Are you one of the millions of people stuck at home “sheltering in place” during the COVID 19 crisis? Have you been avoiding some of the places you normally take your dog for exercise such as the dog park or the beach? This guide is for you!
We are all facing a little bit of “stir crazy” these days. Your dog is probably no exception. This guide offers 5 great ways to get your dog involved in helping to reduce cabin fever while the whole family is home. Easy enough to include even young children, these games will keep your dog mentally and physically stimulated while also providing some fun family time to while away the hours.
#1: Teach Your Dog Some New Tricks
Now is a great time to sharpen your skills as your dog’s trainer by learning the basics of positive reinforcement based training to teach your dog some new tricks. Plus, the mental stimulation of training can help keep your dog from bouncing off of the walls with boredom during your unplanned stay-cation.
You don’t need fancy equipment or expensive dog treats: Just use your dog’s regular kibble rations mixed with a little something extra such as cooked chicken or some small cubes of cheese to make sure he stays extra motivated to learn.
Here are a few tips to making the most of your training sessions while stuck home with your dog during the coronavirus outbreak:
Set Clear Criteria, Then Raise the Bar
Professional dog trainers use the word “criteria” to define the behavior they are looking for before rewarding the dog. Great trainers know that you need to set the bar low at first, raising it after the dog is showing an 80% success rate.
For example, the first criteria for a “sit” might be the instant your dog’s butt touches the ground. However, once she has mastered a 1 second sit, it is time to raise the criteria for reward to a few seconds of sitting. Add distance, duration, and distractions by raising the criteria at a rate that keeps your dog set up for success.
Use a Marker Sound or Word
Clicker training is all the rage in dog training these days. However, you don’t need a clicker in order to make use of this strong behavioral conditioning method of dog training. Instead, just use a special sound or word to “mark” when your dog gives you whatever you have set as your criteria. Always offer the food reward after the marker sound, even if you made a mistake with your timing.
Start with Nonverbal Cues, Transition to a Verbal Command After the Trick is Learned
Most dog trainers will use a technique known as “luring” to first give a dog some hints as to what behavior they are looking to reward. Often the lure movement, such as bringing a treat down to the floor and ahead of the dog for a “down” is then shorted to a hand signal for the ultimate cue for the trick.
If you stick to a hand signal while training the command, and add the verbal cue only after your dog has learned the trick, it increases the power of the verbal command by associating it with clear success for your dog.
