Polite Greetings For Over-Aroused Dogs

In my first article on Polite Greetings, I discussed ways that you can teach your dog to better control their excitement when greeting people. This works for most dogs! However there are dogs who get SO manic and over-aroused during greetings, that they are unable to think or exhibit self-control. These are not the dogs who are jumping up a few times and then realizing that they should sit. They are the dogs who choke themselves if held back with a leash, bark manically if put behind a gate, and seem to be trying to meld into one being with the person they are climbing onto. They may also repeatedly put their teeth on the hands or arms of the people trying to pet them to calm them down, and won’t be redirected to hold a toy instead. For these dogs, I find that you have to use techniques to lower their arousal step by step, rather than trying to get them to “control themselves.”

 

Preparing for training

As with any training plan in which you’re trying to teach the dog polite behaviors, you have to also prevent them from rehearsing unwanted behaviors as much as possible. This means that guests should not be coming into your home when you are not prepared to train, or your dog is kept in an area away from the front door. During walks, you do not let people approach to pet your dog unless you are ready to train. You make sure that all family members are clear and consistent with this point, and that they follow the same training approach.

You will be using a LOT of treats during this process, and they should be high value treats that your dog absolutely loves (most commonly, real meats, cheese, or freeze-dried liver - but experiment to see what your dog likes best).

Your dog will need to be on a leash before you open the door for guests, so that you can control his ability to approach them. I recommend that the leash is short (3-4’) and is attached to a harness rather than a collar, to reduce choking and gagging when your dog pulls. If your dog is very strong, you can use a tether attached to a wall or a suitably heavy piece of furniture. If that is truly not an option, you can have your dog behind a securely installed baby gate, but the training will not be as smooth.

It will also help if your dog has already had good exercise and mental stimulation before your guests arrive - but you don’t want him so tired that he’s in need of a nap and cranky or extra impulsive.

 

The training process

At each step, your focus is on helping your dog to lower his arousal and therefore be able to experience the greeting without needing to jump, climb, mouth, or bark as an outlet. Wait as long as it takes for that to happen. Rushing through the steps will lead to your dog reverting to his previous behavior.

  1. Guest is let into the home. Dog is on leash and held back from reaching them.

    What your guest does: Stand or sit still and chat quietly. Do not approach or reach for the dog. Do not give an excited greeting.

    What you do: Stand at a distance from the guest (at least 6’, more if needed to be able to hold back your dog.) Scatter 5-10 high value treats in the area around your dog’s feet. Your dog does not need to do anything to “earn” the treats. The act of sniffing around and eating them is calming (at least a little bit!). Repeat as many times as needed. If your dog initially ignores the treats in favor of lunging toward the guest, just hold him steady and continue scattering. (Do not yank the dog back - just keep the leash at a steady length so they can’t get up to the guest.)

    What you’re looking for: Dog switches focus to the treats on the floor, eats most or all of them, and then starts watching you instead of the guest as he anticipates more.

  2. Dog is allowed to approach without greeting.

    What your guest does: Continue to stand or sit still and chat quietly. Do not approach or reach for the dog. Do not give an excited greeting.

    What you do: One step at a time, close the distance between your dog and the guest. Keep the leash short enough that you can still keep the dog from jumping up. Continue to drop small scatters of 3-5 treats by your dog’s front feet as your dog looks at you. Stop with your dog near the guest, but not close enough to jump up (probably about 2’ away for a medium sized dog). If your dog lunges forward, simply stop walking and wait for him to focus on you again.

    • If your dog is tethered or behind a gate, then you have your guest take small steps toward your dog, rather than your dog approaching them.

    What you’re looking for: Dog is able to stand near the guest without trying to interact with them, looking to you for more treats.

  3. Guest offers hand and dog practices approaching, then disengaging without greeting.

    What your guest does: Stand or sit still and lower a hand down, holding it steady at the dog’s nose height. Let the dog come to the hand rather than reaching toward the dog. Do not pet the dog.

    What you do: Allow your dog to reach his nose to the guest’s hand. Immediately after he does so, drop a small scatter of 3-5 treats at his front feet. (If needed, get his attention first with a treat in front of his nose, then scatter them. See “nose to toes” video demo.) Repeat as many times as needed. If your dog tries to nibble on the hand, go back to step 2.

    What you’re looking for: Dog switches focus from the guest’s hand to you, as he satisfies his curiosity and anticipates more treats.

