Basic Manners Student Handbook

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 Curriculum- (A) Loose Leash Walking Tract
Week 1
• Talk: Basic Control and dealing with barking in class
• Talk: How to hold the leash and give treats
• Talk: Reward Marker (“Yes”)
 Luring
 Name Game
 Sit
 Down
 Nothing For Free
• Talk: Chew Toy/Enrichment
Week 2
• Show homework: Name, sit, down
• Talk: Reinforcement
 Touch
 Jumping (see article)
 Playtime
 Loose Leash Walking- Calming ovals only (see article)
• Talk: Exercise (see article)
Week 3
• Show homework: Touch
• Talk: Fading and conditioning a release (“Okay”)
 Spin
 Sit and down without treats and adding duration
 Playtime
 Loose Leash Walking
• Talk: Dogs with Jobs (see article)
Week 4
 Leave It
 Playtime
 Loose Leash Walking With Sit
 Wait
• Talk: Barking (see article)
Week 5
 Loose Leash Walking With Sit and Leave It
 Playtime
 Musical chairs game
 Next Level of Classes
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  Graduation

Curriculum- (B) Recall Tract

Week 1
• Talk: Basic Control and dealing with barking in class
• Talk: How to hold the leash and give treats
• Talk: Reward marker (“Yes”)
 Luring
 Name Game
 Sit
 Down
 Nothing For Free
• Talk: Chew Toy/Enrichment
Week 2
• Talk: Reinforcement
 Touch
 Playtime
 Recall- Touch (See article)
• Talk: Exercise (see article)
Week 3
 Fading and conditioning a release (“Okay”)
 Roll Over
 Sit, Down and Bed without treats and adding duration
 Playtime (with Touch)
 Long distance recall (Touch)- 20ft long leash needed (See article)
• Talk: Dogs with Jobs
Week 4
 Playtime with Recall
 Wait
 Stay (with Recall)
• Talk: Barking (see article)
Week 5
 Stay (with Recall/Touch)
 Playtime
 Sit/Stay Game
 Next Level of Classes
 Graduation

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 Basic Manners
Table of Contents
Homework and Other Notes Page ..................................................................................5

Welcome, Course Details, What to Bring ......................................................................6,7

How Dogs Think & Learn ................................................................................................8-10

Training Basics ...................................................................................................................12-15

Rewards List ............................................................................................................12
Charging the Reward Marker/Bingo Word “Yes” or Clicker .........................13
Gentle Leaders ........................................................................................................ 14,15

Behavior Training Notes

Name Game ............................................................................................................16
Sits ............................................................................................................................ 17
Downs ...................................................................................................................... 18
Touch ....................................................................................................................... 19
Nothing for Free List ............................................................................................. 20
Stay- Duration ........................................................................................................ 21
Stay- Distance ......................................................................................................... 22
Stay- Distraction ..................................................................................................... 23
Wait .......................................................................................................................... 24
Anti-Jumping Part I …........................................................................................... 25
Anti-Jumping Part II ……...................................................................................... 26
Loose Leash Walking .............................................................................................27
Touch Recall ............................................................................................................ 28

Real Life Challenge Notes

Having Guests Over .............................................................................................. 29
Taking a Walk ......................................................................................................... 30

Articles written by Joel Beckman

Barking …………………………………………………………………………….31,32,33
Loose Leash Walking …………………………………………………………….34,35
Jumping ……………………………………………………………………………36

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Recall ……………………………………………………………………………….37,38
Separation Anxiety ……………………………………………………………….39,40
Dogs with Jobs …………………………………………………………………….41
Exercise …………………………………………………………………………….42

Homework and Other Notes

Use this page to record your assignments, take notes, etc.

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 Hello and Welcome!
Welcome to class. Our goal is to provide a safe, friendly, and fun learning environment that will
provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to successfully work with your dog to get the
kind of behavior you like, both at home and out in the world.
Dog training/behavior modification is a very broad topic, and people are taking this class for many
different reasons. Joel Beckman has tried to design a class based on years of experience training
thousands of dogs at his Board and Train program, and during In-Home training and Group Classes.
In this class we will work on basic obedience as well as problem solving, socialization, basic control
and teaching you to be a good dog owner.

Philosophy
We have a very realistic approach to dog training. You want to build confidence, set rules and
boundaries, have fun with your dog and try to remain calm. Joel feels that raising dogs and raising
kids are very similar. We avoid using harsh punishment, try to be as patient as possible, and
understand that training/conditioning/learning takes time. It is good to understand that there are
natural periods that dogs and kids go through early in life and these tough times wont last forever.
This should be a great class for you if you want to build a confident dog, learn to be a confident
owner, and understand that it will take consistency and repetition to teach or change behavior.

Methods
We use treats to train new behaviors and then we fade the treats out as quickly as possible. We do
not use harsh methods like shock collars or prong collars or physical intimidation. Joel has
personally seen these methods cause aggression and reactivity and not just mild aggression. He has
seen shock collar training cause dogs to try to kill other dogs. His advice is to avoid those methods
all together.
While we do not use harsh methods and we do use treats, that doesn’t mean we let your dog do
whatever they want. When training a new behavior such as sit or down, it is okay to ask the behavior
a couple of times. Once your dog understands the behavior, our goal is for your dog to do the
behavior on the first try.
We do a playtime in almost all of the classes, Joel feels that this is the most important part of class.
Controlled playtimes are one of the best things you can do to have a happy, confident well exercised
dog.

Reactivity/Aggression
Many dogs have some level of fear/reactivity or aggression and we will assess each dog on an
individual basis. Basic Manners class is not designed for reactive and aggressive dogs, although the
exercise, mental stimulation and basic control will help reactivity and aggression. Joel and his trainers
offer private training and a board and train program for dogs that cannot be in class. Ask Joel or
your trainer about these other options If a decision is made that your dog may be better suited for
another training program instead of Basic Manners class, we can adjust the cost of your new program
to reflect your previous payment.

Safety
Our main concern is the safety of everyone in the class. Please do not let your dog meet any other
dog or person until directed by your trainer. We frequently use a technique where you and your dog

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may be asked to go to another part of the room where we feel your dog can learn more easily. We
will talk with you after class about the strategy we use for your dog to learn at a distance away from
the other dogs. Your dog can move closer as they are ready. Additionally, you may be asked not to
participate in playtime, until we see your dog is ready. After class, we can discuss the reason for any
techniques used and what body language we observed from your dog.

Make-ups
You can come a half hour early to the next class and your trainer will go over what you missed. Or
you can come to the same class at another location.

Refunds
If you have paid for class but cannot come to any classes, you can take the next round of classes at the
same store with the same trainer or get two private training sessions. If you miss some of the classes,
you can get one private in-home session. Full refunds should be discussed with your trainer and
then received from Kahoots Pet Store or Camp Run-A-Mutt.

Vaccinations
Your dog must have at least two rounds of DHLPP or a similar series that cover parvovirus,
distemper, etc. Rabies and bordetella vaccination should be current within the last year. Bring these
records to the first class and your trainer will find what they need. If applicable, paperwork
reflecting your dog has passed the titer testing will be accepted in place of vaccine records.

Reinforcement and Fading

Treats are good for reinforcement because we can give them quickly and most dogs like some form of
treat. Our goal is to stop using treats as soon as possible. When training a new behavior, give a treat
every time. Once your dog understands the behavior, start to give the treat every other time. When
fading out treats, replace the treat with a confident verbal “good girl” or “good boy” when they do
the correct behavior. The last form of reinforcement most often used in class is a release, such as
“OKAY” followed by petting your dog excitedly. The release “okay” is the final stage of fading treats
and is also used at the end of a series of behaviors.

