’s easy to interpret that response as angry aggression. But very often it’s fear, based on lack of familiarity: “I don’t know what the heck that is but it’s probably a threat and I’d better make sure it doesn’t get closer!”

It’s time for—I know you know the answer by now, so say it with me—a long line and a big park! Why? Because our dogs can’t read books or browse the internet. The only parts of the world they can learn about are the teeny tiny slivers we show them. So of course many dogs are anxious and bark out their big feelings when they head outside of their home cocoons and see new things that are fast, loud, looming and unpredictable.

Dogs need to gather data to feel better about their world, and a long line in a park is a terrific, safe-feeling way to do that. Distance is the worried dog’s best friend, and he needs you to arrange it for him. Ponder the best spot and the best time. Get out of the car only after making sure the coast is clear. Maybe that sounds like a lot of work, but surprises are the enemy of feeling safe. Just because you know that little barking leashed chihuahua isn’t a threat doesn’t mean your dog knows that!

Here’s how we teach him. Let him first catch sight of that chihuahua from a long distance. Let him watch. Let him process what he sees, hears, smells. If he’s barking or lunging, he needs more distance. Back up until he can observe calmly. Then just sit together and gather data. (You don’t need a long line to do this part, but it can help establish a sense of his having agency during this experience.)

After a while, your dog will realize that the Chihuahua is not a threat and turn to you. That’s a huge moment. He’s just come to a conclusion: “Hey, that thing over there is no big deal. It won’t affect us.” Offer a treat. Offer some easy cues (sit, touch). If he’s stealing glances at the chihuahua and then back to you, he might need a bit more time to observe. If not, he’s ready to move on until there’s something else he needs to learn about. Kids playing basketball? A group of folks on a picnic? Another dog playing frisbee? Get yourself to a distance that feels safe to your dog and let him watch until he doesn’t need to anymore.

A lot of the very best dog training looks like doing nothing! If I made a video of one of these sessions, it would seem like not much is happening.

Untrue. An enormous shift is occurring. A dog is beginning to feel safe in his world. Let’s give him the distance and time he needs to fully absorb that lesson.

Long live the long line.

The post A Long Line: The Surprising Problem-Solver appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Heel is good day-to-day when:

• In a crowded environment
• Crossing the street
• Around unfamiliar children
• Passing other dogs

How to Teach a Dog to Heel

When teaching your dog to heel, start indoors with little to no distractions. Grab some very small but very yummy snacks.

1. Ask your dog to sit on your chosen side. Try luring him into position from behind you so he’s facing forward. Use a high rate of reinforcement here: treat handsomely when he reaches the desired position.
2. Put the treats behind your back. When your dog isn’t looking at the treat or you, but still sitting beside you, mark and reward.
3. Encourage him to follow at your chosen side as you walk around the room (make kissy noises, tap your thigh, etc.). When your dog is at your chosen side, mark and reward.
4. When you stop, ask your dog for a sit. Hand signals are helpful here. Mark and reward.
5. Once your dog is able to follow along at your side, introduce the verbal cue “heel” or “close” and repeat steps 1 through 4.
6. When your dog is responding to the verbal cue, begin to fade the lure, meaning reward intermittently, then randomly.
7. Now that your dog is following alongside you, change it up: vary your speed and change direction, all while encouraging your dog to be at your side.
8. Finally, practice on-leash inside, then take it to the streets. Start with low-level distractions then work up to busier, noisier environments.

Tips for Teaching a Dog to Heel

• Because heading out into the world presents a challenge, go back to using treats here at first. Fade shortly after.
• If your dog isn’t doing well on one of the steps, don’t keep moving on: hang out there until you’re both ready to proceed.
• Learning takes time: be patient.
• This is a very unnatural ]behavior for dogs (much like leash walking), so cut him some slack and shape the behavior if necessary.

The post 8 Steps to Teach a Dog to Heel appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

What Is Dock Diving?

Dock diving combines jumping, swimming, and toy retrieval into one splash-filled, competitive canine sport. Dock diving at its core requires dogs to jump off a platform (or dock) into a pool. There are three different events or disciplines in canine dock diving: distance jump, hydrodash, and air retrieve.

Distance jump requires you to throw a toy for your dog while they get a running head start and try to jump as far as possible down the pool. In hydrodash, dogs aim to swim as fast as possible towards a fixed toy in the pool and retrieve it. In air retrieve, dogs shoot to jump and grab or knock down a toy that’s fixed above the pool, gaining lots of vertical distance. Note that these events may have slightly different names based on the organization you’re competing in.

How Do You Get Started in Dock Diving?

Whether or not you’re interested in competing in dock diving, pretty much any dog can try it out. According to Bri Benton, a long time dock diving instructor, dock manager, and dock competitor based in Spring, Texas, puppies and dogs don’t need to know how to swim to begin learning the initial skills for dock diving.

“I incorporate many foundations from other sports such as disc, agility, and flyball into my training foundations and I will focus on relationship building, confidence building, and toy drive exercises with my young dogs,” she says. “While I encourage swimming and retrieving at a young age, I generally do not start training them on the dock until they are 8 to 12 months old.”

Benton recommends finding knowledgeable instructors in your area to try out dock diving. She also recommends going to local competitions to observe, learn, and volunteer. “Most competitors are always happy to help beginners find training resources and competitions around their area,” she says.

Once you’ve found a dock diving instructor in your area, you and your dog will start with foundational training. Though many dogs love water, they’re likely used to getting into bodies of water with sloped, gradual entries like lakes and ponds. Dock diving pools can be intimidating, since dogs need to jump off the elevated surface into the water below.

