Foundation puppy/dog training tips

·        Tone of voice and chatting to your dog

·        The long lead

·        Common mistakes

·        Pulling on the lead

How do I talk to my dog and what tone of voice do I use?

Your pup is not born being able to speak English (or whatever language is natural for you to communicate with your dog). But dog’s DO LEARN words that you repeat and associate a requested action or outcome with that sound - provided you have reinforced the linkage with the outcome.

There are three tones of voice we use and find helpful in communicating with our dogs –

1.     The CUE (a better description than the old “COMMAND”) – positive/uplifting

2.     The BRIDGE & PRAISE – excited/higher pitch/use of “bridge” word like “YES!” or “GOOD” (or the clicker) followed by praise/patting/treat reward.

3.     The REDIRECTION – quiet/blunt/flat/clear – not yelled – involves calm repositioning and restart.

With puppies our focus is on the first two – lots of positive reinforcement.  The “Bridge” becomes a signal to the pup that it has understood and performed the requested action/behaviour (this is sometimes referred to as the “secondary reinforcer” because the pup soon learns that this sound equates to a reward/reinforcement) – signaling that a reward/treat is coming soon. The timing here is quite important – have given the CUE, the pup responds and immediately (that is, within roughly 1.5 seconds) the trainer should “Bridge” with a verbal or click sound, then within roughly the following 2.5 – 3.0 seconds the reward (say, a treat or verbal “good dog” or pat) is delivered. This pattern is quickly understood by the pup. Note that eventually the sequence is phased into becoming the Bridge, then a reward every alternate or, say, third iteration (this is advancing to “intermittent rewards”) so we avoid the “my dog only does what she is told when she knows I have a treat ready”.

If we need to correct (or rather, redirect) we do it clearly – to show we are not happy – but gently (certainly at the puppy stage). Here, replacing the wrong behavior with the required behaviour and rewarding that is the most effective method of correction/redirection. There are two example situations:

Firstly, if you catch your puppy chewing your new slippers or the couch – while the action is happening (not an hour or half a day later when you come home and discover this misdemeanor) say “No/ Uh-Uh! /Wrong” (but- NOT YELLED – more showing disappointment, not anger) – remove the pup and immediately give it a chew toy as “replacement therapy” - and when it has the toy say “YES – GOOD DOG”. We cannot expect puppies never to chew, we can only teach them to chew the right things (which don’t include the cushions, shoes, your fingers or the cat!).

Secondly, if you are teaching your pup an obedience behaviour (“manners”) such as a sit or a short stay/wait in position – and the pup, for example, gets up and moves, then simply, in the same spot (or walk the pup a couple of paces) deliver the cue again, repeating the exercise – keep the time in that position very short and then bridge/reward before the pup moves. Avoid the temptation to push the pup into position or to give the cue multiple times (i.e., don’t do the “sit… sit… sit… SIT!” cue).

All of this is explained in my YouTube video at https://youtu.be/BDZwtOeaYZ4

“Chatting” to your dog – building cues and communication concepts

In puppy training, giving clear hand signals as cues (introduced with the action of a “motivational lure” of a treat in hand) to start an action, such as heeling (or sit/down/etc.) is essential. At the right stage you will introduce verbal cues to the hand signal for certain actions. In early training, continuing encouragement as the pup heels along with you is absolutely fine and helpful to let the pup know you wish to continue this action and it is doing splendidly. This does not mean constant incoherent babbling at the pup (which would be confusing) but clear encouraging instructions every so often. Once the pup has the idea of heeling and keeping up, the repetition of the “heel” cue should wane after the first clear cue – except initially as you “about turn” or “left turn/right turn”, as that is a good time to cue encouragement for the pup to keep up with you.

Chatting to your pup at home is a good way to have them focus on you – and no – this is not being anthropomorphic and talking to your pup is not a sign of impending madness! Of course, when the pup is resting you avoid this, but when they are with you and watching – which they usually are as dinner time approaches – then repeating certain words and even short phrases is natural for us and not only keeps the pup’s attention, but can also teach them certain new words. Most pups learn “do you want dinner/bikkies?” very quickly because, of course, it is followed by the “great reward”!

As an example, if your pup picks up a favourite toy, then you naming the toy with – “Have you got Chewy?” – will lead to a future cue such as “Where is Chewy?” or “Find Chewy!” (an informal start to search and find work and even distinguishing between different toys to fetch – great doggie brain stimulation!). If you reward the pup for finding the toy with your excitement and praise – and even exchanging the toy for a reward (either a treat, praise and a pat, or a game of tug) and then returning the toy to the pup, this becomes a great game. You can add to this with “Bring me Chewy”- an easy informal start to the FETCH cue as you transition through “Fetch Chewy” to simply “Fetch “when you toss the toy a couple of metres away.

