Lucky Dog Lessons

by Brandon McMillan

  A Step-by-Step Plan

  Technique 1

  This is an effective, direct way to teach a dog to be quiet on your command, and it’s all about perfect timing. The only tool you’ll need in this process is—yep, you guessed it—a penny bottle or a Shake & Break.

  Step 1. Making sure you’re set up and ready is the key to this technique. Your bottle must be in hand. Next, you’ll have to get your dog to bark. Usually the easiest way to make that happen is by ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door. With your bottle at the ready, reach your hand out (or enlist a helper) to ring the bell. Bad barkers will start yapping right away. As your dog starts to bark, firmly say the word QUIET, immediately shake your noisy training tool vigorously, and then say QUIET again. The sound will momentarily startle your dog and stop the barking. Some dogs will even back up a few feet at the new and unpleasant sound. That short startle is the secret to this technique.

  Here’s why it works: When a dog goes into a full-steam barking frenzy, all five senses slowly fade away. The barking is the first step in an instinctive protective response. The more fired up your dog gets, the more that tunnel vision takes effect—so much so that unless you yell at the top of your lungs, your dog probably won’t even hear you. Unless you jump right into her line of sight, she probably won’t see you. Let me explain it another way: Imagine you’re watching TV at home and someone is sitting beside you, talking. If we’re honest, I think we’ve all had that moment when we know that person is talking, but we’re so focused on our show that we aren’t hearing the words. We just hear the sound, blah, blah, blah, hoopity, hoopity, blah, blah . . . It’s only natural that your ears focus on one thing at a time. But if the talking person catches your attention and you start listening to him or her, then the noise of the television becomes the blah, blah, blah in the background. This is exactly what happens when a dog is completely focused on a perceived intruder or other barking motivation. That’s her TV show. Does she hear you while she’s thinking about it? Barely, if at all. You need to create a distraction to recapture her attention. And that distraction is your penny bottle or Shake & Break. They make such distinctive sounds that when your dog hears them—especially for the first time (or the first time in a long time)—they cut right through and snap your dog back into reality for just a few seconds. This is where your timing comes into play. Saying the word QUIET right as your dog startles is how you teach her the command.

  Eventually, your dog will need to understand the verbal command without the jarring noise. The order of things here is key in making that happen. Be sure to keep it consistent: ring the bell, your dog starts barking, give the QUIET command, firmly shake the bottle, and say QUIET one more time.

  When you say the command the first time, you’re subtly embedding it in your dog’s brain. She may not even hear you before you shake the bottle at first, but there’s a method to the madness, so bear with me. After you shake the bottle, you’ll quickly give the command again. This time your dog will hear you—and associate QUIET with that noise she doesn’t like.

  Step 2. Practice this technique with your dog a few times a day every day for a week. Each day, shake the bottle a little less loudly and give more emphasis to the command—both before and after the shake. The shake of the bottle and the command will slowly but surely become inversely proportionate. As that happens, your dog will begin to focus on your voice along with, and then more than, the bottle. This is why you used the QUIET command all along—to condition your dog to respond to that word, whether she hears the sound of rattling metal or not. At first, what your dog hears is blah (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE), QUIET. As the week progresses, though, she will reach a moment of clarity and know that blah was actually you giving the QUIET command. Once you reach the point where your dog stops barking upon hearing that first QUIET, your penny bottle or Shake & Break can be officially retired . . . for this technique.

  Training Tips to Remember

  When You Say QUIET, Say It Firmly. This is a disciplinary command. You’re not asking your dog to keep quiet; you’re telling her to do so. This is a place where your role as a benevolent leader or parent comes in. Use your best mother- or father-knows-best voice to convey your definitive, confident authority.

  Be Focused on Your Timing. The command must be given and the penny bottle or Shake & Break shaken right after the barking starts. Waiting too long will get no results because the dog won’t make the connection. Timing is a very important factor in the technique.

  I’ve only encountered a small percentage of dogs over the years for whom this technique did not work, so set your goals not only to get the timing right and to practice consistently but also to not give up. Don’t lose to your dog’s will on this—your friends, family, and neighbors will all thank you once you’ve succeeded.

  For the minority of dogs who don’t respond to Technique 1, I have another technique that utilizes a different kind of training. It’s a bit more complicated, but when you’ve finished, your dog will have learned not just one new skill but two.

  Technique 2

  This one is very advanced, so proceed only if you’re ready for a challenge! It’s kind of ironic, but over years of trial and error, I’ve found that one of the best ways to get a dog to be quiet on command is to teach her to bark on command first. This is a technique I learned while training dogs for television and commercials—especially in situations where the director wanted a dog who could bark on cue.

  Most people think I’m crazy when I mention this approach, but when it’s properly executed, it works like a charm.

  All you’ll need to get started:

  •A leash

  •A bag of treats

  Make sure your dog is good and hungry for this training, because it’s going to be real work for her. You can even train this technique at mealtime and feed your dog her whole meal as you work.

