How to Teach the Dog Scout Certification Behaviors
by Chris Puls
(Behavior cues are
in GREEN followed by
instructions on how to teach the dog the behavior using DSA approved
methods)
(Baron von Beaglestein
"Bear" DSA)
The following sections are
arranged based on the Dog Scout Class
Outline found in the "Start a Troop" -“Scoutmaster/Evaluator”
section of the Dog Scout website. The classes, and their
order are suggestions only and are shown in the order that they are
presented at camp.
This page also assumes that
you understand the basics of clicker training and that you have your
clicker and rewards ready when you start these exercises. If you do not
understand clicker training, please first read the “How Dogs Learn" page
on this website.
Need more hands? If you find that holding the treats,
clicker and leash is too much, try stepping on the leash or using a
leash around your waist.
You can also use a treat pouch to hold the treats. Both the waist leash
and treat pouch are available from the
DSA store.
A note about
treats:
Use real
food. Use
something your dog really, really loves. Things like pieces of
hot-dog, pieces of cooked chicken, cheese, soft cat treats,
etc. You will get
faster results if you use a motivator (treats) that the dog has a
strong desire to obtain.
You also don’t need to use large treats. Pieces about the size
of a pea work well with all size dogs. If your dog does not
like food treats, use a toy that the dog gets really excited about
and only gets to play with during training sessions. If your dog doesn’t
like food or toys, talk to a Scoutmaster about how to train your dog
to be motivated by toys or to find something your dog can get
excited about.
General Dog Scout certification requirements:
Treats are allowed and encouraged for training, but they are
not allowed on you during the “check-out” part of the certification
process. You are
also not allowed to make the dog think you have a reward (luring) to
get the dog to perform a behavior. See the section on
“Variable Schedule of Reinforcement” below to learn how to “phase
out” the use of treats.
Leash Corrections (Jerking) is not allowed at any time,
during training or the “check-out.” Harsh verbal
corrections or physical threats are also prohibited.
You are allowed to talk to your dog and encourage them during
any portion of the “check-out” and multiple cues (within reason) are
also allowed.
For more detailed requirements based on each exercise, see
the "Certification" page on this site.
CLASS #1 (Leave It and Heeling)
LEAVE IT
training:
Having a dog that will
respond to a “Leave It” cue can save the dog’s life! The Dog Scout
certification requires that you be able to show that your dog
understands and responds to a “Leave It” cue while walking past very
tempting food on the ground, while the leash is loose and the dog is
close enough to reach the food. And that it has been trained
using positive methods (given below.) The dog can't react
like he/she has been punished and the cue can't be said in a harsh
or loud tone.
It requires that it be demonstrated with food, another
dog and another animal (or wildlife carcass.) It can be done
easily! Have faith in your dog and yourself. The
training steps below will help you.
There are many dangerous
situations your dog might face. Being able to call the
dog away from these situations can help you avoid embarrassment,
having people see your dog as rude or needing a trip to the
vet.
Some of the situations your
dog could get into in which you could use “leave it”
include:
- Trying to steal a child’s
snack
- Raiding the garbage cans
as you walk down the street or visit a friend’s
house
- Finding a baited hook on a
beach or shoreline
- Going for dropped
medication (yours or that of a nursing home patient you might be
visiting with your therapy dog)
- Trying to visit someone
that is afraid of dogs
- Finding a dead animal
carcass or other things dogs like to roll
in
- Seeing an animal run
across your path in front of you (cats, squirrels, chipmunks,
etc.)
- Coming across a skunk or
porcupine (they usually don’t run, because they don’t have to!)
- Approaching a less than
friendly dog
- Any time the dog’s eyes
lock onto something they can’t have for more than 3
seconds
- This list could go on and
on!
Training
Steps:
These are recommended
for new trainers and/or dogs highly motivated by food or other
animals. Read through the "Training Steps" at the bottom of
the "Learn New Things" page for a
way to teach your dog that the cue "Leave it" means to look at you
(and to move away from the food.) These steps were used to
teach a VERY food motivated beagle (shown in his Dog Scout bandana
above) to respond to the "leave it" cue even when off leash and
being called past his favorite tuna treats on the floor!
