DURATION10 repetitions per day for 6 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats, something your dog can put their front paws on, such as a pillow, stool, or book.
Luring the Off behavior
1. Hold the clicker in one hand and a treat in the other.
2. Hold the treat close to your dog’s nose, and slowly use it to guide your dog to put their front paws up onto the surface.
3. Point toward the ground to encourage your dog to come off the surface.
4. Click to mark their behavior as correct when their paws come off the surface.
Practicing in real life
1. Hold the clicker in one hand and a treat in the other.
2. When your dog has their paws up on a surface, point toward the ground to encourage your dog to come down.
3. Click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct when they take their paws off the surface.
4. Reward with a treat.
Adding a verbal cue
1. Wait for your dog to put their front paws up on an object. Hold the clicker and treat in the hand behind your back.
2. Say “Off” and point to the ground.
3. When your dog takes their paws off the object, click to mark their behavior as correct.
4. Reward with a treat.
PRO TIP: After you have practiced for a couple of weeks, stop treating your dog when they hop off the counter when cued. Instead, switch to praise and then cue them to offer something else, such as a Sit.
EXERCISE 9
Hand Target/Touch
The hand target—asking your dog to come all the way to your hand and touch their nose to your palm—is an easy way to build a reliable recall. The specificity of the cue teaches your dog to come to you rather than coming close and running away. It’s a great way to get your dog to move away from something, such as food on the street. A reliable recall is essential to your dog’s safety. Make this a really rewarding and fun behavior for your dog.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 2 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats
Teaching the Hand Target
1. Hold the clicker and a couple of treats in one hand.
2. Present your palm out 6 inches from your dog’s nose.
3. Wait for your dog to touch their nose to your hand.
4. The moment your dog’s nose touches your palm, click to mark their behavior as correct.
5. Reward with a treat from your other hand.
Adding a verbal cue
1. Say “Touch” and then present your hand to your dog.
2. When your dog’s nose touches your hand, click to mark their behavior as correct.
3. Reward with a treat from your other hand.
PRO TIP: If your dog doesn’t respond to the hand target, pull your hand back and reset. You can also try to wiggle your fingers or move your hand a bit to tap into their prey drive (their instinct to find and capture prey).
EXERCISE 10
Drop
Drop teaches your dog to release an item from their mouth. This cue can prevent your dog from swallowing unsafe items and is an important skill for playing fetch and tug. You want your dog to find letting go of items to be incredibly rewarding. Building a strong drop cue can also help prevent and manage resource guarding (e.g., growling or biting to protect food or toys).
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 6 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats, toy
Teaching Drop
1. Present a treat close to your pup’s nose when they have a toy in their mouth.
2. When they release the toy, click to mark their behavior as correct and reward with the treat.
OR
1. Make your arm limp or loose and wait for your pup to release the toy from their mouth.
2. When they release the toy, click to mark their behavior as correct and reward with the treat.
OR
1. Say “Drop,” let go of the toy you are holding, and offer a new toy.
2. When your dog releases the toy from their mouth and goes for the new toy, click to mark their behavior as correct.
3. Reward with a treat.
Adding a verbal cue
1. When your dog has a toy or other item in their mouth, cue them to drop the item by saying “Drop” once.
2. When your dog drops the item, click to mark their behavior as correct.
3. Reward with a treat.
PRO TIP: Be patient with this one. You may have to wait about 30 seconds in the first few days if you’re not using treats. Be clear that you’re not playing and that you want them to release the toy. Reward highly at first. Teach them why giving up something is better than keeping it.
CHAPTER FIVE
Practical Skills
WHEN YOU BRING a dog home, it’s important to teach them behaviors to set you up for success together in daily life. Practical skills, such as Stay, will shape how they respond to events, at home and away. This chapter focuses on building on basic cues and stringing behaviors together to make chains.
11Go to Your Spot
12Polite Entrance
13Polite Greetings with People
14Polite Greetings with Other Dogs
15Handling
16Automatic Eye Contact
17Personal Space
18Alone Time
19Loose Leash Walking
20Heel
EXERCISE 11
Go to Your Spot
This practical skill encourages your dog to relax in a specific place. Training your dog to offer an alternate behavior to unwanted problem behavior, such as barking, jumping, or begging, encourages them to behave in ways that you like. Go to Your Spot is very useful if someone is at your front door; when you have guests; when you’re cleaning, cooking, or eating; or when you’re just relaxing and want a bit of space.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 4 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats, spot (bed, mat, towel, carpet, etc.)
