Here are easy steps to teach your dog to lay down on cue beginning with a food lure. I like to teach sit and lay down separately as dogs can get those two behaviors confused. They will tend to do which ever behavior you most recently have reinforced. If you have a clicker, you can use clicker training to teach this. [Read more…] about Teaching Your Dog To Lay Down
teaching a dog to lay down
Changing Criteria In Behavior
Does your dog know a hand touch from a standing position, but looks at you with a blank stare if you present your hand while your dog is sitting? [Read more…] about Changing Criteria In Behavior
Using Capturing To Teach Behaviors
There are times when I am standing at my kitchen sink that Dawson, my maltipoo puppy, stops his play to come beside me and lay down with completely relaxed body muscles. I keep some treats in my cabinet for just those moments, for, when he does, I say ‘good’ in a slow and drawn out voice, reach down and drop a treat right at his nose. This may cause him to look up temporarily. I ignore that. If he drops his head down again, I drop another treat at his nose.
This is called teaching by ‘capturing behavior’ in dog training. Capturing as a form of training is simply that, it is the process of seeing a behavior, marking it (with a word or a click), and then giving reinforcement. Kathy Sdao, a well-known trainer who I look up to, coined the acronym SMART for See, Mark, and Reinforce Training. [Read more…] about Using Capturing To Teach Behaviors
DRI As A Dog Training Tool
Last week I had a first appointment to meet this adorable jack russell terrier and his family. It was a pretty exciting occasion for him and he greeted me by jumping, wagging his tail, and fast movements. He was getting so stimulated between the new visitor and a room of kids plus two parents, that he also began humping my leg– a behavior many humans do not appreciate.
I knew that trying to stop the behavior by scolding him or pushing him away would not have solved the problem. Actually, pushing him away may have actually heightened his arousal. [Read more…] about DRI As A Dog Training Tool
Awesome Students!
The first time I met this beautiful little girl, she was very timid and backed up and barked a lot from people and dogs and her environment. Now her tail wags a lot, she has initiated play with other puppies we’ve socialized her with, and she is one smart student.
Working on sit, down and beginner stays
Teaching A Puppy Sit, Down, Stay from Lisa Desatnik on Vimeo.
Kim is now working on distance with Bella’s stay…even around a highly distracting other puppy. (this video was taken a few weeks ago) Great job to them!