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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Part 3: Tackling Training Basics
CHAPTER 8: The Ins and Outs of Housetraining
CHAPTER 9: Focusing on Some Basic Training Commands
CHAPTER 10: Coming and Going: Two Essential Commands to Teach
CHAPTER 11: Mastering Some Fundamentals: Sit, Down, and Stay
CHAPTER 15: Dealing with Common Doggie
Part 4: Taking Training to the Next Level
Retrieving:
Part 5: Handling Special Situations
Part 6: The Part of Tens
Practice getting your dog’s attention
Sequence 1: Having Buddy move toward you when he hears his name
Sequence 2: Adding Come after his name
Sequence 3: Making Sit mandatory
Training Your Dog the Touch Command
Sequence 1: Getting Buddy to move toward you
Sequence 2: Increasing the distance Buddy needs to move toward you
Sequence 3: Not offering treat in the flat Touch hand
Sequence 4: Moving the touch hand in different positions
Sequence 5: Mixing up the hand you offer
Greeting with the Hello Command
Sequence 1: Focusing on the treat
Sequence 2: Greeting and praising
Sequence 3: Training Buddy to hold the sitting position longer
Sequence 4: Having a friend help
Leave It: Getting Your Dog to Leave Stuff Alone
Sequence 1: Introducing Leave It
Sequence 2: Looking at you
Sequence 3: Moving the treat from your hand to the floor
Sequence 4: “Leaving” a dropped food item
Sequence 5: “Leaving” a found item on the ground outside
Understanding
Understanding the Importance of Leadership: Okay Is the Word
Teaching
Remembering what’s important when you use the Come
Sequence
Sequence 2: Adding the Go,
Sequence
Sequence
Sequence
Sequence 7: Adding
Sequence
Sequence 1: Eating
Sequence 2: Making Buddy wait for his
Sequence 3: The rules of the exit
Handling Your
Teaching Buddy to Keep All Four on the Floor
Using Sit and Stay as an alternative to jumping
Putting
Quieting the Incessant Barker
Barking
Barking for attention
Contending with Chewing — The Nonfood
Sequence
Sequence
Sequence 4: Helping Buddy learn to hold and reach for the object
Sequence 4: Teaching Buddy to reach for it
Sequence 6: Walking while holding the dumbbell
Sequence 7: Training Buddy for the pick-up
Sequence 8: Bringing it back
Sequence 9: Putting it all together
Polishing and Perfecting the Retrieve
Wait for it: Testing your dog’s patience
Retrieving with distractions
Shake and High Five
Sequence 1: Introducing the concept of shaking hands
Sequence 2: Lifting his paw
Sequence 3: Putting his paw on your palm
Sequence 4: Adding the High Five
Find the Pea under the Right Cup
Sequence 1: Establishing a pattern for the game
Sequence 2: Introducing the covered treat
Sequence 3: Adding a second cup with no treat
Sequence 4: Moving the cups and changing their position
Sequence 5: Finishing the trick
Hide in a Box
Sequence 1: Introducing the box on its side
Sequence 2: Standing the box correctly with opening on top
Sequence 3: Adding the Hide command
Sequence 4: Putting it all together
Sequence 1: Reviewing the Touch command
Sequence 2: Touching the back of the treat hand
Sequence 3: Offering both hands for dog to choose the loaded hand
Sequence 4: Putting your hands behind your back first
Play
Sequence 1: Putting his head between your legs
Sequence 2: Holding your legs closer together
Sequence 3: Holding his head pressed between your legs
Roll Over
Sequence 1: Rolling over with a little help
Sequence 2: Rolling over on his own
Sequence 3: Rolling over on command
Sequence 1: Laying down on his side or back
Sequence 2: Playing dead from the sitting or standing position
Sequence 3: Playing dead at a distance
Sequence 4: Presenting the trick to an audience
Sequence 1: Retrieving something of yours
Sequence 2: Helping your dog find your item
Sequence 3: Allowing Buddy to find the keys with his nose
Sequence 4: Adding identical items and Buddy will find yours
Sequence 5: Untying the clean pencils after Buddy is always finding your scented pencil
Jump through a Hoop
Sequence 1: Walking and jumping through a hoop
Sequence 2: Jumping through the hoop off Leash
Sequence 1: Cupping your hand over your dog’s muzzle
Sequence 2: Putting the treat on your dog’s nose
Sequence 3: Balancing the treat longer
Sequence 4: Balancing the treat without your help
Take a Bow
Sequence 1: Bowing by using a food lure
Sequence 2: Practicing until Buddy bows with little to no help
Sequence 3: Taking a bow on command
Sequence
PART 5: HANDLING SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Introduction
Both of us have had dogs of one kind or another since childhood.