CUES USED Down
Luring your dog to go to their spot
1. Hold a treat in one hand and your clicker in the other.
2. Hold the treat close to your dog’s nose and use it to slowly guide them over to their spot.
3. When all four paws are on the spot, click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct.
4. Reward with a treat.
Adding Down
1. Hold a treat in one hand and your clicker in the other.
2. Hold the treat close to your dog’s nose and slowly guide them over to their spot.
3. When all four paws are on the spot, cue your dog to offer a Down.
4. When your dog is lying down on the spot, click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct.
5. Reward with a treat.
Adding a release off the spot
1. Cue your dog to their spot (here, the dog’s bed) and into a Down.
2. When they lie down, click to mark their behavior as correct.
3. Reward with a treat.
4. Say the release word “Okay” and then toss a treat away from the bed to lure your dog off.
PRO TIP: Deliver the treats calmly to your dog to help reinforce the behavior. Click when your dog is relaxed on their bed. Start with short repetitions to build up your dog’s confidence.
EXERCISE 12
Polite Entrance
Teaching your dog to stop and sit at an entryway or crosswalk will keep you both on the same page. Bolting out the front door or lunging ahead at a crosswalk could lead to a life-threatening situation. Remember to keep your dog feeling successful. At first, use a high-value treat and reward every couple of seconds while your dog stays in the Sit position. As they become more fluent with the exercise, add more time between treats.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 4 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats, entryway (door, elevator, gate, etc.)
CUES USED Sit, Stay
Luring polite entrance
1. As you approach the entryway, stop and cue your d
og to Sit by your side and then cue them to Stay. Click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct when they sit.
2. Reward with a treat in the Sit position.
3. Continue to click and reward every 5 to 10 seconds for remaining in the Sit position.
4. When you are ready to continue, release them with “Okay” and continue to walk forward.
5. Click to mark their behavior as correct when they get up after being released.
6. Reward with a treat.
Taking out the cue
1. As you approach the entryway, stop walking and pause. Wait for 10 seconds to see if your dog naturally offers a Sit.
2. If your dog sits, click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct. If your dog doesn’t sit, help them out by cueing them to Sit.
3. When you are ready to continue, release them with “Okay” and continue to walk forward.
4. Click to mark their behavior as correct.
5. Reward with a treat.
PRO TIP: If possible, try this exercise moving from room to room in your home before trying it at the front door or at a crosswalk.
EXERCISE 13
Polite Greetings with People
All dogs should learn how to greet people calmly. This exercise teaches your dog to keep all four paws on the ground when saying hello. A dog jumping up can cause harm, so it’s important to break the habit. To teach them that jumping up will end the interaction, turn and walk away. Next time, ask for a Sit first. As the person says hello, click and feed your dog a few treats to reinforce their polite interaction. And speak up for your dog if need be; it’s okay to avoid greetings if they make your dog anxious.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 8 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats, leash and harness or collar
Solo Handler
1. With your dog on leash, lightly tether the leash to the leg of a piece of furniture, such as a table leg or couch (A).
2. Take a few steps away from your dog.
3. Walk toward your dog to greet them.
4. If your dog jumps up or barks, turn around and walk away (B).
5. When your dog sits, click to mark their behavior as correct. If needed, cue your dog to Sit the first several times as you approach them (C).
6. Reward with a treat and a gentle pet.
Handler Plus a Volunteer
1. Hold your dog’s leash and the clicker in one hand and treats in the other. Relax your hands by your side. If possible, while holding the leash, release the slack toward the ground and step on the leash the length from your dog’s shoulder to the floor to prevent them from jumping. Have the greeter approach your dog.
2. If your dog jumps up or barks, have the person approaching turn around and walk away.
3. When your dog sits, click to mark their behavior as correct.
4. Reward with a treat and a gentle pet.
Once your dog sits automatically when someone approaches, you don’t have to step on the leash for greetings.
PRO TIP: Use a high-value treat to compete with the excitement of a new person. As you walk away from the person, reward your dog to prevent frustration when leaving the interaction.
