Why We Do Not Recommend Board-and-Train

Pawsitive Pet Care recommends all members of your pet's household be involved in the training process

This is a blog topic we've been wanting to cover for quite some time, but there seem to be so many important and interesting topics, and not enough time to cover them all!  

Why Pawsitive Pet Care Does Not Recommend Board-and-Train 

There are exceptions to every rule, however typically speaking, it is ideal for your trainer to work with you and the members of your household, as well as your pet, and below are the two primary reasons why.  

Dogs do not generalize well

Generally speaking, dogs do not take information learned in one context or environment and apply it to new situations in other contexts or environments.  So, for example, if your dog learns some fantastic new behaviours in a board-and-train situation, that's great.  However, once they get home, you and your family would essentially have to start from scratch and re-train the behaviours in the dog's home environment with the dog's familiar surroundings and people.  

For more on generalization and how to help your dog apply what they learn to new and various situations, Emily Larlham wrote a fantastic blog post on the topic.   

The humans in the pets' lives are the most important part of the training process

Positive training strengthens the bond and the relationships between humans and animals.  When you have fun working, training, and playing with your pet, you bond with each other.  This trust and kinship will also improve how well your pet responds to you, and how well you understand your pet & why they do the things they do.  Training is about 75% teaching the humans and 25% teaching the pets.  This applies to everyone from brand new pet-owners to experienced pet trainers, because we all need to adapt our environment and our approach to fit the needs of the pet we are working with in the moment.  Pet owners also need to learn the fundamentals of animal behaviour and training, as well as learn to read and understand their pet's communication, particularly their body language in order to effectively and humanely train and work with their pets.

Some of the best help your trainer can give you is to explain what you need to do with your pet in a way that you can understand, demonstrate it for you, and then watch you do it and give you constructive and specific feedback.  This last piece is the most important part because sometimes a subtle change in positioning, body language, or cueing can help solve a training challenge and help reduce frustration for both animal and human.

Have you ever had someone set something up for you, maybe a new computer program, or a new entertainment system of some kind, and then later you run into trouble?  Because they did it for you and didn't walk you through the steps, now you have no idea how to troubleshoot or how to go about fixing the problem.  It may seem convenient that the outset, but sending your dog off to be "fixed" and then returned to you is not empowering you and the members of your household to be able to build upon your pet's training and have the skills to deal with any new issues that may arise.  

As we noted in our blog post, Finding A Trainer, 

"Your trainer needs to be able to explain to you what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how you will be able to do it once they leave.  They are not a magician, they are a teacher, and their job is to educate and empower you to understand how your dog learns and how to get desired behaviours from your dog.  This should be done in a way that works for you and your family and in a way that helps strengthen your relationship with your dog."

Think of a trainer as a teacher for you, any members of your household, and for your pet.  Their job is to give you the tools and information you need so that you can feel good about moving forward in a positive direction.  

In addition, training isn't just about solving behavioural problems after they have begun.  In fact, good training is proactive and intends to prevent these problems from coming up in the first place.  And the best training (in our opinion), is training that is done just for fun!  

For More Information

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About Pawsitive Pet Care

Pawsitive Pet Care is a Professional Pet Care business that has been serving Manitoba since 2010.  

Teaching Your Dog to Look At You on Cue

Building Attention: "Watch Me"

Goal:  Build  your  dog’s  focus  and  attention  on  you  by teaching  him  to  make  eye  contact  on  cue.

Step 1:  Place a treat in your hand and close your hand around the treat.  Your dog may sniff, lick, paw, and may even gently nibble at your hand.  Don’t move your hand away or say anything, just wait until he stops, even for just a second.  When he leaves your hand alone momentarily, click and give him the treat.  If you don’t use a clicker, you can use a verbal marker, such as “yes”.  Make sure it is a clear, crisp word that you will use consistently to mark when your dog has done the behaviour you were looking for.  


Do this a number of times in various locations until he stops licking or nosing at your hand altogether.  

Step 2:  Once he’s really good at leaving the treat with a closed hand, expect him to do so for a little bit longer (a full second, two seconds, and so on) before clicking and giving him the treat.

Step 3:  When your dog can leave the treat for at least two seconds, repeat step one, but this time do not click until your dog gives you a flicker of eye contact.  Timing is important here: as soon as you see his eyes meet yours, click and give him the treat.

