Sit. Stand. Down.

SIT

STAND

DOWN

Basic Obedience. All dogs need it. All puppies can learn it. It isn't hard. And, it starts Day One when your puppy comes home.

All puppies should be taught three simple commands. Sit and Down are self-explanatory, so let me praise the virtues of Stand. Stand is great when your dog is wet and you want to towel him off, or when you are walking on a muddy path and you don't want him to sit in a puddle. And, as a vet, I love Stand for Exam - it is impossible to palpate a Golden Retriever's abdomen when he is rolling on the floor. Teach 'em all Stand, I say.

Teaching Sit, Down, and Stand doesn't have to be harsh. No jerking, pushing, pulling, or shoving required. All you need is a puppy and some high value treats. Just remember, wherever his nose goes, his body has to follow.

Sit is the foundation of all our training. Sit is what you say so he isn't jumping up or running away. Sit is a job he can always do. Everything else proceeds from the Sit, so let's learn it first.

I don't like methods of teaching Sit that involve pulling up on the puppy's neck or pushing down on his lower back. Not only do I worry about hurting him (remember, we are training puppies as young as 2 months here) but these methods are passive - we say something and we shove the dog where we want him to go. Blech. I like active training - I say something and puppy moves himself. That's learning!

Sit: Hold a treat in front of the puppy's nose. It should be contained within your fingertips so he can smell it but not take it from you. He will probably try though, so be prepared. If he snatches at the treat (and therefore your fingers) bump his nose gently and say "Off." If he paws at you, say "Off." Don't let him mug you. This is your show.

Get ready ...

Say "Sit." (Remember Rule 3 - Say it once, and don't shout.) Slowly move the treat back over your puppy's head. As he follows the treat with his eyes (and more importantly, his nose) his head keeps going back and his backside sinks.

Going, Going ...

When his butt hits the ground, say "Good Sit!" and pop that treat in his mouth right away. (Quickly - Timing is Everything, says Rule #9)

Gone! "Good Sit"

Tone of voice: Use a short, snappy siT!" command (I accentuate the "T") and a slow, drawn-out "Go-o-o-d sit" (less emphatic "sit") on the praise.

[Aside: This is my way, but it is not the only way. Some people prefer giving the command after the puppy sits, not before. Another author I read said to give the command first, but don't repeat it after the action is completed. These variations are personal preference, and I don't believe that there is only one right way. Whatever method you choose to use, stick with it. Be Consistent! (Rule 10.)]

Stand: Much easier than you might think. From the Sit, pull the treat slowly straight ahead, in front of the puppy's nose, saying "Stand." Use your long drawn-out "Sta-a-a-nd" with a rising tone at the end. When he stands, give him the treat. Easy-cheezy, right?

moving from Sit to Stand -
pull treat forward and the dog will follow.

Occasionally, you get a puppy who is so fixated on the Sit that he won't move. Give him a nudge. Keeping the treat in place and using the back of your other hand with palm facing the floor, tuck your fingertips into his groin area, right in front of his rear legs, and lift up slightly. DON'T do this palm-up; you will be tempted to grab. This is not a pull, this is a nudge, and the back of your fingers nudging into his groin is a lot like the nose of a dog doing the same thing. He understands this sensation, and he will stand. I guarantee it.

Practice moving from the Sit to the Stand and back again before going on to the next lesson.

Down: This is the hardest one, so take your time, and don't be surprised if your puppy doesn't get it right away. If Down is defeating you, do a couple of Sits and end the lesson on a positive note. Try again tomorrow.

From the Sit, hold your treat in front of his nose. Say "Down." Tone of voice is firm and low, not quick and snappy like Sit, not slow and rising like Stand.


Lower the treat to the floor in one smooth motion and hold it there. You hand should go straight down from his nose or just a smidge in front. SAY NOTHING else, just WAIT. (This will be excruciatingly painful - for you. Bite your lip if you have to, but BE QUIET.)


His nose should follow the treat to the floor. Slide the treat slightly forward, but DON'T move any other part of your body. His head should follow the treat as he moves lower and lower. When his elbows hit the ground, treat and praise.

