Busy Dog Games

Hello Fellow Dog Enthusiasts!
I have had so many people ask about how to keep their dog's mind busy. It's not an easy feat. However, it's so important, that I've compiled a list of my favorite treat ideas and games. Your dog doesn't need to gain weight while playing these games, and it's a concern of many of the pet parents I work with when I mention "treat games". You'll notice that with these games I suggest to use the dog's food. Many dogs also tend to inhale their food, and are not satisfied after they eat. What better way than games to keep your dog busy, lean, and happy? Check out these ideas, and let me know if you have any favorite games that I can add to this list.

Busy Dog Games

It’s highly important to keep both your dog’s body and mind active. By giving their minds and mouths a job to do, you can help your dog be a more well behaved companion as they expend all their energy and need to chew on an object of your choice. Why not use their daily meals to keep them entertained? Here are some ideas I use to help keep my dogs’ minds busy.

Filled, Frozen Kong - Kongs, and other toys that can be stuffed, are a wonderful way for your dog or puppy to relieve stress and the need to chew. Using the dogs meal, I mix it together with a small amount of canned dog food, mixing it until all of the pieces are well coated. Then I stuff the kong, and make sure I pack it well with a spoon. Into the freezer it goes. It freezes in about an hour, or you can prepare it the night before to keep them busy in the early morning hours.

Frozen Bowl - Another great frozen treat, this one is great for traveling because it lasts even longer than the frozen Kong. After stuffing the Kong, place it in a ceramic bowl. Put treats, dog food, or even toys in the bowl. Fill the bowl part way with water, leaving room for it to expand. To make the water more desirable, pour in some chicken or beef broth, or mix in a scoop of your dog’s favorite canned food. Freeze overnight.

Frozen Dog Food Ball - A great way to keep your dog from inhaling his bowl of food, this frozen treat ball is easy to make. Taking your dog’s meal, mix it together with plenty of wet food, enough to coat all the pieces well. If there’s not enough, it won’t stick together. For best results, use a smoothly ground canned food. Next, find a ball the size you want this treat to be, and form aluminum foil half way around it. You can also form a half ball with your hands if you prefer.  Now you have a “bowl” to put the dog food mixture into. Pack it all together well, rounding it with your hands. Next you’ll need something to put it on in the freezer. You can use a cookie sheet with wax paper, or something else it will come off of easily. Roll the ball onto it, out of the aluminum foil. Freeze hard.

Trail of Treats - let your dog find the treasure, following the clues with this fun and always changing game. With your dog in another room, drop a trail of food leading to a bowl with a jackpot of food in it. You can gradually put the food further apart, so that your dog has to hunt for the next one. Try different ways of hiding the bowl. Remember to start easy so your dog succeeds. Then gradually hide it in harder places, like under a blanket or behind a chair!

The Muffin Tin Challenge - Can your dog figure out how to get the food? In this fun, homemade game, all you need is a muffin tin and balls for each hole. Sometimes it’s fun to use different balls with unique textures. Put treats in each hole of the tin, cover with the balls. Then cheer your dog on as the push and grab the balls. As they learn that removing the balls is the key to getting the treats underneath, you can test their sense of smell by randomly placing the treats, instead of filling each muffin hole.

The Mad Scramble - If you have multiple dogs, it’s important to only have one dog in a room for this game. This game will slow your dog down if they scarf their food. Toss the food over a wide area allowing them to fall randomly. If you have a hard surface floor, toss them all and let them cover the floor. You may want to double check when your dog has finished picking them up, just to make sure you aren’t leaving bate down for the ants!

Fetch the food - toss food away from you and tell your dog to “take it!” Even if they won’t fetch toys, if they love food, they’ll become masters of fetching treats. And who knows? Perhaps after learning to take food, they’ll be willing to take treat filled toys, and then before they know it they’ll be out playing fetch with you!

Hide and seek - This is a game of fun for two or more people, so get the family together for a new game of hide and seek. Kids love to play this constructive game with the family pet. Keep the dog in a room, and allow the “hider” to grab a handful of food and go hide. Let the dog’s nose do it’s work to find you, or call softly to help them on their way. When they find you celebrate with them and offer them the food you have. Remember to only reward gentle behaviors when they find you. Put the food on the floor if the dog is over aroused, so that the dog won't bite your fingers. 

Intermediate class

I have the wonderful pleasure of training for Petsmart. It's more than I expected it to be, especially when I have dogs like Gunnar and Shelton come along.  They are a reminder of why I train with petmart, why I train at all.

Gunnar

Shelton

If you ever loose sight of the goal of training, all you have to do is come join this class...What a small class with big hearts.