Many years later we’re still sharing what we have learned along the way. Every one of our dogs has been more of a teacher than a pupil, and we’ve discovered much more from our dogs than we could ever have hoped to teach them. This book is our attempt to pass on to you what our dogs have taught us.
Without help, few people can become proficient, much less an expert, in a given field. We certainly have had plenty of help. A well-trained dog is the result of education, more yours than your dog’s. You need to know what makes a dog a dog, how he thinks, how he reacts, how he grows, how he expresses himself, what his needs are, and most important, why he does what he does. When you understand your dog fully, you can achieve a mutually rewarding relationship. A dog isn’t a homogenous commodity. Each one is a unique individual, and in their differences lies the challenge.
As a dog trainer, every dog teaches you something. Most dog trainers you meet also show you something even if it’s only how they communicate with the dogs with which they work. Communication is the key to all dog training. Without communication no training can take place. Dogs need to understand what you want, they need to know when you’re pleased, and they need to know when you’re finished and moving on. Play is a big part of training a dog. After all, training can be viewed as play as well as work, enjoyable either way.
Our goal in writing this book was to show how communication works and how you must communicate with your dog so both of you can learn the game of dog training. Enjoy as you read and put into practice all the information and advice in this book.
About This Book
We truly want this book to be a useful tool for you. And we don’t want dog training to feel like a chore that you have to slog through step by step. So we’ve structured this book in such a way that you can jump in and out of the text as it interests you
and applies to your situation. For instance, is your dog partially trained but needs to learn a few things? If so, consult the table of contents or index and go directly to the chapters you need.
Nor do we expect you to internalize every bit of information in this book. Throughout the text, we include reminders of key points and cross-references to more information about the topic at hand. Remember, dog training is fun! It isn’t a series of tests that you have to pass — unless, of course, you and your dog enter the world of competitive events.
Because training starts the moment you bring your little bundle of fur home, we tell you about behavioral development and what to expect during the few weeks and months. We guide you with tips on training, tell you about up-to-date training equipment, and help you to establish a daily schedule. We devote a whole chapter to housetraining and crate training.
This fourth edition of Dog Training For Dummies is chock-full of new and revised exercises for you. In addition to a wide array of new photos, we’ve also
» Reorganized many of the training exercises to make that more accessible and easier to follow
» Updated exercises to reflect current training trends
» Added exercises to make living with your dog easier and more fun from the start
» Added new tricks so you and your dog can achieve the AKC Trick titles easily
» Updated and revised Wendy’s nutrition chapter with the most current information available
We consider our older dogs our friends as well and have included in this edition a chapter on keeping your old dog young. We offer exercises that can be used to limber up the old joints, tips on feeding, information on the latest supplements, and much more.
All in all, this is a practical book that we hope will make your relationship with Buddy the very best it can be.
Foolish Assumptions
In writing this book, we assume a few things about you:
» You have a dog or plan to get one.
» You want your dog to be well behaved — for his sake as well as yours.
» You’re self-motivated and ready to make training a priority.
» You’re looking for an inexpensive guide that gives you the freedom to train your dog what and when you want.
» You want to know more about training a dog.