Again - this is explained in my YouTube video at https://youtu.be/BDZwtOeaYZ4

The long lead

A long lead – of 5m to 10m - is a great way train the pup to stop and come to you and ensure their safety. Have treats or that chewy toy with you to recall the pup from time to time and reward it for coming to you. If it comes when you call – great – if not, then you have the long lead to give it some gentle encouragement while you call enticingly and maybe waggle that toy or treat – or skip away a little bit waving your arms and with lots of upbeat noise, like giggling insanely (you probably won’t get arrested and locked away for this). You can try this long lead idea very inexpensively by purchasing a length of para-cord (just 2mm – 3mm diameter) for a puppy or light webbing (1cm - 2cm wide) from the hardware store and tying or sewing on a dog G-clip (hardware store). Later on, for a fully grown dog or larger breed pup, you might wish to upgrade to purchase a ready-made long line, which is stronger and already fitted with a clip, from a specialty dog supplies outlet (some hardware chains sell these as well).

The long lead is really powerful in dog safety and training and does not impede the dog’s fun on the walk – but might protect it from a dash onto the road, an off-leash aggressive dog, or just being a nuisance to people who don’t want to meet your dog. Be wary of folks who say “Oh, my dog is friendly – it doesn’t need to be on a leash”. These people have no idea how your dog will react (not all dogs like all dogs!) – or what will happen if another dog turns up and all of a sudden there is a new multi-dog dynamic. Take care of your dog.

Importantly, when introducing the long lead, it is best to have taught the dog verbal cues like “Steady and Wait” – just to avoid the dog racing off and hitting the end of the long line at full speed – potentially hurting itself and you. Do this foundation training of “Steady and Wait” on a regular (1.7m/6ft) leash so that the dog knows these cues and you can slow or pause its dash long before it hits the end of the leash.

This is demonstrated in two YouTube video, showing actual in-field application at https://youtu.be/VihKLoXwItk and a full description at https://youtu.be/p7ehpDpJ3hk (at 12:20 in the video).

Three common mistakes to avoid in learning to train your pup

“I went to puppy training for a few weeks - my dog is still crazy, jumps on me, pulls on the leash, won’t come when called – so - it was a waste of time and didn’t go anymore”.

Would we think it sensible if a child only went to school for a couple of months and we gave up on them because they hadn’t yet learned to read Shakespeare fluently nor do algebra and geometry?

Dog training is fun and rewarding for owner and dog – and it just gets better and easier the more you both practice. The bond, trust and obedience (or good dog manners) all progress together. Trainers need to be aware that dogs go through the “teenage years” (6 to 12-18 months) in which their brains are still connecting and they are trying figure stuff out (much like human teenagers).

“I missed a week or two at Dog Club – so thought I would be behind the Class - so didn’t go anymore”.

Life happens – if you miss training sessions, just continue when you can. Train at home – just a few minutes on as many days of the week as you can manage, on walks and at good positive reinforcement opportunities, such as just before the pup’s dinner or exercise session. You and your dog will be rewarded with a better, happier, more relaxed relationship.

“One dog trainer told me one thing and another trainer told me something different – they can’t get their act together - so it doesn’t really make sense!” or, unfortunately –

“A dog trainer told me something I totally disagree with, so I decided this wasn’t for me so I stopped training!”

Remember – you are the intelligent being in the partnership with your dog and you need to decide what advice works for you. Think it through and decide. If you disagree with a piece of advice – fine - it’s up to you what advice to follow – there is still more to learn. If a training method makes sense to you, try it out – not once or twice, but repeatedly with patience and calm. Dogs learn through repetition and positive reinforcement (praise/reward on success) so just trying something a few times and giving up will not get you where you hope to be. Of course, some techniques will favour your dog’s learning motivations and their temperament (or instincts and drives) more than others – and that is your role in the equation – to persist and decide what works best for your dog – avoiding punishment-based training - of course.

All dog trainers who charge for their services have some level of training and/or experience – however not all have been through recognised (government accredited) intensive training course – so look for a trainer who can show formal animal behavior and training certificate qualifications Dog trainers/instructors are well meaning and want to pass on to you the best advice and help they can in the spirit of sharing the enjoyment of dog companionship – obviously tinged with their own thoughts, experiences and way of doing things. So – remember that you are in control of your dog – digest the teachings to apply to your situation and dog. You will find a diversity of ideas and techniques - decide for yourself what works for you and your dog – and do avoid a trainer who insists on dominating your pup through physical aversive techniques and any who sprout the “pack leader/alpha dog theory”.

All of this is discussed in my YouTube video at https://youtu.be/BDZwtOeaYZ4

Dogs pulling on the leash

We see a lot of dog trainer advice about how to fix a dog pulling on the leash in just 15 minutes (!!!)

Really??? WOW!!! MAGIC???