Important to note:  Some dogs (especially shy ones) find eye contact intimidating, so do not expect extended eye contact.  Even if your dog's eyes just flicker toward your face and away, click that and reward it.  The goal is to increase your dog's attention on you (and away from a trigger), and to put it on cue, the goal is not a staring contest with your dog 😉

Step 4:  Once your dog is catching on to step 3, expect slightly longer eye contact before you click and give him the treat.  Count seconds in your head, and each time wait for eye contact for one second longer before clicking & treating.  Again, only slightly longer, and only if your dog appears comfortable with this prospect.  Don't push if your dog seems shy or uncomfortable about the eye contact.  

Step 5:  When you are satisfied with steps one through four, add a cue, such as “watch me”.  Hold your hand out with the treat in a closed fist and say “watch me” or “look” or whatever cue you would like to use to ask for eye contact.  When your dog gives you eye contact, click and treat, repeating step 4 but incorporating a verbal cue.

Step 6:  Fade out the treat in a closed hand.  Once your dog is very good at step five, hold the treat somewhere else (behind your back, out to the side, in your pocket) and ask for eye contact using your consistent cue.  

Tip:  If your dog doesn't look at you when you say your cue, do not repeat the cue.  Wait a beat to see if your dog just needs a moment to process.  If your dog does not seem to understand the cue, go back a step and practice the behaviour more before adding the cue.  

When your dog gives you eye contact, click and treat, as before starting out with a flicker and each time expecting slightly longer.

Practice this all around the house, in the backyard, under zero or low distractions. 

When your dog is a pro at “watch me” in your yard, move it to the streets and try it on a walk when there is no one around.  If you practice this, giving your dog a delicious treat each time, he will learn to pay attention to you and ignore distractions in the environment when you want him to (i.e. passing other dogs on the street).  

Remember that he needs practice doing this (and we humans need practice at our timing as well!), so be patient and realistic when moving from low distractions to medium and high distractions.  Go at his pace and set yourselves up for success.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.

"If I can't see it, it's not there!"

Teaching “Leave It” 

Goal:  Your dog learns not to take an item (particularly delicious food) until it is given to him, whether it is in your hand or dropped on the floor.

Step 1:  Place a treat in your hand and close your hand around the treat.  Your dog will sniff, lick, paw, and he may even gently nibble at your hand.  Don’t move your hand or say anything, just wait quietly until he stops, even for just a second.  It's not helpful to use a cue (or command) yet, because your dog hasn’t learned the behaviour, so the word won’t have any meaning to him.  

When your dog leaves your hand alone momentarily, click (or use a verbal marker, such as “yes”) and give him the treat.  It’s important to give the treat directly to him so he learns he only takes the treat when it’s given to him and not when it’s dropped.  

Variation:  If your dog is struggling to get the hang of step one, you can use a lower value item in your hand with a higher value item as his reward.  For example, have a small piece of carrot in your hand for him to leave, but behind your back in a treat pouch is freeze dried liver or diced chicken or something he really likes.  When he leaves the carrot, click and give him a piece of meat instead.  That way he learns that leaving it when asked results in receiving something even better.  

Practice this a number of times in various locations until he stops licking or nosing at your hand altogether.  

Important:  Keep your training sessions short, sweet, and fun.  Frequent, very short sessions are much more effective than a single long, drawn-out training session.  Dogs have short attention spans and we want to leave them wanting more.  

Step 2:  Once he’s really good at leaving the treat with a closed hand (and this can take a very long time, so please be patient and don’t rush the process!), do the same as above with an open hand.  Have your thumb ready to cover the treat or be ready to close your hand in case he goes for it.  If he offers a different behaviour (leaves the treat, sits, moves away, looks away, etc.), click and give him the treat.  You are reinforcing a behaviour that is incompatible with taking the item he has been asked to leave, so he is still successfully leaving it.  As before, practice this a number of times and in various locations until he is catching on to the game and getting really good at it.

Step 3:  When you are satisfied that your dog is a pro at step #2, then you can name the behaviour. You can say “leave it” or whatever cue you want to use for “don’t take that until I give it to you”.  Keep it simple and memorable so you will be consistent with the cue. 

 
Once you have added a name, you will need to go back and practice steps 1 and 2 again with a verbal cue to give your dog a chance to learn the word(s) before moving on to step 4.  Whenever you increase the criteria (or make harder) one aspect of a behaviour, you need to relax your criteria on other aspects, so don’t want long before you click and reward.    

