We don’t need extra crap getting in the way of our communication with our dogs.
Say no to bungee leads, say no to plastic clips, say no to chunky material that is a pain to handle. Simple is best and allows for the most clarity in your dog handling.
Sincerely, dog trainers everywhere. ✌🏻
For NZ people - I use and recommend @travelling.tails.nz @shinecanine and @wilddog.nz
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Need help with your leash walking? Serving Waipa and Hamilton NZ - email [email protected]
Working Dogs for Pet Dog Trainers
This video popped up on my feed today from 4 years ago - my Huntaway X Brooke. She was probably the most rewarding farm dog I ever worked with, going from a skinny, nervy young dog with gnarly littermate syndrome and taste for turkeys to a handy working dog who could be trusted to go out of sight and bring these bulls around & through a tricky junction for me on her own (while also being a damn good hiking buddy on the weekends!).
I think working dogs in some capacity outside of general pet manners is an incredible training ground for trainers. When I’m looking for trainers to refer to in out of area cases, this is one of the markers I look for (alongside pet dog training education and experience) to separate the “know the things on paper” trainers from the “know it & are out there doing it” trainers. This doesn’t have to be in an actual working context either - experience training and participating in dog sports such as bite sports, agility, obedience, scent work, mantrailing, working trials etc are all fantastic objective measures of genuine commitment, passion and understanding of dogs that we want in a professional.
These activities are where training concepts are put to the test, practical handling skills refined, we learn to work dogs with their drive rather than suppress it, and we can really celebrate the incredible dogness that modern life continues to eat away at. Then that knowledge of what really makes a dog their best selves can be used to bring the best out of your pet dog to achieve your goals of an enjoyable life as a team rather than simply medicating away the essence that makes them them, breaking them down or hiding them away forever.
The more we do hands on with dogs doing dog things, the better we understand them & the better we are able to help them find a way to coexist in our human world.
Whatever dog you have, the best gift you can give them is your time & opportunities to do what makes their genetics sing - in whatever way you have access to. 🐾
We had a massive 4 days at the @ascension_canine_training GAK9 tracking workshop up at Waiuku. Tracking in this environment is hard work and totally out of my comfort zone compared to anything I’ve done before in the dog world. But nothing beats the feeling of seeing your dog click on to a new game and make such fast progress, going from off lead fire trails (seeing the track layer disappear with their toy!) through to on lead cold starts from the van learning to just trust their nose over 150m and navigating changes in odour through corners etc. Lots of new learning for both of us, a very happy & fulfilled pup and fun getting to know other dog people better.
The biggest thanks to Jeremy, Jay & Josh for all their hard work and support across the weekend as well as our friends and team mates for filming & supporting across the workshop.
Structured play is something that most dogs would benefit from. We can emphasise different parts of the play sequence depending on our dogs genetics to provide an outlet for those (eg for a collie we might build more anticipation in the stalking of the toy prior to a strike, a bully might enjoy more conflict and fight for possession, a terrier might most enjoy winning the toy and parading it around as “prey”!). We can also use it teach control in higher arousal states which can transfer nicely to other areas of life, and we can build our relationship by sharing this game together.
Here are the rules I’ve chosen with my young dog as we keep teaching her this game (she has been delayed in this area for veterinary reasons so it’s very much a work in progress) with our sport, her genetics and our lifestyle in mind. What rules you choose are up to you, but I’d encourage you to think about some and implement them. It brings more value to your play, gives you both clarity on what you’re looking for and keeps it productive.
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Markers are the words or signals we use to bridge the gap between the moment the dog has done the thing and the consequence that is connected to it. Eg yes you’re in the right spot at my side in this moment, that’s what this treat that’s coming is for. This allows us to have more precise communication, independent from the reward or consequence being obviously visible or accessible.
The key being that the marker happens when the thing happens and then the movement and consequence follows after - they generally shouldn’t happen at the same time (see the video about overshadowing on my feed for more on that).
I like a simple “yes” and “no” for most pet dogs. That’s all most will need for day to day life and it keeps it easy!
But for dog nerds, or situations like sports training, or even a pet dog who struggles with duration (eg holding a down), using different markers to differentiate where the reward will take place is super useful.
Here I use “gooood” when I want Needle to know she’s done the right thing, and that the reward is coming to her. This helps add duration on behaviours, as well as a calmer mindset in these static behaviours with the tone of voice & manner of reward delivery.
In contrast, we have “yes!”, which for my dogs means that behaviour was correct and you can come get your reward from me. Generally with a higher energy associated with it with the tone of voice & because we frequently deliver these rewards through hand chase games etc.
Other markers I use include:
Clicker - terminal marker similar to “yes”, I often use it when training new behaviours for sports or tricks. Great because it sounds the same every time.
“Find it” - the food will be thrown on the ground for you to sniff out. Great to reset by moving the dog away for a fresh repetition, or to decompress between reps.
“Get it” - grab the toy.