  4. Guest calmly pets dog on the chest or collar-to-tail, without making eye contact.

    What your guest does: Use the hand that was already sniffed to pet the dog, either on his back or side (from the collar to the tail), or giving gentle scratches on the front of his chest and neck. Do not give pats or thumps. Do not look the dog directly in the eyes (which increases excitement). Talk calmly and quietly.

    What you do: AS the dog is getting petting, continue to drop at least 1 treat at a time at your dog’s front feet. Start with the treats coming rapid-fire. Slowly decrease the rate of treats if your dog is relaxing into the petting. Increase the rate of treats if your dog is lifting his head to look directly up into the person’s face (which is often a precursor to jumping in over-aroused dogs).

    What you’re looking for: Dog is able to eat the treats while experiencing petting, then gives signs of relaxation such as leaning against the guest, sitting or lying down, slower breathing, and slower movements with his body.

  5. Petting ends by leading dog away from the guest.

    What your guest does: Pause petting and wait.

    What you do: Call your dog to move away from the guest. If he’s reluctant to go, drop a few treats farther away to entice him. If absolutely needed, use gentle leash pressure to help.

    What you’re looking for: Dog willingly walks away from the guest.

 

Progressing further

  • When you see that your dog is doing particularly well at a given step, you can switch from dropping multiple treats to just one at a time. At that point, you can also give the treat from your hand rather than dropping it on the floor, if you wish.

  • Try slowing down the frequency of the treats.

    • If your dog turns back to the guest and starts to get over-aroused again, then he still needs the treats to be given more frequently, and he needs more time at the current step.

    • If your dog patiently waits for the next one, without fixating on the guest, you’re good to go.

  • You can ask your dog to respond to obedience cues, such as a sit or go to mat, once they are in a calmer frame of mind.

The more you practice, the more quickly your dog will be able to calm down and proceed through the steps. What was once a drawn-out process, with dozens of treats, will become a quick pause and reward at each step before continuing on.

Eventually, your dog will be able to calmly approach the guest, get some petting, then be called back to settle somewhere else if desired.

 

Video examples

First video shows Bodie the Bichon Frise pulling and vocalizing as I'm entering his home, then calming down as he gets a series of treat scatters. Note that this owner was asking her dog to sit before doing the first scatter. You do not have to do this - if your dog is too worked up to respond to a sit cue, you can begin by just dropping the first scatter of treats by their feet.

Second video shows Bodie learning to approach my hand, then turn away without any jumping or mouthing. (He does lick my hand, but we didn't mind that!) This owner is also teaching a "go say hi" cue at the same time.

Third video shows Bodie getting petting while (mostly) being calm, with the help of treats being placed on the floor. During one part, the treats pause for too long, and he escalates in excitement again. No problem - we get him resettled, and continue practicing.

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Cowbell Protocol

This is an adaption of Sarah Stremming’s “Cowbell Protocol,” as described on her podcast, Cog Dog Radio. Thank you to Sarah for sharing so much of her experience and wisdom!

This is a technique for teaching a dog to come running into the house (from either the backyard or out front), based in classical conditioning and following a few simple rules for the owner. It can be used to retrain dogs who prefer spending time in the yard rather than coming inside, or for dogs who have a history of bolting out the door.

 

Before you start

Before you begin training, you must first prevent your dog from continuing to ignore you when you call them inside. If you don’t stop them from continuing that bad habit, it will be much more difficult to teach a newer, more appealing one.

  • If your dog doesn’t like to come in from the fenced yard, then attach a drag line to their harness (recommended) or collar before you let them out. When it’s time for them to come back in, go out and pick up the end of the drag line, and simply lead your dog back indoors. Don’t call them when you know that they will ignore you, and don’t get into a game of chase.

  • If your dog likes to bolt out the door, create an “air lock” with an exercise pen or baby gate that will allow you to open the front door without the dog being able to get out. The pen or gate should always be closed before the front door is opened, and the front door must always be closed before you open the gate/pen.

You don’t need to use a literal cowbell, but you do need to use something that will make a loud and distinct noise*. You want this to sound very different from how you usually call your dog (you know, the words that they’ve already learned to ignore, like “come!”). You could use a whistle or a loud rattle, for example. Keep this item near the door that your dog doesn’t want to enter through.

