Lucky Dog Lessons

by Brandon McMillan

  Hold a treat six inches from your dog’s mouth and say NO. If he lunges for it, say the word NO, then quickly close your hand.

  Step 2. Once your dog is calm, place your open hand with the treat at his eye level again, about six inches from his mouth. When he goes for the treat, close your hand into a fist again, saying NO. Repeat this process five times, then stop for five minutes. The five-times, five-minute-break routine is a single session for training this command. It’s very important to train in short sessions so your dog’s brain can have a little time to process this concept. Most dogs need five to ten sessions over the course of a day or two to grasp it.

  Step 3. As your dog progresses, he’ll stop lunging and mouthing at your hand. At that point you can repeat the same steps with your palm open, using the NO command to control your dog. But keep sharp because some dogs can be sneaky when they have their eyes on the prize. When your dog can be trusted to respect the NO command with your open hand, he’s ready for the real test. Place the treat on the ground between the two of you and say NO. When your dog no longer seems tempted to lunge out and take that treat, you’ve taught him the command.

  When your dog respects the NO with the treat in your open hand, place the treat on the ground between you for the real test.

  Step 4. Now that your dog has the NO at point-blank range, it’s time to teach the command from a distance. Picking up from the end of Step 3, place a treat down in front of your dog, say a firm NO, and then back off. Be sure to back up only a foot for the first few seconds. Feel your dog out from that distance, and if you don’t see him going for the treat, then move another couple of feet back. You’re going to keep moving back while saying NO until you hit ten feet. From there you’ll slowly move back until you’re right next to your dog again.

  Step 5. Once your dog has grasped the concept of NO, you get to teach him something he’ll like better: OKAY. This is the flip side of NO; OKAY gives your dog permission to take the treat. Move on to this only when your dog has learned to respect NO and its meaning. Once he’s restrained himself for the NO correctly several times, simply say the word OKAY and put the treat right up to his mouth. This process teaches basic manners and respect. NO means NO, and it’s nonnegotiable. OKAY means, “Go ahead. I give you permission.” The beauty of teaching this command is that your dog will eventually understand it enough to look to you when a situation comes up where he’s not clear on what’s allowed. At that point, you can give him either a NO or an OKAY to help him sort it out. This command translates to many areas of your dog’s life and far beyond just the kitchen.

  Training Tips to Remember

  Be Speedy. It’s important to be quick on the draw when closing your hand. If you allow your dog to grab that food away too many times while training, you’ll be teaching him he can beat you at this game, and he may even start challenging you in other areas of training. This is the last thing any dog owner needs. If you notice your dog is too quick for you the first couple of times, hold your hand a little farther back when holding that treat out. A foot should be plenty.

  Use Noise as a Distraction. When you start placing the treat on the ground, your dog may be sorely tempted to go ahead and snatch it away. A good way to refocus his attention on you and the NO command you’ve given is to slap the ground right next to the treat with your hand if he starts to move toward it. The movement and the sound of your hand will momentarily break your dog’s focus on the treat and help him resist temptation. A penny bottle or a Shake & Break works very well as a noise distraction, too. If you’re struggling to maintain control as you start teaching this command and aren’t getting the response you want with just a slap, try utilizing a noisier alternative.

  Break Out the Leash. For dogs who are really stubborn about learning this technique, continuously going after the treat without heeding your NO command, put them on a leash and use it to correct them as they lunge forward. You’ll accomplish this by holding the treat in one hand up close to your body and extending your other hand to hold the leash behind your dog’s head. This will stop even the most difficult pups with this problem. Remember: You need to win at this game more than your dog does. This is how the command is set in stone. As soon as your dog realizes he is on the losing side of the game and that you will offer up that treat only when the NO command has been respected and you’ve given a clear OKAY, he won’t challenge you on the issue anymore.

  Use a leash to correct a dog who continues to lunge forward.

  Variation for Tough Cases. If your dog is challenging you on this command, you can take my tip about using a leash one step further. In this case, you’re going to “ground” your dog while you teach the NO. Simply loop a leash around a leg of a heavy table or sofa and attach it to your dog’s collar. Place him so the leash is taut behind him and he’s facing you. Next, place a treat on the floor just out of reach of his snout (about six inches away) and firmly say the word NO. Your dog is probably going to struggle and lunge to get the treat, but you won’t have to hold him back—the leash tied off behind him will do it for you. As your dog tries to get the treat, repeat the word NO every few seconds until he calms down and stops struggling. When he does settle, wait three full seconds (start at zero and don’t count fast!), then praise, give him the treat, and tell him OKAY. Repeat this process, adding one second each time. Remember to say the word NO right as you set the treat down and to keep it just out of your dog’s reach. Also, remember to wait until your dog completely stops struggling before starting your count. After a few days when you feel he’s ready, simply unhook the leash from the collar and repeat the steps. If he goes for the treat right away without respecting the NO command, then it’s too soon. If he respects the command and waits for you to give the OKAY, then he’s mastered the NO. This variation often works for the dogs who are a little too unruly to grasp my first technique.

  For a tough case, “ground” your dog while teaching NO by attaching his leash to the leg of a heavy table or chair.