“Okay” - that behaviour is done, there is no reward coming.
“No” - you’ve made the wrong c
Split it down!
A lot of clients I see struggle to get behaviours like lie down, because we’re training to make the whole thing happen at once and the dog doesn’t have the understanding of what’s being asked just yet. Instead I want you to split it down into the pieces that make up the behaviour, and build it up layer by layer. Like a 3D printer building a behaviour!
For example is the dog shifting their weight towards where we want to go? Bending elbows? Belly touched down? Full behaviour completed? Then we can add a cue, and fade out the lures/tools gradually.
By marking and rewarding these small increments we can build the understanding of what we’re asking by keeping our dogs successful, instead of fighting for the whole behaviour right out of the gates when learning and bundling a lot of stress into it.
Here you can see me and Halo playing with the trick of roll over. Throwaway tricks like this are great to work our dogs brains, build relationship and refine your own skills with things like timing, reward delivery, fading our lures etc without having the pressure of needing anything to be perfect. We can be a bit looser in our criteria and keep it super fun & easy with goofy praise to boot. 😂 It’s not about perfection, just spending fun quality time with each dog 1-1, and I look forward to it no matter how busy the day has been.
Whatever behaviour you’re working on, can you see the splits where you could reward on your progression to the final product?
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Training Waipa & Hamilton NZ. 📧 [email protected]
My young dog Halo was stoked to be back into learning bitey things today after a few months off 🙌🏻
Harnesses are wonderful tools in the right context. I use them when hiking with my dogs sometimes, particularly in tricky areas I might need to lift them in. I use them to create a different context cue for my dogs ie you can pull and be free rather than allowing that to be practiced on a collar. We also use them in bite work like this, allowing us to really build that drive towards behaviours like barking or biting the thing via their natural opposition reflex while also making it super comfortable & safe for them. Fantastic things to see - in this context.
But when it comes to our reactive pet dogs or those struggling with control in general, this is the exact opposite of what we want while walking down the street! Generally the first change I make with client dogs in these situations is swapping out the back clip harness they’re often on in favor of a secure, well fitted collar of some description. This gives us control of the pointy end of the dog (important!!), gives them less leverage to pull and build drive towards things they want (replace the decoy you’re seeing here with another dog, person, whatever your dogs kryptonite is) and generally makes it less comfortable to do things we don’t want them doing - leaving space to direct them into behaviours we do want to see and can reward.
Some Harnesses are great tools. But like anything, we need to use the right tool for your dog in the situation you’re in.
To be clear is to be kind.
I tell my dogs when they’ve got it right with a “yes” and lots of reinforcement through food, play, freedom and affection. Often my clients are doing this to some degree, though we always spend a bit of time building their positive reinforcement techniques to make it more effective and engaging. Gemma is a great example of a dog whose mum has spent a ton of time building up this reinforcement history for behaviours like sit.
The part that’s often missing though is the power of “no”. Despite some modern training spins, “no” works. Not because the dog understands the word itself to start (we could say flying potato for all the difference it would make to them), but because of the follow through associated with it. When they hear “no”, I follow through with a correction and then put them back on track. With repetition and consistency this becomes information that this choice I marked with the “no” doesn’t work, and to try something else (ie the command they’ve been asked to do). It doesn’t have to be mean, it doesn’t have to be dramatic or scary, it just has to be clearly understood.
For a complete communication system, we need a way to communicate yes, and a way to communicate no. And most importantly, we need that follow through. Consistently and fairly.
Always with this caveat though:
Have we set the dog up for success. Do they understand the command we’re asking, and is the environment a fair ask of them? If I find myself repeating “no” more than 2-3 times in a row at a certain step in proofing a behaviour that’s a sign we’ve likely rushed it, so we’ll make the next step a little easier to keep them successful more times than not.
Jump Start 1-1 session with Gemma - trainer session 1 🐾
When we have a dog that pulls or gets anxious, more excited or generally tricky on leash in certain situations, the natural response from owners is to tighten up that leash and make that dog stay where we want them. Unfortunately this adds extra tension and frustration, feeding into the dog’s natural opposition reflex to pull against pressure and creates a vicious cycle.
Instead, consider using a long line or just holding the very end of the leash to give the dog as much room to make the right choice as possible (in an environment where this is safe - busy streets are not the place). Forget about heading for a set distance and instead focus on relaxing together, building engagement with your dog, and making the area around you the most desirable place to be. Understanding leash pressure and coping with a shorter lead will also be an important part of this education, but the long line foundation of choosing to be with us is so incredibly valuable.
If you only train one behaviour reliably, make it a recall. It might just save your dogs life! Here are some of my top tips.
- Use a consistent word or sound. For my dogs I either use my stock whistle, or their names in a specific way. Eg Neeeeeedle!
- Make that sound always predict good stuff. Whistle and reward your dog. Repeat!