*Note that if your dog is sound-sensitive, you will want to start off with softly making the noise, and make it louder when your dog needs to hear it from farther away.

You will also need lots of high value treats for your dog. Use their very favorite foods. For most dogs, that means meats (eg, rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, meatballs, deli ham), cheeses (like string cheese), or organ meats (freeze-dried beef liver, chicken hearts).

 

Making the cowbell important

  1. Get 5 pieces of your high value treats without your dog noticing. This may mean getting them out while the dog is in another room or on a walk. If they catch you getting the food ready, put it into a bowl and place it out of reach, and wait for your dog to give up and get distracted.

  2. While your dog is indoors, in earshot but not looking right at you, ring the cowbell. Immediately after the noise, you will drop those 5 treats onto a spot near the doorway, inside the house. You will use this same spot every single time. (Use a spot by the back door if your dog has problems with the backyard, and a spot by the front door if your dog runs out front.)

  3. Encourage your dog to find the treats if needed, and excitedly praise them as they eat.

  4. Let your dog go back about his day.

 

Practicing success

  1. Repeat the steps above at least 20 times while your dog is in the house. This should be spaced out over several days. Do not continue to the next step until they come zooming in from another room every time you ring the cowbell.

  2. Now practice while the dog is in the backyard but not engaged in any exciting behaviors. For example, your dog is sunbathing, or just sitting and watching birds fly by. They are not barking at the neighbor, digging a hole, chasing another animal, or eating poop. Let them return to the backyard after their treats. Repeat at least 50 times, over several days. Do not continue to the next step until they come zooming in from the backyard when you ring the cowbell.

  3. If your dog has trouble with bolting outside, then put them on a long leash or tether (at least 10’) and hang out by the front door as your dog goes out. Wait for your dog to be done with their initial excited sniffing and wandering. Then ring the bell and practice as above. Let your dog go back into the front yard on their long leash or tether after their treats. Repeat at least 50 times, over several days. Do not continue to the next step until they come zooming in from out front when you ring the cowbell.

Remember that during this process, your dog is not loose in the backyard without a way for you to easily bring them indoors without calling them. They also are prevented from bolting out the front door by the air lock.

 

Testing and troubleshooting

Once you’ve completed the steps above, you can test your dog’s response. Don’t get the treats out beforehand, but do still use the drag line or long leash just in case.

  • In the backyard, wait for your dog to be engaged in an exciting activity, like barking, digging, or chasing. Ring the bell. When your dog comes in, close the door and then run and get the treats! Bring them back to the special spot and drop 5 treats like usual.

  • Attach your dog’s harness/collar to the long leash or tether as they’re still in the house, then leave the front door open and walk away. Right after they go outside, ring the bell. When your dog comes in, close the door and then run and get the treats! Bring them back to the special spot and drop 5 treats like usual.

If your dog doesn’t come zooming inside, bring them in using your line. Thank goodness you had it on just in case, right? Go back to practicing success another 50 times, then test again.

  • Remember that during training, you should have the treats ready to drop, but your dog should not see or hear you getting them ready. To make it easier, you can prep a few rounds of treats and leave them in a bowl near the door, but out of the dog’s reach. Then you can easily grab them as you practice throughout the day.

 

Integrating into daily life

Follow these rules to make sure that your training stays strong:

  • You will need to continue practicing, using the line as a back up, for an extended period of time. This includes practicing out front, for dogs who bolt.

    • You might be thinking, “If the dog always has a line or tether on as a back up, won’t they know that they don’t need to come back if they actually get loose one day?” The answer is practice, practice, practice! You want the dog to be so used to turning and running inside as soon as they hear the cowbell, that they don’t stop and think about it - it’s automatic.

  • You should be allowing your dog to go back outside after they get their treats at least 80% of the time.

    • If you switch to frequently calling them, then closing the door and ending all their fun, they may decide that the treats aren’t worth it after all.

  • You should also continue to use the high value treats at least 80% of the time.

    • You can occasionally substitute other rewards, but if you switch to frequently using “ho hum” treats or none at all, they may decide that it’s not worth it after all.

When you get to the point that you would be willing to bet $100 that your dog will come zooming in even if they didn’t have their safety line on, you can start to relax on the rules. Add them back in if your dog starts to regress.

 
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Really Real Relaxation by Suzanne Clothier

This relaxation protocol was developed by the wonderful trainer Suzanne Clothier. You can purchase the DVD, streaming video, or course to get full information straight from the source. The story of Jinx the Belgian Tervuren written here is a wonderful example of the power of this training technique.