Kelly Roll, dock diving competitor and owner of K9cation dog training and boarding in Hudson, Colorado, says that the best intro to dock diving involves building your dog’s confidence. In foundation training, Roll says that K9cation clients often get into the pool with their dog. Dogs start by entering the water from a ramp before building confidence to swim out into the pool and are always heavily praised and rewarded.

“Once a dog is confidently entering the pool and sticking their face in the water to retrieve a toy, we work on a dog gaining an arch while jumping off the ramp,” Roll says. “This shows us the dog has potential to dive off the dock.” Roll says that once a dog is getting arch while jumping off the ramp and confidently sticking their face in the water, training will move to the dock to begin to teach the dog to jump off it. Dogs that have a hard time gaining arch or distance may be better suited to hydrodash than the other two dock disciplines.

Training for the sport should always include positive reinforcement methods. “We never want to pressure a dog so much that the dog is frustrated, and we definitely never shove the dog off the dock,” says Roll. “Dogs that are forced against their will to enter a pool are not allowed at competition and we do not allow it at training because it causes a loss of confidence and is just not a good way to get dogs to have fun and be confident in this sport.”

What Are the Different Dock Diving Organizations to Compete In?

Similar to other dog sports like agility, there are multiple venues for dock diving competitions and figuring out which organization to register and compete with can be confusing. According to Benton, there are currently several Dock Diving organizations to compete with, the most popular being:

• North America Diving Dogs (NADD)
• DockDogs
• Ultimate Air Dogs
• International Dog Sports
• Super Retriever Series
• United Kennel Club Dock Diving

“Each organization offers different formats for competing as well as different titling structures,” she says.

How Do You Compete in Dock Diving?

Each of the dock diving organizations requires a separate registration plus a registration fee before you can compete at events. Registration fees typically sit around $30 to $35. Once you’re registered, you can use the organizations’ event search features on their websites to find local dock competitions and enter them. Entry fees typically run about $25-$40 per jump, and pre-registration will usually get you a discount.

According to Benton, there are also tons of helpful Facebook groups that will post details for upcoming competitions. “When in doubt, asking other competitors or trainers local to your area can be helpful too,” she says.

Not sure if your dog is ready for a competition yet? Roll says dogs are typically ready to enter trials when they are confidently and consistently jumping off the dock. If you think your dog is ready for the competition environment but you just want to try it out in a more low-stakes way first, many dock diving events offer “try-its” or discounted practice runs that don’t count for points but allow you and your dog to get the feel for a real trial. Try-its are usually around $10 per splash.

Should I Try Dock Diving With My Dog?

Whether or not you decide to compete, dock diving can be a fun activity for you and your dog to enjoy together. “At the end of the day, this sport is all about having fun with your dog,” Benton says. “Your dog has no idea how far they jump or how many ribbons they win, they just know that they’re getting to play their favorite game with their favorite person! It is so important to never lose sight of why we compete in dog sports and that is to enjoy our dogs and bond with them on a deeper level.”

The post What Is Dock Diving? How to Get Involved in This Swimming-centric Dog Sport appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

In the early 2000s, canicross began to catch on as a sport in Europe and by 2015 championship events were being held in the U.K. In 2018, Brian Thomas, owner of Wisconsin-based specialty running and canicross store Kenosha Running Company, started forming CanicrossUSA chapters across the U.S. Today, there are chapters in every part of the country and two national canicross organizations.

Picking the Right Canicross Gear

Many people enjoy jogging with their dogs, but canicross is more than just running with your dog in tow. In canicross, your dog pulls you, which creates a completely different sensation than just running with the leash in your hand. Canicross teams use special equipment that enables the dog to pull while also protecting the safety of both dog and runner and helping the team to run faster.

Dogs participating in canicross wear a pulling harness that is designed to rest on the dog’s breastbone, leaving the neck unencumbered so the dog can breathe freely as he runs. The human partner in the team wears a running belt that attaches to the dog’s harness. The running belt has an elastic attachment that protects the runner should the dog lunge forward or to the side. It’s similar to a rock-climbing harness and wraps around the hips and through the legs.

“Proper gear is so important for the dog and human,” says Thomas.

While the human running belt is easily adjustable for just about anyone, your dog needs to be properly fitted for the pulling harness. A properly fitted harness will allow your dog to run freely without undo strain on his joints and ligaments.

“We have fitted probably 1,000 dogs over the past 7 years for the correct fitting harness, either in person or in a very detailed manner over the phone, exchanging pictures and measurements by email,” says Thomas.

Is Canicross Right Dog for Your Dog?

You don’t need a particular breed of dog to do canicross because the sport is open to every breed and mix. That said, the best dogs for the sport are ones that are healthy, naturally athletic, and have good, open airways. Brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs, Pugs, and Shih Tzus are not considered good candidates for a canicross team.

A dog’s age should also be a factor when considering participating in canicross. As with other high-impact sport such as agility, dogs shouldn’t begin canicross until their growth plates have closed. That can occur anywhere between 12 and 24 months based on factors such as breed and size with small dogs typically maturing faster and giant breeds taking longer. Remember, doing high-impact activities with a dog who hasn’t finished developing can result in health issues later in the dog’s life.

In addition, a dog can be too old for canicross. Senior dogs suffering from arthritis or other orthopedic or health problems aren’t good candidates for the sport.

If you have a dog who is athletic, in good health, and loves to run, have your veterinarian examine him before you participate in canicross. Let your vet know that you plan to start running with your dog so she can be sure he’s healthy enough. You’ll vet will perform a physical exam and may recommend bloodwork to help ensure your dog’s metabolism and major organs are up for a sport that requires endurance.

