Article & Images Submitted by Shannon MacBeth, Owner & Trainer, Shakespeare's Legacy Labradors
The energy you bring to training is the energy your dog will respond to.
Not all training is equal. As humans we can turn to running, weights, yoga, dancing, etc. There are so many routes we can take to encourage growth, development, improvement and to challenge ourselves. This is the same for dog training. There are many options such as forced training, punishment training, aversive training and then there is positive reinforcement training. This is the type of training you’ll find in the Salt and Pine dog training methods. The Salt and Pine method of dog training is based on the premise that grounded training leads to lasting connection. Salt represents the training challenges we as dog owners face. Pine for the rooted, but steady growth positive reinforcement training can accomplish. The Salt and Pine training method allows the dog to figure out what we want without adding too many words, negative responses or emotions. Each training module uses simple, grounded techniques and always builds a better and lasting connection with your dog. You’ll be surprised how quickly dogs will learn expectations and boundaries as well as enjoy training, no matter the age they begin. The old adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is a falsehood that deprives both the dog and their family. Let’s take a look at the very first module in our training program. It not only solidifies the human to dog connection but can also be a life saving cue for your dog.
The energy you bring to training is the energy your dog will respond to.
Not all training is equal. As humans we can turn to running, weights, yoga, dancing, etc. There are so many routes we can take to encourage growth, development, improvement and to challenge ourselves. This is the same for dog training. There are many options such as forced training, punishment training, aversive training and then there is positive reinforcement training. This is the type of training you’ll find in the Salt and Pine dog training methods. The Salt and Pine method of dog training is based on the premise that grounded training leads to lasting connection. Salt represents the training challenges we as dog owners face. Pine for the rooted, but steady growth positive reinforcement training can accomplish. The Salt and Pine training method allows the dog to figure out what we want without adding too many words, negative responses or emotions. Each training module uses simple, grounded techniques and always builds a better and lasting connection with your dog. You’ll be surprised how quickly dogs will learn expectations and boundaries as well as enjoy training, no matter the age they begin. The old adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is a falsehood that deprives both the dog and their family. Let’s take a look at the very first module in our training program. It not only solidifies the human to dog connection but can also be a life saving cue for your dog.
I often hear “My dog has terrible recall. They ignore me when I call them. I have to call and call and call and then they may meander over to me at their own pace and volition. Heaven forbid they catch a game trail scent because then they seriously have a mind of their own and forget their name, let alone who I am, resulting in a battle of wills.” Is this you? I know I’ve been there a time or two myself and it is extremely frustrating. You may or may not be shocked that my response always starts with questions. Do they know their name? Do you repeat their name over and over, increasing in volume and frustration? What happens when they finally approach you? Are you rewarding or punishing? And finally, have you ever taught them the word “Come”? Hmmmmm got you thinking, right? This isn’t meant to shame anyone or make anyone feel inadequate because I too fell into this pitfall before I knew better. There is one thing I want everyone to keep in mind whenever they are interacting with a dog, whether it be training or just in a casual setting. Dogs know how to be dogs in a dog’s world. They have no idea how to be a dog in a human’s world unless we take the time to teach them. Yes, dog training is about training dogs, but first we must train the human.
So here’s the challenge, the salt if you will. You have been calling Rufus over and over as he barks at the fence, runs after the rabbit or lays sunning himself on the deck, rest assured we can fix this broken connection. Let’s start with the basics. Does your dog know their name? I’m sure you are rolling your eyes and thinking of course they know their name. But do they? Animals don’t own their names like humans do. They are simply a cue that leads to a result, positive or negative. It’s the reason behind most rescue organizations advising to change a dog’s name when they are adopted. If you are calling your dog’s name and they are not coming to you they either don’t know their name or there is no value in responding to it. We need to add value back to their name.
What happens when they finally respond to their name? Do you respond positively? “Yes, good boy, thank you for coming. Here’s your reward,” while you pat their head and scratch their back. Or is it negative? “Finally! Get in the house. Now I’m late and it’s your fault.” Frustrated, scolding, punishing. Keep in mind they don’t understand the words, they don’t speak our language. Instead, they understand the body language, the tone, your facial expression, and the emotion. If you are constantly berated by someone, would you want to come to them? I rest my case.
Finally, unless you’ve trained them for the response you expect when you cue them to come to you, you can’t expect them to be successful. Remember they don’t know how to be a dog in a human’s world and you’ve not given them a reason to want to approach you.