The RRR teaches the dog to relax while lying down, with the owner also relaxing next to them as a cue to the dog. At first it’s very short, and builds duration over time. Because it emphasizes offered rather than cued behavior, the dog is able to learn to self-regulate, even while watching the world go by around them.

Written instructions for the protocol are here (PDF).

Video examples, from start to finish

Relaxation Protocol: Suzanne Clothier - Indoors by J-R Companion Dog Training takes you through all the steps as written above

 

Using Suzanne Clothier's Really Real Relaxation Protocol by Kizz Robinson shows a dog learning the RRR in real time:

 

Prevent Demand Behaviors With This Relaxation Protocol by Noble Woof Dog Training shows a dog practicing in a calm location outdoors:

 

Really Real Relaxation with Kona and Kit by CanineCountryAcademy shows two dogs in the same room learning to relax with their own handlers:

 

And my favorite video - Really Real Relaxation Protocol—advanced by Tegan Moore shows a dog switching between active work and focus with his handler, and relaxing together:

 
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Stay, Part 1: Foundation

Staying in place, on cue, is a core part of manners training for dogs. It’s the way that we can tell our dog to patiently wait while we tie our shoes during a walk, wait for a light to cross the street, stand aside for other people to walk by, look through products at the pet store, get stuff in and out of the car, hide treats or toys for the dog to find, and of course, to take posed photos!

Before starting stay training

You need to consider these things:

  • Do you care whether your dog holds a sit versus a down? In other words, if you start your dog in a sit, and partway through he lies down to be more comfortable, will that be okay?

    • If you are planning to do advanced training with your dog, like fancy tricks or sports, it will be important to teach your dog to literally stay still.

    • If you just want your dog to remain in one spot, you may not care whether he’s sitting or lying down, as long as he’s not wandering around.

  • Don’t confuse stay versus wait. Stay means “don’t move from that spot” or literally “don’t move at all.” Wait means “don’t go through this door” or “don’t rush ahead.” See example video below.

 

Step One: Can your dog hold still at all?

If you have a wiggly puppy, or a dog who is very excited about food, you may have to introduce the concept of “stillness” before you start real stay training!

Start with practicing the “Slow Treats” Game, for one treat at a time.

Then add staying still for longer:

  1. Hold several small, non-crumbly treats in one hand.

  2. Cue your dog to sit (or lie down).

  3. Immediately feed him several treats rapid fire - so quickly that he doesn’t even have time to get up.

    • If he does get up before you finish the treats, simply start over from the top.

  4. Repeat until he is not wiggling or jumping as you give him the rapid fire treats.

Video shows a dog who initially moves toward her owner's hands to reach for the treats. The owner then does "fast food" rapid fire treats, and the dog quickly realizes that she can just hold still and wait for the treats to come to her.

 

Step Two: Adding start and stop cues

Now that your dog is able to hold still for several seconds, we’ll name the behavior.

  1. Hold several small, non-crumbly treats in one hand.

  2. Cue your dog to sit (or lie down).

  3. Say “stay” and then hold out a hand, palm out, in a “stop” signal.

  4. Feed your dog several treats, one after the other, until you only have 1 treat left.

  5. Say “free” and then wave your hand in a “come over here” gesture.

  6. Give your dog the last treat in your hand.

    • If your dog doesn’t get up when you say “free” and then wave your hand, then give him more encouragement, like calling his name in a happy voice or making “kissy” noises.


Repeat the steps above until your dog is reliably holding still after you say “stay” AND getting up when you say “free.”

  • If your dog is having trouble holding still, spend more time giving treats as he’s not moving.

  • If your dog hesitates to get up, give fewer treats for holding still and emphasize “free.”

Adding "stay" and "free" cues, with several treats in between as the dog holds their position. From now on, your stay practice should always follow this format: cue the stay, several treats given while the dog stays, then clearly end with "free."

 

Step Three: Adding duration

Now you will teach your dog to wait longer in between treats. You will still be using the same overall format as above:

  1. Hold several small, non-crumbly treats in one hand.

  2. Cue your dog to sit (or lie down).

  3. Say “stay” and then hold out a hand, palm out, in a “stop” signal.

  4. Pause for 2 seconds, then reward if your dog stayed still.

  5. Pause for 3 seconds, then reward if your dog stayed still.

  6. Reward your dog for staying still for 1-5 seconds - switch it up so he doesn’t know what to expect. (For example, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 1 second, 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 2 seconds.)