The training steps
break down the behavior into tiny pieces that are easy for the dog
to understand. It gives you an example of just how tiny the
training steps should be regardless of what you are teaching the
dog. The most time will be (should be) spent on the first steps of
the eye contact game - getting the dog to look away from the food in
the hand. Getting the first 5+ seconds of eye contact (one
second at a time, till the dog can maintain for at least 5 seconds)
is the hardest part. Once the dog starts to understand the
concept of indirect access, it gets easier.
Don't be tempted to
rush the steps and do less than 10 repetitions of each step.
Even if the dog seems to know it, correct practice can't hurt!
But if you advance before the dog really understands, the rest of
the training can fall apart because you don't have a good
foundation. At each dark line on the chart, the section above
the line should be repeated in at least two other locations before
moving onto the next section. The dog should get at least 8
out of the 10 repetitions correct before you move on to a harder
step. If he doesn't get at least 8 correct, repeat all 10 till
you get an 80% correct response.
An Alternate
Method:
Start with some food in
your closed hand. Put the hand in front of the dog. You might
need a leather glove on your hand if your dog is really determined,
but ignore any attempts the dog makes to get the food: pawing,
licking, nosing, etc. If the dog startes to use his
teeth, withdraw your hand for a few seconds and then present it
again. Don't say anything during this exercise. Be ready
with the clicker in the other hand to click the moment the dog backs
away from your hand. Right after the click, open your hand and
let the dog get the treat. With repetition, the dog will learn
that to get the food, he has to not mug you for it. This is a
good start to self control and a good lead-in to the next
exercise.
The Set
Up:
Start with some so-so treats (kibble or something the dog will eat, but isn’t
crazy for, or a toy your dog likes but that isn’t his favorite)
these will be the "bait.” Set the "Bait" on the
floor on a paper plate or something to make it more obvious to the
dog. You also
need some of the dog’s favorite treats or his favorite toy (can be
hidden in a pouch or pocket.) This will be the dog’s
reward when he does what you want.
Be a post: You are
simply going to stand like a post, holding the leash still (no
jerking) so that the dog can’t reach the bait. The dog will do any
pulling or loosening of the leash, not you. You can even use a
waist leash for this to insure that you don’t pull on the
leash.
Don’t let the
dog take the bait: Be sure you
are far enough from the bait that the dog can’t lunge and reach it,
or use his paw to drag it closer. If he does get the
bait, be sure you at least make an attempt to get it out of his
mouth (even if you know there is nothing there to get.) This will help clarify
to the dog that he made the “wrong choice.” You will now need to
be VERY careful that the dog is NOT able to steal another piece of
bait. If he
continues to self-reward the stealing behavior, it is that
behavior that will continue. Using a long rib bone or a pan with
what's left of the lasagna baked on the sides or other such food
item the dog can't easily swallow will help prevent the reward from
staying with the dog.
Positioning:
We want to set the dog up for success, so once the dog
knows what is on the ground, back away to a point where the dog is
not so focused on the item that he can't think. For some dogs,
this might be a foot or two. For others, it might be 30
feet. It's best if the dog is interested and looking, but not
pulling for several seconds, straining and clawing in an attempt to
reach the bait.
Shh, Don’t say
a word: Don’t say anything during
this exercise. It
is up to the dog to figure out what wins him the prize (favorite
treats from you.)
What you are looking for is the moment that the
dog looks away from the bait. As soon as you see
this, click and back up a few steps (to focus the dog’s attention on
you) then tell the dog how smart and wonderful he is while
you give the dog one of the really good treats that you have
near or on you, but out of the dog’s reach. Repeat this exercise
until the dog looks like he understands that he has to look at you
in order to get the good treat. How fast the dog
reaches that understanding depends on the dog. If the dog is too
focused on the bait, move away from it a bit more and try
again. You may
even need to be so far away that the dog can barely see the bait
(especially when the “bait” is another animal—but that comes
later)
Add more
time
When the dog is looking at you quickly, instead of trying to
stare the bait into his mouth, you will gradually add the
requirement of a longer and longer “look at you” before you click
and reward.