- Don’t be stingy on the rewards. Vary the rewards and length of the reward event. Sometimes it’s one treat, sometimes it’s a few, sometimes it’s a game of tug, sometimes it’s just a good dog. Sometimes we play chase with the food or toy to tap into that chase drive. Use what motivates your individual dog the most. By keeping the reward fun and unpredictable means your dog will always want to come see if it’s hit the jackpot vs weighing up one sh*tty kibble against this exciting thing they see.
- Don’t let them practice failing. My young or training dogs always drag a long line while they’re learning until I trust them to come back. This means if they ever ignore the cue, I can grab that and enforce my command rather than them ignoring me and being rewarded with fun elsewhere!
- Release back more times than not. Rather than the recall meaning the end of fun, make a point of saying “okay” after their initial reward - rewarding them with freedom in the environment too.
- Practice practice and more practice! The more you create this automatic habit of coming when called, the less your dog will have to think about it. They’ll start to hear the sound and immediately anticipate good stuff with you - and that history of reinforcement and success, as well as this command being enforced, is how we can compete with even the busiest environments.
Dog in video - Halo, 11mo malinois.
Dog chomping your fingers making you reluctant or worried to use treats?
Are they getting chompier as you try to avoid getting nipped?
Here’s the secret that we use to reward our spicier dogs with food without losing fingers!
Don’t start your walk with a fight - give them a chance to get it right!
When we have dogs who pull, it’s only natural to want to shorten that lead to keep the dog nice and close and under control. The issue we have is that the more we restrain the dog, the more frustration we often add to the situation (cue escalating reactivity) and the less contrast we have in our communication with them - if there’s always tension on the lead, when we want to guide them with gentle leash pressure it doesn’t mean anything!
Instead, give the dog a chance at achieving that loose lead by giving them enough leash that there’s a J shape between you and the dog. Provided they’re in the right spot, this relaxed J shape is how we want the leash the majority of the time unless we’re actually communicating something to the dog (eg a direction change). Our leash is our line of communication and safety belt if we need it, not a constant restraint pinning them in position.
Combine this with appropriate leash handling (see one of the previous videos for how to hold the lead safely) and loose lead walking training (how to yield to pressure & find reinforcement in being close to us) and both ends of your leash will be much less frustrated and reactive.
A small change but it takes so much tension out of your walks.
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If you need help with your loose lead walking, reach out to a local trainer for targeted, personalised support. If you’re in Waipa, NZ you can reach me at [email protected] to book a 1-1 coaching session.
When it comes to giving dogs off lead freedom on hikes (that allow it), people often look at the recall. Do they come back when called? Cool! And that’s a great first step we should all be prioritising in our training.
But I also have non-commanded rules my dogs learn that are super important for us, especially hiking in areas that are baited & trapped for pest control and are shared with wild life & recreational users including horses.
1. Stay within eye sight & a reasonable distance (perimeter).
For dogs to be considered under control, we need to be able to see them and recall them at any time. So my dogs learn to stay close just through repetition, starting out on a long line and gradually earning freedom as they show they can do this.
2. Checking in pays, even if I haven’t necessarily called you.
My dogs are allowed to sniff and explore up banks and logs etc because that’s fun, but they must remain aware of me and ready to respond. Part of how I teach this is intermittently rewarding choices to come check in with me and see what I’m doing to build value in being with me (on top of our general relationship building stuff throughout day to day life). Dogs who want to be with their people are dogs who stay close.
3. If I stop, you stop.
More paying attention to what I’m doing, showing they’re listening and are ready to come back if needed.
4. We do not harass other users or wild life.
Interaction just isn’t allowed unless you’ve been given permission. By having this be the standard, we can reduce the excitement when we come across someone/something because there isn’t the expectation of a big fuss. Either we’re walking on by, or if needed sit and wait politely while they pass.
My dogs also wear ecollars when off lead hiking as a back up. Thanks to our training and slow start with lots of management (long lines!) and high rates of reinforcement it’s rare that we use them in this context, but having highly driven dogs in an environme
Have you got a strong dog that is tough to control on walks?
Make sure you’re using the leash down and to the side against their centre of gravity, rather than from directly behind them. If you’ve had anything to do with horses you’ll be familiar with the emergency stop - turning the horse to the side with one rein rather than trying to fight them in a straight line. Same idea!
IMPORTANT:
- Ensure you are using a well fitted collar or slip lead (having been taught to fit it correctly), ideally placed high up the dogs neck just behind their ears for greater front end control. Having it low on the neck like Halo’s house collar here is not ideal for your strong dog in an uncontrolled environment. Back clip harnesses are also not helpful from a control perspective.
- Make sure you practice away from any triggers first in a familiar environment to familiarise yourself with the technique. The time to learn isn’t in the moment of a reaction.
- This is a management strategy, best used alongside training targeted at your dogs reactivity or leash pulling. Seek local training support if you are struggling (if you’re in Waipa or nearby, NZ - I can help).
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