Some Minor Dog Training

03/17/2025

These are really tips for any new dog that you bring home, regardless of age, but it's especially important with puppies.

And if you haven't gotten your puppy yet, be sure to research the breed to ensure that it's a good fit for your lifestyle.

03/15/2025

Be proactive with your instructions.

Oftentimes, we will have a dog in a certain situation, and we'll let them decide what to do. An example might be simply standing in the street talking to someone. And then, after a minute, the dog starts getting bored and wandering around, or they may start pulling on the leash, or may want to go investigate that person. Then we get frustrated because the dog isn't making a choice that we want in that moment, despite the fact that they know how to sit and stay and all that stuff.

In those situations, the dog isn't pulling because they want to be annoying. They're doing it because they're bored and they haven't been told what to do. So don't wait until that point to tell them to do something. Decide how you want them to behave, and have them do it before you even enter the situation. If you're going to talk to the neighbor in the street while you're walking your dog, tell them to sit as soon as it's clear that you're going to stop walking.

If you're in a situation where you want the dog to behave a certain way, don't wait and see if they do it. Ask them to do it beforehand. And then, as time goes on, they'll start doing it automatically.

03/13/2025

Behavior is communication. That means, if a dog is behaving in a way that keeps us away, there's an emotional reason they feel that's the best course of action.

We want to figure out the reason for that emotional response, if we're going to make lasting change. And, oftentimes, the reason is because they're scared. Scared of what or who, depends on the dog, of course, and that will decide how we approach the situation, but most reactive dogs are that way because it's effective at keeping people at a distance. This defense mechanism is great at keeping them safe from potential threats, but it also stops them from learning that sometimes those things AREN'T a threat.

So we want to teach them that those things aren't scary, and they're not going to invade their space. But none of that is possible without first developing that connection, or that relationship. 🐶❤️

03/12/2025

Dog training tip:

When someone knocks on the door don't be afraid to poke your head out and ask them to hold on so you can put your dog into a more manageable position, such as "Place" or a "Down/Stay" somewhere out of the way. But also remember that it's the dog's house, as well, so put them in a place where it's not increasing their anxiety (and thus feeding into behavioral issues).

**This is a generalization. Every dog is an individual, so we have to adjust things based on their (and our) current capabilities and behaviors.

03/11/2025

An example of how we teach a dog to go to Place from a distance. As we practice, we can increase the distance. 🐶❤️

03/08/2025

How long does it take to train a puppy? 🐶❤️

First we need to determine what "trained" means. I define it as being reliable with their obedience in any environment with any distraction (obviously there's wiggle room in there, since no dog is perfect).

If we're starting with puppyhood, I wouldn't call them "trained" until after two years old. Dogs go through stages, just like with humans. Puppyhood, adolescence, sub adulthood, and then adulthood. So, until they've reached adulthood (or sub adulthood), they don't have all the mental abilities, or know the rules enough, to be completely independent, just like with human kids.

If we're referring to an adult dog just starting their training, I would still put that two year timeline on there. An adopted adult will go through stages, as well, as they get used to you, the new home, and the new house rules. They may be faster than puppies in their training, because they have the impulse control, but they may not be (it depends on the dog).

But whether we're talking about a puppy or an adult dog, it will still take time. Once they're reliable with no distractions, then we can start adding them, and we can start taking them places. We want to show them that the expectations are the same regardless of where we are or what's going on.

03/04/2025

Dog training is not just structured sessions. Every time we're around our dogs, we're training them. When we sit down at the dinner table, we're training them what to do; when we're sitting down watching TV, we're training them what to do; when we're on the phone pacing in the kitchen, we're training the dog what to do.

During those times when we're not actively paying attention to them, the dog is still watching us, figuring out how they're supposed to be acting. If we don't teach them what to do, and we simply ignore them, then they'll figure things out themselves. "The humans are sitting at the dinner table, so if I wait here and stare at them, they'll give me food." Then that starts to become a habit for the dog. So, even though we didn't purposefully teach the dog to beg for food at the table, we also didn't tell them to do anything, so they found the most rewarding thing to do in that situation.