OK, you can add a cue
now
Once he is reliably backing off and/or looking at you to get
the good treats, start saying, "Leave it" just before the dog turns
to look at you.
The "Leave it" cue should be said quietly, about the same as
you would say "Hello" to a stranger. It should not have an
implied “or else” tone because it won’t need to.
You should move the
bait to a slightly different location to get the dog interested in
it again. Moving
it just a few feet makes it “new” again. Notice that we didn’t
add the cue right away.
This is because dogs don’t know English. If you add the cue
before the dog understands the behavior, then "Leave it" is just
babble you keep saying when there is good stuff present. If you add the verbal
cue too soon, he may even learn that "Leave it" means "there’s good
stuff here, you should stare at it!" Let him learn the action
expected before you give it a name. That way he is clear
that "leave it,” means just that... ignore it, and good
things will come his way!
Once he gains an
understanding of this new cue, you can slowly move closer for a few
repetitons. If the dog is still doing the correct response to
the cue, move a bit closer for a few more repetitions. Repeat
this till you are very close to the food.
Making it
harder
Once he is responding to the "Leave it" under the above
circumstances, now you can change things a bit. Put the really good
stuff as bait and start all over again at the far distance with
no cue. Your dog
will go through the steps MUCH faster this time. When that is
mastered, try it in a different location. Again, start from the
beginning. Again,
your dog will progress through the steps quickly. Now try to walk by the
food (like for the Dog Scout certification.) Keep in mind that each
time you add a variable (different bait, different day, new
location, distractions, etc) it is now a new concept for the dog
(because dogs don’t generalize well.)
Really learning the
behavior
If you use a positive training method and let the dog know
that it is OK for him to try to figure things out on his own (to
truly learn), then he will first try what he already knows. This is why he will
progress through the steps faster each time. He will soon figure
out that it doesn’t matter where he is, or what the bait is, or
who’s walking by...when mom or dad says "leave it" it means
something specific.
If you progress through the steps as outlined, your dog will
know the cue means to leave alone what ever it is that has
caught his or her attention. It is also likely that
the dog will look at you when you give the cue. That’s an added
benefit and another opportunity to reward eye
contact.
Variable Schedule of
Reinforcement
Once your dog has a solid understanding of the "Leave it" in
a given situation, start giving a treat for only 3 out of 4 correct
responses. Since
you have a choice of which ones get a treat, why not pick the faster
responses? You can then
progress to only giving a treat for 2 out of 4. Just remember to keep
it on a random schedule.
Always let the dog know that he has done what you want by
using praise, but when you have a clickable pass by the food you can
vary his reward.
Sometimes he gets a food treat, sometimes he gets his
favorite toy, other times he gets something else he likes, sometimes
he gets to move on to the next cue (provided it's a cue
for a behavior he really likes.)
Make the behavior
stronger
It is proven that this "Variable Schedule of Reinforcement"
will cause the greatest amount of drive and speed in the dog’s
responses. You
will also not need to always have food in order for your dog to
respond to you.
If you have enough other things that your dog really likes,
you won’t need to have food at all (once the dog learns the
behavior.)
Good luck!
Remember to keep it positive! Let the dog’s actions
decide when you need to progress -- don’t push
it!
Heeling on
Lead:
What is
heeling?
Heeling for
obedience competition requires that the dog stay next to the
handler’s left side, with the dog’s shoulder even with where a pants
seam would be.
The dog should be looking at the handler and remain in
position regardless of where or how the handler moves.
The Dog Scout certification
does not require the precision of obedience competition. It does require that
the dog remain in heel position (or very close to it), on a loose
lead, even when the person makes a turn or stop. Multiple cues or
encouragement is allowed to keep the dog in position, but tightening
the leash is not.
Leash “corrections” are prohibited.
Auto Sit: Another component of competition heeling
is that the dog automatically sits (in heel position) when the
handler stops.