If you are thinking about getting a dog you can compete with in canicross, focus on breeds that are known for running. Siberian Huskies, Greyhounds, and sporting breeds such as pointers and retrievers are common breeds seen at canicross events. If you’d like to rescue a dog and make him your canicross partner, pick one that has athletic breeds in its mix.

“One of the great outcomes is to see how many of our trail runners have gone out and adopted a rescue dog so they can start entering our canicross events,” says Thomas.

Join a Canicross Club

Participating in canicross is often the most fun when you do it in a group. CanicrossUSA clubs around the country hold events where you can meet other dog owners in the sport and can learn how to pace yourself and your dog. You can also find other canicross runners in your area by using MeetUp or Facebook and searching for “canicross”.

While some people participate in canicross just for fun, others enjoy competing in the sport. In Europe, some organizations are even working toward making canicross an Olympic event.

One organization in the U.S. dedicated to the competitive side of the sport is North American Canicross (NAC), which started in 2019 for the purposes of promoting canicross as a competitive event. The organization’s programs include Lifetime Achieved Miles, which emphasizes conditioning and training in both dog and human; Race Dog Distance titles, which include Sprint Distance Class and a 5k Distance Class, with emphasis on speed, endurance and athleticism; and Championship titles, which are awarded to dogs who have completed a variety of race distances including 5k, 21k and marathons. The elements of a dog and human running together as a team are highlighted, with strength, confidence, speed, communication and athleticism being recognized in all these categories.

Winners in NAC events are awarded Challenge Coins at each Titled achievement, and any dog 18 months of age or older is eligible, regardless of breed or mix. NAC doesn’t hold its own events, but recognizes achievements accomplished by dog and human teams in other canicross events and dog-friendly runs.

How To Start Canicross

If canicross sounds like the sport for you, you’ll need to start working on training your dog and conditioning both of you.

For dogs to compete in canicross events, they need to know basic obedience cues and respond to your voice. Even though your dog will be on a leash during canicross events, he still needs to pay attention to you. Your dog will be out in front of you, pulling you along, so you want him to be under control. Be sure he is well-behaved around other dogs and people he doesn’t know. The last thing you need is to lose control of your dog because he is reacting to another dog or to a passing stranger.

Many canicross competitors teach their dogs directional cues, such as “go,” “stop,” “left,” and “right” to help direct the dog during a run. Your dog is in the lead when you are running, but you are the one telling him where to go. Using your voice to cue your dog to slow down, go fast, and make turns will make your run a lot smoother—and faster.

Conditioning for both you and your dog is mandatory before you sign up for a canicross event. If you are already running regularly with your dog, you may both be in good enough shape to start participating. You will just need to get used to running with your dog in a canicross harness attached to your running belt. You’ll want to practice with your new canicross gear so you and your dog are comfortable with it before you sign up for a run.

If you want to try canicross but you’ve only been taking your dogs on walks, start a slow but steady conditioning plan. Add about five minutes of running to your walks each day, and gradually increase how much you are running each week. If your goal is to eventually do 5k canicross events, build up to this distance over a month or more. Keep an eye on your dog to make sure you aren’t pushing him too hard. Alongside preventing injuries, you want him to enjoy this!

The post All About Canicross appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Can dogs learn everything they need to know in one eight-week puppy kindergarten or basic obedience class? No. That’s just a small part of your dog’s education.

Given the typical canine lifespan of 10-plus years, it’s all too easy to forget that the previous dog didn’t come fully loaded but required careful weeks, months and maybe even years of patient, consistent training and reinforcement to become the perfect dog of your memory. If you’re asking yourself “How long does it take to train a dog basic cues?” we’re here to help with information on factors that influence canine learning and how long it can take to teach particular skills.

How Learning Starts

It might seem as if neonatal puppies do nothing but eat and sleep, but from birth they are taking in scents and experiencing touch, both of which contribute to their knowledge of their surroundings, even if they can’t see or hear yet.

The critical period for learning is when pups are between 3 and 14 weeks old. By three weeks, their eyes and ears have opened and they’re mobile, if a little wobbly. They start using their paws and mouths to explore their environment.

With no preconceived notions about vacuums, cats, people in uniforms, or veterinary clinics, it’s the perfect time for them to have positive exposure to many different people, places, objects, sounds, surfaces, smells, and other environmental stimuli, known as socialization. With puppies being weaned and going to new homes when they are usually 8 weeks to 12 or more weeks old (later is often better if they’re in a situation where they receive a variety of socialization experiences), this type of activity can occur at the breeder’s home, in a foster home, or after the pup has come home with you.

Puppies should meet new people and animals and have new experiences multiple times a week rather than meeting the same neighbors and friends and going to the same places all the time. Those encounters and experiences should be so great that your puppy looks forward to anything new.

As puppies grow in experience, their brains grow too. The brain becomes larger and changes shape as its dendrites—specialized brain nerve cell structures that receive and process information—reach out to make connections with other nerve cells. By the time puppies are four months old, their brains are almost fully wired. Almost. Canine brains continue to develop until the dog is about two years old, so even if a pup looks grown-up, they still have a lot to learn, especially about impulse control.

Factors That Influence Learning

Socialization is an important element of learning, but it’s not the only one. How quickly your dog learns depends on several key factors:

• Maternal care and stress level during pregnancy
• Good puppy nutrition
• Genetic predisposition
• Learning style
• Training techniques

A mother dog’s stress level can affect the future behavior of her unborn puppies. If they experience high-stress situations before giving birth, their pups may be more anxious or fearful in stressful or unexpected situations. These young dogs can benefit from additional or intensive socialization.

Feeding a high-quality puppy food containing DHA from fish oil has been shown in studies to improve learning ability—cognition, memory, and psychomotor skills—in puppies up to a year old. Puppies eating high-DHA diets appeared to have stronger responses to training.