So we want to be intentional with our dogs, especially when we're not interacting with them. Be proactive, and teach them what you want them to do BEFORE the real situations arise, so that when they do, the dog knows what's expected of them. Dogs are terrific human trainers, so if we don't train them, they will train us. 🐶❤️

03/03/2025

As a dog starts to develop a clear understanding of certain behaviors, we like to use play to help solidify it. One thing that I always tell people is: When playing high drive games like this, we want to incorporate basic obedience so help build their impulse control.

So you'll notice that we're periodically asking him to drop it, sit, and wait until we invite him back to play. In this way, he's building up his abilities with those behaviors, but we're also building his focus on us, and his desire to follow our guidance. And, of course, we're building his ability to wait for something he really wants. 🐶❤️

03/02/2025

If our dog is having behavioral issues, then we have to recognize that our own behaviors and lifestyles have allowed those issues to build. So, if we want to change our dog's behavior, we have to be willing and prepared to adjust our own. 🐶❤️

02/26/2025

An important part of dog ownership that many people don't talk about is: How to talk to other people.

When raising a dog or puppy, there will be times when you shouldn't allow people or dogs to approach them. Oftentimes, however, people will feel embarrassed about saying "No," because they don't want to seem mean, or they don't want the person to think their dog is mean, or many other reasons. But these times are extremely important, because they're teaching the dog how to respond to strangers, or unknown dogs, and they're teaching them how to focus on you in the presence of distractions. So my favorite phrase is: "I'm sorry, but we're in training right now."

An example might be if we're somewhere practicing our Existence Socialization (teaching them to be around different stimuli without feeling the need to interact). Oftentimes people will approach asking to pet the dog, or they'll simply try without saying anything. In these cases, we may simply step in front of the dog (between them and the person/dog) and say, "I'm sorry, but we're in training right now."

It may feel awkward or uncomfortable the first few times, but we want to remember that these situations are not about you or the other person/dog. These situations are about YOUR dog, and YOUR relationship with your dog. So, if they get upset, that's fine, as long as your dog learns that all social interactions go through you first. For fearful dogs, this will help them learn to feel safe and be calm, and for excited dogs, this will help them learn social manners and to focus on you when around distractions. 🐶❤️

02/25/2025

Many people tend to treat big dogs and little dogs differently, which is understandable. Small dogs can't do as much damage, and they're easier to physically control, while big dogs can be intimidating to many people, and can cause damage (to people and property) without much effort.

Because of these differences, it can be easy to forget that they're not "small dogs" and "big dogs," but rather they're all just "dogs." They have the same needs, the same communication styles, and can develop the same behavioral issues. Yes, a small dog can do less damage to people and property, but they can still experience the same mental and emotional damage to themselves, which can often lead to health and behavioral issues.

Just because one is small and one is big doesn't mean I don't expect the same capabilities from both of them. Yes, I may have to go about the training process slightly differently for a small dog versus a big dog, but the same can be said about two different big dogs, or two different small dogs, because each one is an individual with individual requirements. So don't deprive your small dog of the joy of being a dog simply because they're small. ❤️💕

**In the photos: Seager, the 9 month old Rottweiler, and Zira, the 2 year old Miniature Pinscher.

02/24/2025

What have you been working on with your dog this month?

February is National Dog Training Awareness Month in the United States (it's January in some countries), so teach your dog something new, or go to a new place they've never been to. Expand their world, and challenge them.

Training is just as essential to dogs as school is for kids.

School actually plays a big role in early childhood development, and not only because of the academics. School gives the child mental exercise, which is necessary for proper brain growth and maturity, as well as teaching them how to behave politely in society, building their impulse control, and teaching them how to follow schedules and routines.