  Variation for Really Tough Cases. Follow the same steps in “Variation for Tough Cases” above, but add a penny bottle or a Shake & Break to the process. If your dog lunges for the treat, say NO, shake the bottle, and say NO again. The bottle will help make your point and train this skill.

  One Final Note. It’s important to remember that the NO command is only effective when you say it. It’s possible that this command may discourage your dog from engaging in a specific behavior if you use it consistently and over time—in other words, that it may sink in that a particular action is not acceptable. In general, though, the NO can’t be relied on to stop your dog from engaging in unwanted behaviors when you’re not around to give the command. For that, you’ll have to work on each behavior, teaching your dog that it is not acceptable and then making sure he knows the rules apply even when you’re out of sight. You’ll find a number of examples of how to do this in Part Three a little later in the book.

  It might take a few days of consistent training to get this command down, but your dog will get there. I’ve done this with thousands of dogs over the years, and I’ve never met one who couldn’t figure it out. That said, I’ve definitely seen a few dogs take longer than others. If your dog is slow to grasp the NO, just stick to it.

  Welcome to the Family

  When I’d taught Poppi all of the 7 Common Commands—including that NO he’d resisted at first—I was able to deliver him to my aunt Patti. She took one look at the one-eared cocker spaniel that had been passed up at the shelter by so many potential forever families, and she saw just what I had seen: a perfect dog. Patti put her arms around Poppi and said, “Look at you—you’re gorgeous!” Ever since, he’s been a part of the family.

  In case you were wondering, my aunt liked Poppi so much that she finally let me have my dog back that day, too. Lulu came home with me. There are always lots of dogs in my life, but things just hadn’t been the same around the ranch without her there.

  8

  OFF

  Jum
ping up on people is one of dogs’ most common—and most offensive—bad habits. Not only can a jumping dog mess up clean clothes or scare friends and visitors who are animal shy, but she can also trip, scratch, knock down, or even unintentionally injure someone. Every dog with this bad habit needs to learn the OFF command. Once your dog understands that jumping up on people is a bad idea, you’ll still want to keep the OFF command fresh in your arsenal because it serves the dual function of getting your pup off the furniture, too. You’ll most likely be using this command just about every day.

  Now I know most of us swear we never allow our dogs on the furniture, but I also know many of us bend the rules in this area. I’m right there with you. I’m not one of those trainers who feels the need to be vigilant about keeping my dogs on the floor. As far as I’m concerned, my house is their house, too—even if they’re only living with me for a little while during training. I’m especially soft on the furniture policy because many of the dogs who stay with me are rescues, and they’ve just come from a place where a cold concrete floor was home. I want them to feel safe and comfortable with me—to be able to trust that their lives are going to be better. There are very few things I can do that convey that message as easily as letting a dog sit beside me on the sofa and putting my arm around her. To that end, my rules are simple: as long as a dog isn’t possessive or aggressive of the furniture, that dog is welcome on the couch or bed anytime. To cut down on the shedding problem, I designate one area as dog friendly with a blanket that doubles as a fur magnet. When I want to make it even easier for a new dog to know she’s okay, I put a dog bed right on the sofa. That way the newcomer knows she’s definitely allowed to lie in that area.

  My Lulu sleeps on just about every bed, sofa, chair, and chaise in the house—I think she likes to enjoy them all in turn. If I need her to move, though, I just tell her OFF and she clears out. It’s an easy command to keep her in check if I have company or need the space she’s using. Of course, it’s not that easy with every dog—like the seven-month-old puppy I rescued a while back who quickly showed me she needed to learn the OFF more urgently than any other command.

  Courtesy of Litton Syndications, Inc.

  Meet Jemma. When I met Jemma in the shelter, she was one sad puppy—a shepherd mix with downcast eyes who retreated to the corner of her kennel when she saw me coming. Jemma and a sibling had been rescued together, but the dog who had been her companion since the day she was born had been adopted, and now this girl was in the shelter alone.

  When I walked her outside, Jemma put the brakes on at the end of the sidewalk, freezing in place and bracing herself, most likely from fear of where she might be going next. Getting her into my truck was a challenge because even though she was a puppy, she was a big puppy, and she slumped down like dead weight to avoid getting in. Back at the ranch, it was more of the same. Jemma wouldn’t even pick her head up to look out the window, and I had to lift her out of the truck and put her on the ground. I figured she’d need a few days to get settled in before we could start training. Whether she was suffering from grief over the loss of her littermate or shelter shock—or both—she needed some time and space to process everything she’d been through.

  As it turned out, all it took was one night to turn this sad dog around. In the morning, the timid animal I’d had to carry away from the shelter had been replaced by a puppy with a completely different personality. Jemma made the fastest recovery from down-and-out to party animal I’ve ever seen. She was jumping all over the furniture—not just couches and beds, but coffee tables and nightstands and piano, too. If she had feet like a lizard, I think she would’ve climbed the walls. And Jemma’s wild antics didn’t stop at the furniture—she jumped all over me and everyone else at the Lucky Dog Ranch. That was when I knew for sure that not only did this dog have no training in her history—she also had zero manners. In order to start making her adoptable—and to save my furniture—I needed to teach her the OFF command, stat.