Breed or mix is important because different breeds have different types of skills and intelligence. That doesn’t make certain breeds “smarter” (Border Collies, Poodles, we’re looking at you), but it can affect not only how they learn but also how quickly they learn. Here’s what to know about certain types of dogs:

• Herding, working, and sporting dogs (including Poodles, which originated as water-retrieving dogs) tend to have a reputation for being fast learners.
• Some dogs may seem as if they haven’t caught on to something, but often they are sitting, watching, and thinking, later demonstrating that they’ve absorbed the lesson. This type of learning is often seen in hounds and guardian dogs, says veterinarian, breeder and trainer Deb Eldredge, but any dog may learn this way.
• Independent dogs tend to have good problem-solving skills. Sometimes that makes it difficult to stay a step ahead of them.
• Toy dogs and non-sporting dogs—the latter group being a miscellaneous assortment of unrelated breeds—are just as smart and capable of learning as bigger dogs. Don’t neglect training them just because they’re small, cute, or lack a discernible skill!

Puppies in general are “sponges,” learning things quickly—often the things we don’t want them to learn—but they also have short attention spans. Short, sweet training sessions that end on a high note are more effective than long, intensive ones. Rewards help dogs to understand what you want and to be more excited about repeating a particular behavior.

The presence of another dog as a teacher’s aide can also be helpful. It’s not unusual for dogs to mimic what they see other dogs doing, especially if they see those dogs being rewarded for a behavior. This has frequently worked well in my dog-training life.

The power of instinctive behaviors is a factor, too. Beagles, for instance, have great nose intelligence, but they’re probably not going to be very good at herding sheep, says Minnesota dog trainer and Beagle owner Denise Nord.

Training Time

Theory is all well and good, but how long does it take to train a dog on basic cues? The answer—“It depends”—is unsatisfying, but bear in mind that dogs learn most quickly with practice and patience. Start with easy behaviors and build on your—and your dog’s—successes.

Sit may well be the behavior that dogs learn most easily and quickly. It’s a natural action, making it easy to “capture” by clicking and treating when the dog is already in position or luring the dog into position with a treat. Using those techniques, dogs can learn “Sit” within the space of a few minutes.

The trick is then putting a name to the act and practicing and reinforcing it over time so that muscle memory kicks in immediately when dogs hear the cue. That takes longer, from a few weeks to a few months. Practice in different situations, different places, around different people, and around other animals: this is how you “proof” your dog so that response to “Sit” is immediate, no matter what. It pays off throughout life with your dog sitting at the door, to greet people, before meals, or as part of an agility or rally competition, to name just a few of its uses.

Similar techniques work well with “Down” and “Stand.” I find it easiest to capture a down rather than luring a dog into place, but a good mantra is “Every dog is different.” Do what works for you and your dog. Like “Sit,” it takes time and practice to get a reliable response every time.

A more complex behavior to teach is walking on leash without pulling. Unless you’re training for obedience competition, there’s no need to require a dog to walk exactly at your side all the time, but they should be well-mannered enough that you don’t have to worry about being pulled over or tripped by them.

Achieving that is a lot more involved than attaching a leash to a collar and expecting the dog to go where you want, when you want. Expect reliable loose-leash walking to take up to a year. A five- or six-month-old puppy in the throes of adolescence is going to start doing some backsliding as they test their position in the family and your patience.

Loose-leash walking must be proofed in many different places and situations, simply because puppies change so much during their first year. “What they find distracting today may not be distracting tomorrow,” Nord says. “What you get in your backyard is going to be very different than what you get walking down the street or in a class or at a large event.”

What about housetraining? A schedule is important, but it also takes time for a puppy’s body to mature so they can “hold it” for longer periods. Plan on six months to a year to achieve full reliability. For more information, see “How to House Train a Puppy.”

Class and Homework

As long as they’ve had their first set of vaccinations, puppies can often participate in a kindergarten class as early as 8 weeks old. But don’t wait until then to start teaching your new dog the basics. That can begin on day one at home. Your puppy or new dog should look to you as the provider of all good things and fun times, and that’s what training should be.

While training can take months, it doesn’t require a lot of time in the moment. As mentioned above, puppies have a short attention span. Spending a few minutes—or even as little as 30 seconds—training several times a day helps to build a strong foundation for success as a puppy and throughout life. It also ensures that training becomes a routine part of the day.

As you work with your new dog, pay attention to how they react to the environment. Every dog approaches things differently. If a newly acquired puppy or adult dog seems anxious, give them some time to settle in. Start with easy, fun activities that allow them to be successful and build confidence. Then their brains can work at full capacity.

How long does it take to fully train a dog? Plan on six months to a year to teach the basics and feel confident in your dog’s behavior. To build a rock-solid response in any situation? That can take longer, but it’s worth the effort. Proofing helps dogs learn to adjust to variables in the environment and respond appropriately.

What experts call “behavioral leveling” typically occurs when dogs become familiar with their environment and understand what’s expected of them. For most dogs, that seems to magically take place when they’re 18 to 24 months old. Or not. Plenty of dogs act puppylike well into adulthood, not achieving a grown-up brain until they’re five or six years old, if ever.

But no matter when your dog achieves maturity, learning is a life-long endeavor. Continuing to practice a dog’s skills and teach new ones throughout life, even into old age, helps to keep their brains supple and may well help to stave off dementia.

The post How Quickly Do Dogs Learn? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Do Dogs Know Their Names?

As young children, humans learn by repetition (saying the name over and over again) and reinforcement (providing feedback when the baby responds) that their names refer to them as individuals. In a broad sense, the same is true for how dogs learn their names. However, what names mean to them is likely quite different.