Things to remember before coming to class:

1. Exercise your dog before class. Most dogs cannot learn when full of energy.
2. Make sure they go potty before class. Dogs often have accidents during the playtime.
3. Wear confortable clothes and shoes.
4. Arrive on time to class

What to Bring:
All of these items can be found at Kahoots Feed and Pet Stores.

• A plain, flat, nylon collar (no choke or prong collars)

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 • A 5 - 6 foot leather or nylon lead (please no longer or retractable leashes—these are okay for
walks but are inconvenient for in-class training)

• An anti-pull device if needed, like a Gentle Leader or an Easy Walk Harness.

• A variety of your dog’s favorite treats, cut up into very small pieces, in a treat holder you can
hook onto your clothes.

• A mat for your dog (this can be a thin bed, bath mat, rug, dog pillow, blanket, etc.)

• Your dog, fasted for at least six hours, unless they are already super food motivated.

Recommended Readings and DVDs

Before and After Getting your Puppy, By Ian Dunbar
Don’t Shoot the Dog, By Karen Pryor
Natural Dog Training, by Kevin Behan

How Dogs Think and Learn

Dogs Learn in Two Ways

Learning by Association
The first way dogs learn is by Association (By Emotional Response)

Human example:

We humans learn by association, too. For example, when you meet someone for the first time you
come away with an association—positive, negative, or neutral. If you really enjoyed your interaction
with the person, you are likely to be really happy to see them again. If you found them to be difficult
or argumentative and then you see them again, you might get that little pit of dread in your belly—
you have formed a negative association with that person.

Human-dog comparison:

Dogs experience the world this way, too, only they rely on this learning far more than we do. They
are constantly forming associations—safe/dangerous/neutral or good for me/bad for me/neutral.
These associations inform the decisions dogs make and the reactions they have to various situations
and stimuli.

Dog example:

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A common example of associative learning in dogs is their reaction to the site of a leash. Dogs love
leashes! Pull out a leash and the average dog will jump for joy. This is because dogs have come to
learn that leashes predict walks, and walks are fun so we love leashes. In other words, dogs associate
leashes with fun walks.

The amazing thing is that we can manipulate dogs’ associations to things. For example, most dogs
would find a chair to be of no consequence to them; they would form a neutral association to it. But
you could teach a dog to LOVE this object by simply finding a way to have the dog associate the
object with treats (or anything else it loves). You could place a screen between the dog and the object.
Every time you lift the screen the dog gets treats until the screen goes back down. Pretty soon the
dog figures out that the presence of the object is predicting the arrival of the treats and you have a
dog that loves the chair.

The frightening thing is that I could now reverse this association; I could teach the dog to hate or fear
the same chair by repeatedly associating it with a loud noise or a smack on the rear or a jerk of the
leash.

Implications:

The implications of this are huge. I have to recognize that what I do influences the associations the
dog is making while in my presence. Here’s an important example: Say I’m walking my dog and he
has a reaction to seeing another dog that I don’t like. It could be just that he barks in excitement, for
example, but I don’t like it. I shout, “No!” and give him a leash jerk. This happens each time we see
a dog. Pretty soon my dog’s reaction to other dogs is terrible—he barks and growls and lunges and
snaps because I have built a negative association: dogs equal pain. I have taught the dog to dislike or
fear other dogs. I have the potential to take a dog that either likes others or doesn’t yet know how he
feels about them and make him fear-aggressive, aggressive, or fearful around other dogs. This is the
main drawback of using punishment —it has side effects due to learning by association or emotion.
And don’t forget that one of the negative associations is with the punisher, which can affect the bond
between person and dog. It’s not that punishment doesn’t work—It’s that learning by association or
emotion always comes along for the ride.

What might I do instead if a dog is having a reaction to another dog? Say that every time the dog I’m
walking sees another dog it starts growling and lunging? My dog has a negative association with
other dogs and I have to reverse it. Treats are a good way to do this. But what if my dog is so upset
that he won’t take the treats? If you’re afraid of spiders and I put one right in front of your face, or
keep you in a room with it for a long period of time, it’s going to be hard for you to listen to my
instructions to sit down and stop screaming. But if I hold the spider 20 feet away, and only bring it in
for short periods of time, and maybe distract you with some conversation or chocolate, things are
going to go better for you; you’ll be able to hear me when I ask you to take a seat and compose
yourself. We need to do the same things for dogs who are afraid of something or upset by it—we
need to desensitize using the Three Ds: distance, duration, and distraction. We move the dog farther
away from the upsetting object, try to keep the situation brief, and distract with our cheerful voices
and treats. Remember, we’re not rewarding the dog for his ugly display because he is too upset to
control his behavior. We are trying to affect his emotional state so that we can then ask for different
behavior.

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Learning by Consequence

The second way that dogs learn is by consequence, or by doing.

Human example:

I can tell a school-age child that I will take him out for ice cream when I see him next week to
celebrate his good report card. When he eats the ice cream, he will understand that he is being
rewarded for grades he got a week ago, which he got because of work he did over the course of a
period of months.

Human-dog comparison:

A dog could never understand this—it’s way beyond their ability to connect events. Dogs learn by
consequence like we do, but for dogs the consequence has to be immediate; it must occur right on the
heels of the action that caused it.

Dog example:

For example, say I lure a dog into a sit with my hand. Then I rummage around for the treat, trying to
figure out where I put it. By the time I deliver the treat five seconds later, the impact is lost; the dog
may not realize it got rewarded for sitting. In the five seconds between the sit and the treat, the dog
sneezed, sniffed the ground, and looked left. All of a sudden there was a treat. As far as he’s
concerned, he got it for looking left. You’ll eventually teach that dog to sit, but it’ll take a while. Or,
you might end up with a dog that sits and looks left as a matter of course.

Implications:

This is why we use a Reward Marker word or Bingo word such as “Yes” or a clicker—it allows us to
tell the dog the precise moment he won the treat. Once we’ve clicked or used our Bingo word “Yes”,
it doesn’t matter if it takes us a few seconds to get the treat out of our pocket because the dog knows
what it’s getting the treat for. The clicker or Bingo word is a reward marker—it marks the moment
the reward was won. To teach the dog to know that the click or word “Yes” means a treat is coming,
we use learning by association—we pair the click or “Yes” with treats. Every time the dog hears the
click or word “Yes” she gets a treat. Pretty soon the dog understands that the click or “Yes” means
treat, that the click or word “Yes” predicts a treat.

Overall Implications

There are two main concepts to take from this reading:

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 • One, that dogs learn in two ways—by association/emotion and by consequence/doing.
• And two, that because of these two ways of learning, dogs see the world in two ways:
What’s safe/good for me and what’s dangerous/bad for me, and what works and what
doesn’t.

The safe/dangerous outlook on life comes from learning by association. When a dog is punished for
peeing on the carpet in front of you, they don’t learn inside/outside—they learn that it’s not safe to
pee in front of you, but it is safe to pee when you’re not there.

The works/ what doesn’t work outlook on life is from learning by consequence. Every dog tries
staring at the refrigerator. After a while they give up and don’t bother trying again because staring at
the fridge doesn’t seem to work; it never opens. They also try staring at their people at the dinner
table. Every once in a while someone gives in and gives them a bite, so staring at people while they
eat works, and dogs continue to do it.