Step 4:  Now you can place the treat on the floor.  Tell your dog to leave it and have your foot ready to cover it up in case he goes for it, or sit on the floor and be ready to cover the treat with your hand if needed.  When he leaves it (moves away, looks away, backs up, sits, anything but trying to get the treat), click, pick the treat up off the floor, and give it directly to your dog. 

Remember:  It’s important to pick the food up and give it directly to him.  You don’t want your dog to learn that he can scoop food off the floor in case one day you drop something that could make him sick, or something you really don’t want him to have.  Practice step four a number of times in various locations to allow your dog to generalize the behaviour and get really skilled at it.  Don’t be in a hurry to move to the next step, as always, be patient and set your dog up for success.

 

Emily Larlham (KikoPup / Dogmantics Dog Training) has some great videos on this topic on her YouTube channel: 

 

Step 5:  Your goal is to be able to drop food on the ground and ask your dog to leave it.  Start by dropping the treat from a very low height to make it easier for your dog, then very gradually increase the height from which you drop it.  The treat will bounce, making it ever so enticing to chase!  

If your dog does try to go for it, just cover it up, then try again with a lower value item.  When you can drop the treat without your dog trying to get it, click and give him something even better from your pocket or treat pouch.  This simulates a scenario wherein you are opening or using something potentially unsafe for your dog and accidentally drop it on the floor.  If you drop a pill on the floor, you want your dog to listen to "leave it" and then you reward him with a dog treat, or something safe for him to eat and enjoy.  

Step 6:  Your goal is to be able to have enticing food on the ground as you are walking and ask your dog to leave it and continue walking.  You may want to do this exercise after a walk when your dog is relaxed and already has his leash on, this way you can walk past something tempting and ask your dog to leave it while still having control of his movements in case he tries to go for it.  

If your dog does try to go for it, just cheerfully say “oops” (or “let’s go”) and happily go in another direction so that he is eager to follow you away from the treat, then try again with a lower value item.  When you can walk past the treat on the ground without your dog trying to get it, click and give him something even better from your pocket or treat pouch.  

With step six you want to simulate being out for a walk and passing something on the ground that your dog is curious about and may try to eat.  You ask him to "leave it" and then give him a treat from your pocket so that he doesn't eat something off the ground that could potentially be unsafe.  

Step 7:  Once your dog is walking past the treat without looking longingly at it, drop the leash and drop treats on the floor, asking him to leave it.  Remember, when you increase the difficulty, you have the lower the bar for your dog.  Now that you're combining both dropping the treat and walking past it, you want to back up and start with dropping lower-value treats from a very low height and then gradually increasing the difficulty again.  

If he does get them, just back up a step and keep practicing with a lower value treat.  Do not correct your dog for taking the treat, he simply needs more practice, and taking readily available food is an important and natural behaviour for dogs.  

If he does not take them, click or use a verbal marker, then pick each treat up and feed them directly to him one by one.  This is a very difficult task for a dog, moving/falling food is even more enticing than stationary food, so be patient with your dog as he learns this new behaviour.  

When he gets it right, reward him heavily so that waiting and leaving it really pays off!

If you prefer a visual demonstration and/or prefer a video, KikoPup recently uploaded a great tutorial on You Tube.  This video was created by Emily Larlham of Dogmantics Training:  

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Door Training with your Pets

"Can we go out yet?"

Threshold Training

The goal of these exercises is to teach your pet that they do not automatically go through a doorway when a door is opened and they should wait until you give them permission to move forward.  This is important for your pet's safety and is an extremely important skill for all dogs to learn, especially door-dashers.  Door-dashing cats definitely benefit from this training as well, we'll focus on dogs here, but the Cat Behaviour Associates website has fantastic resources for cat behaviour. 

Waiting in a Controlled Position

It is easier for your dog to wait if they are in a control position (sitting or lying down).  Ask your dog to sit or down, whichever they do best; the focus is not on sit/down, but on waiting and on impulse control.  

For cats, you can often do what we call "station training" and have them up on a cat tree.  Pam Johnson-Bennett has a great article on door-darting on her website that focuses exclusively on cat behaviour. 

Choose a safe doorway within your home and have your dog sit or lay down by your side.  Similar to your “stay” cue, gently move your hand in front of your dog, or put up one finger, and say “wait”.  

