Today I have a recall game for you! Let’s see how well your dog watches you when you call them … and how subtle you can make your cues!
Is your dog able to come to the correct side when called?
By the way: you can also play this well inside! In the hallway, the garage, the living room … no outdoor space needed 🙂
Today’s game is another listening game (do you see a theme here 😁)
We often think that our dogs truly know cues … but they actually frequently are more or less guessing based on the context!
Try giving your dog non-sense cues such as Santa 🎅, Snowman ⛄️, Sledding 🛷 … and then a real cue like “Down!”
Can they distinguish between the real cue and the random words?
As always, if your dog cannot do it that doesn’t mean they “lose” at the game … it means that you have a new training task: explain the meaning of cues even more clearly! ⭐️
Looking forward to hearing how this game works for you ❄️
Time for a really fun training test … can your dog respond to cues even if you close/cover your eyes?
This can be HARD! Most humans inadvertently attach very subtle cues to behaviors (such as dashing eyes back and forth when cueing a spin). Our dogs start to take these visuals as part of the “overall cue picture”.
Of course: if your dog cannot do this, it is NOT a sign they’re stubborn or less talented … it is just a sign that YOU can be even more clear on what is part of a cue (verbal/hand signal) and what is not (eye or facial movements).
I am really curious: Can your dog do this?
Today we will further proof and test our dog’s skills - by asking for cues in unusual positions!
Dogs associate our own body position and subtle movements (such as certain subconscious head or hand movements) strongly with the behaviors we are teaching them.
it is always a good idea to vary your own position so you can show your dog that skills can’t be done regardless of where you are or how you move.
If your dog is struggling with this, we of course do not want to make them fail. In this case make it easier so they can succeed and you can INCREMENTALLY show them what you want!
For example, if your dog cannot lie down while you stand on one leg, then start by shifting your weight to one leg. Cue your dog, mark and reward.
next lift the heel of one leg just 1 inch of the ground … cue your dog, mark and reward. Then you lift the heel 2 inches etc.
And so on, until they are able to do it with you in any position!
Happy Saint Niklaus Day! And here is game number 6 🎅
This one can feel strange because we may think we have to call our dog to let them know what we want. But in fact, this process is how cues are supposed to be taught:
FIRST we have the dog rehearse performing the correct behavior (by setting up the environment well and reinforcing incrementally what we want)
THEN we introduce the cue!
Nearly all beginner dog trainers make the mistake of introducing the cue too early while mistakenly thinking this helps the dog - and then a bunch of incorrect associations are former!
The later in the learning process you introduce the cue, the better your dog will actually understand it. So this is a great exercise to practice doing exactly this!
As always, let us know how your dog is doing with this game 🐾 Happy Playing!
Did you know that you should wait to introduce a cue until the dog truly understands the behavior and is doing it correctly?
It’s time for day 5! This one will be really interesting: we’ll find out how quietly you can give cues to your dog and still have them listen 👂
There is still the myth floating around that we have to talk in a stern, commanding and loud voice to them - that’s total BS 😁 If a cue has been taught well, you can say it as sweetly and quietly as you’d like and your dog will respond 😀
This game is especially valuable if you have gotten into the habit and being louder and louder with your dog - we want to teach them to pay attention to subtle cues from us! (By the way, this is an important training concept so there will be more December Games on this)
I am looking forward to hearing how your dogs do with this one 🐾
Welcome to day 4! This is going to be a a game that starts out easy … but you can make it very challenging if your dog id a good problem solver 🧠
Simply take some cardboard boxes (I know we all have them lying around this time of the year 😀) and hide a treat under one of them. Let your dog figure out how to get to it!
If your dog can do this - hide a treat under TWO boxes. Then three … four … maybe even five … how many boxes can you stack on top of each other?
Let us know in the comments what your dog’s top number is! Happy problem solving 😀🐾
It’s time for day 3: The Focus Game!
This game is all about SLOWLY advancing criteria for duration behaviors. Nearly every dog trainer initially attempts to advance them too fast, and the skills fall apart!
So today, we will focus on only making it harder one step at a time - LITERALLY one step at a time 😀
Have your dog heel for a count of 1 - sit for a count of 1 - release and reward.
Next: heel for a count of 2 - sit for a count of 2 - release and reward.
And so on … let’s see how far your team can get!
Let us know in the comments which count your team reached 😀
Ready for day 2?
Today is all about generalizing skills! We will practice a known, easy behavior (eg Sit, Down, Spin, Handtouch etc.) in at least 4 novel settings. This could be different surfaces (for example on snow, a bench, or sand) - or in 4 new places!
Bonus points if the settings are Christmas-related as in the reel 😀
Remember that you can share your videos with us daily and we have many surprises for the teams who play along 🐾
And now ... here comes the video version for day #1 :)
The Sniff Blanket Enrichment Game!
You have everything you need already at home.
In addition to the daily games, I will also be teaching a LIVE webinar on how to make the holidays a success (especially if your dog is reactive or easily excited and you’re worried about their behavior around guests) … if you want to join, simply comment Holiday Harmony and we will send you the info 😀
I know that a lot of you don’t have much outdoor space available for training - no problem! There are many training ideas that we can implement in the smallest spaces 😀
Here are 5 training games that you can play in a tiny backyard (or inside as well)! Each one will strengthen different skills and help your dog become a better learner.
If you are concerned about using this many treats - just use your dog’s regular food! All of these can be played with regular kibble, freeze-dried raw food, fresh food … whatever you choose 🙂
If you have any questions about the games let me know! We’re here to help 🐾
Do you have a small backyard? And are you currently using it for training?
Teaching any skill can be easy - if we start it at home, in a distraction-free environment, and advance it gradually enough!
The reason why so many dogs struggle with off-leash focus is that many dog owners start the training in the busy park, on a hiking trail, or at an open space … but that is NOT where the training should start at all - it is the “master level”!
You cannot teach your dog by training where they are already failing. You need to start the training where they are succeeding 🫶🏼 this is how you build solid behaviors!
If you try this and your dog is good inside, that’s not a sign that it’s too basic - it’s a sign that the training is WORKING. If we cannot give our dog at least an 80% success rate, they won’t learn well … they will get demotivated, frustrated and go and seek their fun elsewhere ( = the environment).
Did you know that you have to start building off-leash skills inside?