My biggest, most important goal, is to help my students make a special bond with their dog, because when all the behaviors are pushed aside, the bond is what really counts. That bond is also the most difficult thing to teach! How do you talk about something that is is indescribable? These teams have somehow gotten a hold of that bond. And as they practice and train, their dogs' eyes light up and I hear trills of laughter, and at that moment all is well and beautiful. And my heart is full.

Mysterious Bond

I long to tell you of this strange bond between dogs and humans...something that some have and others don't. But as long as I've thought about it, I simply can not explain it.This beautiful, unexplainable bond I have with dogs - my heart longs after it, and longs to show others the way to experience it too.

I don't experience this bond with all dogs, but a fair share of the ones I work with have had some sort of resemblance to this bond. I KNOW which ones have this certain quality about them, and I'm drawn to them. The only way I can explain it is, it's something in their eyes that tells me we have the bond. More often than not, it happens almost immediately. Usually by our second class I know which have the bond.

It is said that the eyes are a window to the heart - and it is true in both humans and in dogs. It's not cuteness that draws us together. I don't care how cute the dog is. I care what tale their eyes tell. With this instant bond comes a instant reaction. They know what I'm asking, and they are willing to give it all.

It's not about the treats with these dogs. My approval matters more than anything to these few. As an example...

I have been working with a little Aussie named Annie. She's about 4 months old. She adores her owners, and she is their world. It's amazing the love between the three. But she doesn't know how to listen to them. They are doing everything right. They listen to each word I say, they practice at home and pay attention in class. But when they hand me the leash that little dog changes.

In week two we start loose leash training. They were doing everything I had advised, and I was even coaching them as they were working with her. I took the dog, looked her in the eye and knew in that instant she would do whatever I asked. I preceded to heel her all the way down the isle, and she pranced in perfect position as though a well trained freestyling dog. I did not lure her, I only talked to her and gave her a treat every little bit. when I got to the end of the isle, I wrapped her up in my arms and told her how each step was fabulous and thanked her for working with me. On the way back to her owners, she pranced with even more precision. This dog had never been introduced to loose leash walking and here was heeling. We hadn't worked together hardly at all at this point either. The connection was that instant that her will and mine met, and we both knew it.

Another dog I work with is a German shepherd - again a four month old, named Hansie.
Hansie is a hipper little girl. She's out of control, nibbles on everyone, but has this intense desire to be loved and has a need to be shown that love. I knew when she first came into the training room that she had this bonding quality about her. Out in the store she always behaves rather badly for her owner, and I've been working with him on rewarding her in more rewarding ways. People want to just hand the dog a small treat and call it good.
When I take this little girl, her eyes light up and she listens with both huge ears. Just like Annie, Hansie will do anything for me. She heels for me, she listens and focuses. And I do the same for her - I love on her, and I tell her in a rich, strong, loving voice how amazing she is. And she's content.

What is it in these dogs that causes this bond? And what is it with me that they know how to bend their wills to fit with mine? Or perhaps it's a coming together of both our wills? A working together instead of against. And their eyes? Perhaps it's complete trust I'm seeing.

I want all my students to experience this bond. If I can have it with a given dog in just a few seconds time, can't they have it with their life time partner? It's a strange, and extremely satisfying feeling. I don't feel I've done it justice in my description, but as I learn more about this bond, I'll be sure to share.

Here I know that this is the job I was made for. I was made to share this bond with others. And in that realization, I feel joy and peace.

Monsters in the house

I now know why I have a herding dog... and one that is exercised like crazy. There are days like today when I feel as though I'm loosing my mind. The reason being, is that as of late I've learned the definition of two words - needy and affectionate. Here are the definitions I found that seemed so very true to the words...

Needy - Wanting or needing affection, attention, or reassurance, especially to an excessive degree.

Affectionate - Having or showing fond feelings or affection; loving and tender.

Until now, Rusty has been what I would consider affectionate. Very loyal, loves to snuggle, needs a pat on the head every now and again. More often than not, time spent together has been as important to him as petting and loving on. So, out to do agility, biking, a walk, or a cuddle on the couch. I love that he lays right beside me or on my feet. But since he broke his foot...

 A Monster has come out!!!

He's no longer affectionate. He's very needy. Instead of a walk (since he can't go out for one) he wants me to pet him - constantly. He cries at my from his pillow begging me to be near. I understand! He's lonely, and he hates being down. But his affection need levels have sky rocketed so badly, that I want nothing more than to keep him on his pillow, on the floor, quiet, and invisible.