Desensitization

Most dogs associate their person touching a doorknob with the door being opened and will jump up or run toward the door as soon as our hand reaches toward the doorknob.  Before we even begin door training, we need to desensitize our dog to this process.  Currently your dog may have the association of door knob touch = rush the door.  What we want to do is teach him to remain in place when we touch the door knob and then open the door, and make waiting more rewarding than rushing.   

It can be easiest to have a mat or dog bed near the door to give your dog a visual cue for where he is supposed to wait.  If you have a threshold that changes flooring type (i.e. a hardwood or carpet that transitions to vinyl), then using that line can also be a good spot to start.  

Have your dog in his control position (down/sit), ask him to "wait", then put up a finger (don't do it at the same time, use the verbal signal first, then the hand signal).  Move your hand to touch the doorknob.  If he jumps up, return him to his place and his control position, then try again but move even more slowly.  If he remains in place, move beside your dog, then reward him.  It is important you return to your dog before giving him a treat so that he does not start moving toward you in anticipation of his treat.  

Next, turn the doorknob and repeat the steps above.  Then open the door a crack and repeat the steps above.  Continue this until you can reliably open the door without your dog moving (meaning he doesn’t move at least 8 out of 10 times).  

Step 2 : Practice With the Door Open

Step one can take days or even weeks to perfect, so please do not rush the process.  Take your time and set yourself and your dog up for success along the way.  Your patience will pay off!  

Now, with the door open, have your dog in his control position (down/sit), ask him to "wait", then put up a finger.  Take one step toward the doorway.  If your dog does not move, return to his side and give him a treat.  If he does move, ask him to sit/down and try again but take a smaller step to make it a little easier for him.  

Once you can take one step without your dog moving reliably (at least 8 out of 10 times he doesn’t move), ask your dog to sit/down & wait and take a step through the doorway.  If he does not move, return to your dog and give him a treat.   If he moves, ask him to sit or down and try again with a smaller step, perhaps stopping right on the threshold instead of going through the doorway first.  

Choosing a Release Word 

Once your dog understands the concept of "wait" and is reliably waiting while you take a big step fully through your doorway, you can then incorporate a release word.  Your release word can be anything you choose.  Remember, your dog does not speak English (or any other spoken language); he just makes associations between certain “sounds” (words), actions, and their consequences.  A common release word is “okay”, but this is not always the best choice because we use the word “okay” a great deal in our everyday conversations.  Other options are “break”, “alright”, “free”, or truly anything you choose.  It can be in any language, or it can be gibberish, a made-up word, as long as you are consistent and everyone in your household will use the same word every time.  I like to use a crisp, one-syllable word so that it is easy and clear for the dog.  

Step 3 : Increase # of Steps

Once you can walk through the doorway without your dog moving, ask him dog to sit/down & wait and take two steps through the doorway.  If he moves, ask him to sit or down and try again with only one step.  If he does not move, return to your dog and give him a treat, and then release him!  Remember: It’s important to reward him in his waiting place and not after you release him, so that he’s getting rewarded for staying there, and not for going through the door.  His big reward will be getting to go where he wants to go – through the door, usually to the outside world.  Slowly you will be able to reduce and then phase out the treats for waiting, and his reward will be the release and being allowed to go play in the yard, or out the front door to start his walk.  

Step 4 :  Generalize

Dogs are not good at generalization, so they need to practice new behaviours in as many different locations and scenarios as possible.  Practice “wait” in various doorways throughout your house, including the bedrooms, bathrooms, and back door.  Once you can walk through the doorways without your dog moving until you release him, move to the front door, but make sure your dog is on his leash for safety. 

 

You can also practice "wait" at the bottom of the stairs, having him wait at the bottom until you get to the top before you release him, and then starting at the top and releasing him when you get to the bottom.  This helps generalize the wait command and also promotes safety on the stairs, especially with those big dogs who like to rush past your legs while you're trying to go down the stairs!  

Another very important place to practice "wait" is yard gates.  If you have a fenced yard with gates that can be blown open, or left open accidentally, this is another important place where your dog should wait for a cue to proceed out.  

Once he gets good at waiting, you can use a longer leash so that you can take more steps through the doorway before returning to him and releasing him.  It is important you return to your dog before giving him a treat so that he does not start anticipating and moving before you are back by his side.  