The important point here is that their world is safe/dangerous and works/doesn’t work, NOT
right/ wrong. Dogs do not have the capacity for those abstract thoughts. Dogs don’t do things we
don’t like to get back at us or to be stubborn or naughty. This is a myth. Dogs just do what’s safe
and what works. That’s all. If a dog barks at you to throw the ball and you throw it, rest assured
they will do that again. If you ignore the barking they’ll eventually give up and try something else.
They’re not trying to be obnoxious; they’re just doing what works. If you ask a dog to sit and it
doesn’t sit it’s not being stubborn, you just haven’t trained him well enough yet. So be patient with
them and be careful what you pay attention to and what you ignore, and the ways in which you do
so.

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 Training Basics: Getting Ready to Train

Rewards List
Before you can begin any kind of training, you must know what your dog considers a pleasant
association or consequence. The purpose of this assignment is to get to know your dog's likes and
dislikes a little better, so that you will always be prepared with a powerful treat when you need it.

• Finding the right treat is important! I recommend hot dogs or Kahoots brand training treats.
The key to a good treat is that the dog loves it, that it’s small and moist. I know what your
thinking, really hotdogs? Yes, hotdogs. Remember it’s only a treat they wont be eating a ton
every day. Class is a very difficult environment to focus in, so we need a treat that’s the best
thing in the world. But feel free to use what every you would like.
•
• In your training sessions before our next class, try to vary which of these treats you use, but
don’t use his top 2 or 3 at all. Bring a supply of those to class next week, cut into very small
pieces (no bigger than an M & M).

• In order to make sure that these treats will be very potent for your dog in class
where they will have to compete with the intense stimulation of seeing other
dogs, do not feed her for at least 6-8 hours before class.

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 Charging Bingo Word (“Yes” Word)*

The purpose of this exercise is to teach your dog (by association) that the sound of the click or the
bingo word (“yes”) means something wonderful is coming. The most important thing to remember
is not to give your dog any signal, (like reaching for a treat, or pointing the clicker toward her, or
reaching toward her with the treats) other than the click or bingo word (“yes”), that a treat is coming.

• Prepare about 75 small, high value treats (for a medium to large dog, a regular size hot dog
should yield 60-100 pieces)

• Settle yourself comfortably with your dog near you

• Load one hand with about 15 treats

• With your clicker in the other hand, click or say “Yes” and give a treat from your hand 10
times--be sure to click or say “Yes” before giving the treat.

• If your dog shies away from the click or leaves the area, stop the session. Muffle the clicker by
wrapping it in a towel or similar soft, thick cloth until you can barely hear it and begin
again. As your dog begins to respond to the muffled sound by looking for the treat, gradually
unwrap the clicker.

• Reload one hand with about 20 treats

• Click and deliver the treats to the dog.

• Repeat this process, while walking around. Vary the number of treats in your hand each time.

• You will know you have completed this process when your dog orients to the sound and looks
for the treat when she hears the click or “Yes”.

For the purpose of this class, we will use the “yes” word and not the clicker.

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 Gentle Leaders*

Gentle Leaders 1

Getting your dog to like the head halter. The purpose of this exercise is to begin the process of
teaching your dog (by association) to love the head halter. It may take 2 or 3 ten to fifteen minute
sessions to get all the way through the sequence. Start from the beginning each time. The key points
to remember are that the treats don't start until the Gentle Leader is in the picture and that the treats
disappear when the Gentle Leader does. It is not necessary to have fitted the halter at this point,
since you will not buckle it yet.

• Supply yourself with the equivalent of about one third of your dog's daily food ration in treats
• Hold your Gentle Leader up by the nose loop with one hand, so that your dog notices it.
• Reach your other hand with a treat in it just through the nose loop and let your dog take the
treat.
• As soon as the treat is gone, remove the Gentle leader (you can put it behind your back for a
moment)
• Repeat, until your dog is anticipating the treat by sticking his nose through the nose loop.
• Leave the nose loop on just a fraction of second more each time before you present the treat.
• When he is eagerly pushing his nose through the loop as soon as you present it, leave the loop
on while you feed several treats in quick succession.
• When you can leave the nose loop on for 20-30 seconds while delivering a treat every 2-3
seconds, go back to putting it on for just a second, but taking one neck strap around his neck
for a second before treating and removing the Gentle Leader.
• Work up to holding both neck straps around his neck (do not buckle them) for several seconds
while you deliver treats.

You can also help this process along by always using the Gentle Leader to “signal” that something
good is going to happen. For example, you can show your dog the GL just before feeding him, just
before walks, just before opening the door to the yard, etc.

Gentle Leaders 2

Getting your dog to like wearing the head halter. When your dog is happy to take treats for as
long as you will deliver them while you hold the ends of the neck strap around his neck, you are
ready for the next step. The purpose of this exercise is to teach your dog to actually wear the Gentle
Leader for some duration.

• Supply yourself with the equivalent of about one sixth of your dog's daily food ration in treats
• Go quickly though the sequence of treating through the nose loop, with the nose loop on, and
with the straps held up.
• When you can hold the straps together (almost as if they were buckled) and feed for several
seconds, try buckling the straps for a second, giving a great treat, then taking the Gentle
Leader off.

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 • Work up to leave the Gentle Leader buckled for several seconds while you feed treats.
• Check your Gentle Leader for proper fit (the neck strap should be tight enough so that you can
just squeeze your finger under it; the nose loop should go down to the edge of the nose
leather, but should not be able to be pushed off, even when pulled hard).
• Let your dog eat all the rest of the food and treats with the Gentle Leader on. As soon as he
finishes, take the Gentle leader off and leave him alone for a few minutes.
• Instead of giving your dog his meals in Kongs during this period, feed him with the Gentle
Leader on.
• Put his Gentle Leader on right before you put on his regular collar and leash to go for a walk.
Walk him with the Gentle Leader on, but do not attach the leash to it--use his regular collar for
that.

Gentle Leaders 3

Getting your dog to like walking in the head halter. At this point, making the transition to actually
walking on the Gentle Leader should be relatively smooth.

• Keep your leash loose as much as possible, but don't let your dog hit the end of the leash hard.
• If your dog pulls, reel him in smoothly and gently. Do not jerk on the halter.
• If your dog tries to rub the halter off on the ground, gently and smoothly bring his head off the
ground, releasing the pressure as soon as he stops pulling toward the ground.
• Use treats, praise, and happy talk frequently when he is walking with the leash loose.

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 Name Game

• We want to be able to get our dog’s attention when we call our dog’s name.

• Prepare a large number of small treats ahead of time. You can hold them in your hand, put
them in a treat pouch, or set them in a bowl near you.

• The idea of the exercise is to teach your dog to make eye contact with you out of his or her
own desire to do so. To do this, you say your dog’s name, if he looks at you, say, “yes” and
give him a treat. If he DOES NOT look at you, make a clicking noise or kissy noise, usually this
will get them to look at you, then reinforce with treats. If he doesn’t look at you with the kissy
noise then give a light tug on the leash and walk away from whatever is so interesting to him
and try again.

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 Sits

• Step One: Say It

Tell your dog “Sit” in a cheerful tone of voice.