It's the same for our dogs. And that doesn't mean to enroll them in puppy classes (though that's helpful). It just means that, if we want our puppies to grow into mature, responsible dogs, they need education just as much as human children do. 🐶❤️

02/23/2025

If a dog is misbehaving, and we want to stop it, first we have to ask WHY.

Oftentimes, we'll blame it on the dog being "stubborn," or unable to control themselves, but WHY are they being stubborn? What emotional state are they in that is causing them to be unable to focus? Why are they in that emotional state?

Once we discover the answers to those questions, then we can start working on a plan. What can we do in the moment to help them overcome this, and what can we do long-term to ensure that they don't get into this state in this situation again? What do we WANT them to do in these situations?

If we only focus on obedience, and not behavior, then the dog will have a hard time learning how to control themselves. We want to figure out what's causing the disobedience, and handle that first. I always say: If a child is having a temper tantrum, there's no way we can teach them math. We need to handle the behavior, and THEN we can focus on the obedience. 🐶❤️

02/21/2025

We have such an array of different dog breeds that it's a really interesting case study on genetics.

All of these dogs were raised in the same ways, with the same people, and the same training. Despite that, they've all developed their own individual breed traits. Gambit, our Old English Sheepdog, likes to nip when he plays. Zira, our Miniature Pinscher, wants to bark at the fence. Tahlia, our Chinese Crested, LOVES being carried.

These are just small, meaningless things that we have adjusted our training and lifestyles to accommodate. Which is the key when choosing a dog or puppy: There WILL BE certain traits that arise in certain dog breeds, simply because they're genetically prone to them. The problem comes when people aren't aware of them before they get the dog, and so they don't provide the proper outlets, or teach the dog how to cope with those specific breed behaviors. If that's not done, then those behavioral urges become so powerful that the dog can't contain themselves, and since they've never been taught how to cope with them, the dog begins displaying them at inappropriate times and in inappropriate ways.

Adjusting our training and lifestyle to accommodate for these breed traits is not a big deal because we knew what to expect before getting the dog. But we've come across countless homes who are unable to do so because they didn't truly realize what they were getting themselves into beforehand. So, if you haven't gotten your dog yet, research your breed before getting them. If you already have a dog, still research their breed. Because a lot of behavioral issues come from the simple fact that the dog is not getting the type of stimulation and training that specific breed requires. 🐶💔

02/19/2025

A common mistake people make is trying to teach too much at once. If we do that, what often happens is that the humans don't put as much practice into an individual behavior. This can be confusing to the dog, making progress take longer. Another thing that often happens is that, because we're teaching multiple things at once, we don't find ways to incorporate all these things into our regular life, meaning that, after a while they don't get practiced very much at all, so the dog starts to forget about it.

Dog training is like building a house. We teach one behavior, and find ways to incorporate it into our everyday lives, and then do the same with another behavior, and another. In this way, we're building a life with our dogs, brick by brick.

02/15/2025

Changing behavior takes time and consistency. If we want to see change, we have to make that a priority. If we decide that sometimes we don't feel like doing it, then our dogs will do the same. 🐶❤️

02/15/2025

This is not to say that physical exercise isn't important. It definitely is. But we don't want it to be the ONLY way we burn their energy. Besides, mental exercise is WAY more exhausting. 🐶❤️

An easy trap that many energetic pet dog owners fall into is that they will burn the dog's energy only with physical exercise. Physical exercise is very important for dogs, but if we focus on that as the only way to burn energy, then we end up creating athletes. And, just like with human athletes, if it takes a mile of walking to wear them out, and we do that everyday for a month, then next month we're going to need to do two miles to reach that same level of exhaustion, and the following month it'll be three miles.

Again, that's not to say that we shouldn't be walking and exercising our dogs. We absolutely should. But we should also give equal attention to mental exercises, such as "Place," or other impulse control activities. We should be challenging them mentally, putting them in situations where they have to focus on a certain task that we can make increasingly more difficult as they get better. For most house pets, they need to be challenged mentally as much, if not more, than they do physically. 🐶❤️