No matter the amount of training experience you have, you can find this book helpful. Through our many years of working with a wide variety of dog breeds and personalities, we’ve picked up many tricks that are sure to prove useful even to experienced dog trainers.
Icons Used in This Book
To help you navigate your way through the text, we have included some highlights of important material, some hints, some cautions, and some true stories of success. This key information is marked with little pictures (or icons) in the margins. Here’s what the icons tell you:
This icon draws your attention to ways to save time, money, energy, and your sanity.
This icon raises a red flag; your safety or your dog’s may be at risk. It also tells you about the don’ts of dog training. Proceed at your own risk!
This icon directs you to information that’s important to remember — key points that you want to focus on.
This icon highlights in-depth information that isn’t critical for you to know but that can enhance your knowledge of dog training and make you a better teacher.
Where to Go from Here
The important thing about dog training is getting started today. The sooner you train your dog to behave the way you want him to, the sooner the two of you can live in peace together, and the more problems you can prevent down the road. So turn the page (or use the table of contents or index to get to the information you need the most) and get going! Your dog will thank you for it. You can also visit www.dummies.com and search for the “Dog Training For Dummies” Cheat Sheet for access to information you may need on a regular basis.
1 Setting the Stage for Successful Training
IN THIS PART . . .
Discover what a well-trained dog looks like. Become aware of what your dog is learning from you at the time. Whether you know it or not, you’re sometimes teaching your dog something and other times stopping him from doing something unwanted. Pick the six most important commands you want to teach your dog as the foundation of his training.
Look into your dog’s personality and see how you affect everything he does and perceives through your body language and how you communicate with each other.
Find out what it takes to be the best dog trainer for your dog. Be aware of the other factors that surround your dog, such as his environment as well as those things born within your dog such as how he perceives the world.
Read about how your dog’s nutrition and health affects his learning and retention of the training.
Know what you should buy to help you train your dog. A wide selection is available. Different things work better for different dogs.
Start on the right foot as you bring your new dog or puppy home, what to plan, and what to do first. Training doesn’t end with Sit and Down but includes brushing fur and teeth and saving your house from destruction.
See what it takes to raise the best dog in the world, from birth to adolescence. All the critical periods of development can change your puppy for life, so learn what they’re all about.
IN THIS CHAPTER
» Knowing what you ‘re teaching Buddy when you’re training him
» Recognizing a well-trained dog
» Reviewing the training models
» Understanding the six basic commands
» Becoming familiar with factors that influence success
» Exploring additional training
» Getting started
Chapter 1
Dog Training: The Key to Your Dog’s Safety and Your Sanity
So you have a dog? Lucky you. You want to train your dog, right? Lucky dog. There is nothing that you can do to build a bond more quickly between you and your dog than training together, working as a team and spending time productively.
You want your dog to want to be with you, work for you, and then do it all again — for a treat, for praise, for play, because it’s worth your dog’s while. This chapter serves as a jumping-off point as you begin to develop your relationship with your dog. Training can be fun for you and for your dog. The results are what make all the time you put in training your dog worthwhile, but the journey of training is what can be so much fun — spending time with the dog who will become your best friend.
Someone once wrote: “All owners thinks they have the best dog in the world, and luckily they are all right.” Hence, the role of the dog will be played by your dog, and we refer to him in this chapter and book as Buddy, your buddy, and for simplicity, Buddy is a he. Please insert your dog partner’s name where necessary. We want your relationship with your dog to be a joy.
Understanding Why You’re Training Buddy: To Do Something or Not to Do Something
Your dog is learning from the moment you meet each other, so you want to make sure you know what he’s learning from you. Are you a pushover, a littermate, or the leader of the pack? You want your dog to see you as the pack leader, the coach. That means you set the rules, what games to play, when to eat, when to sleep, when to exercise, and when to train. Dogs don’t know you’re training them. All they know is you and he are spending time together, which is magical.
