Dog Training for Busy Pet Parents
There are reinforcers all around you! Get creative and ask your dog to do something you like (sit!) to gain access to something they like (tug!).
Two creative ways to incorporate dog training into your busy daily schedule.
Dog training should be fun, but sometimes it feels more like another item on your ever-growing to-do list than an activity to enjoy with your four-legged best friend. There are plenty of ways to train your dog throughout the day without carving out an hour-long session.
Say “Please!”
How does your four-legged friend ask for things he wants? Does he bark when he wants to go outside? Does he paw you when he wants to play? Does he jump up and counter-surf when you’re preparing his food? Imagine a world where your dog sat nicely to ask for these things. It’s possible and it may not be as difficult as you think!
A basic principle in dog training science states that what behaviors are reinforced are repeated. Real-life reinforcers (rewards) surround us, and dogs find them daily as they navigate our world. Your dog likely counter-surfs when you’re preparing his food because it’s been reinforced in the past. Not by you, of course, but by snatching something tasty off the counter. Bingo. Reinforcement. Your dog darts past you to run outside because they get to play with their favorite toy. Reinforcement. Think about it… if you went to a vending machine and it released your favorite candy bar for free, that’s the vending machine you’re going to next time! Behaviors that are reinforced are repeated.
As you go throughout your day, think of opportunities to ask your dog to Say “Please!” Use this way of training to sneak in some extra training using these real-life rewards that are all around you.
A young puppy learns to sit nicely for his dinner. Each time you feed your dog is an opportunity to reinforce nice behavior!
How to teach Say “Please!”
Pick a behavior you would like your dog to use as a default and teach it using positive reinforcement. Sit is a great and easy behavior to teach since our dogs already know how to sit. It’s just a matter of putting it on cue so they will sit when they are asked to do so. Before you say “sit! sit! sit!” you’ll need to show them what it means. Do this by taking a treat to their nose and luring their nose up and back away from you. The treat has to stay connected to their nose, like a magnet, to be successful at the lure. Once their bottom hits the ground you’ll mark the behavior (more on clicker training here!) and give them the treat. It won’t be long before your dog is a pro at sitting. Once your dog is reliably sitting, you can add a verbal cue.
Now it’s time to put your skill into practice. Next time your dog wants something, you can ask him to sit first. Here are some ideas of ways to use this:
Sit for dinner
Sit to go out the door
Sit to have his leash put on
Sit to be pet
Sit before leaving the garage
Sit before you throw his favorite toy
After working on this for a few days, don’t cue your dog, just pause before giving them what they want and see if they offer a sit! If you’ve been reinforcing it enough over the last few days, they should know what you’re looking for right away. Continue rewarding your dog through life rewards.
Benefits to Teaching Say “Please!”
Through using Say “Please!” your dog learns that he has an effective way to gain things he wants by sitting or offering another default behavior. This is a solution that works for you and your dog. A win-win! By offering lots of reinforcement for this new behavior, you will begin to see more of it and less of the nuisance behaviors your dog may have done previously to gain access to the things he wanted (things like pawing you for attention, jumping up to say hi, or counter surfing for food). The next thing you know, your dog will be offering a sit in any situation in which they want something!
Pro Tip: Start your new puppy off on the right paw with using the Say “Please!” program from the day you bring them home. You will be surprised how far this goes in the way of creating a well-mannered new puppy!
Catch your dog doing the right thing! Reinforce them for laying down in spots you want them to, like a blanket on the couch.
SMART x 50
I always tell my clients to keep jars of non-perishable treats around the house so they can reward their dogs for things they like that they see the dog doing throughout the day, so I was really excited to learn about Kathy Sdao’s SMART x 50 method on a Pod to the Rescue episode.
SMART x 50 stands for See Mark And Reward Training. The method requires you to see a desirable behavior that your dog does, mark it with a clicker or marker word, and reward that behavior with a treat. The “times 50” means that it’s suggested to do this 50 times each day. That may sound like a lot, but I guarantee you that your dog will do at least 50 behaviors each day that you like. After all, how many times do they sit, lay down, or settle down on their own? Mark and reward each of those behaviors!
This method requires a shift in mindset for lots of people. It’s really common for people to notice behaviors your dog does that they don’t like, but we often take for granted those behaviors that we do like and want our dog to repeat. This method asks you to put on your “good behavior glasses” and be observant of good behaviors that your dog does.
Leave a jar of treats in each room you and your dog frequently go in. Catch them doing things you like, such as laying on their bed, and reward them with one of your 50 treats!
How to start with SMART x 50
Count out 50 small treats, no larger than the size of your pinky fingernail. Put them in a bowl in a central location in your house or put them in several jars throughout your house to remind you to always be on the lookout for good behavior!
Actively be on the lookout for good behavior throughout the day. Suggestions for things to look for include:
Your dog sitting or lying down while you prepare or eat dinner
Your dog going to their bed
Your dog settling in their crate
Your dog sitting for attention
Your dog standing still while you leash him
Your dog giving you eye contact
Your dog checking in with you on walks
Think of what behaviors YOU want to see more of, and then reinforce them. The possibilities are endless!
When you catch your dog doing a behavior you like, mark it and reward it! You can mark with a clicker (see my blog on introducing your dog to clicker training) or a word like “yes!” That click or word gives you a moment to go retrieve a treat for your dog.
Repeat this throughout the day until your 50 treats are gone!
Benefits to SMART x 50
Because what gets reinforced gets repeated, you will see an increase in the rewarded behaviors as you work through the SMART x 50 method each day. Soon, your dog will be offering these behaviors left and right, so make sure you’re reinforcing those behaviors you want to see more of!
Pro Tip: It’s never too early to start training. Teach your new puppy to be a well-mannered dog by treating behaviors you like throughout the day. Trust me, you won’t regret it! It’s much easier to train a small puppy to walk nicely and to sit politely for greetings than it is to try to eliminate bad habits when they are adolescent dogs! Puppies are sponges for information, so this is a great way to help them navigate their world.
Dog training helps shape a dog that your entire family can enjoy.
Get started on the path to a better behaved dog today.
The great thing about Say “Please!” and SMART x 50 are both can be started right away — nothing fancy is required! Get your entire family involved by asking your kids to cut up treats and put on their “good behavior glasses” so everyone can be on the lookout for reasons to reward your dog.
If your dog needs a little extra help, contact me today to learn more about the ways I can help turn training frustration into fun for you and your dog!