Now – a number of things these trainers commonly suggest ARE good ideas – such as:

1.     Teaching the dog to WAIT rather than dashing out the door to start the walk [this is simply basic “dog manners’’ and having the dog pay attention to you – it’s not about “dominance” - see Article on this site “Canine dominance – is it a real thing?”].

2.     Slowing down and changing direction when the dog pulls [not suddenly jerking the dog in a different direction as some trainers suggest].

3.     Standing still until the leash pressure is released and attention returns to you, then rewarding and proceeding with the walk – possibly in the opposite direction to where you were going.

All good ideas – but let’s look at this further.

Just jerking the pup when it pulls is not the solution - we can utilize the dog’s hearing and listening to the owner, rather than just surprising it, by adding the clear cues of “Fido - STEADY” or “SLOW” when we walk slowly (voiced in an extended calm way – like telling a galloping horse to W_H_O_O_A_A!!!; that is, “S-T-E-A-D-Y”) and then “Fido” “WAIT/STOP” (a firm cue) when we stop – and rewarding the pup when it complies and returns attention to you. Eventually (not in 15 minutes!) the owner can control the leash walk with the cues of STEADY and WAIT – (important for going down steps or a slippery path with your dog on-leash and, eventually, off-leash management).

And here’s what the “15-minute-cure pundits” don’t tell you – many dogs will fall into a loose-leash walk after 15 minutes or so walk – because they are relaxed and the excitement level has subsided – especially if you have wisely allowed time at the start of the walk for sniffing and toileting – at the time and place you decide. The guardian does not need to beat the pup into submission to achieve leash manners – as many YouTube “experts” would have you believe.

The point is – dog owners need to keep up the training actions of requiring the dog to pay attention on the walk and, if they pull, the walk stalls or changes direction – with a verbal cue - then the dog is rewarded for returning its attention to the owner. This learning experience needs to be repeated over an extended period of time and a number of future walks. How long and how many walks depends on both the temperament of the dog and the efficacy of the owner’s training.

A pup will naturally be excited about a walk and exuberant - wanting to go, go, go! Curbing this – without debilitating the pup’s natural cheer and love of life and all things new - needs to start straight away and be continued to head off mounting walk frustration– but the objective is not to stop the pup having fun. The aim is clearly not to make a sensitive puppy leash-shy or apprehensive on a walk – you just want them to be mindful of you, not to suffer “learned helplessness” and be afraid to move for fear of severe punishing corrections. Puppies typically have just two speeds – flat-out and asleep. The owner needs to plan safe places the pup can run, on-leash and off-leash in a fenced or otherwise safe environment – and just do what puppies do to burn energy and enjoy life.

Please check out the YouTube video at https://youtu.be/p7ehpDpJ3hk which demonstrates the types and management of dog walks discussed here and some further training tips.

Summary and Conclusions

In our training we emphasise positive reinforcement. We completely avoid the term “punishment” but we do use “redirection”. This is a contentious area in dog training. What is not meant is the old “jerk and hurt” training! What is meant is showing the dog right from wrong and using terms like “Yes” (in an excited up-beat voice - or using a clicker) as the positive bridge to a reward when the correct action or behaviour happens. Some “positive only” trainers avoid the use of “No”, “Uh-uh”, or “Wrong” when we wish to let the dog know that is not what we want – and we think the dog knows what we want – then acknowledge with “Yes” and a reward when the dog’s attention returns to you. You need to determine whether a “negative verbal marker” really is necessary and helps your dog understand – or is just calmly showing them and reinforcing what you want (the desired action or behaviour) the best pathway, i.e., more effective in the long term (this obviously varies somewhat depending on the situation – is it an urgent safety alarm or simply part of the training cycle?).

Remember, we are (mostly) dealing with “well meaning” and enthusiastic puppies which want to understand what we want them to do - and our responses need to be weighted accordingly. We are being careful not to create “leash fear” or “leash reactivity” by over-correcting – rather laying groundwork for the adult dog, so that it understands when we are not pleased with an action later in life. Puppies are active, happy-go-lucky, wanting to please, greet everyone – so treat them accordingly with mental and physical stimulation and retain and protect that love of life they all start off with.

Always remember that puppies (and teenage dogs) are not deliberately doing something wrong – they just don’t know yet what is right and what is wrong (what is expected of them in that moment) – so build that knowledge and understanding with them through gentle but clear training and positive reinforcement of the desired actions and behaviours.

As a final training tip - consider that it would be beneficial to do some (or some further) research on the breed of dog you have (or the mixture of breeds) so that you can better appreciate your dog’s senses and drives. These provide a window into training opportunities and games (or sports) you can activate your dog’s brain with. They will love you even more and provide more fun and entertainment for both of you!

Further helpful training tips – based on the most frequently asked questions from new puppy companions, as well as some advanced training fun things to learn, can be viewed on YouTube videos targeted specifically at this extended training at https://youtu.be/VKUuRG1tsm4