The important question when training your dog is this: Are you training your dog to do something or to not do something? The answer really can be both. You’re teaching Buddy to be a good dog, to do this instead of doing that. To do something would be to sit here while you come in the door and greet your dog. To not do something would be don’t jump up as you come in the door. Teaching your dog to sit while greeting you is so much more fun than teaching your dog to not jump up on you. As often as possible, you’re going to teach Buddy what you want him to do rather than what you don’t want him to do.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DOGS
Dogs were originally bred for specific functions, such as guarding, herding, hauling, hunting, and so on. Before 1945, most dogs worked for a living, and many still do. The popularity of dogs as household pets is a relatively recent phenomenon, fueled in part by the heroic exploits of the dogs used in World War II as well as the fictional Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. The upshot of this popularity has been a demand for the family dog who is easy to train, good with children, a little bit protective, and relatively quiet. Even more fun are the dogs people love today in cartoons who are humanized such as Snoopy, Scooby Doo, Lady and the Tramp, and the list goes on. Dogs you own are real and need real guidance and training.
Identifying a Well-Trained Dog
A well-trained dog is a joy to have around. He’s welcome almost anywhere because he behaves around people and other dogs. He knows how to stay, and he comes when called. He’s a pleasure to take for a walk because he doesn’t pull and can be let loose for a romp in the park. He can be taken on trips and family outings. He’s a member of the family in every sense of the word. This is your goal for Buddy, to be a well-trained dog!
The most important benefit of training your dog is safety: your safety, the safety of others, and your dog’s own safety. A dog that listens and does what he’s told rarely gets into trouble. Instead of being a slave to a leash or a line, a trained dog is a free dog — he can be trusted to stay when told, not to jump on people, to come when called, and to walk nicely with you.
For decades, we, Wendy and Mary Ann, have taught dog training classes, private lessons, seminars, and weeklong training camps. Working closely with veterinarians allows us to spend a lot of time doing behavior counseling with their clients. We ask people to tell us what a well-trained dog should look like and what they want to successfully train their dogs to do. They want a dog to be housetrained (Chapter 8 can help you with that task). Sadly more dogs are given up to shelters for failure to become house trained than any other issue. After that, in order of importance, a well-trained dog is one who
» Doesn’t jump on people
» Doesn’t pull on the leash
» Does come when called
» Doesn’t beg at the table
» Doesn’t bother guests
Note that these requirements, with one exception, are expressed in the negative — that is, dog, don’t do that. For purposes of training, we express these requirements in the positive — teach your dog exactly what you expect from him. Here’s what the new list of requirements for a well-trained dog looks like:
» Sit when I tell you. (Chapter 11 gives you the how-to.)
» Walk on a loose leash. (Chapter 12 is your go-to.)
» Come when called. (Chapter 10 explains how to teach the Come command.)
» Go somewhere and chill out. (Head to Chapter 13 for more information.)
» Lie down when I tell you and stay there. (Chapter 11 can help.)
The Sit and Down-Stay commands (see Figure 1-1) are the building blocks for a well-trained dog; if Buddy knows these commands and nothing else, you can still live with him. Of course, your Buddy may have some additional wrinkles that need ironing out, some of which are more matters of management than training. (Chapter 11 discusses these essential commands in greater detail.)
For instance, a favorite pastime of some dogs is raiding the garbage. Prevention is the cure here: put the garbage where your dog can’t get to it. By moving the trashcan to a secured location, you’re managing the environment that fixes the problem. By purchasing a trash container that can’t be raided, again you’re managing the environment and fixing Buddy’s bad behavior. Management is much easier and more quickly successful than having to train an unwanted behavior. Of course, teaching the Leave It command and giving Buddy other things to occupy his attention is also great training. Management and training work hand in hand and together result in the best possible dog with whom you can live and be most proud.
For example, one of Wendy’s Dachshunds learned to open the refrigerator by yanking on the towel Wendy kept draped through the door handle; therefore, the dog could help himself to anything he could reach. Prevention was the answer: Wendy removed the towel from the refrigerator handle.