Remain Consistent

It is very important that once you start this training, you do not allow your dog out the front door without waiting for your permission.  It may take a long time to leave the house for walks at first, but the hard work and patience will pay off, and it will become a habit for your dog to sit and wait at the door and to be invited out to start the walk.  

Environmental Management 

You can set both your dog and yourself up for success (and safety!) by using the environment around him to reduce or prevent the likelihood of getting out doors without waiting first.  Use baby gates, closed doors, whatever you can to prevent access to frequently-used doorways to prevent any door dashing.  

Proofing (Step 5): Door Dashing

Some dogs will try to push their way out the door when their owners are talking to a delivery person or getting the mail.  With your dog on leash, have a friend, partner, or family member practice coming to the door and having a conversation with you with the door open just a bit while your dog is asked to wait on his bed or wait by your side.  Start with the door only open a crack and slowly practice with the door opened a little more each time, again, always make sure your dog is on leash so you can keep him safe if he does try to sneak past you.  You also want to prevent the opportunity for him to be rewarded by door-dashing, so even if you’re practicing on a garage door or back door, I still recommend using a leash.  

Keep it Short & Sweet

Training sessions should be frequent, short, and fun.  Cut up 10 very small pieces of your dog’s treats and do 10 reps or practice during commercial breaks while watching television.  Keep sessions only to a minute or two so that you end with your dog wanting more, don’t over-train until he’s tired of the game and no longer engaged.  Remember that puppies’ attention spans are even shorter, and they wear out faster!  

Reward heavily for your dog waiting successfully!  It’s hard work for him to fight the urge to run free and explore the outdoors, so make sure that you make waiting inside a very pleasant event for him by using high-value (and high-value is determined by your dog’s preferences) treats.  Most importantly, have fun!

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Preventing Separation Anxiety

Working proactively to prevent separation anxiety as some families gradually return to work.  

If you've been home for the past two or three months and are planning to return to work soon, we have a few suggestions to make the transition easier for your pet(s). 

Practice leaving when you don't really have to 

Make the cues and signs that you're getting ready to leave meaningless to your pet(s) by doing your leave routine and then staying home. 

For example: Get dressed, get your keys and briefcase or purse, grab a cup of coffee, put your hand on the doorknob and then...  sit down on the couch or your home office and enjoy the coffee :) 

If you do this randomly these signals will not give your dog anxiety with the anticipation of your leaving. 

Practice leaving when you don't have to be gone long 

Do all of the above, then leave for short, but varying and unpredictable lengths of time and at random and varying times of day.  

Don't increase the length of time on a linear fashion.  Instead, go out for 2 minutes, then 1, then 3, then 2, then 4, then 1, then 5, then....  etc.  

When you do have to go for real... 

Give your pet(s) as much exercise and enrichment as you can before and during your absence.  Take your dog for a long morning walk, play with your pet(s), and leave fun things for them to do while you're away.  

Make leaving a good thing 

Don't make a big fuss over your dog when you are leaving or when you first get home.  When you leave, consider providing a puzzle toy, a frozen Kong, something enjoyable to keep your pet(s) busy and create a positive association with your departure.  (For more ideas, visit our Boredom Busters blog post).  

When you get home, calmly and kindly greet your dog, but don't make a huge deal out of arriving home.  Once they are settled, then you can make a fuss over them, play, go for a walk, whatever you normally would do.  

Consider a Dog Walker, Pet Sitter, or Half Day at Doggy Daycare 

If your dog is quite anxious or struggling to adjust, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker to come to your home and take him out mid-day.  Some company, fresh air, and exercise will help break up the day and help him relax.  If walks aren't suitable, consider hiring a pet sitter to visit and check in on your pet(s) while you're at work.  

Click here for advice on choosing the right professional and getting the most out of your dog walking service.

Click here for advice on choosing the right pet sitter for you and your pet(s).  

If you feel more is needed, consider a half-day at a reputable doggy daycare.  Please be very particular and thorough when choosing a daycare, as a negative experience could cause more trouble for you and your dog.  Visit our post on Doggy Daycares for further information and advice.  

Full disclosure:  We offer and promote both of these services, so naturally we will have some biases.  We do, however, recommend other services or companies when prospective clients are seeking out services that we do not offer, or when our services are booked up.  