"Good Down!"

He may do several things as he is learning, including pawing at your hands, nipping for the treat, or he may sit up in confusion. Bump him for "Off" if he gets greedy. If he is having trouble with the Down, you may reward when he is half-way there at first. With each repetition, make him go a little further before he gets the treat. This is a difficult and scary skill to learn, so DON'T say "NO" if he gets it wrong. We want zero negativity attached to this behavior. (Rule #7: Praise more than you correct.)

Now you and your puppy know three commands. Practice every day in short bursts - 5 minutes at a time, three or more times a day. Go from Sit to Stand, back to Sit, then from Sit to Down and back again. I still surprise my dogs with "puppy push-ups" from time to time like a pop quiz (Sit-Down-Sit-Down-Sit-Down.) It keeps them on their toes.

By the way, did you notice? In every one of the photos in this post, my left arm is held behind my back. One handed dog training!

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Credits: Photos taken by Sarah (first three) and Katie, from our office - Thanks guys!
Inspiration from Ian Dunbar's Sirius Puppy Training Video. Get it - the original is much better than my poor rehash.

About the model: Mitral is a 1 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, belonging to my colleague. He comes to work most days, and is a real delight. He has a Mom, but I am his Teacher. He is bright and very trainable. I had him heeling, off-lead, at about 4 months old. His mom came to me one day and exclaimed, "I called Mitral and he ran right to me and sat in front of me!" I smugly said, "Yes, I know. I taught him that."

Puppy Handling Exercises, part 2

Continuing on with our basic handling of our puppy:

Now that we have him sitting quietly on our mock exam table, it's time to start introducing our puppy to being handled all over. Touch your puppy everywhere (yes, even on his "private parts.") Lightly comb or brush him. Tug on his tail, pull his ears, rough up his coat, mess with his face and his nose and every other part of him. Some day, somewhere, somebody is going to touch your dog in the "wrong" way. Won't you be happy when your well-mannered dog just looks quizzically at you as if to say, "Mom, why in the world did that kid poke me in the eye?" It's much better than explaining, "Well, he bit because he doesn't like his (face, feet, tail, etc.) touched. Sorry."

I especially want you to focus on the "Big Three" places - areas that no dog likes being touched and at the same time areas we often have to work with. The taboo body parts for dogs are: their ears, their mouths, and their feet. Don't wait till your dog has a bone wedged between her upper teeth to try to get into her mouth. The first time you mess with her ears shouldn't be when she has a painful infection. And trimming toenails - Code Red for most dogs. But, if you get your puppy accustomed to having these areas touched in a non-threatening way, it makes it so much easier for you to medicate, clean, trim, or treat these sensitive spots.

With your puppy sitting as previously shown, flip the ear flaps up so you can see the opening. (if you have a dog with upright ears, like a Husky or Shepherd, this doesn't apply to you. Your pup's ears are already up.) Lightly touch the ear openings with your finger tips and wipe them with a dry cotton ball, tissue or gauze sponge.


There are two goals here: First, to get you used to what is normal for your dog's ears. Healthy ears should be clean and pink, with no odor, discharge, redness or pain. Second, to get your puppy used to having somebody fooling with her ears. If she does well, praise and treat. Otherwise, SAY NOTHING.

Next, the mouth. It is very difficult for a puppy to understand why we can touch their mouths, but their mouths can't touch us. Still, we must be able to get into our dog's mouths, so they need to learn the difference right away. Not only must we medicate our dogs, we should be brushing their teeth (yeah, I know - I don't do it regularly either. But, I have good intentions, and my dogs will let me do it, when I remember.) They should even allow strangers, like veterinarians and kennel employees, in their mouths, because sometimes there is an emergency. My favorite illustration of this involves one of my own dogs.

Gracie was at a doggy day care one hot day. They had wading pools set up and hoses with running water. Grace got so excited, snapping at the water and grabbing and shaking the hose, that she bit her own tongue, hard enough to draw blood. Because I had taught her to allow people to handle her mouth, the staff was able to grab her tongue and put pressure on the spot until the bleeding stopped. They told me about it at the end of the day, and I was both proud of her, and glad I didn't have to leave work in the middle of the day to pick her up. (So much for the vicious Rottweiler rumor!)