The untrained dog has few privileges. When guests come to visit, he’s locked away because he’s too unruly. When the family sits down to eat, he’s locked up or put outside because he begs at the table. He’s never allowed off leash because he runs away and stays out for hours at a time. Nobody wants to take him for a walk because he pulls, and he never gets to go on family outings because he’s a nuisance.
Dogs are social animals, and one of the cruelest forms of punishment is to deprive them of the opportunity to interact with family members on a regular basis. Isolating a dog from contact with humans is inhumane. Spending quality time with your dog by training him will make him the beloved pet he deserves to be.
Selecting a Training Model
You have many ways to train a dog, ranging from rather primitive to fairly sophisticated. Even technology has had its impact on dog training. For example, rather than fenced yards, people often now have invisible fences, which contain dogs within their confines by means of an electrical shock.
Our approach to training is for people who like their dogs and have them first and foremost as pets and companions or for people who want to like their dogs. Someone pointed this out us when she arrived for class. At that point she didn’t like her dog but wanted to make her child happy by having a dog. Either way, we like your dog and want him to be the best possible dog and you to be the best possible trainer for him.
The training involves three phases:
» The teaching phase: In the teaching phase, the dog is taught specific commands in an area free of distractions so he can focus on his owner and can be successful.
» The practicing phase: When the dog reliably responds to the commands he has learned, distractions are introduced (we explain distractions in more detail in Chapter 10). As the dog progresses in this practice phase, the distractions become increasingly more difficult in order to simulate real-life situations.
» The testing phase: In the testing phase, the dog is expected to demonstrate that he’s a well-mannered pet around other dogs and people.
The ultimate object of any training is to have your dog respond reliably to your commands. Ideally, he responds to your first command. Telling your dog to do something only to have him ignore you is frustrating. Think of Buddy’s response in terms of choices. Do you want to teach Buddy to think he has a choice of responding to you? You want a dog that understands — after you have taught him — that he must do what you tell him, no matter what is happening around him. A truly trained dog listens for your voice above all distractions.
Distractions do cause Buddy to struggle to hear your voice above other things as does the genetic influence of those things that Buddy was bred to do instinctively, that which is in harmony with his basic nature. Are all dogs the same to train or does the breed or mixture of breeds make a difference? Like people, dogs are individuals and have individual needs. Understanding breed characteristics and different teaching models helps to make the job of training that much easier.
First things first: Considering your dog’s breed
Before you embark on your training program, consider what you want your dog to master, and then compare your answer to the task for which his breed was originally bred to do. Many people typically select their dogs based on appearance and without regard to breed-specific functions and behaviors. Whatever trait is in harmony with the breed of your dog is easier to teach or harder to break. For example, a Beagle uses his nose everywhere he goes. Teaching a Beagle to track or follow a scent is much easier than teaching a Greyhound to track. Greyhounds are bred to visualize movement rather than to sniff out prey.
Although most dogs can be trained to obey basic obedience commands, breedspecific traits determine the ease or difficulty with which they can be trained. You also need to consider other traits, such as energy levels and grooming needs. High-energy dogs must have outlets for all of that energy. Chapter 20 discusses problems that occur if your dog doesn’t get the exercise he needs. After all, a tired dog is a happy dog, and a tired dog has a happy owner. As for grooming, brushing, bathing, and clipping of hair coats is time consuming and expensive if you hire a professional. For a dog to be healthy, the coat and skin needs to be cared for regularly. Chapter 6 discusses grooming.
An excellent resource for breed-specific behavior and traits is The Roger Caras Dog Book: A Complete Guide to Every AKC Breed, by Roger Caras and Alton Anderson (M. Evans & Company). For each breed, the book lists on a scale from 1 to 10 the three characteristics you should pay attention to: the amount of coat care required, the amount of exercise required, and the suitability for urban/apartment life.
