Dog Training Tips: The Problem With “STAY”

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Remember the coloring books you had as a child where you needed to try and stay INSIDE the lines?

A long time ago I wrote a blog post discussing “inside out training”. I discussed the idea that people tend to get a behavior by drawing a line in the sand, namely by correcting a bunch or errors (going outside the lines) until the dog performs a behavior that does not “go over the line”. In the meantime that actual behavior that needs to be nurtured and painted in deeper and deeper colors so it becomes joyful and expressive stays “empty”.

When you elicit or teach a behavior though you start with a little dot that gets reinforced and reinforced and painted over and over so that the colored field gets larger and larger and when the behavior is fully “filled out” or “shaped” then you have taught the behavior.

In other words you don’t teach what NOT to do.

Recently a very dear client mentioned her dog has to learn how to stay; she asked me “what is the signal for that? She needs to know STAY.”

I tried to explain that the hand signal or the verbal cue could be anything she wanted it to be, but the process of staying is only associated with the cue after the process is understood. Sure you can use a signal that kind of implies a holding back or staying back but how appealing is that to the dog who wants to be with you naturally?

So again: we have to reinforce the behavior, fill in the painting, grow the nascent behavior into a fully comprehended experience before we can expect a “stay”. Otherwise stay means nothing. Asking a dog to do nothing is very hard. So we have to teach other behaviors which require voluntary stillness on cue for “stay” to have meaning for the dog. If you want a happy and frustration free “stay” you better create a very elaborate association with lots of delicious food, praise, and games that follow. Reward the experience of remaining in one spot by making it very desirable to the learner, otherwise where is the motivation to “stay” in one spot?

I have found that asking the dog to stare at a cookie is really helpful once they understand the concept of “leaving something” or waiting for permission to take something. But again that needs to be taught as a game that pays off.

All duration behaviors need to be taught in short increments which actually could be seen as back chaining the behavior also. Start at the “end” of “stay” in other words just before you are going to release the dog or start playing with the dog when you return to the dog. It is always easier for the dog/puppy to learn that on a geographically defined area, a mat, a platform, even a towel could do sometimes.

Once you have a very solid stillness you can make it harder by increasing distractions, movement/distance away from the still dog and/or adding weird noises.

Once you have that: insert a cue. That, ladies and gentlemen, can be ANYTHING your heart desires from a hand signal to the presence of the mat itself to putting on a hat… really! It is most important to choose something that is the most fun, easiest to remember, and will always make you smile.

I taught Zeldi to do a specific leap when I say the name of a favorite restaurant in Vienna. Granted that is a fun behavior in itself, but naming it Figlmueller makes it automatically hilarious for me too. She will NEVER feel I want her to do something boring and tedious.

The worst thing you can do is make a still behavior a drudgery for both of you. So again, make it a desirable game and you will be much more successful, and success breeds on itself, as we know!

Good luck and let me know how you fared!!

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Why is a Behavior Consultation important for Dog Training?

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Very often dog guardians reach out to a trainer or behaviorist when something with their dog’s behavior goes awry. The neighbors complain about barking, the dog is still peeing and pooping inappropriately in the house when they should be house trained, the dog has bitten someone or has been destructive in other ways.

When I receive these inquiries I offer them a consultation. Why is that important and why don’t I just go and “fix” the dog? It is important for people to know that when it comes to changing their dog’s behavior, they have to change how they behave towards the dog.

Inadvertent reinforcement is a huge component of behavior problems. When we look at the root and reason for behaviors we inevitably see a sequence:

Antecedent  – Behavior  – Consequence

In other words: an Antecedent would be a circumstance that causes a Behavior to happen, what then follows would be a Consequence.To achieve Behavior Modification we have to change up the previously established chain of events to get different results as consequence.

Let’s say the dog jumps up! So the sequence could be:

A         human appears at door.

B         dog runs and jumps up to greet

C         human wrestles with or pets dog while yelling “no” or “down”.

Consequence pays off for the dog in terms of intense attention from human.

What does the dog learn?  ZIPPO! Will the dog stop jumping? No.

Not only will you be caught in a continuous loop of repetition but by practicing the behavior you are actually reinforcing the behavior albeit mostly inadvertently. As practice makes more perfect the dog will improve their jumping or barking, he will bark louder and jump higher and get even more excited with each opportunity to practice.

Behavior modification:

A         human appears at door

B         dog runs to human and wants to jump up

C         human turns around and walks out again

This consequence is disappointing and surprising to the dog. The dog gets no attention. Not even a reprimand. After a few repetitions the dog will try something else and the human can now start to intervene and redirect the dog towards a behavior that the human can reinforce purposely, the result is that the dog learns to offer this new behavior happily and voluntarily because it truly pays off for them.