Anyone who knows me should know that I constantly talk to and love on my dog. There's no "poor Rusty" in this house! My job now is to figure out a way to give him the affection he needs while maintaining my own sanity. Not an easy job. It's much easier to just holler at him to be quiet and ignore him, but I can't do that. Those big brown eyes know that I'm a sucker! I love that dog to pieces and he knows that. So, on to filling his needs and mine at the same time.

Another adventure!

Another day, another challenge, another adventure....it certainly has been one of those days since Saturday when Rusty broke his foot. I can't wait to see how this month goes, we've got a lot ahead of us.

Saturday, Rusty broke his foot. We had it confirmed by a vet yesterday. Poor guy is now on bed rest, except when he needs to go outside.

Now let me tell you a little bit about this aussie of mine. He's a very active, 44 pound dog who loves to run. We've been going into the field next to our home to practice agility - working on speeding up our weave poles, doing running contacts, jumping at odd angles. And playing Frisbee and ball. And after we're done with that, when we get home we do some trick training. Then we go back and play some more in the field. Add taking a walk or running by my bike, and you get the picture. He's strong, he's healthy, and he's very active.

The newest challenge to our training, is coming up with things he can do without getting up! I refuse to see this as a detriment, no we're going to go full force ahead. It's not going to be easy, and I'm sure there will be days when I need some encouragement. Regardless, I know this is an opportunity, and I'm going to take it.

Now the next part of my plan is to figure out how to make him more mobile. Rusty and I can't stand to be apart. And with him not being able to walk, I've ended up lugging him around the house with me. If he gains any weight from being down all the time (which he will!) it's going to make it that much harder to take him with me. He actually needs to put on a couple of pounds, he's getting too thin with all that running. It's not that he can't stay - he stays on his pillow very well. It's that I can't let him stay! The last thing I want for him is to be tired, alone, and quiet. That's not my crazy La Bamba. And beyond that, I can see the hurt in his eyes when I walk away.

Whatever it takes, we're going to figure out how to get him up. He can walk on his hind legs with his front ones on my arm, but that's pretty hard on his back, so we need another way of getting around. He also knows how to limp, so we'll try that too. I wonder what he'll think of doing that with his let bandaged up! So my ideas are to come up with a cart for him to push around, or one that he can fit into. I'm even going to go looking at thrift stores for a stroller so we can go on our walks.

Some may think it's crazy. Others may say to just tough it. But I want to over come it. It's not about training - though we'll have some fun with that along the way. It's about the special relationship we share. I just care that much, and so does he.

Any ideas for activities and games he can do while laying down would be appreciated. He's a thinker, and I can tell he's bored. He's got toys that dispense treats, I actually just got him a new one. However, he's so smart they don't last more than a few minutes, and on top of that, he's going to get fat!!! I'm going to have to find some really low calorie treats to give him!

Hypocrite or Human

How often do you find that someone can say something that you totally agree with, only to find yourself fighting against that very advice? Are we all hypocrites?


As a dog trainer, taking your own advice can be hard. I tell my students over and over how to train, how to interact with their dogs, how to handle situations. Then I go home. And I change. Is it that I'm only putting on a facade? Is it the same in other areas of my life?


I have to answer no. I truly agree with what I teach. However, putting it into action is one of the hardest things to do. My mind has been taught a different reaction than what I actually want to do. Do you find yourself wanting to be positive with your dog, because you know it really is your fault, yet you still act disappointed in your dog? If your dog doesn't behave well it's a 99% chance that it is your fault. So why get mad? But I still do.


I understand why people, who don't believe the way I do, call Christians hypocrites. I call myself one. I see it all the time in the body of Christ. But please here me out....Don't you do the same thing? If you're an agility enthusiast, after agility runs you know that if there were mess ups it was your fault. Yet you find yourself less than enthusiastic with your dog. You give them a pat and a few treats and call it good. You know that's not right, but that's how you feel. I'm the same way! In more than agility. I know that judging someone is wrong. Yet I feel it well up in me. Just as I must make myself reward my Rusty boy, I have to make myself give others grace...even when I don't feel they deserve it.

Think about anything in life. You know what you should do, and you know what you want to do. Sometimes what you want to do wins, even though you feel bad about it later.

I am no different than you. I'm not an amazing saint. I simply allow grace to cover me, and beg God to help me win in the moment by moment battles.  God is what is different, not me. As I surrender, he gives me more of him and I find there's less of me. And when there's less of me, there's less heartache. There's less struggle. There's less guilt. It's not that I'm gone, only that I'm more like him, and when I'm like him, I'm like I was made to be.