    • If at any point your dog gets up, simply restart the exercise.

  7. When you’re down to your last treat, say “free,” then wave your hand in a “come over here” gesture.

  8. Give your dog the last treat in your hand.

During this training, you should be standing calmly next to your dog - don’t try to walk around until your dog can stay still for at least 5 seconds.

 
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Reducing Jumping: The Slow Treats Game

If your dog gets so excited about treats that he jumps up to grab them, you need the Slow Treats Game!

You can play this with your dog sitting or lying down, or just standing with “four on the floor.”

  1. Slowly lower the treat toward your dog.

  2. If he keeps “four on the floor” the whole time the treat is coming toward him, then you can let him take it from your hand.

  3. If he jumps up at any point, immediately lift the treat farther away. Resume slowly lowering it when he has four paws on the floor.

You can use this game any time you are handing your dog a treat, even while working on something else (like a stay or heel). You can also use it when handing your dog a toy or chew or their food bowl.

 

If your dog does well with this but then snatches the treat too roughly, here are some extra tips:

  • Feed the treats lower down, so that he lowers his head to eat them rather than reaching up. This makes nipping much less likely.

  • Hold your hand open flat, with the treat on your palm, so that your fingers are out of the way, OR

  • Hold the treat firmly between your thumb and other fingers. If you feel your dog’s teeth, don’t let the treat go! Hold your hand still and wait for him to soften up, using his lips or tongue. Praise and release the treat then, to reward your dog for being gentle.

 
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Guide to Harnesses

Harnesses are considered to be safer for walking dogs who pull on the leash, as they reduce the pressure on the throat. This is particularly important for smaller dogs (who are more fragile), puppies, and dogs who pull hard enough to cough and wheeze. There are many styles of harnesses on the market - here is a guide with lots of examples.

TIP: Make sure to measure your dog before purchasing a harness, so that you know which size to get. Measure the circumference around your dog’s rib cage with a tape measure, or with string that you then compare to a ruler.

 

Traditional or “back clip” harnesses

With these, you attach the leash over the dog’s back, and they spread the pressure from a tight leash across the dog’s chest. This reduces potential injury and makes it more comfortable for the dog when he pulls. For this reason, you may hear that harnesses “encourage” pulling. That’s not actually true - you can still implement leash walking training to teach your dog to walk nicely.

You can divide “back clip” harnesses into three types, depending on how they are placed onto the dog’s body.

 

Front clip or “no pull” harnesses

With these harnesses, you attach the leash in front of the dog’s sternum*, which turns the dog toward the side when he pulls. This gives the walker a mechanical advantage when slowing the dog down or turning to the side. Therefore, it is easier to keep control over the dog and implement leash walking training.

*Some people like to use a double-ended leash and attach it both the back and the front of a no pull harness, as they feel that this gives them even more control.

I do not recommend the following “no pull” harnesses:

 

Consider your needs (does your dog pull enough to require a front clip harness, or will a back clip be fine?) and your dog’s preferences (does he mind something going over his head or having his legs lifted up?), and don’t forget to measure your dog before you purchase.

If you find that your dog is still reluctant to put on a harness, read here about training him to be comfortable and cooperative. [Link to come!]

 
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Relaxation Exercises

Some dogs have trouble inhibiting their excitement and have to literally be taught how to relax. Here are three techniques to help achieve this goal. However, keep in mind that none of these will work unless you address your dog’s baseline needs before training. Also, some dogs that experience extreme anxiety or arousal may need behavioral medication to be able to truly relax.

 

Karen Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation

This is the most well known relaxation exercise. It was published by Dr Overall in Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, in 1997. It is a highly structured program, with the dog staying still as you perform various actions - starting with easy things like counting to 3 or taking one step backwards, and progressing toward going to the front door, knocking, and pretending to invite someone in. In the original the dog is in a sitting position, however I almost always teach it with the dog lying down, usually on a bed or mat.

The Protocol is divided into "days" but it is not expected that you will progress day by day as listed. Some dogs have trouble with a particular task and need to repeat it many times before they are able to relax while you do it. Other parts may come easily to him and you will be able to perform it once and move on. Each "day" is structured to include easier "warm up" and "cool down" tasks at the beginning and end. If you want to shorten the day's work, remove some of the tasks from the middle.

