As many of you may know, my mom runs a dog rescue group. She frequently gets update e-mails from adoptive owners and sends them to me as I am also involved in the rescue helping to find the dog's homes. A recent line in an e-mail stuck out to me. The new owner stated that the adopted dog was, "made to learn and not taught to learn," and that she hoped with time, the dog would become more "care-free" like her other dog and not obey commands immediately and have to be asked a few times, as the owner thought having to be asked multiple times was a sign that the dog was choosing to do as he/she pleased, and thus a sign of a happy dog that has choices.
Of course, as a trainer, I was slightly flabbergasted that someone would WANT their dogs to have to be told multiple times to take a command! However, everyone has a different standard to which they hold their dogs and how they choose to live with their dogs.
I find that training classes are not mutually exclusive to good dog house manners. This is due to the fact that how a dog acts in a group class is very different on how he acts at home. Owners also have a hard time transferring "commands" to "everyday living" with their dog. Everyone's lifestyle is different and what I do at home, may not work with another owner's schedule or their dog's personality.
Pre-baby, when I had both Lex and Lucy as adults in Oregon, we had two types of days; the days I worked and the days I didn't. I want to illustrate the commands used each and every day with my dogs and the house rules they abide by.
Work Days
- Get up early, take dogs out to potty (Wait and Release at the door).
- Feed dogs (Sit, Stay, Release for dish).
- Get ready for work while they hang out and play with each other and toys.
- Take them out again (Wait and Release at the door).
- Go to work and leave them loose, as this is an example of them as adult dogs.
- Come home after an 8-9 hour shift and take them out (Wait and Release at the door).
- Play with them one-one while one dog stays (Stays, Go-to Mat, Leave-its, Fetching, Dropping objects).
- Have them hang out while I unwind and clean or prepare dinner.
- Feed them dinner (Sit, Stay, Release for dish).
- Have them stay on their bed while we eat (Duration Stay, Go-to Mat).
- Relax with a show or internet time while dogs lay around or play fetch.
- Out before bed (Wait and Release at the door).
- Bedtime.
Non-Work Days
- All morning activities and house activities similar.
- Go do an activity such as herding, agility, flyball, hike, dog park, long walk, swimming etc.
- While on leash: Heels, Release, Steady commands.
- All activities warrant special commands.
- Load-up and Wait and Release to get in and out of car crates.
- Leave-its and Watches when passing dogs or distractions.
Now that I have a child and Lucy is at my father's house, our days look quite different.
Lex
- Wait and Release at top of steps to go potty.
- Go-To Crate for feeding.
- Practice lots and lots of leave-its as the toddler tries to feed Lex her food or give him her toys!
- Absentmindedly play fetch throughout the day (Drop, Bring).
- Up and Off the couch when told.
- Heel, Release, Steady on walks, especially essential with a stroller!
- Trick time when baby is sleeping.
- Manners around the baby all day, and manners when out and about.
The idea is that training really is all the time. My dog(s) are no longer learning new obedience skills, but I do teach them new tricks and it is essential that their obedience skills are fresh not only because it makes living with them more of a joy, but because it makes having a toddler around a dog not a big issue. Just imagine if Lex stole food, ate baby toys, wasn't fully potty trained and couldn't be trusted off leash to go potty. His life would consist of being separate from the rest of the family, most likely crated or my child would have no toys or food! It would also be a huge chore to take him out potty on leash (we have no fence) with a toddler in tow and have to watch him like a hawk to be sure he didn't eliminate inside.
The general house rules I have, both dogs abide by with no issues.
1. No jumping on furniture or people unless told "up."
2. Get off furniture or people promptly when told "off."
3. Do not take food laying on the floor, or coffee table or any accessible area unless told "hover."
4. If offered food and told "leave-it," do not eat it!
5. Do not chew toys that aren't yours.
6. Don't de-stuff your toys, if you want to chew, grab a nylabone or bone.
7. If the front door is open, do not go through it unless told "release."
8. Sit is a polite way to say "please" for anything you want.
9. Stop barking when told "quiet."
10. Don't eliminate in the house.
11. Don't herd moving babies or people or animals (unless told to!).
12. Don't go in the kitchen.
To me, those sound pretty normal, but I am constantly surprised by pet sitting doggies that don't abide by nearly any of those rules!
If you feel like your dog(s) need help either learning essential commands, or actually learning house manners, please contact me. I offer group classes as well as private sessions. www.tailoreddogtraining.com
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