For the Dog Scout certification, the dog needs to sit when
the handler stops, but cueing the sit (with either verbal or hand
signals) and sloppy sits (out of heel position) are
allowed.
Note: Several of the things mentioned in the
following section can be found in more detail on the “How
Dog’s Learn” page. Please read that
before continuing.
Basics of
heel:
Why dogs pull on
leads (leashes): You
know that dogs do what “works” for them (Whatever gets them what
they want.) You
also know that a rewarded behavior is one that will be
repeated. Since
dogs repeat pulling on the lead often, it must be getting
rewarded. The
reward is forward motion, which gets the dog new sights and
smells.
How to stop the pulling: You learned that if a behavior fails to
get a reward, the dog won’t repeat it. So what you need to do
is remove the reward (forward motion) when the dog pulls on the
leash (the behavior you want to end.)
The Set Up: To begin, you will mark a
“start line.” It can be
a real mark on the ground, or simply any point that you can easily
find again. About
15-20 feet away from the start line should be something the dog
really wants.
This can be a person encouraging the dog to come to him or
her (without using your come cue), or it could be food or a favorite
toy, or it could be the door to the outside world when the dog wants
to go for a walk.
No reward mark: It is helpful for this exercise if your
dog understands a “No Reward Mark” (a NRM.) This is a sound that
lets the dog know that the behavior he just offered will not be
getting a reward.
It could be equated to the “cold” signal given in the
“Hot-Cold” game you may have played as a child.
Waist Leash: It is also helpful if you use a waist
leash for this exercise that is adjusted to give a loose leash, but
tight enough that the dog won’t trip on it. The reason for this;
everyone tends to want to either pull on the lead or “help” the dog
by giving more leash (or both.) By using a waist leash
that you don’t hold with your hands, the dog gets to learn on his
own, without your “help” (which isn’t really helping the dog
learn.)
Object of the game: Is to get the dog to walk by your side,
in heel position, all the way from the start line to the desired
object.
Working on that goal: Start with yourself and the dog behind
the start line.
Be sure that the dog sees what is waiting for him at the
other side. You
can start with the dog either sitting or standing at your left side,
your choice.
Begin by walking toward the object that the dog desires.
“Oops, try again” –
No Reward Mark
Of course, as soon as you take a step or two, the dog is
likely to pull out ahead of you. You need to have a
clear picture in your mind of exactly where “too far in front of
you” is located.
Know where that imaginary line between “heeling” and “not
heeling” is located.
As soon as the dog crosses the line, you mark the point of no
reward with your No Reward Mark (NRM) and get back to the start line
AS FAST AS YOU CAN!
Start over
FAST
The timing of the NRM and a
quick re-start are critical to the dog’s understanding of the
game. To help
your dog understand the unwanted behavior (moving ahead of you) and
the consequence (having to start over) you need to make the timing
of the two as close together as possible.
If you delay your move back
to the start until the dog has stopped pulling on the lead and is
looking at you; guess what he will associate with having to start
over? He will think
that not pulling, and looking at you was the unwanted behavior! If instead, you go
back to the start as soon as the dog moves past heel position (even
before the leash gets tight), it will be much more clear to the dog
what behavior caused the NRM and consequence. Just be patient with
him and he will begin to understand.
Motivation
The more motivated the dog
is to get across the game field, the faster he will try to figure
out what is causing the delay. If the dog takes a few
steps in heel position, be sure to “catch him in the act” of doing
the proper behavior and praise it.
Notice I didn’t say
click
A click means that the dog
has done what you want (which he has), but it also says the behavior
is over (which it isn’t) and he gets his reward (which he hasn’t
reached yet.)
Praise lets the dog know he’s on the right track without
ending the behavior.
If you were to click half way to the prize, you would have to
be able to ensure that the dog didn’t pull (and then get rewarded)
before he gets to the other side of the game
field.
If praise causes
pulling ahead
If you praise your dog for
being in the proper position and that causes him to surge ahead,
give a No Reward Mark and go back to the start. The dog simply has not
learned that praise means “keep going, you’re doing it right.” The NRM will not
remove the reward of the praise; it will simply help clarify for the
dog what the praise means. The praise is
important to let the dog know that he’s doing it correctly.