To get a puppy used to having her mouth handled, start with her in the basic Sit position. Lightly touch her lips, running your fingers from the tip of her nose back towards her eyes. (Don't go the opposite direction; it bends the whiskers the wrong way, which is annoying.)


If she nips at you, tell her "No" or "No Bite." Use one or two words only (Rule 3, Dogs don't speak English,) say it once (Rule 3A), use a stern, Mom-dog tone (remember paralanguage in Rule 4) without being loud (Rule 3C,) say it quickly (Rule 9, Timing is everything) and as soon as she stops biting, praise her with a "Good puppy!" (Rule 7 - Praise more than you correct, and Rule 9 - Timing.)

Go back and do it again. If she nips again, repeat above process (Rule 10 - Consistency.) If she struggles, squirms, or tries to get away, return to the previous lesson on collar pressure and self-control. If this turns from a lesson on handling into a power struggle, stop. DON'T coddle her ("Oh, poor puppy! I'm so sorry, I won't do that again." Paralanguage, remember? Whining makes you weak.) DON'T reward the puppy with treats or playtime. Put her in her crate or bed, and let her settle down. Maybe she's tired or cranky, maybe she is teething, or maybe she isn't ready for this lesson. You don't have to win every battle, sometimes a draw is the best you can expect. Try again tomorrow.

Once she is comfortable with that step, proceed by lifting up her lip, just enough to expose her canine ("fang") tooth. Repeat on both sides and stop. Praise and treat. Correct nipping behavior as above. Stop before she gets fussy, when you can end on a positive note.

Repeat daily till you can do this easily, then move on to lifting the lips along the length of the mouth, exposing all the teeth. Praise and treat.

(Notice no one is holding my model still.
He has learned the self-control needed to accept
that people sometimes do crazy things.)

Small steps are the key here, don't push her too far too fast. It is human nature to want to get through all the steps at once, to get to the end. We humans are goal-oriented, but the point here is the journey, not the destination. You don't win any prizes if you can open your dog's mouth faster than the next person.

Finally, we are going to open puppy's mouth. DON'T do this by grabbing the tip of her nose and the bottom of her jaw and prying her mouth open. The end of a dog's nose is sensitive.

WRONG!

Instead, use your thumb and finger tips BEHIND the canine ("fang") teeth, avoiding the tip of the nose, and she will practically open her mouth for you with very little effort on your part. Eventually, you can open her mouth wide. Praise, praise, praise - this is a really hard thing for a puppy to tolerate.

Good Dog!

Feet. I know, you were all hoping I would skip this part, but believe me, it is the most important bit. I don't know a dog in this world who likes having his toenails trimmed, but we can at least make it tolerable for him by handling his feet A LOT. Every time I put my hands on a young puppy, I touch one or more of his feet. During our handling exercises, we will be a little more formal. Hold every one of his feet, one at a time. If he pulls back or nips your hands, correct him (gently, we don't want to make him fearful) and HOLD ON until he relaxes. SAY NOTHING. (Are you sensing a theme here?)

Hold firmly, but don't pinch. Massage each foot. Play with his toes, spreading them apart. Wipe his feet with a rag or paper towel, as if you were wiping off the mud or salt from his paws.

Rub his feet with a pair of toenail trimmers or something similar, in preparation for trimming his nails (But, DON'T trim them yet.)


Why do I keep repeating SAY NOTHING during handling? Talking to a puppy is distracting, not productive, and at worst, may be self-defeating. If you are anxious or stressed, you will communicate your unease through your voice. Tension results in a tight, higher pitched voice which says to the puppy "Worry. Fear. Stress." (Paralanguage again.) Remember Rule 2, Dogs are physical, not verbal. Let your hands talk to him. He will learn better. Save your words for your praise at the end of each step.

I thought I had a unique thing going with my handling exercises until I read this book, "A Dog in Hand, A Guide to Hands-on Puppy Parenting." It turns out, someone else had the same idea I did - to help clients help their puppies through physical handling.


