Tag Archives: dog training

Dogs don’t think like people

Dogs are complex creatures with sophisticated thinking ability. But dogs don’t think like people. They can solve problems/puzzles. They can understand hundreds of words, if taught to do so. MRI brain studies also prove they experience many of the same emotions as people, including love, joy, happiness, and grief. It’s only natural that most people assume their dogs understand cause and effect. Those people are wrong.

Picture of a Boston Terrier tilting his head to illustrate Dogs Don't Think Like People

If dogs could put the two things together, they’d never do most of the stuff that gets them in trouble. For example; Simon (Fran’s 4-year-old Boston Terrier) likes to eat grass. Every time he eats grass, he pukes. Every single time. He doesn’t like that part. Not at all. It’s obvious to any human that eating grass makes Simon throw up. It’s never crossed Simon’s mind that maybe, just maybe, eating grass isn’t a good thing to do. 

The link between “cause” and “effect” is missing in dogs’ brains.

There’s only now

At least part of the reason is because dogs don’t seem to have the same kind of memory that people do. If the grass consumption was further ago than “now,” it’s slipped from his awareness.

A more classic example is the case of dogs and house-breaking. If a dog had an accident in the house while the people were away, very old conventional training had you rubbing the dog’s face in it and screaming “No!” even if it happened hours before. Fortunately, that nonsense has gone by the wayside. The only thing it accomplished wasn’t the goal. It taught dogs that people “finding” a mess was bad. So they learned to hide it, instead of learning not to do it.

Instant gratification

It’s crucial, when teaching your dog anything, to react instantly. Don’t let any time elapse between action and praise/reward. If your dog drops the wad of grass when you say “Leave it!” his reward has to come right away. If you’re late with the reward, he’s already grabbed another tuft and is merrily chewing away. So you find yourself rewarding chewing grass, instead of rewarding the drop. And because he’s so darn fast grabbing it, that’s why Simon’s on leash, even in his own yard.

Cause and effect is missing in dogs’s thought processes. And, adaptable and trainable as they are, so is generalization. People generalize all day, every day. Once you know how to use a spoon, you know how every spoon works. Everywhere. No matter the size, shape, color, texture, or material. All spoons work the same, and every person can use every spoon everywhere. But a dog’s “spoon” in the kitchen is different from the “spoon” in the dining room. They can be taught to generalize, but it’s not part of the original package. 

And that’s why your dog doesn’t know “Sit!” when you’re at the vet’s office, or the groomer, or at Grandma’s house. Just a couple of minutes “training” your dog to sit wherever you are will do the trick. It’s kind of funny to watch, because you can almost see the light bulb turn on in their brains when they get it. “Oh, you mean this sit? Really? That’s all I have to do?”

Try it at home

It’s easy, and fun, to try with your own dog. If there’s something you always do with your dog try changing it just a little. Friends of ours had a routine where each of their five dogs went with “dad” to the pantry every night to get an M & M candy before bed. They would all sit politely in the same order and wait for their piece of candy. (Despite what you’ve heard about chocolate being poisonous to dogs, one M & M won’t matter to most dogs.) It would have blown their little minds if Dad had moved the routine over by the fridge. 

We’re not advocating confusing your dogs on a regular basis. What we are saying is that trying familiar things in new surroundings will expand your dog’s thinking and let both of you have a little bit of fun. Change up your routine and let us know how your dog reacts. It can be eye-opening for both of you!

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Let dogs say no

Since when are dogs expected to allow anyone to do anything to/with them? Take away their food bowl. Let anyone pet them. Allow other dogs to get within sniffing distance. How about we let dogs say no?

Pictures of a Boston Terrier puppy to illustrate let dogs say no

Our first dog was a Boston Terrier named “Spunky.” He was a fantastic dog, a phenomenal best friend for two little girls. He was well-mannered, gentle, and lived up to his name. When we would try to do something to him, like pet him when he was eating, our mother would say “How would you like it if someone did that to you?” So we wouldn’t. On his behalf, our mother said “No!”

Boundaries are good

Dogs are amazing, smart, adaptable critters. They also do better when new stuff is introduced slowly, other beings respect their boundaries, and they’re allowed to be themselves.

Most dogs also give clear indicators when they’re uncomfortable or frightened. There are usually many clues before a dog will bite or snap. If a dog is licking its lip, turning its head away, or you can see the whites of their eyes, they’re sending a message that they’re not comfortable. It does the dog a disservice to allow whatever’s happening to continue.

As dog trainers, we tell all our students that distance is your friend. If your dog isn’t comfortable with something, back off until they relax. If the event that made them uncomfortable is one they need to get used to, do it gradually. One sure sign that a dog is doing okay is if they’ll take treats from you. When you reach their comfort boundary, they may stop taking those morsels.

It happened in the shop all the time. Dogs would come in thinking they were someplace where bad or scary things happen. We gave them the time, and distance, they needed to get used to the idea of “trying on” harnesses. Some dogs never got there. That’s okay – we just guided their owners for the fittings.

We told you not to do that

We’re reminded of a series of incidents with our bookstore cat, many years ago. A good friend of ours brought each of her four children to the shop. And, when each one was about four or five years old, they would be petting Merlyn, the cat. He was a typical cat – he loved pets until he didn’t, and then grabbed your hand with his teeth to let you know he was done. 

We knew Merlyn’s signs of “enough!” very well. And we told the children “That’s enough, now. Merlyn’s tired of being petted.” And, in turn, Merlyn grabbed their hands. He never broke skin, but he did leave dents.

And each child went running over to their mother, crying “The cat bit me!” And each one heard “What did you do?” Obviously, if it hadn’t been a friend, we wouldn’t have let it happen. But we knew how our friend would react. It was important to her that her children learn to a) listen and b) respect animals.