Most dogs get it
quickly
Most dogs are able to
quickly figure out what is going on if your timing is clear. You should be able to
see improvement in as few as 10 repetitions (going back to
start.) Once the
dog figures out the “rules of the game”, most are able to then get
almost completely across the field while staying in heel
position.
Don’t give in too
soon
A common problem occurs, as
the dog is just about to get to the other side. They just can’t
contain themselves any longer and make a quick burst across the
finish. This also
means they left heel position too early and should not get
rewarded (be sure he can’t get rewarded)! Don’t give in too
early; it doesn’t help the dog. Just be ready for the
burst and the need to make the move for the start line as soon as
the dog breaks out of heel position. It will only take
another try or two before the dog isn’t “cheating” at the end.
He made it!
When the dog
finally makes it all the way across the game field while maintaining
his self control and staying in heel position, pile on the
rewards! It’s a
big accomplishment and should be treated as such.
Add a release
cue
You won’t want your dog to
be the one to decide when the heeling game is over once he
understands the cue.
Now he needs to learn the cue for “Alright, you can resume
your normal doggie life.” Common “release”
cues are: all done, you’re free, finished, and “Okay.” I don’t recommend
using “okay” because the dog is likely to hear it often. It can be any word you
are likely to remember as a cue that tells your dog he is “released”
from the behavior.
This cue can also be used to release your dog from a “stay”
cue. You will be
adding the cue you choose just before the dog gets to the
reward. Later,
you will use it to signal when the dog no longer needs to maintain
heel position.
Try it
again
Now you need to repeat the
exercise because your dog still doesn’t know how to heel. What he does know is
that to get from the start line to the finish line, he has to walk
by your side. He
will not generalize that behavior to other situations yet.
Put it on
cue
Once the dog is reliably
walking across the game field without having to go back to the
start, you can add the verbal cue. You will give the
“Heel” cue just before you leave the start line (not AS you
leave it.)
Practice the exercise a few more times to help make the
association between the behavior and the
cue.
Generalization
The next step in the
training is to get your dog to realize that walking by your side is
beneficial to him, regardless of the circumstances. Start by setting up
the above game again in a new location with a new reward. It’s normal to have to
do some re-starts.
Once the dog is “getting it” again, you can add the verbal
cue just before you leave the start.
Now you will need to get the
dog to understand that even if you are just walking down a street or
trail, heel means heel.
When you are walking with your dog, he is in it for the
sights and smells and (in most cases) socialization with any other
being he meets.
If you want to practice heel, just make an imaginary start
line and play the game above. Don’t forget to use
your release cue to let the dog know when he can go back to being a
dog that is just out for a walk.
An alternative
method is to make the Heel position more rewarding than any
of the other places the dog could be while walking on the
leash. This is accomplished by playing a
game:
Choose to
heel:
Pick an area in which you
can move around easily, but that's not over distracting for the
dog. This might be a room in your house, the back yard or a
parking lot that's not being used (watch for cars anyway.)
You'll have the dog on a leash, but only hold the handle. Let
the rest stay loose and don't worry about it unless the dog really
gets tangled.
Have some good treats or a
favorite toy on you (in a pocket or pouch) and your clicker in the
hand not holding the leash. This is a fast paced
game. Start to walk briskly around the area. Don't
venture too far, you want the dog to get bored with the area and
start to pay attention to you and your fast pace.
When the dog happens to get
into heel position (its bound to happen) be ready to click and
reward. As soon as the treat is delivered, turn quickly and
walk in the opposite direction. This means the dog has to work
at getting into heel position again. You want him to WANT to
get into that position to get the click/reward. Keep the pace
fun and make it a game.
After some repetition, the
dog will learn that being next to you in heel position gets you
to click/reward. Now you can start to play "keep away" with
that position, trying to add just a little bit of difficulty for the
dog and making him work at it to get into the
position.
