Teaching Dog Obedience | Behavior & Puppy Training

The "molecuball," also known as the Atomic Treat Ball, is a great toy for dog owners to have. Much the same as a Kong toy, the Atomic Treat Ball is a treat dispenser*. Just place small dog food pieces or treats into the hole of the molecuball. Not only does it keep your dog busy, it's mentally stimulating – the dog must work to extricate treats or food.

This treat dispenser is also a great tool for those dogs who gulp their food too quickly (gulping food causes air to be ingested into the stomach, which can lead to a condition known as "bloat"), since only a few kibbles are released at a time, and the dog is forced to eat more slowly.

Here a German shepherd demonstrates the use of the molecuball. Keep in mind not all dog food is small enough to fit through the hole; the kibble displayed in the video is California Natural Lamb & Rice Formula.




* However, due to the size and intended use, the molecuball shouldn't be used to freeze food into, since the opening is only for treats to come out; not for dogs' tongues to go in.

Here's a quick training session showing a snippet of how to go about teaching a dog to shut a drawer using operant conditioning. This is only a step in the entire process; attaining this level of commitment on a first try with a green dog would be out of the question.



While I had worked with Zada for a couple of minutes prior to turning on the camera, I hadn't worked with her on targeting – especially drawers – for quite some time, although we'd worked on it in the past. I still haven't put a cue to this behavior, as it's still not strong enough (in my opinion). She'll be ready for that soon.

Targeting can be done a couple of ways:

1. training the dog to touch an actual 'target' (such as a lid, piece of paper, etc.) and moving it to various objects you wish the dog to touch
2. free-shaping the dog's behavior by waiting for the dog to move towards the desired object (e.g., a drawer) and rewarding subsequent motion bringing the dog closer to the object

For working with Zada to closer the drawer, I originally started out with a target, which I don't need anymore. In my opinion, teaching the dog to touch the target is an excellent way to work on tricks such as closing drawers and doors, turning light switches off/on, pushing wagons, etc. because the dog knows what to do – touch the target. From there it's a short step to free-shaping the dog to push.

Probably the hardest cue for dog owners to train is the recall, or to come when called. Even a prolonged 'stay' isn't as hard to achieve as this holy grail of dog training behaviors. So, why is it so hard for us to teach our dogs to come to us?

Think in terms of reinforcement. What things are you, the dog owner, doing to reinforce your dog's behavior? Keep in mind reinforcement can work many ways, so the subtraction of something fun can reinforce, as well as the addition of something not so fun. Remember: it's not about what you, the dog trainer, thinks is reinforcing; it's what your dog actually perceives HOW she's being reinforced for WHAT she did that matters – especially when training the recall.

We're Actually Teaching Our Dogs NOT to Come
That's right, the majority of the time dog owners are most likely teaching their dogs NOT to come when called.

Take this scenario: dog owner takes dog to dog park. Upon entering dog park, the restricting leash is removed and Fido is allowed to run free, socialize, smell, chase...all the things a dog loves to do. It's a bit of doggy paradise. Then dog owner decides it's time to go home. Owner begins calling for dog to "come" and –  normally – the recall probably occurs multiple times. Even if the dog knows explicitly what that cue means (most don't), what dog wants to head over to the owner, get the leash snapped on and be led AWAY from doggy heaven? Not many.

Other scenarios in which dog owners 'abuse' the come cue: calling the dog over to get a bath, to go to the vet, to get punished (you know who you are – the dog's doing something he's not supposed to, so you call him over and tell him he's a bad dog for doing whatever behavior you made him come over for), etc.

Teaching Your Dog to Come
Whether you get your dog as an 8-week-old pup or an adult, training him to 'come' to you on cue is an extremely important behavior which must be initiated immediately. No pup is too young nor any dog too old to 'learn new tricks,' so to speak. Any trainer who says puppies younger than 6 months can't learn have no clue what they're talking about: if a dog is old enough to see and walk, you can start training simple behaviors.

Keep in mind you need to train recall behavior – as any other – with a fun attitude, and the dog's 'paycheck' needs to be more rewarding than anything else going on at that moment. In fact, it's best to utilize the dog's absolute favorite reinforcer when training this behavior; best case scenario means only giving out that special treat when the dog comes to you.

To begin, set your dog – and yourself – up for success by attempting recall in a small, confined area. Inside the house would be great, since normally dogs are less tempted to go sniffing/chasing when inside the house. After your dog has mastered an acceptable level of 'come' – by your standards – throughout the house, you can move on to the outdoors, again in a controlled area. A dog trainer must always progress any training exercise in levels which set the dog up for success. Be careful not to put a word to the 'come' behavior too soon in the training process. Barking commands at a dog isn't going work if the dog isn't aware what the word means. First attain the behavior; once it's occurring consistently, then you can add a word as a cue.