It is by Dr. George Gates, a veterinarian who came to the same conclusions I did, and who uses very similar methods to teach puppies (and their owners) exam room manners. It doesn't have the "zing!" of a certain high profile and flamboyant popular TV dog trainer's book, but I think it is a lot more practical. I highly recommend it if you want more information on puppy handling.

Final word: These exercises are for puppies of 2 to 4 months old only. DON'T try this with adult dogs who already have phobias about being touched. Seriously. I'm not kidding about this.

Puppy Handling Exercises, part 1

Every day, clients complain to me: "I can't trim his toenails; he'll bite me!" "Can't you just give her a shot? There's no way I can give her a pill every day for a week." "He won't let me brush him out." "She hates it when I try to clean her ears."

Why won't our dogs let us do these things to them? Because they don't like it - these are unnatural behaviors for dogs. How many wolves in the wild get their teeth brushed? I'll bet not too many. But, we ask our dogs to do many unnatural things in order to fit into our lives. We expect them to live in houses and walk on leashes and not steal food or "spend a penny" on the carpet. (Ask your British friends what this one means.)

If dogs are going to be a part of our lives, living in our homes, then they have to be brushed and combed and bathed and have their toenails trimmed. And, sometimes, vets will have to look in their mouths and in their ears and draw blood samples and do all manner of rude and undignified things to them, which will not be described here, in the interest of their health. And, those same vets are going to ask you to medicate your dog from time to time, and No, there is no "shot" that is going to take the place of regular daily or twice daily pills and ointments.

So, if we know from the outset that we have going to have to do these things to our puppy throughout his life, let's start getting him ready for the rest of his life right now, while he is young and malleable. Our 2 to 4 month old puppy is like a sponge, ready to absorb anything we want him to learn. The key part of this sentence is "2 to 4 months old." Don't wait until he's 6 months old to start training. A 6 month old puppy is the same as a 14 year old kid. Can you tell a teenager anything that he doesn't really want to hear? No, you cannot. Likewise, you cannot teach your 6 month old puppy anything unless he already has a foundation in basic manners. (Well, you can, but it is a lot harder.) The critical window of opportunity is 2 to 4 months old, and if you miss it, you miss a lot. I am such a believer in early age manners training that I won't get a puppy if I know I'm going to be too busy to train her during that period.

I feel that puppies should not be held down and forced to undergo their first examination. Oh, yes, it's quicker, it gets the job done, but it teaches the puppy nothing, or at least, nothing positive. It teaches our new pup that big strange people with strange smells on their hands are going to grab him and torture him for no good reason. Wouldn't you learn to hate people who did that to you?

Instead, I want the puppy to learn self-control, to learn to sit quietly and tolerate the weird stuff that is happening to him. To that end, I have developed a series of what I refer to as "handling exercises." I demonstrate it to all new puppy owners, usually between the ages of 2 and 3 months old. Puppies less than 8 to 9 weeks old are too young for these exercises. Puppies over 5 months old aren't as accepting of these techniques, though I might try it in some cases, and they don't work at all for adult dogs.

I expect owners to practice these exercises at home, and I can tell at the next visit who did and who didn't do their homework. I ask them to put their puppy up on a table, a counter top, a washing machine - some place up off the floor. It reminds him that we are working now, not playing games, and it mimics an exam table. If you practice these skills once or twice daily - it takes less than 5 minutes each time - you will be much more successful than if you only do them once or twice a week. The key here is repetition - many brief, easy, fun sessions not one or two painful marathon battles.

The first thing we need to work on is getting our puppy to sit quietly. That may be all I do for the first few attempts, depending on the puppy's temperament. "Soft" puppies get this right away, "pushy" ones take a little longer.

With the puppy wearing a flat buckle (or snap) collar, hook your thumb through the collar under his chin. You will use that thumb to pull the collar down, to apply pressure to the back of his neck. This is the same point where his mom picked him up or where a dominant dog would push on him with his front feet or chin or chest. It's a natural "accupressure point" for a dog, and reminds him who is in charge.