For humans, a name is part of our identity, providing a series of sounds that refer to a specific individual. Just imagine what it would be like trying to navigate human society without a name. Though the communication barrier prevents us from asking, observations of dog behavior suggest that dogs respond to names more like any other learned cue.

As best we can tell, dogs identify individuals (both human and canine) primarily by smell, sight, and sound. Even if a dog never learns her humans’ names—though many do—the smell of a familiar person or the sound of a known voice will set her tail to wagging. A dog knows and remembers individuals by these characteristics first and only learns a word for that individual, such as a name, if there is a benefit to doing so. Therefore, if you want her to respond to such a word, you will need to teach her.

How To Teach A Dog Her Name

Before you begin teaching your dog her name, pick the exact name you are going to use to ask for your dog’s attention (see the sidebar below regarding nicknames). From there:

1. Get some treats your dog really likes and find a quiet spot with as few distractions as possible.
2. With your dog standing or sitting close to you, say her name in an upbeat, excited voice.
3. When your dog looks at you, give her the treat. You can also use rewards such as toys, praise, or cuddles.
4. Repeat 10-15 times.
5. Practice several times a day until she begins to look at you as soon as you say her name.

Once your dog is reliably responding to her name when she is near you, you can begin increasing the distance between you. From 5 feet away, repeat the steps above. When she is looking at you reliably from 5 feet, move to 10 feet, and so on. Remember, this is not a ‘stay’. It’s okay, even desirable, if she moves toward you when you say her name.

When your dog is regularly looking at you when you say her name from anywhere in a quiet, distraction free room, you can move to a slightly busier location and start the process again. You’ll want to begin with her close to you and add distance once you’re sure she’s still responding well.

Once busier locations pose no problem, you can start adding distractions such as tossing a toy right before saying her name or having another person walk into the room. If she starts losing focus at any point in the process, back up a step and practice closer and with fewer distractions for a few days before trying again.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few mistakes that are easy to make but best avoided if you want your dog to learn and respond to her name quickly. These include:

• Saying a dog’s name in anger or frustration: It’s extremely tempting to use a dog’s name when she has done something naughty. However, if she comes to associate her name with unpleasantness—even if it’s only that you are upset—she will be much more likely to either ignore it or leave when she hears it rather than turning her attention to you.
• Saying a dog’s name repeatedly without reinforcement: Especially in the early stages of teaching a dog her name, it is important to provide positive reinforcement whenever she hears her name and responds. Failing to do so can turn it into just another word she hears that doesn’t mean anything special.
• Using nicknames or variations of a name: While nicknames aren’t a bad thing, they can be confusing for a dog. For example, if you start teaching your new dog to pay attention when you say ‘Harriet’, but also call her ‘Harry’ and ‘Princess’ expecting her to respond the same way, it’s going to take longer to teach her that all of those sounds mean you want her attention. You are essentially asking her to learn multiple cues for one behavior at the same time, which will likely slow down the learning process.

Changing Names

Many dogs come to their new homes having already been given names. Rescues and shelters regularly name the dogs they are entrusted with and many breeders name their puppies. When it comes time for the dog to relocate to a forever home, her new family will often want to change the name she came with. I’ve been asked more than once if that is a hardship for the dog.

In my experience, it is perfectly fine to switch a dog’s name. Even if she knows and responds to the old one, think of it as asking her to learn a new cue. The trick is to teach the new name with joy and affection so she associates it with great things.

The post How To Teach A Dog Her Name appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

The goal with a recall is for the dog to respond to the “come” cue automatically, enthusiastically, and without hesitation. This is safety-critical behavior. especially for off-leash walking. If your dog gets out through an open door and heads toward a busy road, for example, coming to you when you call her could save her life. So how do we teach a dog to reliably come when called?