• Step Two: Show It

Pause a second or two (one-one thousand, two-one thousand), then lure your dog into a sit
by putting the treat up to their snout and slowly moving it backwards and up. Be sure to
keep the treat lure near your dog’s nose—if you move your hand up too quickly and too far
away from their mouth they may give up and lose interest.

• Step Three: Pay It

As soon as your dog’s rump hits the ground, say “yes” and treat.

• Repeat as many times as you can so long as you and your dog are still enjoying
yourselves. Say “yes” and treat every sit.

• Try hard to remember not to repeat the command. Just say it once, pause, and lure.

• Fill out your Nothing For Free List (page 20) and practice your sits for everything on the
list. This means you’ll need to either carry treats around in your pocket or treat bag, or
leave small stashes of treats around the house near doors, in the kitchen, etc. You can
also use life rewards instead of treats. Life rewards include things like opening doors,
putting on or taking off a leash, throwing a ball, anything your dog would find
immediately rewarding.

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 Downs

• Step One: Say It

With a treat in your hand, tell your dog “Down” in a cheerful tone of voice.

• Step Two: Show It

Pause a second or two (one-one thousand, two-one thousand), then lure your dog into a down by
putting the treat up to their snout and slowly moving it down to the ground. Be sure to keep the
treat lure near your dog’s nose—if you move your hand down too quickly and too far away from
their mouth they may give up and lose interest.

• Step Three: Pay It

As soon as your dog’s knees and elbows hit the ground say “yes” and treat.

• Repeat as many times as you can so long as you and your dog are still enjoying yourselves.
Say “yes” and treat every down.

• Try hard to remember not to repeat the command. Just say it once, pause, and lure.

• It will also help to treat your dog whenever you just happen to find him lying down. This will
help with learning down because he’ll be more likely to try this position. It will also help with
general behavior at home. If you reward your dog often for lying quietly around the house
he’ll lie quietly around the house more often!

• Take a look at your Nothing For Free List (page 20) and choose a few things on the list that
you’ll ask your dog to do a down for.

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 Touch

• This is also a good one to work on during commercials or anytime you have a few extra
minutes of waiting time.

• Prepare a large number of small treats ahead of time. Depending on how pushy your dog is,
you can hold them in your hand or a treat pouch or set them near you.

• It’s easiest to begin this exercise with your dog sitting or standing. You can sit or stand.

• The idea of the exercise is to teach your dog to touch his nose to your hand.

• Make sure you hand smells like treats and present your hand, when the dog investigates your
hand and touches you hand, say Yes and reinforce! Repeat over and over.

• Continue building your touch from wherever you left off in class. Slowly build the difficulty
of the touch by moving your hand a little further away or changing your orientation towards
the dog. Remember to only increase difficulty slowly so that your dog will be successful. If
you try a new variation and he doesn’t seem to get it, try something a little closer to his last
successful attempt and then “shape” him up step by step to being able to do the one that was
too hard.

• Be sure to reward each successful touch.

• Remember when you present a new step or challenge by changing the difficulty, that your dog
doesn’t necessarily know what you want yet just because she got it right once (or even a few
times). She just got lucky. So keep working at it.

• If your dog seems bored or distracted, try to bingo (“yes”) more often by lowering your
standards. The more you bingo at the beginning of the exercise the more “hooked” into the
game they’ll be. So you have to set your sights low at first and treat often.

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 Duration Stays

• The key to success in teaching stays is to start easy and go slowly. If you have reasonable
expectations at the beginning, you’ll get great results later on.

• First, stand right in front of your dog, facing her. Stand on your dog’s leash so she can’t decide
to go do something else instead. You might want to only give her a foot or two of leash to
move around.

• Face your dog; say “Stay” and immediately bingo and treat. Do this a few times and, if your
dog is having success, pause for two seconds. Build slowly from there.

• If your dog gets up, say “Ah ah”, ask for a sit, and go back to an easier one, then work your
way back up.

• One key to success in duration stays is to vary the amount of time you make your dog wait.
Don’t always make it harder and harder—throw a few easy ones in here and there.

• Think about the daily opportunities you have to practice duration stays and begin working
these into your routine to save time and train a well-mannered dog. Perhaps you can practice
stays while you’re cooking, eating, doing laundry, reading or watching television—When else?

• Just be careful when multi-tasking—You might want to warm both you and your dog up first
to make sure that he can be successful. You might not want to practice while trying a new
recipe or reading a real page-turner.

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 Distance Stays

• In order to add longer distances to our stays, we have to scale back on the duration. If you
have been getting longer and longer stays, you’ll have to make them shorter again so that your
dog can concentrate on distance.

• So you’ll do these stays by slowly making things harder. Begin by asking your dog to sit.
Bingo and treat the first sit to get your dog interested. Tell your dog “stay” in a cheerful tone,
pause, then bingo and treat immediately before your dog has a chance to move. Note that you
haven’t moved at all. We want them to be successful! Repeat this several times until your dog
shows no sign of thinking about getting up.

• Next, you’ll just move your shoulder a little. Just as before, begin by asking your dog to sit.
Bingo and treat the first sit to get your dog interested. Tell your dog “stay” in a cheerful tone,
pause, move one of your shoulders back a bit, then immediately bingo and treat before your
dog has a chance to move.

• Once you’ve moved your shoulder successfully a few times, repeat the same procedure but try
taking a small step back with one foot, immediately bringing it back in, and then bingo and
treat right away. Note that you’re still standing right in front of your dog. We’re starting off
simple and easy so that we can build up to more difficult things over time.

• When you have gotten several successful stays with one small step back, try taking two steps
back, then bungee back in, bingo and treat. Repeat several times.

• Note that throughout this exercise when you step back you step right back in—We are not
asking the dog to hold position for any duration of time. We just want them to resist the
temptation to get up and follow us when we move. That’s all we’re doing at this stage of
teaching stay.

• You can slowly continue to increase the number of steps you take back, immediately coming
right back in to bingo and treat every time. If your dog gets up, say “Ah ah” in the same tone
of voice you’d use to say “bummer.” Ask them to sit and then do an easier stay by reducing
the distance. Always go back to an easier one when your dog fails. It’s okay for them to get it
wrong every once in a while, but we don’t want it to happen too often. When we let them fail
repeatedly they never learn the behavior as well and they often get bored with the training
and stop trying.

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 Distraction Stays

Now we’ll ask our dogs to stay even though things are going on around them.

• Just like with all training, we’ll make things harder gradually. We’ll only work in areas where
someone goes by every once in a while. (We wouldn’t want to try to teach this in a mall, for
instance!) And, just like with all training, when we make one thing harder, we have to make
other things easier to compensate. So we’ll scale back to short, easy bungee stays-taking a step
or two away and then coming right back to reward for a job well done.

• Find a low-traffic area (your front yard, a quiet neighborhood sidewalk, a park during a low-
use time, etc.). Let your dog check the area out a bit so that she’s not as distracted by the
newness of it. Then ask for a few sits and bingo and treat each one to get her warmed up.
Holding onto your dog’s leash, start with easy bungee stays and, if no one is around and your
dog is doing well, you can work on getting longer duration stays.

• Keep your eye on your surroundings so that you can watch for people or other dogs. As soon
as your dog sees something interesting while she’s in a stay bingo and treat immediately.
Timing is everything here. If you were going for a 15 second stay, scrap it and bingo the
minute she sees something. The point is to reward her before she has a chance to make a
mistake.