"Soft," compliant puppies need almost no pressure on the back of their necks. They relax in my hands and don't complain. Puppies who struggle and squirm against this pressure are what I call "pushy" puppies, and when they resist, I increase the pressure. Most "medium" pushy puppies struggle for a bit, then relax. The instant I feel one of them relax even a bit in my hands, I relax my pressure. (Remember Rule 9: Timing - the release should be immediate.) Our puppy soon learns that when he cooperates, the pressure goes away, when he resists, the pressure increases. The important point of this exercise is to SAY NOTHING. (Rule #2: People are verbal, dogs are physical.) You don't need words, your hands are talking to the puppy better than your voice ever could.

Next, I want the puppy to sit quietly on the exam table. I am not teaching the word "Sit," so I don't say it. I don't like sits that involve pushing down on a puppy's lower back or yanking her collar up and choking her. Instead, I am going to "shape" her into a sit. The way I do that is by tucking her fanny under while lifting up on her chest. (My thumb is still in her collar, and the palm of my hand faces her chest.) SAY NOTHING.

Left hand tucks the fanny under while right hand lifts up on the chest

... and voila! One sitting puppy.

To finish, scratch puppy's chest and praise her.
"Good puppy!"
(Ordinarily, my left hand would not be pulling her head up,
this was just to show the position of my right hand.)

You can do this the opposite way, too, with your left hand on her chest and your right hand tucking her fanny under. In fact, it might be a good idea to practice it both ways, so neither one of you develop a right or left-sided preference.

If she gets up and walks away, SAY NOTHING and return her to the sit position. If she lays down, as some soft puppies do, SAY NOTHING and return her to the sit position. Do this over and over until she gets the idea. She must sit here until you say she can quit. When she gets it, give her a release word ("OK" or "All right" or "Free" or whatever works for you) to signify "Exercise complete." Don't forget to praise her in the sitting position and SAY NOTHING when she is doing anything else but sitting. (Rule 7: Praise more than you correct.)

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Next time: The three big areas dogs dislike being touched

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About the model:

Pebbles is a 12 week old mixed breed puppy I saw last week. At her 8 week old visit, we talked about these and other handling and training tips. At her 12 week visit, she ran up to me in the exam room and sat in front of me. Of course, I immediately praised her ("Good Pebbles!") and rewarded her with a liver treat. I did NOT pat her on the head - this is not enjoyable for most dogs. Instead, I hunkered down on my heels, to avoid looming over her, reached under her chin and scratched her chest, which IS pleasing to most dogs.

Pebbles sat very well for her exam and vaccinations, and was so cooperative that I asked her owner for permission to photograph her for the blog. (Thanks, Pebbles' mom!)

Later, as the appointment was winding down, Pebbles' 5 year old person was waving a liver treat around, in front of, and over the puppy's head, saying "sit, sit, sit, sit, sit" over and over. (All new puppy trainers do this, even little ones! Remember Rule 3A: Say it once.) Most puppies of that age would have been jumping around and snatching at the treat and might have nipped her or knocked her down, but Pebbles sat quietly until her little girl finally gave her the treat.

See the benefits of teaching your puppy basic manners?

Dog Training Seminar, Part 3

Continuing my ten rules for dog training:

Rule Number 6: For every “No,” there must be a “Yes.”

This concept often confuses my clients, but is one I believe in. When we are trying to teach a dog NOT to do something, and especially when we are teaching a dog not to do something which is a normal, natural behavior, we can’t deny that behavior without providing an acceptable outlet. If the puppy can’t chew on your hands or your shoes, he can chew on a safe chew toy. If he can’t sleep on the couch, give him his own soft bed. If you don’t want him digging up your garden, offer him an alternative digging spot, filled with soft soil, sand or loose mulch where he can dig to his heart’s content.

Rule Number 7: Praise more than you correct.

Give more positive reinforcement than negative. Set the dog up to succeed and be there to praise her, rather than waiting for a mistake then punishing her after the fact. If she is too noisy, be sure to praise her when she is quiet, rather than yelling when she barks. Dogs (and people) learn much more quickly with rewards than they do with punishment.