You want your dog to not just stay while you perform each task, but to be able to relax while you do increasingly exciting things. Watch your dog's body language. If he is calm, you will see his tail lowered and still or moving slowly. His ears may be perked and he will be watching you but his face should not be tense. He may choose to put his head down on the floor or roll his hips sideways or lie on his side -- these are all signs of relaxation. You may praise, pet, and/or treat him and move on to the next item. If you see your dog becoming less relaxed -- tense face, head lifting up high, tail straight up and stiff or wagging quickly, tensing his body as if he might get up -- either repeat the item you're on until your dog relaxes again, or even back up to a previous item he did well on. You may use your dog's name and the word "stay" to remind him of his task. You may praise him as he stays if he needs the encouragement.

You can read through the full protocol description by Dr Overall and the 15 Days of tasks here. (Days start on page 7.)

There are free downloadable audio files (as mp3s) of the protocol here.

Here is a playlist of the audio version as videos on YouTube.

Here are demonstration videos of dogs doing the Protocol for Relaxation:

 

Suzanne Clothier’s Really Real Relaxation

This relaxation protocol was developed by the wonderful trainer Suzanne Clothier. The RRR teaches the dog to relax while lying down, with the owner also relaxing next to them as a cue to the dog. At first it’s very short, and builds duration over time. Because it emphasizes offered rather than cued behavior, the dog is able to learn to self-regulate, even while watching the world go by around them.

You can find full information on this protocol here.

 

Emily Larlham’s Calm Settle/Capturing Calmness

This is the least structured (and easiest!) approach to reinforcing relaxation. You simply reward your dog as you see that he’s settling on his own, and go about your day. The more you reinforce this behavior, the more your dog will do it.

Simply walk up to your dog when you see him relaxing, and calmly place a treat on the floor right between his front paws. Or sit nearby, wait for your dog to lie down or show other signs of relaxation, and place a treat between his front paws.

Usually we talk about using high value treats during training, but this time you want something that won’t get your dog super excited. If your dog gets excited anyway, that’s okay. Simply go about your day, ignoring your dog, until he learns that getting up and following you won’t lead to anything good - but continuing to relax will!

This is easiest to do if you have treats stashed around your house, in places that you can easily (and quietly) reach but your dog can’t.

Here is a full video explanation:

Here is an older video from Emily with more footage of dogs just learning to settle:

 
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Leash Walking: Circle Walking

Circle walking is a way to redirect your dog’s focus and movement when they get to the end of the leash, while avoiding the annoyance of coming to a full stop. I generally recommend this for:

  • Dogs who ramp up in frustration and arousal when they want to get somewhere and are stopped.

  • Dogs who are not interested in treats.

  • Dogs who move too quickly, and are constantly “ping-ponging” between heel position and the end of the leash.

  • Dogs who need to move their bodies to calm down when excited.

  • Owners who get frustrated by having all the starting and stopping of some other techniques.

 

Video tutorials

 

Main takeaways

  • Just as with other techniques, you must not walk forward while the leash is tight, which would reinforce the pulling.

  • You are not yanking or dragging your dog to turn, but rather using just enough steady pressure to the side that he does so.

  • Don’t stand in one spot and pivot; walk in a small circle with your dog.

  • Let your dog have a longer leash so that he moves his body more. Don’t pull him in close and slingshot him around your body - that’s not calming!

  • If you do a full circle but your dog still speeds up to rush ahead, simply continue doing your circles until he calms and slows down and moves with you.

  • If your dog is interested in treats, combine circle walking with rewarding relaxed heeling at your side.

 
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Heel, Part 2: Adding Difficulty

After working through Part 1, your dog understands how to line up at your side, take a step forward with you, and stop when you stop. Now that you have this foundation in place, you can add more steps, and teach him to stay with you around distractions.

 

Increasing steps/Decreasing rewards

This should still be done in your home or back yard, so that it is easy for your dog to focus.

  1. Get your dog into heel position with your hand signal and/or verbal cue.

  2. Take 2-3 steps forward instead of just 1. (Encourage your dog to keep going forward if needed, with a kissy noise or by wiggling your fingers.)

  3. Reward your dog as he’s moving with you or catching up with you.

  4. Take another 2-3 steps forward, and reward.

  5. Start changing things up. Sometimes you take a few steps forward, and sometimes you stop and reward your dog for staying at your side and waiting.