• Later, when she’s had some practice at this, you can wait a second or two before you bingo. If
she gets up, you say “Ah ah” and walk her away a few steps to set up again. The next time, of
course, you’ll have to be sure not to wait as long.

• Remember to scale back on distance and duration while practicing with distractions, and
remember to make everything easier each time you work in a new or harder environment.

Some Extra Tips: Combining the 3 D’s

• Always combine the 3D’s only slowly and carefully. If your dog is having strong success, you
can begin to slowly combine by adding a short wait at the end of a distance stay, or adding a
couple seconds between when your dog sees a distraction and when you bingo, etc.

• Remember: When you make one thing harder, make something easier. (For example, if you
add a pause on to your distance stays, do so at a smaller distance than your dog was doing
before you added the pause.)

• And remember: Whenever you practice in a new place, set your 3 D’s accordingly based on the
novelty of the place and how distracting it is. Make duration and distance easier to
compensate!

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• One last thing: If your dog is failing, you are making it too hard- go back to something easier
and work slowly up to the harder stuff. Keep it at a level where your dog is getting it right
and having fun-you’ll both enjoy a more reliable stay in the long run.

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 Wait

• You can do this with your dog sitting or standing—your preference. If your dog is just
learning her sit, you might want to teach the exercise with her standing for now and then ask
for a sit later when she’s better at it.

• At the door, tell your dog “Wait” in a cheerful tone of voice. Begin to open the door. If your
dog starts to move to go out, close the door. Without repeating the command, begin to open
the door again. If your dog starts to move to go out, close the door again. Repeat this action,
without repeating the command, until your dog hesitates even briefly as the door is being
opened. When your dog hesitates, throw the door open with a cheerful “Okay” and let her go
out.

• For this training to really take effect you will need to be consistent. Ask your dog to wait at
every door, every time.

• And remember: only give the command once.

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 Anti-Jumping Part I

The goal in part 1 is to teach your dog not to jump on you and other family members.

• When your dog jumps on you, turn your back to him. You can tell him “OFF” as you turn
away—it will help you to remember not to yell “No!” When he stops jumping, turn around to
face him. If he jumps again, turn your back to him again, saying “OFF” as you do. Repeat
these actions until you turn around to face him and he doesn’t jump up. When he doesn’t
jump, pet and praise him. If you have treats, give him one. If he gets too excited and jumps
up again, turn your back again and start over.
• If the above method doesn’t work: when she starts to jump, Take a step into her and say
“OFF”. Then praise when she has four paws on the ground.

• Do this exercise when you get home, when you have something in your hands that he wants,
or any other time that he jumps on you.

• You must be absolutely consistent. You can completely wipe out being jumped on if you turn
away every time. Don’t accidentally teach him that sometimes you can jump and sometimes
you can’t, or he’ll always be looking for the times that it’s okay.

• If you turn your back and your dog just keeps jumping on your back, try walking away. It’s
important that you completely ignore the dog—don’t talk to him or punish him. Pretend like
he is not there. If walking away doesn’t work (he follows and jumps or tugs on your pants),
you’ll have to give him a time out by either closing a door between you or quickly putting him
behind a baby gate or in his crate. Be careful not to act angry—just tell him “OFF” and do it.
The point to get across is not “You’re a bad dog” but “When you act like that I won’t play with
you.”

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 Anti-Jumping Part II

Part 2 is to teach your dog not to jump on other people.

• Wherever possible, teach family and friends the Phase I exercise and have them practice it
with your dog. When encountering people who you don’t know or people unwilling to do the
Phase I exercise you can do the following:

• You can begin this training by having your dog sit for you when he wants you to say hi and
pet him. Have family members and friends do the same.

• Then take it on the road:

1. As a stranger is approaching your dog (or you are approaching a stranger with your
dog after having ascertained that they wish to be approached), ask for a sit about a foot
or two away. Block your dog with your body if you need to buy time to focus your
dog. Do not allow the person to say hi to your dog until he is sitting. If he doesn’t sit,
tell him “AH, AH” and walk him away. Go back to try again. You might make it a
little easier by having him sit a little farther away from the person.

2. Use the redirect technique if your dog is particularly interested in meeting another
person or dog, especially if she has raced out ahead on the leash. Use an excited voice
and move briskly backwards. When your dog turns back to you, praise and ask for a
sit. Reward the sit with a treat. Now you are ready to try the previous step.

3. If he starts to get back up, tell him “ah-ah” and ask for a sit. He must stay in the sit
position as the person comes to pet him.

4. When either someone approaches your dog to meet her or you let your dog approach
someone (after having first ascertained that they are willing to be approached), keep a
close eye on your dog’s body. As soon as she begins to jump up walk her away briskly,
telling her “off”. The intention is simply to keep her from jumping up (before she can
scare someone or dirty their clothes) and to communicate that she lost her opportunity
to say hi.

5. As you do this, you can turn around to explain to the stranger that you’re teaching your
dog not to jump. If they seem interested in the training or your dog, you can ask them
if they wouldn’t mind you trying again. If so, repeat the above procedure until your
dog doesn’t try to jump. At that point allow the person to pet your dog.

• If you find you are not making good progress—after practicing this on a dozen people and
your dog still gets the first try with each person wrong—you can get a little tougher by only
giving your dog one chance with each person. If they blow the first chance they get walked
away and don’t get to go back to try again.

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27
 Loose Leash Walking

Here are a few tips to add to anything that worked well for you and your dog in class.

• Fill your treat bag, get your clicker or bingo word (“yes”) ready, and put your dog on leash.
You’ll want to practice at first in a non-distracting environment.

• Walk briskly with your dog on leash. If she goes to the end of the leash, change directions and
keep walking at a brisk pace. When she comes near you on the side that you want her to walk
on, use a cheerful voice to praise her. Whenever she gets into heel position or puts slack in the
leash, click or bingo and treat. You can also click or say bingo word and treat for any eye
contact.

• If after a couple minutes you do not find your dog spending more time at your side or with a
slack leash, either move to an even less distracting space or click or bingo your dog for being
near you, even if she isn’t in exactly the right spot. The point is to click or say the bingo word
more often so that she stays interested and doesn’t wander to the end of the leash looking for
something else to do.

• When you do not have time to practice heeling, be sure to have your dog wear her anti-pull
management device so that being allowed to pull again does not undermine her training.

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 Touch Recall

Touch Recall Rules

1. Never call your dog for anything your dog won’t like
2. Never call your dog if you don’t think your dog will come
3. If you make a mistake on that last rule, go save the touch
4. Never repeat the command—say it only once and then make yourself interesting with a
high voice, clapping, squatting, etc.
5. Always give your dog a generous payoff—lots of treats and/or something novel and
special

• Start by practicing simple touches around the house. When your dog is not highly engaged in
anything, get some good treats in your hand and call him cheerfully once: “Rover, Touch!”
Make yourself interesting using a high voice, clapping, etc. When he gets to your hand, grab
his collar and spill the treats all over the floor. Praise him profusely.

• When you get to the point where he’s running to touch, excitedly, every time, try making the
touch a little harder. You could call him from another room or when he’s looking out the
window, or when he’s sitting with another family member, etc. Remember to go save the
touch if you accidentally ask for one that’s too hard. Then you’ll have to try a couple easier
ones and work up to the one you had to save.

• If all of your indoor touches are going great, you can try moving outside to your fenced yard.
If you do this, be sure to make the touch really easy by removing all distractions, allowing him
to be out in the yard for a while so that he’s bored of it, and reducing the distance of the touch.
Then, just like inside, you can begin to make them a little harder by adding a little distance, or
another family member, etc.