Now it’s time to look at the Pine, the roots and the growth part of this training as we teach our dogs the expectations and behaviours you are looking for. Taking action now will help solidify your bond with your dog as well.
Step 1 – Train or retrain your dog to know their name and make it all positive. Start with your dog being near you, say their name, offer them a treat. If you do this several times a day, you’ll see that they respond to their name more quickly and successfully as there are positive outcomes to doing so.
Step 2 – The word “come” no longer holds any value to them. Let’s change it up and use “with me” instead. Start inside your house where there are no distractions. Holding a treat in your hand and keeping your hand at your side, you’ll say their name and then “with me”, leading them around the house. You’ll give them the reward for staying with you. Once successful inside, take the training outside. Using a short leash, continue as you would inside, trying to avoid distractions. If you are in a fenced area, feel free to drop the leash to test how the training is going. If your dog is staying at your side, it’s time to switch out to a long leash and add distractions. Walk to the lengths of the leash and call your dog using “with me”. Just say it once, they know what is being asked and it has to be up to them to respond accordingly. If they don’t come to you quickly and willingly, go back to a short leash until they do.
Step 3 – Take the training out into the real world, including many distractions. If you find any setbacks, return to your previous step. No punishments, just take a moment to review and restart.
Training should be quick, relaxed and bonding. If it feels off, call it off. Either don’t start that session at all or if you have started and it’s going sideways, just offer one last reward for the attempt and try again later. Expect setbacks, especially once you introduce distractions. When this happens, take it for what it is, a chance to review and then carry on. Stay tuned for more Salt and Pine training tips as we build better bonds and behaviours with our dogs.
So here’s the challenge, the salt if you will. You have been calling Rufus over and over as he barks at the fence, runs after the rabbit or lays sunning himself on the deck, rest assured we can fix this broken connection. Let’s start with the basics. Does your dog know their name? I’m sure you are rolling your eyes and thinking of course they know their name. But do they? Animals don’t own their names like humans do. They are simply a cue that leads to a result, positive or negative. It’s the reason behind most rescue organizations advising to change a dog’s name when they are adopted. If you are calling your dog’s name and they are not coming to you they either don’t know their name or there is no value in responding to it. We need to add value back to their name.
What happens when they finally respond to their name? Do you respond positively? “Yes, good boy, thank you for coming. Here’s your reward,” while you pat their head and scratch their back. Or is it negative? “Finally! Get in the house. Now I’m late and it’s your fault.” Frustrated, scolding, punishing. Keep in mind they don’t understand the words, they don’t speak our language. Instead, they understand the body language, the tone, your facial expression, and the emotion. If you are constantly berated by someone, would you want to come to them? I rest my case.
Finally, unless you’ve trained them for the response you expect when you cue them to come to you, you can’t expect them to be successful. Remember they don’t know how to be a dog in a human’s world and you’ve not given them a reason to want to approach you.
Now it’s time to look at the Pine, the roots and the growth part of this training as we teach our dogs the expectations and behaviours you are looking for. Taking action now will help solidify your bond with your dog as well.
Step 1 – Train or retrain your dog to know their name and make it all positive. Start with your dog being near you, say their name, offer them a treat. If you do this several times a day, you’ll see that they respond to their name more quickly and successfully as there are positive outcomes to doing so.
Step 2 – The word “come” no longer holds any value to them. Let’s change it up and use “with me” instead. Start inside your house where there are no distractions. Holding a treat in your hand and keeping your hand at your side, you’ll say their name and then “with me”, leading them around the house. You’ll give them the reward for staying with you. Once successful inside, take the training outside. Using a short leash, continue as you would inside, trying to avoid distractions. If you are in a fenced area, feel free to drop the leash to test how the training is going. If your dog is staying at your side, it’s time to switch out to a long leash and add distractions. Walk to the lengths of the leash and call your dog using “with me”. Just say it once, they know what is being asked and it has to be up to them to respond accordingly. If they don’t come to you quickly and willingly, go back to a short leash until they do.
Step 3 – Take the training out into the real world, including many distractions. If you find any setbacks, return to your previous step. No punishments, just take a moment to review and restart.
Training should be quick, relaxed and bonding. If it feels off, call it off. Either don’t start that session at all or if you have started and it’s going sideways, just offer one last reward for the attempt and try again later. Expect setbacks, especially once you introduce distractions. When this happens, take it for what it is, a chance to review and then carry on. Stay tuned for more Salt and Pine training tips as we build better bonds and behaviours with our dogs.
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