When the dog is quickly
getting into the proper position, you can start to add the cue just
before he gets into the proper spot for the click. Then start
adding duration. He will need to stay in position for 2 steps
before you click. Swtich direction after the reward and now
require position for three steps before you click.
Gradually add more steps, but sometimes click after a lesser number
of steps.
Occasionally, after you
treat, give the release cue and take a short break to catch your
breath :-) This will help reinforce that the "release" cue
means the dog is no longer "on duty" to work with you and can just
be a dog at the end of the leash till you give a
cue.
Soon your dog will be
heeling for longer distances. You can add in curves, then
turns. Try changing to a slower pace and reward if the dog
stays in heel. If not, quickly change direction and try
again. Slow down more gradually and expect just a few steps at
the slightly slower pace.
No more leash
pulling
You will find that
once your dog fully understands the “heel” cue, you will no longer
have a dog that drags you around by the leash. This is further
reinforced if you practice the “tight leash means look at me”
exercise. When
the dog forgets his manners, just stop (removing the reward of
forward motion.)
When the dog remembers that it’s a loose leash, not pulling
that gets him what he wants (forward motion), you can
proceed.
Be sure to also practice
getting the dog to sit when you stop while heeling. This is
needed for the test. If your dog swings his butt out away from
you when he sits, try holding the treat out away from your leg (but
not too far out in front) so that his head moves away from
your leg. This will bring his butt toward your leg. If
he wraps his butt around your leg, hold the treat more in front of
you. As his head comes around your leg, his butt
should move out. You can also practice cueing the sit near a
wall if the dog tends to swing his butt away from
you.
CLASS #2 (Sit, Down,
Stay)
Sit
Happens
For the Dog Scout
certification, your dog will have to demonstrate that he understands
and responds to a sit cue (either verbal or hand
signal.)
Set up:
Even if your
dog knows the sit cue, work through these steps. Get your clicker and
treats ready, your dog should be ready to work with you when he sees
these, if not, you can clip on a leash and stand on the end of it
just to keep him in the general area you want to work.
Just wait:
Now, you wait
him out. You
don’t say or do anything, just watch him and wait for him to offer a
sit. Ignore all
other behaviors.
If his attention wanders, try increasing the value of the
reward you are using (he should know what you have to offer.) The dog should want
the reward so much, that he is willing to try everything he can
think of to get it.
A little
help- Most dogs
that quit trying or lose interest in their handler are lacking the
proper motivator. Use a different
treat or toy to see if the dog will work for the new item. If the dog just isn’t
getting it, you can use the reward to “lure” the dog into the
sit. Start with
the reward in front of the dog’s nose, and slowly move it over his
head toward his back.
If you hold it too high, the dog will jump up, but if it’s
held where the dog can reach it (but in a closed hand) the dog
should sit. Be
ready to click as soon as his butt hits the floor and jackpot (see
below)! Do away
with the lure as soon as you can and go back to just waiting for the
dog to offer the behavior.
Jackpot! As soon as
his butt hits the floor, you are going to click and give him a big
reward party for being the smartest dog on the planet. You should have treats
that you can break into very tiny pieces and give him several tiny
pieces one at a time
(not all at once) while telling him how wonderful he is. To a dog, one handful
is the same as one small treat. Giving him several treats in
rapid succession is more rewarding, regardless of the size of the
treat.
Try
again.
If he hasn’t
gotten up from the sit, encourage him to do so by taking a small
step and then wait him out again. As soon as he sits,
click and treat (holding the treat out so that he has to move out of
the sit position to get it.)
Quick
repetitions- It should
take less and less waiting as the dog figures out what behavior is
causing the click/treat.
By using this method, you are letting the dog actually learn
- which is what makes the behavior “stick” in his brain.
Shh, don’t
say a word. You should not be
saying or doing anything to “help” your dog figure out this puzzle,
just let him work it out (the patience and silence is the hardest
part for some people.)
Alright, now
add a cue.
Once the dog
is sitting rapidly and repeatedly, you can add a verbal cue or hand
signal. Right
before you think he’s going to sit, give the cue... just once, then wait.
As soon as he sits, click and give him several tiny pieces of
treat.