  Teaching the OFF

  Since this is a multipurpose command, I’m going to give you techniques specialized for various situations: jumping on you, jumping on other people, and jumping on furniture. There are countless techniques and methods to teach the OFF, and a wide range of responses to them among different dogs. As a result, it sometimes takes a few tries to find the right one for a particular animal. None of the techniques I use are very time-consuming, so I’m going to list them from the simplest to the most complex. Always keep in mind that where one method fails, another one prevails. If one doesn’t work for you, move right on to the next. I’m certain one of them will be successful.

  One of the easiest techniques to discourage jumping is to turn your back.

  Teaching OFF for Jumping on You

  Technique 1

  Turn Your Back. This is the easiest technique to discourage jumping up, but it doesn’t work on every dog. The only way to find out is to give it a try—and if it doesn’t work, move on to the methods below that require a little more time and effort. It doesn’t get any easier than this.

  Wait for your dog to jump up on you—if she’s a frequent jumper, you won’t have to wait long. The instant she jumps up, say the word OFF in your firmest voice and turn your back. Have no further interaction. The second the command is given in a cut-it-out voice and attention is withdrawn, many dogs go back down on all fours. Repeat again and again over a few days, and most dogs who are motivated by the attention they receive from jumping will simply give up the habit because they stop getting what they want.

  Technique 2

  Hold Those Paws. Grabbing a dog’s paws and holding them for about thirty seconds after each jump is a technique I’ve found over the years to be effective for teaching OFF to many dogs. Unfortunately, it only works on large and medium-size dogs, so if you have a pint-size jumper, skip ahead to the next technique instead. Like many effective training methods, this one relies on reverse psychology. Just as a human with a bad habit can sometimes be persuaded to change behavior by getting too much of a “good” thing, reverse psychology tends to work on dogs because the fun habit they love starts to get annoying.

  Let’s break this down. When your dog jumps up on you, I want you to grab her paws, hold them, and give the OFF command. Now brace yourself, because here’s what’s likely to happen: After a few seconds your dog is going to try to pull away. Do not allow that; this is vital to the command. I want you to keep repeating the word OFF every couple of seconds, embedding it in your dog’s mind while you stand toe-to-toe in this awkward position.

  Holding your dog’s paws is another effective OFF technique.

  In addition to pulling away, some dogs may have temper tantrums or cry when you use this technique. Don’t give in. You are not injuring your dog by holding her paws, I promise. You are only going to hold this position for a matter of seconds—but in the process you are taking away your dog’s control, and she’s not going to like it. I’ve even seen dogs who try to nip at my hands while I’m holding their paws to teach this command. What’s going on in this very important thirty seconds or so is on par with a toddler’s temper tantrum. Your dog is like a two-year-old throwing a fit over the “right” to pull her brother’s hair or not wear a seat belt. You can’t give in on that kind of thing, and you can’t give in to your jumping dog, either. This is a potentially dangerous habit, and you can break it if you just stick to the plan.

  So hold on and keep repeating OFF. While you’re holding your dog’s paws, her young, inexperienced mind will be processing the situation and figuring it out. It takes a little time—usually twenty to forty seconds. After that, your dog will calm down. The tantrum will stop, and she will be standing on her hind legs looking at you and hearing the word OFF repeated over and over in your calm, firm voice. Once your dog is completely settled and not resisting, wait just three more seconds, say OFF one last time, and then let her paws go. That’s all there is to this reverse-psychology technique. Your dog might jump on you again after a few minu
tes, testing the waters—and that’s normal. Just go through the lesson again. Most likely your dog won’t jump a third time. Suddenly, jumping up will have lost its appeal.

  Technique 3

  Use a Penny Bottle or a Shake & Break. This technique is great for super stubborn dogs. People who know me and watch my show know that I swear by these simple yet incredibly effective tools. The penny bottle and the Shake & Break are basically universal correctors that can be used to help solve almost any behavior problem. These simple training tools are among the easiest ways to bring jumping to a halt. This is how it works: With the bottle in hand (preferably hidden behind your back), wait for your dog to jump up. When she does, give a firm OFF followed by a shake of the bottle, then another OFF command. The sound of the clanging metal will startle your dog, and she’ll get down. Repeat this process as needed. Like the paw-holding method, most dogs don’t challenge this one too many times before grasping it for good. Throughout your week of training, you’ll need to utilize the bottle—always pairing it with the word OFF—less and less until your dog responds to just the command without the jarring, unpleasant noise. By the end of the week, the bottle should be eliminated altogether and your dog should be responding to your verbal command alone.

  For a stubborn dog, use a penny bottle or a Shake & Break.

  Teaching OFF for Jumping on Other People

  Technique 1

  Use a Penny Bottle or a Shake & Break. With the bottle in hand, wait for your dog to jump up on someone else. When she does it, give a firm OFF followed by a shake of the bottle, then another OFF command. Make sure you’re close to your dog (a foot or two away). The sound of the rattling metal will startle your dog, and she’ll get down on all fours in response. Encourage the person your dog is jumping on to say a firm OFF as well.