How to Teach a Dog to Come

1. Pick a cue: Before you start working on teaching your dog to come, you’ll need to pick the word you want to use as a cue. Until the behavior you want is established—meaning your dog comes when called—do your best to avoid using the cue word to call her outside of training sessions. Don’t use it sitting around the living room or outside in the backyard as a “test” to see if she understands it yet. If the dog gets used to hearing the word and not responding, you’ll need to start again with a different cue. The same is true if you’ve tried teaching a recall before but it hasn’t really stuck. Pick a new word and try again. “Come” and “here” are common choices for recall cues.
2. Charge the cue: “Charging” a cue essentially means adding value to it. We do this by teaching the dog that something good is coming when she hears the cue. To begin:
   1. Get some treats your dog really likes.
   2. With your dog standing or sitting close to you, say the cue word in an excited voice.
   3. When your dog looks at you, give her the treat.
   4. Repeat 10-15 times.
   5. Do this several times a day for roughly 2-3 days.
3. Ask the dog to follow: Once the cue is charged, you will begin asking your dog to follow along with you while you are moving. For this step, the goal is to have your dog chase excitedly after you for 5-10 feet. To teach it:
   1. In a quiet, low-distraction environment, put your dog on a leash. I use a 6-foot nylon lead clipped to a flat collar or martingale—do NOT use a choke chain or slip lead that could tighten around her neck if she runs past you or stops suddenly.
   2. With her standing near you, give her the cue (“Come!”) in the same excited voice you used to charge it.
   3. At the same time, quickly move several steps away from her. The leash should remain loose the whole time. Avoid dragging her or tugging on the leash—it’s only there to keep her from wandering off.
   4. When she follows, run—or walk quickly for a smaller dog—a few more steps with her.
   5. Reward her. If your dog likes toys, a game of tug can add some fun and excitement to the lesson. Treats are also a good option.
   6. Practice for 5-10 minutes several times a day—I try to aim for three short training sessions six days a week.
   7. Repeat for 3-4 days.
4. Add distance: This step increases the distance between you and your dog before asking her to come:
   1. Put your dog on a leash.
   2. Get some distance between you and your dog. If she starts anticipating the game and won’t let you move away from her, you can toss a treat on the ground a few feet away and tell her to “Get it” (or whichever cue you use to let her know it’s okay for her to eat it). If you use this method, let her eat the treat before asking her to come so she’s not torn between two attractive options.
   3. With the dog somewhere around 5 feet from you, use your cue to call her.
   4. When she comes toward you, move quickly away just as you did on the previous step.
   5. When you and your dog have run together for about 10 feet, reward her.
   6. Practice for 5-10 minutes several times a day.
   7. Repeat daily until she is running toward you consistently.
5. Move to a long line: The goal here is to increase the distance between you and your dog even further:
   1. Put your dog on a long line instead of a leash—once again, the long line is only there to prevent the dog from wandering off and getting distracted. It shouldn’t be used to pull the dog toward you. As a note for those who haven’t encountered them before, a long line is a flat, super-long leash, usually at least 10 feet in length—I use a 30-foot horse lunge line, but a smaller dog might need something lighter-weight. A long line is NOT the same thing as a retractable leash and they are not interchangeable.
   2. Repeat the same process as the previous step (call your dog, move away quickly, run 10-15 feet together, reward), but start with 10 feet between you.
   3. Practice for 5-10 minutes several times a day until your dog is coming enthusiastically from 10 feet away and then increase the distance to 15 feet, then 20 feet, and so on.
6. Remove the leash: It’s time to go off-lead:
   1. Pick a quiet, low-distraction location in the house or other location where the dog is contained. Do not assume that because your dog did great on the long line that she’ll be just as good without a leash.
   2. Start with your dog close to you just as you did during the “ask your dog to follow” step.
   3. Cue her in an excited voice and quickly move several steps away.
   4. When she follows, take a few more steps and reward her.
   5. Practice this for several days.
   6. Repeat the “add distance” step minus the leash.
   7. Practice for 5-10 minutes several times a day until you’re sure she’ll come quickly and easily with 5 feet between you.
   8. Increase the distance between you to 10 feet, 15 feet, etc.

Adding Distractions

Once your dog has mastered coming when called on and off the leash in a quiet, contained environment, you can begin to add distractions. Start with small things, like another person standing quietly in the room or a less-valued toy sitting off to one side on the floor. If your dog successfully ignores these distractions, you can slowly make it more difficult by having your helper move around, make some noise, or talk to the dog. If you are training alone, you can do things like throw toys or place small obstacles—I use more toys or cones—along the dog’s path.

This is also a good time to start training in locations—such as your backyard or a park—that offer more natural distractions. As with the human-made distractions discussed above, start slowly with locations that are just a little bit more interesting than where you started and build up. Keep your dog on a leash or long line when practicing outside of the house or fenced yard.

If your dog gets distracted and fails to come back to you at any point, put her back on the leash and practice distraction-free recalls for a day or two and work your way back up. It can be tempting to rush it, especially if your dog seems to be doing well and progressing quickly. However, one of the biggest tricks when it comes to teaching a reliable recall is to not try to do too much too soon.

A Note on Rewards

Rewards for recall training should be things the dog values a lot such as a favorite toy or a treat she gets rarely and finds particularly tasty. It also helps to vary the rewards. If the reward for the first round of recall practice was boiled chicken, the next may be a super-fun tug toy, and so on. Given that having your dog come when you call is one of the best tools for keeping her safe, success in recall training should yield high-value rewards.

Recall Games

There are a number of great games to play that can make teaching a dog to come when called much more fun and engaging for both dog and handler. You can mix these in with the training steps covered above. I like to do two short sessions a day for “regular” recall practice and one for a game session.

• Keep Away: In most ways, keep away is a high-energy version of the same thing we’ve been doing in recall training. To begin, have your dog sit in front of you. Take one step back and call her to come. When she does, ask her to sit in front of you again and reward her. Practice that for a few days until she’s regularly sitting in front of you when you call her. Then, immediately after you have rewarded her for sitting, turn 90 degrees and run a few steps, calling her again. Let her catch up and reward her. Immediately turn in the other direction and repeat the process, encouraging her to run back and forth with you, stopping and rewarding her when she “catches” you at each direction change.
• Hide-and-Seek: Start by finding a hiding spot—pick an easy one to begin with such as just stepping out of the room beyond the dog’s line of sight. Once you are “hidden,” call your dog enthusiastically. When she comes to find you, praise her and reward her with a treat or toy. As she becomes familiar with the game, move to more difficult-to-find hiding spots.
• Search-and-Return: Also called the “whiplash head turn” exercise, the goal with this one is to have your dog turn toward you quickly no matter what else is happening. You’ll need two types of treats for this game—something that the dog likes okay (like regular kibble) and something she LOVES (like hot dog). To play, start with your dog near you and toss one of the ‘okay’ treats a short distance away. Say something like “Get it” or “Search” as you prefer (pick one word to avoid confusion) to let her know it’s okay to eat it. Allow the dog eat the treat and, right as she is finishing, say “Yes!” and offer her the treat she loves. Repeat several times, picking up the pace to add excitement.
• Round-Robin: This game requires at least two humans. To begin, stand about 10 feet away from your training helper. If you have multiple people helping, stand in a loose circle with the dog in the middle. Take turns calling the dog to come, rewarding her when she gets to you. Once she gets comfortable with the game and is regularly coming to the person who calls her, you can begin to increase the distance between people and have them move to new spots.