• You might want to use a long line (a very long leash) for the first session in this new space,
particularly if the space is large enough to make “saving” the touch difficult.

• The main trick is to keep it at your dog’s level so that she’s successful every time. Don’t try a
harder one until the one you’re doing is a piece of cake for your dog. And don’t jump too
fast—take baby steps as you make things more difficult.

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 Having Guests Over

• Taking into consideration your dog, the layout of your home, your visitors’ comfort with dogs,
and your own comfort and stress levels around entertaining, think about what approach or
mix of approaches might be best for handling visitors: Do you want to use stays, sits, touches,
etc? Do you want to get your guests involved, or do the training yourself?

• Whichever approaches you choose, be sure to practice these regularly without guests around
so that your dog has a lot of practice with them.

• Practice while it’s just you and your dog at home, then begin to practice when anyone you live
with comes home. Once this is going well, invite a friend or family member over who is
willing to come over so you can practice with a guest. Start small—one person first, then a
couple people once that’s going well.

• When you invite people over, get any materials you are going to use ready—mat, treats, etc.
Also warm your dog up before guests arrive with several practice sessions.

• Of course, once you add a new situation such a guest, you’ve made things harder and your
dog may have less success with the behaviors you’ve been practicing. So be ready to reinforce
often.

• If you’re going to have guests over before your dog is ready, consider setting your dog up
comfortably in a crate or other room with some things to chew on. If you don’t have time to
train, you don’t want him to have an opportunity to practice bad habits.

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 Taking a Walk

• Choose a place to walk according to your dog’s level and your comfort.

• Answer the following questions before you go, thinking about what you learned from your
class challenge experience:

 What strategies will I employ to help my dog to walk nicely on leash?

 What strategies will I use when passing a stranger?
 What strategies will I use when passing other dogs?
 What will I do if my dog sees something yummy on the ground?
 How will I handle it if someone wants to meet my dog?

• After your walk, ask yourself the following questions:

 How many people did we meet? Did my dog greet them politely?
 How many other dogs did we meet? Did my dog greet them politely?
 Was my dog comfortable with everything he saw and everyone he met? Did anything
seem to startle him?
 How well did my dog walk on leash?
 What did I learn, and what do I want to do differently next time?

• Go do it again—Every day if you can. It’s great for both of you and consistent repetition will
build good manners and a great relationship.

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 Barking Article

Barking is a complicated issue for many reasons. Dogs may bark to get attention, to tell others
to back off, to get other dogs to play or simply because they are stimulated. The two most
common barking issues I help people with are dogs barking at other dogs on leash and barking
at dogs and people from inside the home or yard.
Barking on leash, commonly called Leash Reactivity, is usually due to the dog feeling confined
on the leash and also feeling the owner’s stress due to a tight leash. The first step is to read my
loose leash walking article on my website.
One method is what I call Leash and Dog Desensitization. You need to get your dog around
other dogs while he is on a leash. Seems simple right? Well, you’re right, it is simple and it
works! This can be done in one of our group classes at Kahoot’s Feed and Pet Store or Camp
Run-A-Mutt, at my dog training facility in Ramona or at a dog park. Have your dog fairly far
away from the other dogs and just keep moving with your dog in a very large and consistent
circle. Plan to do this for about 30-minutes without meeting another dog during that time. Keep
the leash at a consistent length, because when he pulls and the leash gets longer he is learning
that pulling will get him 2ft closer to the dogs. Even 2ft closer to dogs that are 100ft away is
reinforcing to your dog. This method will greatly reduce your dog’s barking and lunging on
leash. See graphics.
Redirection is the other method for leach reactivity (barking and lunging). There IS a distance at
which your dog will not react to a trigger (dog). When you see a dog approaching, pull over to
the side with your dog or cross the street, turn your dog around so his back is facing the other
dog, take out the best treat in the world and simply put it in front of your dog’s face while
calmly talking to him. When the dog passes, give your dog the treat and praise him. Also keep
the leash short, BUT NOT TIGHT so he can’t look at the dog if he tries. Once your dog learns
what is expected of him, you can start to fade out the treats and shorten the distance that you
can take your dog away from the trigger.

The other main type of barking is barking at triggers outside of the home or property. I use a
method that I developed because my dog Bosco would run around on our deck and bark at the
squirrels on our property. However, for most of you, your dog is barking at other dogs walking
by, at the mailman, etc. Bosco would bark at the squirrels and occasionally look at me, while he
was barking. I realized that simply telling him to stop or recalling him with a treat wasn’t
working. It seemed that the reason he was looking at me was that he felt that there was a threat
and he wanted me to help take care of it. Now thinking squirrels are a threat and that they may

32
take over the house is pretty silly to us but it may not be to Bosco. So one day I went out there
and I got right near him and calmly said, “I see them Bosco, I see them” I did this while looking
at Bosco then looking at the trigger (squirrels). Then, in an excited voice I said, “come on,
come on” and I would run inside and give him a treat. Am I giving him a treat for barking? No,
I am giving him a treat for coming away from a difficult situation. This method works on
multiple levels. You are acknowledging to your dog that they are doing their job, but that you
have it under control. Then you are saying come with me, I have something good for you. The
squirrel example is pretty silly, but think about what is going through your dog’s mind when
someone walks by on the street or the mailman walks up to your house and then leaves. Your
dog starts to bark at the mailman (random guy) as he approaches, and then the random guy
leaves. We know the mailman was going to leave anyway, but your dog may think that this guy
was going to break in and his barking got him to leave.
Another thing that works for fear based barking in the home is to go on walks or increase the
amount of walks if you do so already. I can often tell whether a dog goes on walks by the type
of barking it exhibits upon my arrival. When they go on walks they get to see the very thing
that they are barking at in another environment. Seeing other people and dogs walk around on
the street, away from the house, will help desensitize the dog when those same people or dogs
are close to or approaching the home. Walking also relieves the excess energy often needed to
calm the dog a bit.
I hope this article helps you understand why your dogs may bark and how to help them. Contact
me if you need additional help with any of your dog’s behavior.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

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Scenario 1

Dogs

You and your dog

walking

Scenario 2
You and
34
your dog
Dogs walking
 Loose Leash Walking

Walking is a natural behavior for dogs, so what is the big deal about teaching them to walk
nicely on a leash? It shouldn’t be that hard, should it?

I have trained hundreds of dogs and owner on loose leash walking and it’s never easy. Each
owner, dog and home situation is different. For the sake of simplicity, I’m not going to be able
to explain every aspect of loose leash walking.

For the sake of the article I’m going to assume that the reader is going to do all of the training
on his or her own (no trainer to help). So I will describe the steps as clear as possible. I also
realize that people have lives and can’t or won’t spend 2 hours a day on training their dog. So I
will give you the quickest steps to get results. I will also give you realistic methods to train
each behavior. I am a positive reinforcement trainer but the biggest complaint I get from clients
who have used other trainers in the past is that the trainer had them use too many treats or that
the trainer used super harsh methods (punishment based training). We will use some treats but
not over use them, we may give a slight correction but mainly to “mark” an incorrect behavior,
never for actual pain. So if this makes sense let’s get started!

First of all, all of the behaviors I talk about such as wait and loose leash walking, in this article,
should first be trained in the backyard or another un-stimulating area.