NOTE: Don’t say “Sit down”, or you
will confuse the dog once he understands that "down" means to lay
down. If you tend to say Sit Down, then I suggest you pick a
different word for the "down" behavior so your dog can easily tell
what you want. Some suggestions are "Plotz" (a German cue),
"Prone" or "Lay." Since dogs don't know our language, you
can pick any word that you know you'll remember means down.
Generalizations- Since dogs
don’t generalize, you now need to change things a bit and try this
in a different room or location. Go back to not saying
anything until the dog will sit rapidly and repeatedly again. Then add the cue just
before the behavior again. Each time you practice
this in a new location, repeat these steps and each time you are in
a new place, the progression will go much faster.
Practicing in many different situations is an important step
most people leave out.
They think that because the dog knows what the cue “Sit”
means at home, that he should know it everywhere. But to a dog, sitting
at home on cue and sitting while on a walk on cue, are two different
behaviors. You
need to teach him that sit means sit regardless of where he is or
what you are doing by going through the training steps in several
different locations before the dog really understands.
Hand
signals- If you would
like to add the hand signal to this behavior, it is an upward
“scoop” of your hand with the palm up. It starts with your
hand by your side and ends with you holding your hand out like you
are “asking” for someone to give you something.
Adding new
cues- Anytime you
add a new cue to a behavior, it needs to be presented a second or
two prior to the old cue. If you give two cues
at the same time, the dog will only see or hear the one he knows and
will disregard the new cue. Example: To teach the
dog a hand signal for sit after he has learned the verbal cue; Give
the hand signal, wait a second or two, then tell the dog “Sit” --
click/treat when he does. By putting the new cue
first, the dog will notice it and start to anticipate the cue he
knows. Soon, the
new cue will have the same meaning.
Body
Language- Dogs are
very good at reading our body language and any subtle cues we give
with our hands or body.
What they have more trouble with is learning verbal
cues. When teaching the
dog a new behavior, you may actually teach him a hand or body signal
without even realizing it.
Luring motions often become cues to the dog. How you
stand or even how you hold your head can also turn into cues.
For this reason, remember to give any new cue prior to any
previously used cue.
Distractions-
Now you can
add distractions and start "proofing.” You can make it harder
for the dog by changing location, adding distractions, varying your
distance from the dog, changing handlers, etc. You use these
variations to teach the dog that everything is irrelevant to his
getting the reward except the cue and his response to it. He needs to know that
no matter where he is or what he’s doing, if he hears or sees the
signal for “Sit” he needs to do it to get the reward. You might also want to add
some challenge for a dog that has mastered a cue by changing your
position. Try cueing the dog while you sit with your back to
him, or while you are lying on the floor or when you are not looking
at your dog.
The
Down: 
Lying down is something dogs do naturally, but you now want
to be able to get the behavior on cue. This will be similar
in progression to the sit cue. Start the way you did
for sit, except; you are going to wait for the dog to lie down.
Ignore all
sits and other behaviors. Some dogs take awhile
to offer a down and others try it quickly. If your dog takes
awhile to offer it, you can pull up a chair and wait. You could also go to
the “lure” method for a few repetitions.
Luring the
down- Start with
the dog in a sit.
Put the reward in front of the dog’s nose and slowly move it
straight down toward the floor. As the dog crouches,
move it along the floor away from the dog. As the dog follows the
reward with his nose, the rest of his body will go into the “down”
position. As soon
as the dog lies down, click and reward him with the item you used as
a lure. Another way to
lure the dog is to start with the dog standing and take the food
between the dogs front legs toward the floor. This will cause
some dogs to fold backwards into a down position. If the dog
doesn't seem to be "getting it", try using a prop like your
leg. Sit on the floor and bend your knee slightly. Hold
the treat under your knee encouraging your dog to go "under" your
knee. The dog will need to lie down to get the treat.
Click and reward as soon as the dog is fully
down.
Repeat- Get him back
into a sit or stand, and wait again. Just as with the sit,
each time will take less and less waiting. You are also teaching
the dog that you want him to repeat the behavior that you clicked,
because this will make the training of new behaviors go much faster
in the future.