For a more detailed description of how to play these games, along with several other great recall exercises, see “Games for Building Reliable Recall Behavior for Your Dog.”

Practice, Practice, Practice

There are no shortcuts to a reliable recall. When you are teaching your dog to come when called, it’s going to take a lot of repetition. Daily practice will make all the difference. Even when your dog knows the cue, you’ll want to do regular refreshers to make sure the behavior stays sharp.

The post How to Teach a Dog to Come When Called appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Dog training for beginners: If your dog is not food-motivated, your first job is to figure out what motivates and excites him. Maybe it’s a favorite toy he likes to have tossed or tugged with. It might be as simple as excited accolades from you. You must figure this out before trying to teach anything. There must be something in it for them.

Once you’ve got that figured out, dog training at home starts with teaching the trick a little bit at a time, which is called “shaping.”

Shape the Trick

When teaching dogs tricks, shape the behavior, rather than demand, bribe, force, manipulate, or coax. Shaping behaviors requires patience and plenty of time allotted for your first few sessions. When behaviors are shaped and not forced the behavior becomes your dog’s choice. It makes your dog your partner or teammate in a game, not a servant. Shaping creates an interested, engaged, thinking, interactive, and motivated dog.

So how do you shape a behavior? Basically, you wait until the dog offers on his own something (anything!) resembling what you’re after, and you pay that.

Teaching your dog to shake is a good example of how to shape a behavior. Start by sitting with your dog sitting facing you. Have a treat hidden in your hand. Hold your closed hand toward your dog, palm up. Don’t say anything. Many dogs will naturally paw at the hand to try to get the cookie. If/when he touches your hand with his paw say, “Yes!” and give him the cookie.

Note: Take it off your palm with your other hand and give it to him with your other hand. Don’t just open your “shaking” hand and let him eat it.

Repeat this step until you’re confident he understands what he needs to do to get paid. Then wait a few seconds before rewarding while he keeps his paw on your hand. Gradually increase length of time with paw on your hand before rewarding. Once he fully understands he must keep his paw on your hand (as opposed to pawing or scratching at you) to get paid, you can add the word. To do this, start your regular routine and as he starts bringing his paw toward your hand simply say, “Shake.” This will attach a verbal cue to the desired behavior. Don’t forget to say “yes” and reward as usual for each advancement.

Eventually, you can turn your hand sideways if you prefer, like you would to shake a human’s hand. Once you’ve shaped that added behavior, you can add the up and down motion of a handshake.

You can teach other easy and fun tricks using this shaping method. Remember, teach one trick at a time, keep your sessions short, keep your patience long, and no matter what, you should both have fun!

The post How to Start Training Your Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Before diving in, it is important to note that you should never force your dog into performing a behavior. In the long run, it prevents the dog from learning and can create an aversion to the behavior you’re trying to teach. If you find yourself getting frustrated, take a break and try something different.

While there are many training methods available—each with their advantages and disadvantages—I use a combination of luring and shaping (see sidebar) to teach tricks. In my experience, training is most effective when everyone involved is engaged and having a good time!

How to Teach Your Dog to Spin

For this trick, the end goal is to have your dog stand in front of you and spin in a circle. It is one of the easiest tricks to train and, as a bonus, it looks pretty cute. Here’s how to teach it:

1. Grab a treat (or toy) and stand in front of your dog.
2. Show him the treat.
3. When he moves toward it, move your hand away in a slow circle in front of you.
4. As he completes the circle, mark it and reward him (more about that in the sidebar, “Training Terms and Techniques”). If your dog is having trouble making a full circle, you can start by marking and rewarding at the halfway point and move on to full circles once he has that down.
5. Repeat until he is reliably circling then add the verbal cue you want. I use “spin” to ask for a circle to the left and “twist” for a circle to the right.

How to Teach Your Dog to Shake Paw

“Shake” is a classic for a reason. In addition to being a fun trick, it’s also useful for getting your dog accustomed to having his feet touched—a huge help for drama-free nail trims and vet visits. Like humans, most dogs have a side they prefer. When teaching this trick, I start with the side the dog offers first. To begin:

1. Cue your dog to sit in front of you.
2. Put a treat in your palm and close your hand into a fist around it.
3. Hold your fist out in front of the dog within easy paw reach—I find somewhere between floor level and about six inches off the ground works well for most dogs, though you may have to try different heights to see what your dog is most likely to go for.
4. Wait for your dog to move his paw. As soon as he does—even a little bit—mark it and reward him. It’s a good idea to reward him with your opposite hand (not the one you’re hiding the treat in). This will make it easier for him to understand that the reward comes when he touches your hand with his paw, not his nose.
5. Reset your dog and repeat the process. Once he starts to lift his paw more regularly, you can begin waiting for him to move it closer to your hand before rewarding him. As a note, many dogs jump straight to pawing at the hand with the treat. That’s great for teaching this trick. Mark and reward the behavior.
6. Once he is reliably touching your hand with his paw, you can begin raising your hand higher. When he’s got that down, begin offering him your palm instead of your closed hand. If he has trouble, don’t worry! Just back up a step and let him get some more practice before trying to up the difficulty once more.
7. When he is once again putting a paw in your hand regularly, add the verbal cue “paw” or “shake.” I use “paw” for the left paw and “shake” for the right.
8. Fade out the reward once the cue is established.