  Step 1. Attach the leash to your dog’s collar and hold the far end in your hand. This will give you control by keeping your dog in a steady position while you work. If you have a second person to help you hold the leash, that’s even better. Now you’re going to teach your dog to SPEAK on command. This isn’t too difficult with excessive barkers. All you need to know is what triggers yours, and you can teach her in a matter of minutes. A knock or doorbell is a common trigger. If that’s what cues your dog to bark, crack open your door just enough to reach the bell or knock, then do it. Your dog will instantly start barking—no surprise there. As she barks, stand between her and the door and give the command SPEAK, along with a corresponding hand signal. Choose a distinctive hand signal, like waving your pointer finger left and right in the air or maybe moving your hands like a puppet speaking. While she’s still barking, give your dog a treat, but don’t offer any praise.

  Repeat this process several times over multiple short training sessions. This will lock in the SPEAK command and help your dog remember what it’s all about. When you’re finished, you will have given her structure for her bad habit—and in doing so you will have changed her game to your game. Keep practicing till your dog is speaking on command with a verbal command and hand signal only (no doorbell needed). Once she’s mastered this new trick, it’s time to add the next and most important step.

  Step 2. Once your dog will SPEAK on command, give the signal and wait for her to bark. As soon as she starts, give her a new command: QUIET. Be sure to say it firmly—don’t yell—but say it like you mean business. If your dog keeps barking, wait her out. She doesn’t know what you’re talking about yet. When she stops barking, wait a couple of seconds, then give her a treat. It’s very important to wait those couple of seconds because this will teach your dog that she’s being paid to be quiet not to bark. Every session, try to add a second or two of silence before you give your dog the reward. Within a week, you should be up to ten to fifteen seconds of silence, just for the asking. You’ll want to give this process lots of repetition before you move on. It’s important that it’s firmly lodged in your dog’s
memory bank.

  The more you practice this technique, the better your dog will get at it. Soon she’ll be so good that she’ll be ready to be tested when someone actually rings the doorbell. Remember that you’re not teaching your dog to not bark; you’re teaching her to stop barking when you say QUIET. Practice the QUIET command with planned doorbell rings, keeping in mind that this will be challenging for your dog. Don’t spend more than ten to fifteen minutes in a single training session, and take long breaks in between sessions so your dog can process what she’s learned. Some dogs take longer to consistently respond to this technique, but that’s no surprise because barking is often a deeply ingrained habit. Remember, patience always wins the training game.

  Training Tips to Remember

  First things first. Why is this technique so effective? Because by teaching your dog to bark on command, you turn her bad habit into a trick. When we teach our dogs tricks, we’re teaching them focus. And when they’re focused, they watch, listen, and learn. So they hear you when you say QUIET, as opposed to when they’re in a barking frenzy and not hearing a thing. Over the week, your dog will learn the meaning of QUIET and become conditioned to the word.

  The Method Works Best for Obedient Dogs. If you’re going to train this technique, keep in mind that having an obedient dog makes the process much easier. This isn’t a starter skill, so if you’re coming into it with a dog who hasn’t learned the 7 Common Commands (or most of them) yet, start small with a couple of simpler commands before tackling this one.

  Don’t Overdo It. This is a challenging command. A few short sessions spread out over the day is ideal. Overtraining is never a good strategy.

  Don’t Shout. Remember that since it’s the QUIET command you’re teaching, you don’t want to have to yell to make it happen. In general, it’s never a good idea to get into the game of having to raise your voice when you ask your dog to do something. This is often the most difficult part for people because they want instant silence when they train this command, and it seems like yelling might be the way to get it. Instead, in the first few sessions, expect that it might take your dog twenty seconds or longer to quiet down. If you wait her out, that twenty seconds will turn into two seconds in just a few days. Keep a steady head and take your time.

  Tools You Can Use

  I’m a technique junkie, so I like to solve problems through training. However, if you need a quick fix to help until you get results, there are a couple of tools that can make a difference.

  Citronella Collar. A citronella collar sprays citronella in your dog’s face when she barks. The pros of this simple collar are that it’s fast and effective on a decent percentage of dogs. It’s easy for you to use, and it won’t harm your dog. The cons are that it can be too bulky for practical use on small dogs, it requires some maintenance from you (batteries, refilling the citronella), and if you don’t get the settings right, it can’t possibly distinguish between barking you deem to be acceptable (like a woof of hello to a neighbor) and the barking that’s trouble.

  Ultrasonic Collar. An ultrasonic collar works on a similar principle to the citronella collar, and has many of the same pros and cons. A couple of things worth noting, though: because the collar emits a high-pitched sound only your dog can hear, it’s not a great option for a home with more than one dog or a dog who spends a lot of time around other dogs in general. Punishing an innocent-bystander dog with an unpleasant sound is kind of a rotten thing to do, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

  Ultrasonic Remote. Unlike the collar, this is a remote control you hold in your hand. Most come with at least two settings—a positive sound and a negative sound. You can reinforce the positive sound by occasionally rewarding your dog at the same time you use it. The negative sound is extremely high-pitched and off-putting to most dogs. The advantages of this are that you have more control—you can utilize the remote when you want to deter your dog’s barking. That’s also the bad news, though, because if it isn’t consistently used in conjunction with problem barking, your dog may have a hard time figuring out why on earth she sometimes hears that terrible noise.