Rule Number 8: Corrections should be fair and appropriate.

In general, corrections should be verbal, not physical. Beating, kicking, choking, or hanging a puppy is cruel, and doesn’t teach him anything. The level of correction should be tempered for each dog. Not all dogs require the same degree of firmness – a “soft” puppy might be crushed by a harsh tone of voice, a “pushy” puppy can take a sterner level of correction.

In my book, every “crime” a puppy commits is a misdemeanor except for biting people. Biting people, even in play or by accident, is a felony, and is the only crime I correct with physical punishment. Puppies who aren’t taught not to use their teeth can grow up to become biting dogs, and dogs who bite eventually get euthanized. By being strict now, I can save his life later.

Rule Number 9: Timing is everything.

Dogs live in the moment, in the “now.” The 1950’s model of parenting, “Wait until your father gets home,” won’t play with dogs. It doesn’t help to come home to a chewed up pillow or step in a puppy accident, and then yell or hit the puppy when you find the evidence. He won’t know why. “But,” you say, “He looks guilty. He knows what he did wrong.” No, he doesn’t. Dogs read our body language. They can tell by our posture, by our tone of voice, by our facial expression, and probably by chemical odors we release that we are mad. They don’t know why, they just know we are upset. They offer the only kind of apology they know how to give. They grovel, they slink on their bellies, they lick their lips, they roll over on their backs, or they try to get as small as possible. They may even urinate in front of us (which makes us more angry.) In dog language, these are all submissive behaviors. We interpret them as guilt, and assumed the dog knows it did wrong. The dog just knows we are mad, not why. “The Boss is ticked off,” they think. “I’d better show him that I know my place and not give him reason to be mad at me, too."

Whether giving a correction or praising a good behavior, we need to be in the "now" with the dog. If you praise or correct too late after the action, the dog won't make an association between his behavior and your response. A classic example is house training. Owner lets puppy outside into fenced yard and later, calls puppy back inside, rewarding him with a treat. In the owner's mind, the treat is for going potty outside. But - how do you know he went? Did you see him eliminate? Was it Number 1 or Number 2? In the puppy's mind, he got the treat for the last action he performed - coming indoors. So, Puppy asks to go in and out all day long and still eliminates inside, sometimes immediately after coming indoors, and Owner is frustrated. "I let this dog out every 30 minutes all day long, and still she goes potty indoors, sometimes right in front of me. Either she is the stupidest puppy alive or she is getting revenge on me for leaving her for 3 hours last Tuesday." Well, Mr. or Ms. Owner, sorry, but no. There is no puppy too stupid to be house trained, and there is no dog who can grasp the concept of revenge for something that happened so long ago (Remember, dogs live in the Present, not the Past or the Future.)

Rule Number 10: Consistency is key.

Dogs don’t understand shades of gray, they need their rules to be black and white. So, be consistent in the rules of your house. If you can’t jump on me while I am wearing a skirt and stockings, then you can’t jump on me when I am wearing blue jeans. If you are allowed on the couch on weekends, you should be allowed on the couch Monday through Friday, too. Later on, when your dog understands the rules, you may decide to break them, but it is YOUR decision, not the dog’s, and you must carefully choose the time to break the rules. In my house, big dogs are not allowed on furniture. But, some nights, I need a cuddle with my dog, so I allow one on the bed. It is at my invitation, and when I say “Off,” I expect to be obeyed. A dog who jumps onto the bed without being invited is told strictly to get down, and is not rewarded for breaking the rules.

Finally: Don’t blame the dog for being what he is.

Your terrier keeps killing squirrels and bunnies in your yard. You can't keep your Lab out of the pool. Your Husky frequently runs away. Your Border Collie rounds up the kids and pins them in the corner of the yard. Your Beagle trails a deer and winds up 5 miles from your house. Don’t be mad – the dog is doing what is instinctive for him. Huskies run, Beagles are focused on scents, herding dogs gather up collections of animals (sheep, ducks, kids) and contain them, Labs are water dogs, terriers kill vermin. It is what we bred them to do for generations, so don’t get mad when they act as we made them. Don’t use it as an excuse for his behavior – “Well, he is terrier, we can’t stop him from barking.” Do use his breed (or type) as a basis for understanding your dog, and to help you form a plan to shape his behavior.

