Life Is Busy – Train As You Live

How do you keep up with it all?  Well, you know if your dog is well-mannered and obedient it will make your life easier. So, let’s see how to go about it while you’re getting everything else done.

First:  Think things through, and plan how you can incorporate new habits into your daily routine.  Once you’re used to them, they’ll take very little of your time yet promote learning, improve manners and add to the quality of your life with your dog. Go with the easy stuff in the beginning and gradually add more as your dog progresses in training. Keep their SMS collars on whenever they are supervised so you can train as you live!

Next:  Here are a couple things to keep in mind about your dog.  As much as our hearts refuse to believe it, this 4-legged bucket of love IS an animal and in their evolution from wolf to sofa ornament, they learned to look to us for structure and consistency.

Rules provide structure and routine provides consistency.  These make dogs feel comfortable, wanted and cared for.

1. Affection doesn’t hurt but it’s the rules and routine that will do the most to keep your dog happy and balanced.  Truly!
2. Consistency is key. Therefore, a formal command must always be enforced.  Do not give a command unless you are prepared and able to follow up on it.  Stick with informal instructions, like “Get over here!” or, “Shut up!” (sorry, but we’re being realistic here).  It often works.  If not, finish what you’re doing, grab your remote and then give the formal command, “Come!” or “Quiet!” for instance.

Here you are – and remember, you can always dream up more your own, we’re just getting you started…

MEALTIME – In order to avoid missing this great chance to train, don’t free-feed!  Over-eating, weight gain, inability to monitor appetite thereby missing an opportunity to become aware of health issues, all are drawbacks that outweigh the apparent convenience of free-feeding.  Here’s a helpful article on this:  Article.  Food is a great motivator so teach as you feed!

• Hold the food bowl under your chin, sit your dog and command “Look!” or watch, focus, etc.  (The ability to get their attention is handy in other situations as well, just think about it).
• Teach impulse control by having them hold the sit until you place the bowl.  Watch carefully and tell them “wait!” if they even startto break.  Be one step ahead of your dog.
• Teach some tricks while luring them with the food, like doing a figure-8 between your legs or “middle!” which is basically heeling them between your legs as you walk the bowl to its place on the floor.  Over time, you can “middle” the bowl all over the room before you set it down. What fun!
• Use your imagination!  Their love of supper will give you a captive audience, a perfect time for learning.

EXERCISE – Dogs need daily exercise, some more than others, but in addition to conditioning, this helps work off excess energy that can get them into trouble.  It also has the benefit of helping you get fresh air, clear your mind, and even get fit!  As you walk, try this:

• Command, “Sit” as you keep walking.  Your dog’s hiney should hit the ground and stay where it waswhen you said the word, while you continue to walk away from him, a couple of steps at first, then farther over time.  When you’re at varying distances from him, call or give a release (“Free!” “Break!” etc. are release commands).  A good rule of thumb is if your dog breaks the unspoken stay command, get him back into the sit, return to him and heel or walk him out of it and try again. A stay is only safe while they’re holding it!
• When off-leash, command “Sit!” or “Down!” when your dog is away from you.  Remote sits/downs are great for safety and fun.  Remember, don’t recall or release a dog if they break the unspoken stay (see above).
• Place your dog anywhere and everywhere!  Start with elevated surfaces:  rocks, playground equipment, short walls, etc. They need to stay there until you call or release them.  Again, remember, don’t recall or release a dog if the unspoken stay is broken (see above and more below).

PLACE – This is a HUGE help in everyday-life situations!

• Place as much as possible. Place during your daily walks, family mealtimes, while you are reading, mowing the grass, cleaning or any other time you are doing your normal tasks.  This is a formal command so always be prepared to enforce it if you use it.
• Teach them to hold a place when the doorbell rings and when guests come in the house.  Your trainer will be going over the how-to’s on this in your lessons.
• Have them place when they revert to some obnoxious behavior (face it, they all do it!), like when they look out the window and see a squirrel.  Release them when appropriate.

FUN STUFF

• Add hand gestures/signals to your commands and then gradually wean them off the verbal command to just the signal.
• Tricks – Roll over, sit pretty, shake, play dead.  All are fun and perpetuate the spirit of structure and learning.

Following simple routines can help you create a whole new world of freedom, trust and enjoyment with your dog.  We want our dogs to behave well and reliably so they will be welcome wherever we choose to take them – safely.

Enjoy!  And call us with questions and suggestions – (720) 263-PAWS.