  Consult with a professional trainer if you’re having a hard time deciding whether to use these tools.

  Reality Check

  As I stressed in Chapter 1, understanding your dog’s breed is an important part of training. There are some breeds and groups that are known not only for barking but also bred for it. So if you have, for example, a beagle, don’t be surprised if any technique takes a while for her to grasp. And know there’s a small chance she won’t grasp it at all. Scent hounds are barkers, period. This is not breaking news. It’s in their DNA to bark loudly and excessively, and every scent hound owner should know this. If you educate yourself on your breed, you’ll not only have a better understanding of why your dog behaves the way she does but also know whether you should be prepared for a long-term training program rather than one that requires only a few days’ work.

  One Lucky Dog

  Courtesy of Litton Syndications, Inc.

  Thankfully, Daisy was almost as quick in her response to training to stop her barking as she’d been to her 7 Common Commands. In order to make absolutely sure she could be quiet, I left her alone for a long stretch at the ranch—all the while listening outside with a baby monitor for any barks. Daisy passed the test with flying colors.

  She passed a few other obstacles, too—pretty much everything on the agility course I put together for her. I had hoped going this extra mile in her training would give Daisy an outlet for her excess energy, and watching her tackle agility was like seeing her find her calling. This dog was born to jump, and the hurdles focused all her energy and excitement into the joy of being able to do it.

  In the end, Daisy was able to go to the family I’d picked out for her, and as I watched them put her through her agility paces at the playground, I was positive she’d found the right forever home. To this day, I still get e-mails from her family telling me about how she’s the best in her agility class.

  15

  DIGGING AND ESCAPING FROM THE YARD

  Years ago, I trained a three-year-old schipperke named Ernie for his owners. The big problem with this dog was specific to the backyard—a problem I couldn’t miss as soon as I walked outside. At first glance, it appeared that this piece of property in Bel Air was afflicted with one heck of a gopher problem. There were holes everywhere—it looked like the mangled golf course from Caddyshack. But there was no gopher tunneling around underneath this family’s house. The guilty party was Ernie, who’d started digging holes as a puppy and had been allowed to keep at it right up until the day I arrived.

  Like any behavior problem, this dog’s cute puppy pastime had turned into a big problem—so much so that by the time the family called me, only Ernie was really able to use the yard. For everyone else, it was a minefield. In his three years of digging, this dog had gotten seriously hooked. There was no way to know whether he was convinced his digging was important work or whether it just made him happy, but it was clear he had no intention of stopping.

  The schipperke is one of those breeds that might look like a lapdog but was never meant to be one. These dogs were designed to be independent, industrious workers. Ernie was pretty typical of the breed: intelligent, willful, and very strong despite his small size. Since his habit was deeply ingrained, training him to stop digging could have been a big challenge. But over the years I’ve found a method for deterring this behavior that’s practically foolproof. The approach is more of a trick than a technique, and it works because it engages the dog’s own instincts against his bad habit.

  The Problem: The Hole Digger

  For dogs like Ernie, destruction is an art. Chewing and digging are projects that bring them back again and again to invest a little more time and a little more labor. You’ve probably seen this kind of artful destruction in your own dog at some point: the chewed-up cushion that isn’t quite “right” until the stuffing is strewn everywhere, the favorite toy he li
cks and pulls at until it nearly falls apart but doesn’t, the hole in the yard that keeps calling him back to make it a little deeper or wider around. When dogs commit to this kind of destruction, they’re not just burning off pent-up energy; they’re creating a tangible memento of it. Many will return to the same project to work again and again.

  If a dog who was bred to work doesn’t have a job, he’ll make one up—often to the detriment of your yard.

  © Brandon McMillan

  We can’t know what’s going on in a dog’s mind while he’s digging a hole, but it’s a safe guess that for some, the feel of the dirt under their paws, the satisfaction of the growing pile of it behind them, the possibility of finding some treasure buried deep in the ground—it’s all a strangely intoxicating experience. For others, of course, it’s just a means to an end—a way out. In this chapter, we’ll talk about both diggers and escape artists. Together these two behaviors add up to an absence of backyard manners. Luckily, they can both be managed so you can reclaim your outdoor space.

  The Approach

  Sometimes the culprit in backyard digging is just a puppy being a puppy. Sometimes, like in Ernie’s case, it’s a grown dog who’s little puppy problem was ignored until it became a big adult-dog issue. Like I’ve said many times before, small problems become big problems—if you let them manifest. I’ve seen this issue in both big and small dogs. Many of the little ones, like Ernie, are breeds that were designed to hunt and chase small game or vermin, so they’re practically born itching to get their feet down in the dirt. That might have been the reason behind Ernie’s habit, or it could have been driven by plain old boredom. He was an exception in one way though—I’ve never seen such an impressive moonscape designed by such a small dog. His yard was a field of craters. Typically the dogs who cause that much damage are bigger, breeds like Labs, huskies, Samoyeds, and chow chows.