In my consultations I am able to teach clients how to think differently about how they interact with their dog and make them aware of what they may be doing to reinforce the unwanted behavior. I can intervene and change the behavior of their dogs before their own eyes. Yes, of course it helps a lot if I come and practice basic behaviors with the dog like sit/stay/go to bed and walk on a loose leash etc. to fluency… this will teach the dog to take cues from the environment and circumstances to help make them self confident and thinking dogs. But if the humans who live with the dogs don’t understand how much our canine companions love to please us and how they can stimulate and reward them for “guessing” right, the chances are they will not learn to avoid the pitfalls of inadvertent reinforcement.

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Dog Relations: Let Your Dog Be A Dog

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Very often the first thing we teach a puppy is how to sit. I am not quite sure when all of that started. I guess it is easy enough to teach and makes a puppy guardian proud.

However I have become tired of this cookie cutter approach. Not because I think that sit and wait are not valuable but because I feel that people start to ask for those behaviors under difficult or inappropriate circumstances. I also object to forcing the puppy/dog to sit by pulling up on the leash or pushing the butt down; even worse is to constantly ask the dog to sit when he is jumping.

If you want them to keep all paws on the floor then prevent them from jumping in the first place by rewarding them for remaining on the floor. Don’t wait until they start jumping.

When I work with a dog I feed the dog strategically in the position I would like the dog to be in. In other words: low and while the dog is still calm. With my puppy Snorri (who is huge!) this has paid off big time because he has taken to alternate and low positions when he greets humans or other dogs. He will play bow, offer a stand sideways to the human greeter, for small dogs he will lie down on the ground and other behaviors that everyone prefers over jumping, and he does so because I reward so highly for that.

In situations that I know are difficult for him I will feed his polite position. I know people think that I am constantly handing out behavior candy and they say stuff like “Ahh yes the treats…” but they don’t understand that there is a method to my feeding madness.

The reason I felt the need to discuss this topic is that I have lately seen a few examples of people who are so obsessed with the idea of “no jumping” that they won’t even let their dog/puppy play with another dog! Ironically, as the puppy sees the other dog and wants to play, they tighten the leash causing the puppy to stand on his hind legs and hop up and down on the restraining leash… while they order them in vain to SIT… something the pup cannot possibly do. The puppy is being punished for being a friendly puppy, for wanting to play and be social. It’s a double whammy of inadvertent reinforcement caused by overly zealous control. It’s quite troubling to me.

As much as I feel that a puppy should be taught to be polite in human and canine terms I feel it is cruel to smother their good instincts. Help them by showing them what we would like the greeting to look like and they will gladly follow your guidance.

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Tips for Spring Dog Grooming in NYC

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It’s spring and we look forward to warmer weather and nice expeditions to the country and the beach with our dogs. As delightful as the warmer weather can be it also brings with it the same question: How to beat the heat?

I have two Briards with lush, long coats. I cannot tell you how often people ask me if I am not going to give them a haircut for the summer. They must be hot?

No way would I ever shave or clip them for reasons of climate!

By the same token I hear dog guardians proudly pronounce “He got his summer haircut! Now we are ready!” and I think: Really? Their coat protects from the heat as much as from cold!

Think of people who live in the desert who wrap themselves in wool blankets. They are not masochists, they know what a shading effect these heavy blankets have. I would never consider shaving my dogs. Dogs can only perspire through the tongue and the paw pads to keep themselves a bit cooler… skin exposure would only risk sunburn and additional heat exposure.

The article below explains in more detail why double coated dogs should not be shaved.

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-shouldnt-shave-your-dog-in-summer/

But double coated dogs aside: why shave at all? If you feel you need to give your dog a summer haircut then cut the hair down to one inch in length, please!

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Insights from a Dog Trainer: Food – Motivator, Reward or Distraction?

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As I was walking to training appointment I was followed by a puggle who wanted to greet me. Dogs follow me in the street quite often and I am always delighted. The man holding on to the leash was somewhat surprised and said: “Oh you must have treats on you!”

I confirmed his suspicion and admitted that I worked with dogs so I had goodies in my pockets and in my bag. He then surprised me by saying: “We were never able to train this dog: He is so food motivated.”

I didn’t say it but thought: Are you kidding? Food motivation is a gift from heaven.

But I guess you have to know how to use it.

After reflecting a bit about what he said and combining it with the ideas of “clean” training and how to reward effectively I think I now understand what he was talking about.

If food is constantly dangling in front of the dog, if food is used to lure the dog all the time they are so intent on looking for food and how they can get at it that they are in fact not learning anything.

It’s the kind of situation in which we get the famous: He’s not going to “do” it if there isn’t any food involved. When dogs are in that “Gimme the food NOW drooling state” they are really way too distracted to think about what we are asking them to do. They are not motivated to learn how to get the coveted food. They will not gain any understanding of other signals that would get them to respond appropriately to get access to the desired food reward.