Let’s first talk about why dogs pull. It’s not that complicated. They pull because it is
reinforcing. And it’s not just a little reinforcing, it’s extremely reinforcing! A walk is more
exciting to a dog than most people can comprehend. So be patient and consistent.
Let’s go through a scenario that you may be familiar with. You get the leash out and your dog
gets excited, you put the leash on and she gets a little more excited, you open the door, maybe
you even do a short wait, but then you let her fly out the door and then your dog pulls you down
the street. And you wonder why they wouldn’t listen to you or barked at the dog on the other
side of the street. Think about it, you never calmed your dog down. Every “step” got more and
more exciting for your dog. You need to calm her down at each stage of the above scenario.
Okay, here is how you do it. A couple of times a day, get the leash out and hold it or drop it on
35
the ground. Let your dog get excited, he can jump around and do whatever he wants. But guess
what he’s not going anywhere. This is called Desensitization and it’s very important. The leash
has essentially become a “Cue” or “signal” to get super excited, so we need to lessen that
response. And don’t purposely get them all excited to go. You wouldn’t tell your kids “WE
ARE GOING TO DISNEYLAND TODAY!!!” then make them walk slowly and look at you
the whole time they are there.

The first exercise is only if your dog is super excited to go on a walk or if your dog has leash
reactivity. The method is called “calming ovals”. Go to the back yard or another un-
stimulating environment and walk in a consistent oval pattern. This releases energy while
allowing you to set the tone for the walk. It takes very little skill and helps tremendously.

Get to the front door and have your dog “wait” or “stay” and release your dog. If she flies out
the door come right back and repeat until she is slowing going out the door. Once you get
outside you can use two methods 1) Reinforce with treats when your dog is next to you 2) Stop
or turn around when your dog pulls. You are communicating that pulling WILL NOT get them
to their destination. Being next to you will get them a tasty treat.

For most dogs, the more they get out to walk the less stimulating it is each time. I teach classes
and do private training all over southern California. My clients in Ramona, California generally
have a more difficult time with loose leash walking than my downtown San Diego clients
simply because of the number of walks in a given week. If you still need help, sign up for one
of our classes offered at most Kahoots Pet Supply Stores and Camp Run-a-Mutt doggie day
care facilities.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

36
 Jumping

People take group classes for three main reasons, to train their dog to come to them, to walk on
a loose leash and to get their dog to stop JUMPING. Week three of Basic Manners class I ask
everyone how many of your dogs jump on you or other people and usually 90% of the class
raises their hand. Jumping is a huge problem for most dog owners. The good news is that it is
mainly an issue with young dogs, so it often gets better with time.

Dogs jump for many reasons, but the main reason is that they want your attention and they have
learned that jumping will get your attention, even if that attention is “bad” attention. A lot of
trainers use treats to train dogs not to jump. Others use punishment like kneeing or more
extreme punishment like shock collars. If you have ever taken a class from me you know that I
don’t use harsh punishment and I don’t like to use treats for everything. So, if we know that
attention is what they want, then attention is what will be taken away when they jump and then
attention is given for anything other than a jump. If you want to get technical this is called
Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior or (DRI).

Now lets go through some scenarios. When you walk in the front door and your dog jumps
simply say, “AH, AH” this is marking the incorrect behavior, and right when their paws touch
you, turn around and ignore them. If he is still jumping on your back say, “AH, AH” and take a
step away. At some point you will notice that your dog is not jumping, at that point say, “YES”
and immediately turn around and give a lot of love. If he then jumps simply repeat “AH, AH”
and stand up and turn around again. Continue to repeat as long as needed. If done well, this
method is highly effective. That doesn’t mean it’s easy but its effective, because it uses exactly
what the dogs wants as the reinforcement and punishment. Using the “Yes and “AH, AH”
marks the exact time they did something correct or incorrect.

A leash can also be used to train them not to jump. Have the person coming over text you that
they are almost there. This is best done with husband, wife or kids. Put your dog on a leash.
When the person comes in the door, walk the dog up to them. When your dog jumps say, “AH,
AH” and walk your dog away. Walk them back up to the person and if your dog jumps walk
them away again. Repeat this until your dog eventually doesn’t jump or sits, then when your

37
dog sits Pet your dog!!! This method is better because the leash allows for better
communication and more control to apply the “punishment,” in this case, a short time out.
Hope this is helpful.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

Recall (Come)
Training your dog to come to you is probably the most important behavior you can teach them.
It is not only for their safety, but so that you can take them places and let them run free. I’ll
never forget when I took my 6 month-old Doberman, Bosco to dog beach for the first time. I
was all proud of how well I had trained him and how good of a dog he was. When I got to dog
beach and took off his leash, he was gone. As I watched him constantly run away from me, I
noticed that all he wanted to do was run and chase and play with all of the fun dogs. So after I
finally got him, I decided to be like those fun dogs and I ran with him and let him jump on me
and I took a ball out and threw it for him, and sure enough he stayed with me, at least most of
the time.
So the first and most important aspect to a good recall or come command is to be a fun person
to be around. This starts when they are young. Call their name, clap your hands and when they
get to you roll on the ground with them. They will soon learn that you are fun and this will set
the stage for many years of good times and a well-behaved dog.

As the dog get’s older he/she may be less into petting and rolling on the ground as he/she once
was, so it’s time to start using food and treats. Randomly throughout the day grab a handful of
food and call your dog and then give them the food. You could actually give them their whole
days diet for doing recalls, and how great is that to make them work for their food. This is
something many of our dogs are missing and often it’s exactly what they need.

The next method is something you want to do when they get a little older. If you have taken my
Basic Manners class, the first thing we do is to teach the dog their name. We put them on a
leash and say their name and when they look at us or come to us we give them a treat. This
next method is just a version of this. Buy a 20-foot long training leash from Kahoots, put it on
the dog, let them wander away and then say their name and come. When they come to you, give
them a treat or food. The key to this behavior is the leash, because now we are not letting them
ignore us. So if they don’t come, give them a small tug on the leash and if they come after the
tug still give them a treat or a pet. Start this in a non-stimulating environment and then work up
to parks and dog parks.

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Another good method is to use secondary reinforcement like toys and balls. I prefer balls to
train the recall. Secondary reinforcement is often more “powerful” than primary reinforcement
like treats. Your dog needs to like chasing balls for this method to work. Take you dog to a
large yard or enclosed area. Get a brand new tennis ball and when the dog is walking away say
their name in an energetic voice. When they look at you throw the ball the other way. Throw it
towards the ground so it doesn’t go too far. Then as they walk away again, say their name and
“Come” and when they look at you throw the ball the other way. Now think about what’s going
on in the dog’s head. He’s walking away and when he hears the word come, he is already
flipping around as fast as he can to chase the ball. This method trains the initial response to the
cue “Come” to be much faster than with treats. Eventually you fade out the ball, but the cue
“Come” still means flip around and start running to the owner as fast as possible.
At my boarding facility nine out of ten dogs come to me almost 100% of the time within two
days. It’s partly due to all of the above methods. But you also have to have the attitude that:
Coming to you is not an option, it will happen. They will eventually come, no matter how
much they fight it or run away. When they don’t come to you, start to calmly walk after them
and don’t stop until you get them. Then walk them by the collar back to where you originally
asked them to come from. And give a treat when they get to the final location unless they
fought you the whole way.