How to Teach a Dog to Backup

Backing up on cue is another “trick” behavior that has many practical uses—such as asking your dog to move away from a door or getting him to give you some space when he is underfoot. To teach it:

1. Stand in front of your dog with a treat in hand.
2. Hold the treat over his nose and take a small step toward him—this will put the treat over his head instead.
3. When he steps back to follow the treat, mark and reward the behavior. It doesn’t have to be a big step on his part. Any backward movement is good to start. You may have to stand still and wait a bit for him to figure it out.
4. Grab another treat and repeat the process.
5. Once he is able to take one step back reliably, you can add a second step before marking and rewarding.
6. Gradually increase the number of steps before the reward.
7. When your dog can reliably do three or four steps back, add a verbal cue. I use “back.”
8. Once he is responding consistently to the verbal cue, fade out stepping toward him.

If your dog has a good recall, you can add some complexity to the trick by sending him away from you with “back” and then calling him to you.

Teach Figure Eights to Your Dog

Figure eights won’t work for a Great Dane without some adjustments, but for any dog short enough to walk through your legs, this is a great trick to learn. In addition to looking impressive, it is useful for developing flexibility (in dog and handler!). I work on figure eights inside or in a fenced yard since adding a leash to the mix can create a trip hazard. To begin:

1. Ask your dog to sit in front of you.
2. Take a step to the side so your feet are a little farther than shoulder-width apart. There should be enough space between your legs for the dog to fit through easily. Make sure you are comfortable and well-balanced.
3. Hold a treat in your right hand.
4. Hold the hand with the treat behind you low enough that your dog can see the food—mid-thigh level usually works for medium and large dogs. For smaller dogs, it’s helpful to have a target stick.
5. When your dog moves toward the treat, pull it slowly back and to the right. The goal is to lure him through your legs toward your right side. As soon as he walks through, mark it and reward him. If he’s uncertain about it, you can try throwing the treat or a toy behind you to add some momentum. A note here: If your dog is reluctant to walk through your legs, absolutely do NOT straddle him or grab his collar and “help” him—while it may not seem like a big deal from the human perspective, asking a dog to walk underneath you is asking for a lot of trust on his part. If your dog isn’t having fun, find another trick to teach first before returning to this one.
6. Reset and repeat the steps above until your dog is comfortably walking through your legs.
7. Once he’s walking through your legs easily, have him sit in front of you again. This time, take a treat in each hand.
8. When he walks through your legs, continue to move your right hand in a circle around your leg until it is in front of your knee. When your dog follows, mark and reward.
9. Now, hold your left hand behind you and let him see the treat. Lure him through your legs and to your left side. Mark and reward.
10. Practice those steps until you get a smooth flow.
11. Once your dog clearly understands the process, you can add a verbal cue, “weave” in my case, and begin to fade out the lure.

For very large dogs or handlers facing mobility challenges, two cones—or any similar objects—can be used in place of your legs. Just position yourself where you can lure the dog around both obstacles and follow the steps listed above.

How to Teach a Dog to Crawl

I usually sit on the floor in front of my dog to teach crawl. Standing and using a target stick also works well. To start:

1. Cue your dog to lay down.
2. Hold a treat a few inches in front of his nose and drag it slowly away along the floor. Slow is key here since you don’t want him to hop up and walk toward it.
3. If he makes any movement toward the treat without standing up, mark and reward.
4. Once he’s reliably crawling forward a few inches, you can start gradually extending the distance and adding the verbal cue “crawl.”
5. Fade the lure once he is consistently responding to the cue.

Once I’ve gotten “crawl” established as a cue, I expand the game by setting up obstacles for my dogs to crawl under—most often I sit on the couch, prop my feet on a stool and ask the dog to crawl under my raised legs. I use the same steps for training a dog to go under an obstacle as I do for a no-obstacle crawl. Again, it is important not to force a dog who is reluctant or hasn’t figured it out yet—while it might be tempting to give a gentle push to the shoulder if they won’t stay down, it’s far better to let him figure it out himself. Not only will he learn the behavior better, you’ll also avoid creating an unpleasant experience that could sour him on it.

The post 5 Easy Tricks to Teach Your Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Of course, having a professional trainer work with a dog will provide a giant jump-start to the dog’s learning. But if the human end of that team does not learn alongside the dog, any progress will fade away.

Learning the Technique

After their dog returns from training with an instructor, clients often come to the conclusion that their dog is “stubborn,” saying that he just won’t listen to them at home. The truth is that the owner is not speaking that new language – the one the dog just learned in his lesson – well enough to be understood.

Technique matters! That’s why a great dog trainer will spend a lot of time working with the human on body language, hand signals, treat delivery, and timing. If you are a little annoyed that your trainer is focusing on you during that hour rather than teaching the dog something, remember this: That kind of session empowers an owner forever.

Contrast this with sessions in which the trainer simply shows off the amazing behavior he can get from the dog. This is terrific job security for him, since he will have to be asked back again and again!

Looking Beyond Cues

Folks tend to think about “getting a dog trained” as if it’s a finite process with a beginning and an end. It may sound appealing to outsource that entirely to a professional, but you’ll likely be disappointed if you do that. The classic cues your dog can learn from a trainer are only the beginning of shaping a dog who’s great to live with.

This is another reason that the best trainers will spend a lot of time in a session simply talking to an owner. The behavior issues that send many folks to trainers can’t be solved by insisting on a stronger response to “commands.” A great trainer will lead you to a better understanding of what’s prompting that behavior in the first place. That, in turn, leads to true solutions that work both for you and your dog. Brainstorming about observation, management, and enrichment isn’t what people have been taught to look for in a dog training session, but it’s the gold-star approach that actually works.

Understanding Cultivates Bonding

Dogs tend to adore the humans who speak their language – the ones who patiently and clearly show them the ropes here on Planet Human and don’t seem angry at them for being dogs. The reason I want to get you up and running as the lifelong trainer of your dog is that I want to see that incredible bond developing between you and your dog – not me and your dog!

The post Who Is the Dog Trainer Training? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.