Let dogs say no

Strangers don’t have to pet your dog. No matter how little, fuzzy, and cute your dog is. You and your family are the only ones your dog has to put up with. Tango, Fran’s 13-year-old Brussels Griffon, didn’t like much of anybody but Fran. It was important to us that he change, so we did it gradually. Everyone he met was given a handful of treats to toss on the floor near him. Then a little closer to them. Then, step-by-step, take the cookies from their hands. Over time, Tango grew a bunch of cookie-people friends. Now he’s the sweetest old guy. And anybody is allowed to pet him. But it worked because this dog was allowed to say “no!”

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Play with your dog

Did you take a few minutes today to play with your dog? How about yesterday? The day before? 

When life is hectic, or complicated, playing with your dog is like a very mini-vacation. Nothing else to think about. Just sit on the floor and spend some time with someone who loves you unconditionally, never criticizes, and is always ready to play.

Tops on the “To-Do” list

Every morning, before we start work or chores, we play games with our dogs. Each one gets about five minutes. That’s it. That’s all it takes to start the day with a smile. Some days we play training games. Other days it’s fetch, or tug, or even just a little petting and/or massage.

It’s a little recess for everybody. The playing, and the attention, will set you up for a better day. After all, companionship is why you have a dog in the first place, isn’t it? Having a dog is a responsibility; you have to walk the dog, feed the dog, clean up after the dog. Non-dog people look at all that and wonder why dog people bother. 

Those people won’t understand the value. But you do. For both your sakes, play with your dog.

Make up your own games

In our training classes, all the basics are covered; walk nice on leash, sit, down, leave it, etc. We address all the manners stuff; housebreaking, jumping, nipping. The “must-haves” discussion (collar vs. harness, bowls, brushes, leashes) happens. And one lesson that’s always weird for the participants: how to play with your dog.

There are all kinds of ways to play with your dog. Since dogs think everything they do with you is fun, training games are right up there. Dogs are always watching and learning from their people – you may as well teach them something useful. It can be something as simple as teaching your dog to touch your palm for a treat. That’s a great game for getting your dog to “come” when called. It’s also fast and fun, one palm then the other in rapid succession, maybe even moving as you play. 

Pictures of a boxer puppy bounding to illustrate play with your dog

One game that always surprises our students is “throw your dog away.” You just push a little on the dog’s chest, moving them back a step or so. It’s almost always a prelude to the dog bounding back to you for more. It’s another way to get your dog to come. And it makes everybody laugh. Add a dialogue and see if your dog doesn’t start smiling with you: “What are you doing here?” (push away). “Are you looking at me?” (push away). “Again? You want some more of that?” (push away).

Just a few minutes

Take a few minutes to play with your dog. It doesn’t have to be in the morning, if that’s your crunch time. But see if you can’t find five minutes, sometime during the day, to give your entire attention to your dog. Some days it’ll be the cherry on top. Other days it will be the highlight.

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Dogs love their people. Others? Maybe not.

Dogs love their people. That’s a special and precious relationship. But it may not extend to the world at large. And it doesn’t have to. Dogs’ feelings matter.

Some dogs do love everybody. They love meeting new people and seeing new places. Anyone can say “Hi!” to them and they’re okay with that. But your dog isn’t wrong, or mean, or broken if they don’t. 

Dogs in society

The growth of things like dog parks and doggy daycare foster the notion that socialized dogs have “doggy friends.” And if your dog doesn’t like other dogs, or strange people, there’s something wrong with your dog. That’s not true. Among dog trainers, a well-socialized dog is one who is able to ignore distractions, be calm in unfamiliar circumstances, and pay attention to their person. It has nothing to do with playing nice with other dogs.

Another bizarre idea, probably spurred by internet video, is that dogs should let anyone take anything away from them. If the dog dares to object, either by keeping hold of the thing, or even growling, it’s a bad dog. What happened to the old saying “Let sleeping dogs lie?” Pestering dogs by taking stuff away from them, just to prove you can, may be one reason that dog trainers are seeing more dogs with issues of resource guarding.

Obviously, you have to be able to take things away from your dog. Especially if they’ve gotten hold of something dangerous or toxic. Knowing this, most dog owners teach their dogs some form of “Drop it!” and trade the dog for something they really like, like Chicken Heart Treats. We don’t just randomly reach for their food bowls when they’re eating.

Petting and greetings

We take our dogs many places, especially when we’re training. Our goal is to have that dog be able to focus on us, pay attention to us, and become accustomed to different sights and smells. Many times people charge up, hands outstretched, exclaiming “Look at the doggy!” They get offended when we step between them and our dog and say something like “I’m sorry, we’re training. I’d rather you didn’t try to pet him.”

A small white dog being held by a woman in an orange parka to illustrate Dogs Love their people.

It’s as if, just because we’re out in public, our dogs are public property. They’re not. And they don’t have to be. Even if your dog is a menace to other people, you’re allowed to be out and about together. Our 13-year-old Brussels Griffon Tango was just such a menace when Fran got him. Hope couldn’t even touch him without risking being bitten. But through training and patient persistence, he can now go anywhere and loves everyone. 

Fran was able to turn him around by carefully managing every single encounter with every single person and dog Tango met. No one was allowed to get near him without coaching and a handful of yummy treats. If you have a reactive dog, and you want to change that around, check out Fran’s book: Tango: Transforming My Hellhound

Small dogs more vulnerable

It’s more common for people to ask “May I pet your dog?” when you have a big dog. Little dogs seem to be magnets for hands. They’re little, cute, and hard to resist. And some small dogs enjoy the attention. But if yours doesn’t, it’s okay. It’s okay for you to block those reaching hands. Some may think you’re rude, but that’s okay. You and your dog get along just fine. Dogs love their people. Others are optional.

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