Hopefully I have given you plenty of things to think about when teaching your dog the recall or
come command. I will leave you with one more thing. Don’t let anyone tell you that there is
only one way to train. I hear it all the time from dog trainers and dog owners… “I should only
have to ask the dog to do it one time…I don’t want to bribe them with treats…the dog is acting
like this because he thinks he’s dominant…” the list could go on and on. Training your dog is a
very dynamic process and each dog, owner and situation is different. Be patient, do the work
and follow your own moral compass and you will be fine.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

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 I’ll be home soon…
How to deal with dog separation anxiety

It’s normal for your dog to be sad or lonely when you leave. You are the most important thing
in the world to them. However it’s our job to make sure that they can handle you leaving
without barking, whining, and tearing things up. I once had a dog chew right through a wall at
my board and train facility. I’ve seen dogs push and chew their way out of metal crates and
jump through windows. Some dogs will go to any length not to be confined or not be left alone.
I classify separation anxiety into mild, moderate and severe. It’s quite common for dogs to have
mild S.A. - barking and whining when you leave maybe even tearing up toilet paper or chewing
a shoe or digging up the sprinkler system (these are also common puppy behaviors as well, not
S.A.). Moderate or Severe S.A. is a serious mental condition in my opinion. It’s not just that he
is sad you’re gone, it’s much more complicated than that. It can be from jumping around from
home to home or foster to foster, it can be from “time outs” or crates being used as punishment
as a puppy therefore being alone (Pavlovian conditioning) is paired with negative feelings or
anger from the owner, so the dog starts to “hate” being alone. We have also inadvertently or on
purpose, reinforced them for their S.A. The dog is barking, whining, howling, biting, etc. in the
crate, pen or room, so we go in and let them out, and our presence and being let out is the best
reward ever! Also certain breeds like Weimaraners, Vizslas and Pit Bulls are prone to S.A.

I see so many articles, blogs and posts on S.A. and they are all the same. It’s like all trainers
have read the same books and been to the same conferences and seen the same presentations on
how to deal with S.A. The problem is that these methods rarely work and focus too much on
the less important aspect of the solution. For the sake of not writing a small book I’m going to
quickly list many ideas to help S.A. then explain in more detail the more important solutions.
Desensitize the dog to precursors that you are leaving i.e. keys, putting on shoes, etc. Do
training sessions where they go to the bed and do stays for progressively longer, so they can
deal with being away from you or you being out of sight for short periods of time. Play classical
music when you leave. Leave a smelly piece of clothing around. Don’t get too excited when
you come home. Don’t let your dog constantly be all over you when you are at home.

If you really want to eliminate S.A. do these few things consistently:

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 1) Exercise before you leave- take them for as long a walk as your schedule will allow, or
another type of exercise. Their pent up energy will come out in a negative way if not
released.
2) Chew “toys”- Food filled frozen Kongs are my favorite. They last a long time and are
safe and reinforcing. Also bully sticks, Himalayan dog chews, “Beams” dried fish skins,
or anything else that is long lasting and safe. If the dog is not into the type of products
you give, then I would reduce their base diet a bit until they are into it. All of the above
products are sold at Kahoots Pet Supply Stores.
3) Games when you leave- leave treats all over the house or yard. Hide the food filled
frozen Kong and bully stick. Do these games while you are home so you know that the
dog understands how to play.

Basically you want your dog to be thinking, “Bye have fun today, I’m tired and hungry and
have plenty to keep me busy for the next hour, after I find and eat all this good stuff I will be
exhausted and it will be time to nap. See you when you get home!”
Separation Anxiety is a serious condition and can take years to work through. A combination
of dog training classes at Kahoots or Camp Run-a-Mutt and private in-home training is very
useful.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

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 Dogs with Jobs

Owning a dog isn’t just about “behaviors”. We are going to talk about something that I have
seen change dogs and people’s lives. That is your dog having a JOB. First let’s talk about why
your dog should have a job.

Jobs give people and dogs purpose. I’ll be honest with you; most dog’s lives are pretty boring.
Humans have TV, children, spouses, jobs, vacations, etc. Your dog pretty much has YOU.
That’s why he follows you to the bathroom and sits there or stares at you all the time. That’s
also the reason he may bark on the leash or bark out the window or tear up the back yard,
because those “bad” behaviors bring some enjoyment and stimulation to his life. A job can give
purpose and stimulation to a dog’s life and channel that energy and their need to learn into
something productive. It can also improve your relationship and a better relationship always
translates to a better-behaved dog.

Any sport is a job. Most breeds have a sport designed for their specific tendencies. Some
examples are: Agility, fly ball, cart pulling, lure coursing, dock diving, etc. There are other jobs
like search and rescue; this is a big job and usually requires a lot of certifications for the owner
and dog. A very popular job these days is therapy dog work. This usually also requires a
certification. There are also some smaller jobs for a person on a tight budget or who doesn’t
have a lot of time, like getting the paper in the morning or carrying their own water in a
backpack for a walk.

I do a “dogs with jobs” talk at the end of class number five and by far the most popular jobs
people want to do are therapy and agility. Agility is pretty simple; you can buy the equipment
on-line and watch YouTube videos and get pretty good at it on your own or just sign up for an
agility class. Therapy work is a little more complicated. There are a lot of company’s that
certify therapy dogs and all of them are very different.

My dog, Bosco has a job that he loves. He drives around with me a couple of days a week and
helps me with my client’s dogs. He also helps maintain order at our Board and Train facility.
He often has to be assertive with them and sometimes he helps me work with aggressive dogs,
but I would not be the trainer that I am today and Beckman’s Dog Training would not be the
company that it is today without Bosco. His job as my helper is what he lives for and I’m
confident that he will live longer and be happier due to it.

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So I encourage you to think about a job that you and your dog might enjoy doing together and
then set aside a little time each week to work on it.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

Exercise
Exercise may be the single most important aspect to raising a happy and healthy dog. Let me
repeat that; exercise may be the single most important aspect to raising a happy and healthy
dog. I work with dogs everyday with major behavioral issues like aggression, reactivity and
separation anxiety and I often tell the owners if you can’t get your dog more and/or the right
kind of exercise, I may not be able to help you. We are all busy with life and no one can spend
all day exhausting our dogs, (that’s not healthy anyways) but the right exercise at the right time
can make all the difference in the world.

Dogs are descendants of wolves and wolves have been known to chase their prey for hours and
hours in order to wear them down. So if you have ever wondered where your dog got all of this
energy, there’s your answer.

There are a lot of ways to get your dogs exercise; like throwing the ball, swimming, dog parks,
hikes, dog sports, etc. I recommend all of them and I do all of them with my own dog. By far,
the best type of exercise is walking or running with your dog. I don’t think you can have a
totally well balanced dog if you don’t walk them. Remember to walk them at an early age or it
will be difficult to get them to walk nicely on a leash later in life.

Walking your dog works three ways; physically stimulating, mentally stimulating and it builds
your relationship with them. It also gets you out and about as well.
Let’s go through what I consider a perfect and do-able exercise routine. A half-mile walk at
7am every weekday. Ball play in the backyard everyday around mid-day. Dog park or open
field 3-4 days a week. Long hike one day a week. This routine is good for most breeds and
sizes age 9 months – later in life.

If you don’t exercise your dog, he can very easily develop a lot of frustration and frustration
leads to aggression and reactivity. A good exercise routine coupled with your dog having a job
will keep you and your dog balanced, happy and healthy.

Joel Beckman
Beckman's Dog Training

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