Dog Training Seminar, Part 2

Last post, I discussed my philosophy of dog training. The next two posts in this series will be my rules for dog training.

Rule Number 1: Discipline means “to teach,” not “to punish.”

All dogs need discipline. Teach your dog and he will learn. Punish him and he won’t. Your first obligation to your dog is to teach him how to live in your world. You can’t blame him for breaking the rules if you never taught him right from wrong.

Rule Number 2: People are verbal, dogs are physical.

People are often afraid to put their hands on a puppy. Oh, they will pick it up and hold it and pet it and cuddle with it and scratch it behind the ears. But, to put their hands on a puppy to teach her sounds like corporeal punishment. “Oh, no,” they say, “I don’t believe in spanking. I never spanked my children, and I won’t use physical methods to correct my puppy, either.”

Well, if you are talking about spanking a puppy on the fanny, I agree. Dogs don’t use fanny-spanking as a means of communication with each other and won’t understand it. But, neither will they understand it if we just talk, talk, talk at them without using our hands to show them what do to. Dogs use many physical means of communication, and just as we expect them to learn our language, we must learn to use theirs. While our puppies are learning words, we must also learn canine signals and cues. Much more on this later.

Rule Number 3: Dogs don’t speak English.

Or French, or Spanish, or Farsi, for that matter. They can learn to understand our words, but they are not born with the knowledge that this sound equals that behavior. We must show them the meanings of our words.

Rule 3.1: Dogs can't read, either. But, don't tell Holly that!

Corollary A: Say it once.

Saying “Sit” over and over doesn’t help him learn the word unless you show him what the word means. Give the command, demonstrate what you mean, and say it again when the behavior is complete. Example: Say “Sit.” Put the puppy in a sit position. Reward, while saying “Good Sit.”

Corollary B: Say it the same way.

If “Sit” doesn’t work, don’t change it up. “Sit, Sit down, Sit right here, Sit right now, why won’t you Sit, dammit?” is not a command, it is nagging. No one listens to nagging. Your husband doesn’t, your kids don’t, your dog won’t. Don’t nag.

Corollary C: Say it softly.

Dogs are not deaf. If your dog doesn’t sit when you say “Sit,” yelling it won’t help. Either he doesn’t know what you mean (so teach him), or if you are sure he does know the word, then he is blowing you off and you must enforce your command.

Rule Number 4: Listen to your tone of voice.

Dogs are very keyed into the sound of our voice, the pitch, the timber, the cadence. These subtexts are called “paralanguage,” and it is important that we learn to use these tones when we train dogs. There are three basic tones: High pitched and whining (puppy-like), low pitched and growling (mom-dog voice), and a medium range. Talking to your puppy in a high-pitched whimper makes you sound weak, like another puppy, which you don’t want to be, right? Corrections should be in a lower toned growl – short, abrupt, and to the point. All other commands and conversations with your dog should be in a medium range, the tone you use when talking.

Rule Number 5: Give every action a name.

Say the word, then show the dog what the word means. Remember the movie “The Miracle Worker,” where Annie Sullivan (Anne Bancroft) tries to teach Helen Keller (Patty Duke) sign language? She spells “bird” into Helen’s hand then lets her feel a bird, saying, “It has a name.” She does the same with every common object she can think of, over and over. When Helen makes the connection between the sensation of running water, the feel of the letters W-A-T-E-R signed into her hands, and the half-remembered baby word “wah-wah,” she begins to learn. When your dog makes his first connection between the sound from your mouth and the action you are demonstrating, you will see the same spark of recognition cross his face. You can almost hear him think “Ah-HA! So THAT is what she means! What do you know? Well, this is easy. I can do this.”

Next time: 5 more rules, and a bonus thought.