Even if you aren't a dog person, I hope you understand. It doesn't matter what in life you struggle to do. Do you realize that you shouldn't be mad but still are? Do you struggle to get out of bed? To work in the house? So do I. It's the same thing. Living as a Christian doesn't mean you have "more important, Godly things" to do. It means you do the same chores, you endure the same grumpy customers, you struggle in the same world. However, you do it with someone by you who will never leave. You do it with someone who knows every struggle of your heart. You do it with someone who gives you the power to be who you were made to be.


I'm not a hypocrite. I'm simply human.

Another challenge, another lesson!

Rusty is always teaching me lessons about training, and tonight was no different. I was reminded again just how important it is to have precision in shaping. Making a shaping exercise precise as well as understandable and motivating can be a bit of a challenge. I had to sit back and think, try again, and cheer my dog on to keep him trying as well.

It's been a while since I first trained the "say no" command, and it was my goal to have my dog shake his head in an emphatic no. Our practice petered out when his emphatic no turned out to be a snake dance with a lot of whining. We decided to try again, and tonight I was able to start applying some recently learned lessons.

The first question I should have asked was "what do I want out of training this trick, and what do I want the end result to look like?" After trying unsuccessfully to fix the problem, I finally came back to that question and actually answered it! What a thought... Here's what I came up with.

I want my dog to gain confidence and enthusiasm, and I want him to shake his head no. (No snake charming here)

The next logical question of how I was going to get there, and well, that took a little bit of thought. I needed a way to cause the large shakes of the head to happen a very high percent of the time. Rusty needed to know exactly what I wanted, and an easy way to do that behavior.

I'm training this the very same way as I did last time - using two chairs with targets at nose height. The dog touches one target, then the other, and receives a treat on the opposite target. Easy right? Well in theory yes, but when you are precision challenged when it comes to using the clicker at the right Milli-second, and providing the treat at just the right angle, it can get very interesting.  I am challenged in both those areas. I know how to use a clicker, but when a half a second delay can ruin what you're doing, it's hard to get it right.

In order to give Rusty confidence about what he was suppose to do, I found that I had to click for direct hits to the targets, instead of rewarding the attempts that were slightly shy of hitting them. The more I rewarded the attempts, the more he became confused and lazy about swinging his head far enough to hit the target. My biggest challenge was not clicking a moment too soon before he really touched the target. I was anticipating his moves, and he began to anticipate the treats at the other target. I started listening for the hits, which really helps. His whiskers made noise going across the targets and sometimes he hit the chairs hard enough to make noise! Those hits were highly rewarded...there's the enthusiasm I was looking for.

Now it's just a matter of making sure he knows that those hard swings to hit the contacts is what I want, and then we'll start fading the targets...again.


The lessons I learned tonight were many, but here are the main ones.
1. ask the "what do I want out of this" and "what do I want the final product to look like" questions before you start working! Just saying that it should look like he's saying "no" and that you want him to do it on command isn't enough! The dog doesn't understand what "no" looks like. And your goals need to be more about your dog and your relationship with your dog than anything else.
2. If the behavior starts to look fuzzy ( not sure if it's quite "on") then it's probably not what you want. Take a step back and understand what you need to tell your dog in order for him to understand it. Think from his point of view, or have someone pretend they're the dog - are the clicks clear enough and precise enough?
3. Fade targets and change it slowly! Make sure the dog knows the last step before moving on. If you go to the next step and it starts to look "fuzzy" then your last step wasn't clear enough. Was your dog 80% +  successful? Do you even know how successful he was? You can go through the steps quickly if your dog truly understands each step. Otherwise, you both need some practice with marking behaviors.
4. If you go too far, and the behavior isn't quite right it's "Yay! Good dog, you're still trying even though my signals are not clear enough!" More than likely, you're the one signalling this other behavior. Go back to the last step to give your dog confidence, using jack pots to tell your dog how amazing they are. Then take a break and write out that next step.


In all honesty, it's hard to remember these things. That's part of the reason I'm writing them down. Just like I said to write out that next step in your shaping exercise, sometimes it's helpful to write down exactly how you should train. Drill these things into your mind, because it certainly isn't the dog's problem that we forget the fundamental basics. It's hard to do these things when you're frustrated, because we often revert to the way we were first taught to train, whether by other people or by natural consequences.

I'm always telling my students, I'm not there to pick on them about being positive and using markers correctly, or anything else. I'm simply there to encourage them and remind them. I tell them the theories of how to train positively. But it's more than hearing it. It's learning how to do it moment by moment. I'm afraid I still need others to do this for me, and I need to make the effort to seek out those who will. We're all learning, and all growing in our training skills! The eyes watching are certainly better than the eyes doing.

Well, that's all for tonight. I hope that anyone who comes across this will be reminded what training is about, and encouraged. Remember, it's not "me or the dog" it's "love the dog, forget the trainer".