Seek support from a compassionate, qualified trainer 

If you feel your pet's separation anxiety is worsening, or you feel you need assistance, please contact a compassionate and qualified trainer who is knowledgeable about separation anxiety.  (Click here for our blog post with advice on how to find the right trainer for you and your pet).  

Click here for more resources on preventing and treating separation anxiety in dogs.  

Our Services

Click here for more information on our dog walking services.

Click here for more information on our doggy daycare service.

Click here to learn about how we're working hard to keep everyone safe as we resume services.  Please contact Jillian if you have any questions or concerns.   

 

 

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As for those humans experiencing separation anxiety from their pets....  well, that's outside our area of expertise, but we highly recommend sharing copious photos of your pets online for us to enjoy!  

Stay safe, be well. 

From the Pawsitive Pet Care team. 

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

CELEBRATING OUR TENTH ANNIVERSARY!

Tenth Anniversary Special! 

All half-hour weekday dog walks will be 25% off from June 15 to June 30 in celebration of our ten year anniversary!

Visit our website to learn more.  

Thank you to our wonderful clients and staff 💛

CELEBRATING OUR TENTH ANNIVERSARY!

Pawsitive Pet Care has been providing professional pet care services including dog training, dog walking, and pet sitting in Winnipeg and Headingley for more than 10 years.

Our pet care business was founded June 18, 2010, originally named Sturgeon Park Dog Care, a dog walking service in the Crestview and St. James neighbourhoods of Winnipeg.  

We very quickly grew into a full-time operation, and when Jillian went on maternity leave in 2012, we began hiring staff to continue providing excellent care to our clientele.  

When Jillian returned from mat leave in Fall 2013, we expanded our service area and our service offerings, outgrowing our original name to become Pawsitive Pet Care.

We are very proud and excited to celebrate our 10th anniversary of providing premium pet care services in Cartier and Winnipeg Manitoba.  

A huge thank you to all of the amazing staff and clients who have helped us become who we are today!

To learn more about us, please visit us on Facebook.  

About The Author

Jillian Enright is the founder of Pawsitive Pet Care and a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist.  Jillian has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

Teaching Your Dog “Touch”

Teaching Your Dog “Touch” (Also called “Target Training”) 

Steps to Get Started: 

Hold two fingers out near your puppy’s nose without touching your pet.  Don't try cuing (or giving a command) yet, that comes later, once the behaviour is well established.

When puppy sniffs your fingers, click at the moment of contact, and give your puppy a treat.

Move your two fingers behind your back as soon as the behaviour is complete.

Pop your two fingers back out near puppy’s nose, when puppy makes contact with your fingers, click and treat.

If puppy doesn’t touch your fingers, start them from very close to puppy’s nose and slowly move them away to encourage puppy to follow and investigate.  Again, if puppy’s nose makes contact with your outstretched fingers, click and treat.

If moving your fingers doesn’t work, try putting them behind your back again, then popping them back out.  The novelty can encourage puppy to check them out.

If two fingers aren’t working, you can try using your whole hand or a more obvious object like a brightly coloured tupperware lid, and use the same steps above.

Donna Hill has a good YouTube video tutorial.

Why use “Touch”?

Touch can be fantastic for shy dogs as it encourages them to move forward and initiate contact, rather than being pursued, which can make them more nervous.

Touch is great for positioning an animal where you need them (i.e. onto a scale at the vet’s office for a weight), or as a foundation for teaching new behaviours or fun tricks.

Touch is good for moving dogs without having to grab their collar and physically move them.  This is important for fearful dogs and for dogs who have handling issues and allows the dog to be in control of his movements and helps him gain confidence.

Adding the Cue

Once your puppy is catching on to the game (touching the fingers or object 9 out of 10 times), add in a word, like “touch” to give the behaviour a name for your dog.

It’s important to wait until the dog understands the behaviour before adding a cue, otherwise the dog will hear the word as noise with no meaning and will learn to ignore it.

Make it easy for your dog.  In a happy voice, say “touch!”, pop your hand or the object out from behind your back, and move it just slightly away from your puppy.  When he makes contact, click and treat, and repeat.

Generalize

Once puppy has learned the “touch” game with cue, start doing it from a sitting or standing position (both yourself and the dog!), having the object or your fingers coming from different angles and at different heights.  Then practice in different environments and locations (even different rooms in the house, outside vs. inside, etc).

Dogs don’t generalize learning well, so they need to practice under a variety of contexts and situations in order to become “fluent” in a behaviour, meaning they can do it anywhere when asked.