Add the
cue- Once the dog
will offer the down rapidly and repeatedly, you can add the verbal
cue right before he is going to lie down. Then, just as you did
with the sit, vary the location and do some
“proofing.”
Discrimination- When the dog
knows multiple cues, he will need to learn to discriminate between
those cues so that he gives the proper response to each different
cue. If the dog
offers several behaviors before he offers the correct behavior, he
doesn’t understand what the cue means. You need to go back to
the basics and then add the cue just before the behavior is
offered. Only
reward when the dog gets it right on the first try. Dogs tend to have a
hard time learning cue discrimination if the cues weren’t added at
the proper time during the training phase.
They will tune in to the fact that you gave a cue, but will
then try all the behaviors they know till they get it “right.” If you usually give
the cues in a certain order, such as sit/down/roll over/play dead,
that’s the order in which the dog will offer the behaviors to guess
which cue you just gave him.
Variation is
the key. If they “guess” wrong,
you have a few options.
A)
You can mark his choice as wrong (with your No Reward Mark)
and give the cue again then reward the correct response.
B)
You can mark it wrong with the NRM and pause the training
session for a few seconds or walk away before starting again. Only a correct
response on the first try gets rewarded.
C)
Mark the incorrect response with the NRM, re-cue, but
withhold the reward (only the correct response on the first try gets
rewarded.)
D)
The fourth option is to just wait. No mark, no reward, no
re-cue, nothing... then start over after
the pause.
Which option should you choose? Try them all. See what works best
for your dog.
Some need more encouragement than others to keep them from
giving up on the effort.
Stay
Stay can be a very useful behavior to teach your dog. Once your dog
understands what “Stay” means, you will find that you use it quite
often.
Your dog should understand a No Reward Mark (NRM) before
beginning this exercise.
A NRM can be any sound that lets the dog know he’s chosen a
behavior that won’t be rewarded. It is also recommended
that you read through the sit and down training to get an idea of
the proper training progression. Once your dog is
reliable with sit and down, you can work on the stay.
What do you
want- Before you
can teach the dog a behavior; you have to know exactly what behavior
you desire. For
this exercise, we will start by trying to get the dog to remain in
the chosen position for one or two seconds. Gradually, as the dog
learns what is required, that will be increased to a much longer
time requirement.
Teaching
Stay- Hgave the
dog sit or down.
Say “Stay.”
Reward the dog with “good dog” (a keep going marker) and a
few treats while he maintains the stay position. Then, hold a
treat in your hand at the height of his nose only slightly out of
reach. If he
makes a move for the treat, say your NRM as you pull the treat out
of his reach. Get
the dog is back into position and repeat the exercise.
Jackpot! The dog will
soon figure out that if he stays in place for a few seconds, he gets
the reward marker (the click and then a treat.)
Release
cue- You will
need to use your release cue (see the “Heel” section above) to let
the dog know when he no longer has to stay in place. By introducing it
early, the dog will learn that he has to wait for your cue before he
can move.
Repeat- Continue to
repeat this exercise while gradually increasing the number of
seconds that the dog has to remain in place prior to the
click.
Add the
cue- Once he is
staying in place for 30 seconds, introduce the cue. Tell him to sit (or
down), and cue him to stay. Use a conversational
tone. Dogs have
excellent hearing; yelling won’t make this new word any more
understandable.
Little
Longer- Now all you
have to do is to gradually extend the amount of time he has to wait
before he gets the treat. Use the treat to tempt
him to move, so that if he does, you can let him know it was not
correct to move (with the No Reward Mark and no treat.)
Make it more
difficult- Gradually
increase the difficulty by moving a little bit away from the dog
while he stays and then go back to him before giving the
release.
Only raise
one criterion at a time- the stay may
seem like a fairly simple set of requirements for the dog. If he stays in place,
he gets a reward.
If he moves he doesn’t get a reward. However, it can be
more difficult than that, depending on what is happening around the
dog. The three
parts to raising the difficulty are:
·
First, work on duration- How long the dog has to stay