EXERCISE 14
Polite Greetings with Other Dogs
Making friends can be exciting or awkward for dogs, just like humans. A dog needs time to get to know other dogs before trusting them, and a shy dog will need support when socializing. On-leash greetings can cause anxiety because your dog can’t move away from other dogs, and the fight-or-flight option is taken away. Reactivity or aggression on leash can result. On-leash greetings should be quick, from 10 to 20 seconds. Let your dog sniff the other dog (usually mouth, then rear), then move on. As you move away, reward your pup to reinforce them for following you and to prevent frustration.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 8 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats, leash and harness or collar
CUES USEDEye Contact
How to teach a polite greeting with other dogs
1. As you approach the other dog and handler, ask your dog to check in with you by cueing them for eye contact.
2. Ask the other dog’s handler if your dog may say hello.
3. Once your dog has given you their attention, click to mark their behavior as correct.
4. Allow your dog to go say a quick hello to the other dog as the reward.
5. Try to follow your dog during the greeting to prevent the leashes from becoming tangled.
6. As you walk away, click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct, and reward.
PRO TIP: On-leash greetings are optional, and your dog may prefer to avoid greeting other dogs on leash. There’s no need for your dog to greet on leash. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, keep them engaged with training on your walks (Eye Contact, Hand Targets, Sits, etc.), create space, or change direction.
EXERCISE 15
Handling
Petting a dog’s marvelous fluffy coat is wonderful and calming for humans, and there’s nothing quite like snuggling with your pup. Many dogs enjoy being touched, but you need to train them to have a positive association with it. Handling skills are necessary for grooming, vet visits, and day-to-day activity. Be gentle and careful when touching or handling sensitive areas. Don’t force your dog to let you handle them. Be patient when working on these exercises.
DURATION 2 repetitions a day for 8 weeks
Classical conditioning (pairing treat and pets)
1. Hold a treat in one hand.
2. Let your dog lick or nibble the treat.
3. Pet/handle your dog gently while feeding them the treat.
4. Pause and then repeat.
Work at your dog’s pace with handling. If your dog shows signs of being uncomfortable as you handle them (pulling their body away, walking away, growling, nipping), stop and start again with less intensity. It is always better to end your grooming session early while your dog feels relaxed rather than pushing them past their limits.
Operant conditioning (pet and then treat)
1. Hold a treat in one hand and the clicker in your other.
2. Pet/handle your dog gently.
3. Click to mark their behavior as correct.
4. Reward with a treat.
Grooming
You can also use the clicker to pair grooming tools with good things for your pup.
1. Hold the grooming tool or set it on the ground.
2. When your dog notices it, click to mark their behavior as correct.
3. Reward with a treat. Next, pair treats with gentle handling with the grooming tool.
4. Use the grooming tool first, then click to mark their behavior as correct.
5. Reward with a treat.
This process can also be used for bath time, nail clipping, toothbrushing, putting on clothing/harness, brushing, and wiping paws and eyes.
PRO TIP: If your dog moves their mouth toward your hand as if to nip, pull your hand away and practice the classical conditioning again.
EXERCISE 16
Automatic Eye Contact
Teaching your dog to offer a default behavior of looking back to you after they notice something in the environment encourages them to check in and listen, even amid distractions. In crowded areas, keeping your dog focused on you can prevent overstimulation. Reinforcing eye contact in day-to-day life will encourage your dog to offer it again later. Through practice, your dog will learn that checking in by making eye contact results in rewards.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 4 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats
Capturing eye contact
1. Set a treat on the ground in front of your dog and let your dog eat it.
2. Wait for your dog to refocus on you (up to 15 seconds).
3. If your dog doesn’t look up, make a kissy noise or other sound to encourage them to do so.
4. The moment your dog makes eye contact, click to mark their behavior as correct.
5. Reward by setting another trea
t on the ground, and repeat.
You can reward your dog for making eye contact any time they naturally offer it by clicking and rewarding them.
PRO TIP: Find moments to capture this behavior throughout the day. When your dog chooses to focus on you, let them know they’ve done a good job by clicking and rewarding them.
EXERCISE 17
Personal Space
Dogs who love affection are heartwarming, but sometimes you don’t want them invading your personal space. Establishing boundaries, especially around food, allows you (and your guests) to eat without your dog begging. Instinctively, your dog will try to get to appetizing food they see or smell. (Imagine being your dog!) Your dog can also learn to give you space when you’re working on the computer or reading. Set up as if you were doing that activity, and when your dog is relaxed, click and reward them. This teaches your dog that giving you space pays off faster than being pushy.
DURATION10 repetitions per day for 6 weeks
MATERIALSclicker, treats
Teaching personal space
1. Sit on a chair or on the floor. Hold treats in both hands in a fist, while also holding the clicker in one hand. Relax your hands on your lap.
2. If your dog goes for the treat, lift your hands up.
3. The moment that your dog makes the choice to move or look away from the treats in your hands, click to mark their behavior as correct. (This may take a minute or so.)
Clicker Training for Dogs: Master Basic Training, Common Cues, and Fun Tricks in 15 Minutes a Day Page 5