  6. Over time, increase the number of steps you take, but keep it unpredictable. (For example, 3 steps, 4 steps, stop for 5 seconds, 3 steps, stop for 2 seconds, 5 steps, 6 steps, 2 steps, stop for 5 seconds.)

 

Adding distractions

Your dog will learn best if you practice around controlled distractions in your home or back yard before you try heeling in public. Controlled distractions are ones that you purposefully create for your dog’s training session, and you can make them easier or harder as needed.

Examples of controlled distractions are:

  • Toys, treats, chews, or other interesting objects set out on the ground.

  • Another person walking around, either calmly (easier) or doing interesting things like tossing a ball and catching it (harder).

  • Another person running around or being silly. The more exciting or unexpected their movement, the harder it is for your dog to focus on you.

  • Another pet walking around the area (easier) or playing or getting treats from a family member (harder).

  • A remote controlled car or robot toy moving or making noises. (Note: You shouldn’t use anything that your dog is nervous/afraid of as a distraction - only things that are interesting or exciting. If your dog is nervous, use desensitization and counter-conditioning to help him feel calm and confident around that object.)

Your goal is that your dog is able to notice the distraction, then refocus on you and continue heeling.

  1. Initially you can reward your dog as soon as he notices the distraction. Make a connection between “something is happening in the environment” and “my person gives me yummy treats.” Repeat several times.

  2. Then let your dog notice the distraction, and wait for him to look back at you on his own, because he is expecting a treat. Reward when he refocuses. This is the Engage-Disengage Game in action. Repeat until your dog is quick to look back at you after glancing at the distraction.

  3. At this point, you can stop rewarding your dog for glancing at the distraction, and only reward him if he stays focused on you.

 

Troubleshooting

  • If your dog leaves your side to investigate the distraction, immediately call him back, and reward him for returning to you. Then make the distraction easier, until he’s mastered it (step 3 above).

  • If at any point your dog is unable to refocus on you, that means that your distraction is too hard. Make it easier.

  • You can make the distractions easier by:

    • Increasing your distance from them

    • Having them move less

    • Having them make less noise

The more you practice with a variety of controlled distractions, letting your dog master each one, the better prepared he will be to heel with you out in public.

Graphic that describes the three steps for adding distractions and troubleshooting.
 
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Dog Body Language

Dogs primarily communicate through body language, and vocalization is secondary. Learning how to “read” your dog’s body language will greatly improve your understanding of his emotions, and therefore allow you to be a better caretaker and better trainer. I have consolidated many resources on this topic below.

 
 
 

Articles

Can dogs really look 'guilty'?

Dog owners have often claimed they can read the expressions of their pets - particularly that tell-tale look when they have done something wrong. But researchers at a New York college tricked owners into thinking innocent pets had misbehaved - with the owners still claiming to see this guilty look. The study found that the expression had no relation to the dogs' behaviour. And researchers found that pet owners' belief that they could read their dogs' "body language" was often entirely unfounded.

Docked Tails Play a Role in Dog Communication

It appears that the longer tails were most effective at conveying emotional information, and since short tails are hard to read, they might not be read at all. For Herman, the implications are obvious. “When you dock tails, it takes away part of their communication signal — essentially the dog version of botox. Ear cropping falls in the same category. Dobermans with cropped ears ostensibly look alert to other dogs. They can’t be read [accurately] because they can’t change.” It’s difficult to derive cues and information from cropped ears. If anything, their constantly alert position could mislead other dogs.

E’Lise Christensen, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in New York City, agrees, “I think cosmetic alteration could affect communication with other dogs. It certainly [has an impact on] assessments by owners, because they forget to look at the stump of the tail for movement and tension. Ears that are too cropped mean owners have to look for muscular movement at the skull level rather than the pinna, the outer part of the ear, where we customarily look. Flat faces make it more difficult to read small muscular movements.”

Herman suggests that taking note of a dog’s morphology can give pet parents a better appreciation for their dog. “It’s hard for other dogs to see that a Chow is really stiff, simply because they are [engulfed] in a ball of hair. It can be helpful for dog parents to recognize that what dogs have or do not have at their disposal could add confusion to dog-dog communication. This appreciation could help people empathize with their dog, instead of blaming their dog or feeling angry for the dog’s behavior.”

 
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