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Short & Simple.  Training should be fun, so do various mini-sessions rather than occasional long sessions.  Keep it fun and light, set your dog up for success, and leave your dog wanting more.  Set aside just one minute before meal times to play “touch” when your dog is hungry and find other opportunities to sneak in little training moments throughout your days.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

 Visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!

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Teaching Paw Targeting

Paw Targeting and Desensitization to Nail Trims

(...a continuation from my desensitization to handling post)

If your pet is uncomfortable with nail trims, you must first help him to be comfortable having his paws handled as well as with the sight of the trimmers themselves and all the behaviours that are associated with clipping nails.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not try desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

There are a couple different ways to help your pet become comfortable with paw handling, and this can be done with any species that needs nail trims, with minor variations.  I have cats and dogs in mind with this particular post.

Touch their paws gently, often and for very short periods of time

While your pet is snuggling next to you on the couch, or you are petting them and they are very relaxed, very gently touch their paws very briefly.  Do this frequently, multiple times per day if possible.  If they flinch or pull their paw away when you do this, you can teach them to give you their paw instead of your hand coming towards them, making sure you reward them with a treat for doing so.

Teach "paw" (or shake, or a paw-to-object target)

Similar to my "touch" (or target) post, you can teach your pet to give you their paw on cue.  KikoPup has a fantastic tutorial on YouTube teaching you how to do this:

Create a Positive Association with the Clippers (without doing any trimming yet!) 

Similar to the desensitization to handling post, you present the clippers, then give a treat, then remove the clippers.  Clippers = treat.  No clippers = nothing exciting happens.

Kelly Duggan has a great video tutorial on this process.

Learn how to Trim Nails Properly

If you're new to trimming your pet's nails, consult with your veterinarian or a fear-free groomer to learn how to do so properly.  Nails have what is called a quick, which is live tissue, that hurts a lot and will bleed if cut.

There are a lot of videos and tutorials online, some of them good, and some of them not so great.  I'm neither a veterinarian nor a groomer, so I will share a video teaching owners how to trim their pet's nails from Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic that is well done.

If you are unsure about how to do this, or if your dog has severe aversion to touch, please contact a competent and compassionate trainer to help you.  If you don't know how to find a qualified trainer, click here to read our blog post on finding a trainer.

If you are interested in our video consultations, please visit www.pawsitivepooch.ca/video-consultations.html to learn more.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not try desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

Visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!

Click to visit our website

Desensitization to Handling

Helping Your Pet become Comfortable with Various types of Touch 

Important: Before beginning a desensitization program, please click here to read information on dog body language so you are able to read signs that your dog is uncomfortable or afraid while doing these exercises.  A fantastic in-depth book on dog body language is by Brenda Aloff, you can purchase from Amazon.ca, or directly from the author.  For something a little lighter, Truid Rugaas has a wonderful book on calming signals, and she has some excellent information available for free on her website.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not attempt any type of desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

Under the Chin

Dogs who are uncomfortable with touch are often most comfortable having their chin, the front of their neck, and/or their chest scratched or rubbed.  This is because a big hand is not coming down from over their head, and they can see the human that is making contact with them.  Scratch your dog under the chin for 3-5 seconds, then move away.  If your dog comes in for more, give him a good rub under the chin and say “good dog” in a soothing, happy voice.  If you move away and your dog does not come back for more, then leave him be for now.  Next time you pet him under the chin, provide treats as you are doing it so he begins to make positive associations with being touched.

Important notes about giving treats:

• Treats should be 10% or less of your dog's daily diet.  If you're doing training, use soft, enticing, low-calorie treats that can be broken into very small pieces.  Your dog only needs a little taste, not a large bite each time.  If you're unsure, or if your dog is already overweight, consult your veterinarian.  

• If you're needing to do something to your dog (i.e. he has an ear infection and absolutely needs drops in his ear) and need to make it the least distressing experience possible, then distract your dog while you're doing it.  Provide a licki-mat or Kong filled with yummy, healthy treats or canned wet food, or a soft spoon or spatula with some peanut butter.  The goal is to use something that will be long-lasting.  A great video of this approach is available on YouTube.
• Please note that this is not desensitization, this is making an unpleasant process minimally aversive.  In a more ideal situation, we've worked to desensitize our pets to various handling and procedures in a gentle and gradual manner over a long period of time, so that it's much easier when we need to administer medications or do otherwise unpleasant procedures.