But How Do I Train the Recall?
There are many ways to train your dog to come – as always, it first depends on what motivates your dog. As an example, I have a high chase-drive dog – a working-line German Shepherd – so I actually worked with her on recalls while playing fetch. She loves chasing and retrieving sticks (I began teaching her fetch immediately when I got her at 4 months of age) and she was consistent in bringing it back. So, as soon as she started heading back towards me on a retrieve, I'd clap excitedly. When she came and dropped the stick at my feet, of course I'd throw it again. Now, when I take her for a walk she can be off leash and every time I clap*, she comes running! She of course associates the hand-clapping with fetch/play/fun.

I also worked on training the same behavior – recall – with a whistle as a cue. Keep in mind you can have cues for the same behavior; what you should never do is attempt to train multiple behaviors off of the same cue. I personally don't use the word "Come" as my cue because a hand-clap or whistle carries farther than my voice.

Important Concept to Remember When Training: Dogs Don't Generalize
A big mistake many dog owners make is believing their dogs come when called 100% of the time, and will do it anywhere, yet they've only practiced with their dog inside the yard. Then they head to the dog park and are completely baffled as to why the dog won't recall. At this point, the dog not only isn't used to performing the behavior amidst distractions, she's mostly trained to perform 'come' in a certain place.

If you only work with the recall cue when your dog is in the yard, how will he know that 'come' doesn't mean "come to me here in this yard where there's a fence and not many other places to go"? You must work on training the come cue with your dog in MANY different areas and situations. This guarantees 2 things:

• your dog knows that 'come' means to come directly to the owner every time, in any place, and immediately;
• the dog knows it must recall amidst any number of distractions.

Also, be sure never, EVER to ask the dog to 'come' when you think she might not. Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it? By this I mean if you're not ready to lay down a $100 bill on the table as a bet your dog will immediately come when you call her, don't call. If you call her and she ignores you, and/or if you have to repeat the cue several times before she does come, you're actually teaching her not to come when called. The way around this is to train it correctly – at first, marking the correct behavior and rewarding the dog for every occurrence; as the dog starts to understand what's required of her, then you start reinforcing only the strongest/fastest/best recalls; eventually the dog will only be reinforced intermittently; finally the dog performs the behavior on cue.

Remember, When Training Recalls:
The main points to remember when teaching a dog to come are:

• understand what motivates your dog;
• train at incremental levels which set the dog (and you!) up for success;
• be consistent;
• don't put a word (also known as a cue or command) to a behavior until the dog is offering it consistently and then properly associate that word with the desired behavior;
• be patient and have fun!

*Keep in mind I taught recall with a dog who already retrieved 100% consistently; also I did it over and over in multiple places, situations, etc. Training a dog to come when called doesn't happen overnight.

Dogs with high chase drive (also known as "prey drive" or "ball drive") can actually be very easy to train. K-9 police dogs are trained not with treats for reinforcement, but with special toys or games because they're so motivated to chase.

My American-bred, European-line German shepherd is no K-9, but she does have an excellent nose, a proclivity for tracking and a high chase drive. For exercise, mental stimulation and to work on her "tracking" skills, I often play fetch while making her hunt for her stick after I throw it.

While I merely use this as a simple exercise or training regimen, this aptitude can be used to train dogs to hone their tracking skills in order to sniff out various objects.






To use this method for training purposes, it's imperative to have a dog who's extremely motivated by chasing/tracking. As you can see, although Zada's tongue is hanging out, she's very intent upon her search for the stick. There have only been a handful of times in her 3 years when she has failed to bring back a stick I've thrown (whether in the woods or tall grass; harder to find than this evenly-mowed area). These times have occurred when she's extremely tired and therefore not as focused.

What is Shaping?
'Shaping' is creating a behavior by reinforcing an animal for incremental steps which eventually 'shape' into the end goal. While it doesn't sound so hard, the catch is this: the entire premise of the method is based on the initiative of the animal; not the trainer. In other words, it's a patience game since you're waiting for the spontaneous actions of the dog.

Timing and consistency are critical in any type of training, but when using free shaping, the trainer's timing needs to be impeccable, since the full extent of the desired behavior probably won't happen right away. More than likely it needs to be built upon in small increments. In fact,you might have to start at a very basic level.