I guess that is how food gets a bad rap from a certain segment of the population who may share this mindset:

“The dog should perform because the dog is supposed to be ‘obedient’. I want the dog to love me and do it for me and not for the food I give him.  Food is considered a bribe.”

Well yes, if you constantly bribe your dog you are in effect doling the food out for free. If you give food for a behavior well done you will get voluntary offers for that behavior!

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Teaching and Eliciting Voluntary Compliance for Grooming and Medical Procedures

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I can’t touch her ears!

She hates the brush!

He shakes on the way to the groomer.

Isn’t it an oxymoron that on one hand we “spoil” our beloved dogs with the fanciest beds and coats, find the greatest joy in giving them a toy they love to play with but when it comes to taking them to the vet or groomer we show much less concern for the emotional state of our pups.

Oh…he’ll get over it!

Yes, he HATES going there and the vet tech has to hold him in a stranglehold when they take his temperature. We have to muzzle her when she gets a bath. All of a sudden, the puppies’ suffering becomes a thing they just have to deal with.

WRONG! Teaching your puppy to accept being handled, brushed, having their nails clipped and accepting injections is possible and will make your and the dog’s life a whole lot better.

Does it come naturally? Not necessarily!

Is it a whole lot of work? Not really.

Planning ahead is key and realizing that stopping in at the vet’s just to get them a cookie without “having anything BAD happen to them” will not solve the problem.

Even if your tiny puppy lets you handle their feet, toes and ears, and lets you take stuff out of his mouth that does not necessarily predict that this will be the case a couple of months down the road. Be happy but practice anyway!

I think if the goal is to make our dogs’ lives as stress and fear-free as possible that teaching them to accept grooming and medical handling voluntarily should be seen as basic as teaching them to sit or recognize their name.

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Why You Need to Focus on Reinforcing Your Dog’s Good Behaviors

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Behaviors fulfill a purpose. Behaviors have consequences. A behavior that pays off will be worth repeating.

A couple of days ago I came across an advice column for parents in the Washington Post:

How to handle a 6-year-old who won’t take no for an answer

I was really excited by the explanations given there. If you have read any of my previous blog articles you will have noticed how I harp on inadvertently reinforced nuisance behaviors and the idea that attention is a great payoff for dogs. So, when a couple of sentences into the article I saw this sentence:

What is your child getting out of this back and forth? Every behavior serves a purpose. It is a useful exercise to sit back and say, “How does arguing serve my son?” The answer isn’t, “He likes to be annoying.”

I was rather amused!

I usually explain to clients that they should notice and pay attention to their dogs/puppies when they are “being good” or when they are “doing nothing”. This is usually met with a blank stare. If it’s all OK why reinforce it? My answer is that rewarded behaviors increase in frequency and if you ignore “good behavior” without reinforcing it, it will not really pay off for the dog. After all, doing nothing can be really boring. And then the dog decides to do something that will get him much needed attention, even if the quality of that attention might not be lovey dovey in nature.

Here’s some more from the article:

Another reason your son may be debating with you is that this is how he connects with you. Because connection and belonging are fundamental human needs (and even more so in children), a child can easily become accustomed to arguing as a form of connection. It sounds odd, but when there is strong eye contact and a raised voice, this feels normal. Even good! Even though you are annoyed, all of your attention is focused on him, and that is powerful stuff for a 6-year-old.

Bingo! Your dog is thinking: If that is the only way I can get my human’s attention, I will do this again! It works! You have just encouraged the dog to misbehave…

So, what should you do? Well, it depends on the problem. If you are over parenting and bossing your child around too much, take a look at where you can make more room for choices and enthusiastic yeses. In fact, I would recommend creating scenarios during which to say yes more. Six-year-olds are remarkably useful, smart and love real work.

In other words: Teach the dog behaviors that will get them approval from you! Instead of yelling at them for barking at you: show them that settling on the floor will get you to share table scraps with them. Instead of jumping up on you in delight when you come home, teach them to leap onto a chair, or get a toy to play tug or whatever seems fun enough for them but doesn’t rip your clothes.

If you feel that your son is mostly connecting with you through arguing, make a list of positive, fun ways you can connect with him. Anything will work: sports, card games, roughhousing, reading together, watching a movie, going on a hike, you name it. The point is that you laugh, be silly, smile and enjoy your son. Will this stop the arguing? No, but my hope is that it will lessen it.

If you find that most of your interactions with your dog are yelling “no” “stop that” “hey” or repeating his name in a disapproving tone of voice or any version of that kind of nebulous reprimand it’s time for playing, walking and training.

Need help applying positive reinforcement techniques for desired behavior?  Book a behavior consultation!

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Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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