• When you're using the treats for gradual desensitization, the order is very important.  The gentle and very brief touch has to happen first, before the treat, then pause, then deliver the treat separately from the touch.  Touch-pause-treat-stop.  The touch must predict the treat in order for the touch to become positively conditioned.  If you give the treat at the same time (as above), the dog will be distracted by the treat, but will not easily make the association.  If the treat comes before the touch, then the treat predicts the touch, and not the other way around.  This is how does can sometimes become mistrustful of hands reaching out offering them treats, they may have a history of being "bribed" into something unpleasant, this is not our goal.  
• A fantastic (although jargon-y) article on this topic is available here

Along the Back

Next, approach your dog from the side (this is least intimidating), and run your hand along his back. Do not touch his head or bum.  Give him treats for standing (or sitting) and allowing you to pet him, then move away.

Petting Your Dog’s Head

Next scratch your dog behind the ears while giving him treats.  If he shows signs of discomfort stop and come back to it later, making sure he’s always getting treats for allowing you to pet him.  If you move away and he comes back for more, pet him all over his head while giving him treats (remember: pet, pause, treat, stop).  Bring your hand in from the side so that he can see it coming, rather than over his head, as this can be very intimidating to a nervous dog.  Do this only for a short period of time so that he is still looking for more, rather than continuing to pet him until he is uncomfortable with it and moves away himself.

**Important: Keep an eye on your dog’s body language:  If he tenses up or growls, stop
immediately.  Do not put yourself at risk for a bite and do not set your dog up to fail.  Dogs cannot speak English, they only have their body language and growls to communicate, so please pay careful attention to what they are telling you and move at your dog’s pace.  When we respect their signals we build trust.

Bum & Tail

Dogs who are uncomfortable with touch are often most concerned about having their rear end and tail touched, likely because they cannot see what is happening (and because of sensitive areas in that region - think about how you might feel if you need a rectal exam from your doctor...).  Again, come in from the side so your dog can still see you, and go very slowly and gently, paying close attention to your dog’s body language.  Start at the shoulders/neck and slowly move your hand down towards the top of his tail.  Keep your hand on him as you move backwards, don't take your hand away and then touch him again, as this can surprise dogs and might cause them to startle or tense up.  Provide lots of treats for your dog allowing this contact (touch, pause, but keep your hand where it is if the dog is comfortable, treat, then stop).  Always stop if your dog is showing signs of being afraid or very uncomfortable.

Collar

Similar to the issues with touching a dog’s head, a lot of dogs have negative associations with having their collars grabbed.  A large hand is coming from above their head, and they often have their collars grabbed when they are in “trouble” or being taken to something unpleasant.  Gently touch your dog’s collar while giving him treats, touching it and sliding your hand under it in different places (touch, pause, but keep your hand where it is if the dog is comfortable, treat, stop).  Use a calm, soothing voice saying “good dog” - and did I mention give lots of treats (small, frequent amounts)?  This will make it much easier to gently guide your dog somewhere you want him to go, or to put him back on leash if he has been playing off-leash.

Paws and Nails 

Another very sensitive area for dogs can be their paws, and many dogs have issues with having their nails trimmed.  This is such a common issue that it will be an entirely separate blog post focusing on teaching paw targeting and desensitization to nail trims.

In the mean time, you can click here to view a helpful video on Fear Free nail trims.

KikoPup also has a fantastic video on desensitizing dogs to grooming and nail trims.


Remember:  These exercises are intended to help your dog to become more comfortable about being touched. This will make your dog’s life much easier, making vet visits, grooming, and interactions with humans much less stressful for him. This will also keep your family safer as a dog that is comfortable with touch is less likely to bite.

Please communicate with people if your dog is nervous and be an advocate for your dog.  If he is looking afraid, remove him from the situation.  Set yourself and your dog up for success – you will strengthen your relationship with your dog and help build his trust and confidence.

If you are unsure about how to do this, or if your dog has severe aversion to touch, please contact a competent and compassionate trainer to help you.  If you don't know how to find a qualified trainer, click here to read our blog post on finding a trainer.

If you are interested in our video consultations, please visit www.pawsitivepooch.ca/video-consultations.html to learn more.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not try desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

Visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!

Click to visit our website