For example, let's say you want to teach your dog to bow. You might be waiting a LONG time before the dog offers that exact behavior, so instead you might have to start by reinforcing the dog when she merely looks at the ground. *click* Once the dog's consistently looking at the ground, you don't pay on the next occurrence. If it's truly a consistent behavior, the dog will go through an extinction burst - she'll try harder at the behavior because it's paid in the past - and might dip her head lower to the ground instead of merely looking down. *click* Once that's consistent, you stop paying and the dog will try harder. Then maybe the dog dips a shoulder - *click* and so on. Many trainers don't have the patience for true free shaping, but it's a fun way for your dog to be not only learning but initiating new behaviors.

Now, some trainers might understand this is a powerful training tool but don't have the patience or length of time to wait for the dog to offer spontaneous behaviors. In many cases, trainers will resort to using a lure to get the dog to perform the behavior instead. While you can certainly train a dog this way, luring isn't free shaping, rather, just 'shaping.' What happens with luring is the dog relies on the lure to 'tell' him what to do. If you decide to use luring when training new behaviors, it's important to properly phase out the lure so the dog learns not to depend on help all the time to perform the behavior. This type of training can definitely work, but free shaping creates a much more creative dog who will try things on his own, versus having to always be lured into new behaviors.

Why Use a Clicker in Free Shaping?
Clicker training is basically a junk term for marker-based training. Marking a behavior with a sound is an extremely effective method of teaching new behaviors because the subject - be it dog, dolphin, rat, human - knows the exact moment when he performs a desired behavior. Also, by introducing a (previously) neutral sound into the training process the subject learns to work for the SOUND; not the reward. This is important, since a common complaint of dog owners is, "my dog only does tricks when I have a bunch of treats in my hand!" These people don't understand clicker training or the principles behind operant conditioning.

If a marker sound isn't utilized in free shaping, the dog won't learn very quickly. Why? Because he won't know if the desired behavior occurred when the trainer gave the treat, just before the treat was thrown, etc. With a clear, short marker at the instant the behavior is offered, the dog will understand instantly what he did correctly. Of course, before starting to free shape, the trainer must be sure to 'charge' the clicker so the dog understands its meaning.

Why can't I just use a short word instead of a clicker?
Often trainers will resort to a short, upbeat word - such as "Yes!" or "Good!" - instead of a clicker. This can work when free shaping, but it's best to use a clicker, since it's a consistent sound - there is no voice inflection, no volume change. That being said, it's great to have a dog accustomed to the sounds of both the clicker and the trainer's voice, since there will be times when you've forgotten your clicker or weren't planning on a training session. However, studies have shown there is a much quicker learning time when using a clicker vs. a voice as a marker.

With some practice, patience and good timing, you can teach your dog anything with free shaping. After all, how else do zoo trainers achieve desired behaviors with elephants, birds, dolphins, etc?

In this article I'm discussing reinforcement and punishment as it relates to the training method of operant conditioning. To achieve a dog which willingly wants to work with the trainer, we tend to think only 'positive' methods work the best, but keep in mind when dealing with this type of training positive means the addition of a stimulus; negative stands for the subtraction of a stimulus.

In regards to the tools available in operant conditioning, there can be a total of four contexts:

• Positive Reinforcement is the addition of a favorable stimulus after a desired behavior has occurred. E.g., a treat or toy is presented for good behavior.


• Negative Reinforcement is the subtraction of an undesirable stimulus after desired behavior has occurred. E.g., a dog on leash acts calmly - or displays some other form of obedience - and the owner takes the leash off. A leash itself is a negative reinforcer since it keeps the dog from moving freely where he wants to go.


• Positive Punishment is the addition of an undesirable stimulus at the onset of undesirable behavior. E.g., a shock collar or electric fence.


• Negative Punishment is the removal of a desired stimulus after undesirable behavior has occurred. E.g., a family friend comes to visit and upon entering the house begins petting the dog, but the dog becomes too excited so the friend ceases giving attention to the dog until she settles.

While the most 'upbeat' form discussed here is positive reinforcement, the other methods have their place, too. The only form of training I don't condone is positive punishment. It's a "quick fix" which actually teaches a dog to become fearful and untrusting, since he's not sure when he'll get shocked, hit or yelled at next. Instead of focusing on what a dog is doing "wrong," why not work with him to encourage what he's doing right?

An example of using positive reinforcement when training my German shepherd. Since she's obsessed with fetching sticks, I use the act of retrieving the stick as reinforcement for performing cues. Of course, she already knows the 'down' cue, in order to teach her something I'd obviously work in small increments.