Taking the Food out of Training

At some point or another if you have trained using food or treats you need to fade them out. I usually have clients ask me about this when they have a show or a PALS test coming up. Here's some key tips on how to keep your dog listening even without the good stuff in hand! 


> Use a variable reinforcement schedule so your dog never knows what will produce a food reward. With young dogs or beginners you'll need to reward more often and then slowly make them work harder. 
> Keep food or treats out of sight when training and only pull them out AFTER the dog has done what you asked. 
> Use alternate rewards! Toys, praise, petting, play, etc are all great reinforcers too. The more you use other rewards the easier it is to put the food away. 
> Practice in different locations so your dog gets use to all sorts of distractions. Remember in new places you'll need to go back a few steps to let your dog adjust. 
> Keep your dog guessing. If he/she doesn't know when a reward is coming he/she'll actually work harder in the long run to please. 
> Continue to practice with food on occasion so your dog stays motivated especially for harder skills like coming when called or loose leash walking. 


Every dog works at a different pace so don't get discouraged. A good way to start fading out food is to join a group class and ask your trainer to help you out. This often one of the harder parts of training and having a guide who knows when/how is very helpful. 

The Importance of Motivation

Last night my Adventure Dog class got to see how much MOTIVATION matters in dog training (well really in training anyone including people). I'd love to say that this one type of treat works for every dog in every situation but of course motivation is based on individual preferance, environmental context and of course other factors such as whether your dog is full, tired, thirsty, etc.

When working with your dog try to have a few different types of reinforcers with you. I generally bring some kibble, some higher value treats (Zuke's Minis, Rollover, Dried Liver, Drive Tripe), a ball (Chuck It ball works great), tug toy (Skinneezz work great too especially the rabbit for some reason) and of course my own happy energy level. It's also a good idea to make water available as a thirsty dog really isn't too interested in much else at that point. 

Using the right reinforcer can change your entire training session. It can make the difference between a distracted dog that won't listen and a star student. Make reinforcement random so your dog doesn't get bored (or worse expectant) and change it up.

You can make yourself the reward by teaching your dog hand targets, tricks that he/she loves to preform, praise, petting, running with your pup and more. Having a good attitude and energy level will keep your dog happily working for you. Sometimes patience is hard to find and that's when I would end a training session.

Keep training sessions short with lots of breaks for play and running. This keeps your dog interested and wanting to work. If I do a down stay for 3 minutes and then reward my dog he's going to want to do it again even if it's sometimes boring like a down stay BUT we'll generally do something else first to keep the energy and enthusiasm up. This will allow you to train anywhere and without food and toys once your dog gets it.

I worked with aussies Tank and Marco during an off leash walk last night surronded by other dogs. We practiced 1 down stay, 1 sit stay, 1 off leash heeling (just Marco), 2 left finishes and 1 front. All for the chance to run around with me and jump in the air for hand targets. I kept it fun and they were attentive as a result. They were able to do this surronded by a million fun things like dogs, people, smelling, squirrels and it didn't matter because the training session was fun not arduous.

Why Does Touching My Dog Make Him Hyper?

Here's the test: begin petting your dog with mid-range pressure. Does he/she do one of the following:
A) Solicit more petting by climbing on you
B) Roll over belly up, lick lips, yawn or look away
C) Energy increases and begins jumping off you
D) Moves Away
E) Some of all the above

Well then your dog probably has some touch sensitivity. Many dogs have touch sensitivity; far more often than people would think. 

So one of the things we practice in puppy class and beginner class is touching your dog while feeding him/her. Many people do this exercise once in class and then forget about it. They usually concentrate on stay or leave it or loose leash walking. While all those obedience skills are important they definitely don't outrank having a dog that not only accepts touch but enjoys it. 

If your dog enjoys touch you'll find him/her easier to praise/reward, spend time with, handle for grooming, handle for exams, handle in general, accept children who touch harder and inappropriately, and less likely to bite when in pain or taken  by surprise. All of those things are crucial for pet dogs. 


The good news is you can teach dogs of all ages to enjoy touch more than they already do. Take their breakfast or dinner and use it to teach handling. Get your dog eating out of your hand at a reasonable pace and then add touch. Make sure the dog continues to eat. The moment he/she stops eating take your hand off their body. Start with gentle touch using the back of your hand and then work up to pressure and specific handling (think picking up paws). As long as the dog continues to eat then continue to handle. 


This is what we would call Classic Conditioning to teach an animal to accept something they might not like. You combine their food (basic necessity) with a small level of something new or not enjoyable and then slowly increase over time. If you were handle then feed you wouldn't get the same result. 

Try this exercise a few times a week for several months and watch the changes in your dog. Once your dog accepts touch readily you can start to combine it with a down stay or sit stay. Remember that if your dog has a history of aggression related to touch then you need to seek out a Veterinarian to rule out medical issues and an experienced, positive reinforcement trainer to help you out.

How To Get Your Dog To Behave At The Dog Park

I can't begin to count the amount of times I've seen well meaning dog owners take their best friend to the off leash park only to leave in anger when their fun loving pooch doesn't listen. A trip to the dog park takes prep work with obedience skills and requires a great deal of control without a leash.

One of the many reasons positive training is a great choice for pet owners is because the focus is teaching your dog to listen without any contact! I don't have to correct my dogs with a snap of the leash to get them to sit, down, stay, come, etc so when their leashes are off I still have the same control. 

Nothing will replace taking working directly with a trainer to get your dog off leash ready but here's a few tips to help out the wonderful dog owners who want to give their dogs freedom and some play time. 

Teach your recall word on leash to start:  practice calling your dog clearly in the house. "Rover come" or "Rover here" and reward with an awesome treat. Back up a few steps and start again. What you're doing is building a positive association with your recall word. You need to start in a place with no distractions and practice over and over. Do not repeat your word. If your dog doesn't come try running backwards, clapping your hands or squeaking a toy. The idea is to teach your dog to come when you say the word the first time. 

Up the Ante: Grab a leash or long line (a piece of rope about 20 feet long with a secure clip) and head out to a small, non-busy park. Practice your recall word and make it fun. Use toys, great treats and lots of praise. Slowly incorporate practice sessions to busier and busier locales. 

Ready for Off Leash? Try off leash practice in a small, fenced park to start. Baseball diamonds work well! Also invite your friends to come and practice with their dogs to add distractions. Once you have a dog that is responding quickly and reliably try taking your dog to the dog park. Time your recall for moments when you know he/she will be successful. If your dog is ignoring snap the leash on and head home. 

Key tips for long term success:

1. Always ensure that recall is something fun for your dog and reward it!

2. Never call your dog when the fun is over (aka only calling when you leave the park or for bath time, etc)

3. Bring tasty treats with you but also incorporate toys and games so your dog learns that you are also fun

4. Don't forget to keep practicing, this skill is too important to not keep fresh and reliable