Dog Training Seminar, Part 1

My Philosophy of Dog Training

I am not bragging (much) but I have really well-trained dogs. Everywhere we go, people comment on how well they behave. This makes me proud, and it makes it fun to take them places, but my dogs didn’t come this way. I shaped their behavior with a lot of hard work.

In my opinion, training is necessary for all dogs, from Yorkies to Irish Wolfhounds, but I believe it is especially important for large dogs and vital for breeds like Rottweilers, American Pit Bull and American Staffordshire Terriers, Akitas, and other strong breeds that the public perceives as “dangerous.” So, I insist on owning well-mannered dogs and I don’t tolerate any bad behavior.

When people see my Rottweiler softly nuzzling a baby kitten or my boisterous Lab mix sitting quietly while a squirrel rustles in the leaves a few yards away, they are amazed. When I put my hands on a 9 week old puppy who is biting everyone and get him to stop biting me in 2 minutes or less, they are in awe. “How do you do that?” they wonder. So, here’s how I do it. Hold on: There is a bunch of background information you need first.

When I work with a new puppy in an exam room, the first thing I assess is his or her temperament. Is this a shy, nervous puppy, or a strong, outgoing one? Does this puppy want to pull away from me, avoid looking me in the eyes and try to lie as flat as possible, i.e., is he a submissive puppy? Or does he struggle in my hands, try to bite or paw at me, and do everything in his power to resist me, i.e., does he exhibit dominance? Once I “have his number,” I begin discussing ways for the owner to shape him or her into a better behaved puppy.

As an aside, “submission” and “dominance” aren’t the negatively charged judgments most people think they are. All dogs (and probably all people, for that matter) have elements of dominance and submission in their personalities. They are born with a certain level of each, and those elements are shaped and developed by their environment. First, the relationships between the puppies and with the mother dog are critical in bringing out each pup’s temperament. Early experiences are crucial when learning how to be a dog, which is why orphan puppies, hand-raised by people and without canine influence, are often mentally challenged.

By the time the pup is 8 or 9 weeks old, his core personality is formed. The next 2 months are the most important in terms of developing good manners in his relationships with people. This is not to say that you can’t train an adult dog or an older puppy, but you will have a much easier time if you take full advantage of this critical window of time, between 2 and 4 months of age.

We believe that all people are equal, that everyone should have a vote and no one person should dominate another. In our quest for equality, we sometimes try to make “people” of our dogs, giving them choices and allowing them to make their own decisions. This is unnatural for dogs, who are used to an ordered hierarchy, a tiered system where there is an obvious leader and the rest of the pack members each know their place within the group.

In animal societies where there is a pack or herd relationship, the pack leader or the dominant animal makes the decisions for the group – when it is time to feed or hunt, when it is time to move, what paths to take, and who is allowed to breed. Rule breakers are punished or ostracized, because failure to follow the rules jeopardizes the safety of the entire group. The pack leader can’t afford to have free-thinkers challenging his or her authority. It’s too risky. Pack members know this, and they are comforted by obeying the rules and following a strong leader.

When a dog has no clear-cut leader, he is placed in the stressful situation of trying to lead, making the decisions for his pack. If he is a dominant-type personality, he may enjoy this position too much, so much that he begins to growl when you want him off the couch or bite when you reach for his food. He has established himself as the pack leader and you are breaking his rules, so he is correcting you the same way he would correct a lower ranked pack member. He doesn’t love you any less, but he wants you to assume your proper place in his pack. Failure for you to follow the rules jeopardizes the pack and its safety. He is only trying to keep you safe.

When a dog has a respected, trustworthy leader, one who demonstrates clear-cut rules with fair, just consequences, he is comfortable and secure in his position. He doesn’t resent the pack leader and spend his days and nights planning a coup to take over. He relaxes, knowing his world is in order. He wants to please the leader, so he works to ingratiate himself by obeying the leader’s rules.

For me, the core, the basis, the integral part of dog training is establishing myself as the Mom dog, the pack leader, the dominant member of the relationship. This does not equal yelling, beatings, or punishment. It means that I use order and discipline to shape that dog’s innate personality into the best he or she can be, so as to fit into the unconventional pack I call my home.

Next: My rules for dog training.