Affordable Dog Training

The only thing better than sharing life with a dog is enjoying a dog who is responsive and well-behaved.

Even the Simpsons took Santa's Little Helper to Obedience Class

We wouldn’t expect children to learn how to behave without any guidance, and neither will dogs learn on autopilot. Last year when we got C-Biscuit, we enrolled in an 8-week basic obedience class from Follow My Lead. We thought it was the responsible thing to do and a good bonding experience. (Plus it’s required to take agility, which is what we really want to try.) 

The class cost $375, though. Training is an excellent investment, but we didn’t learn anything magical in class. The techniques are freely available in books, videos, and on TV. 

Here’s what we’re finding most helpful for do-it-yourself dog training with C-Biscuit and Machu Picchu:

 

Family Friendly Dog Training: A Six-Week Program for You and Your Dog by Patricia McConnell, a dog behaviorist and trainer. This 100-page, $15 booklet follows the same progression as the $375 class we took, walking you through the basics of teaching a dog’s name, Sit, Come, Stay, Leave It, etc. She’s very clear, and includes a lot of tips about how dogs learn and communicate that help you become a better trainer – and pet parent. 

 

Victoria Stilwell of "It's Me or the Dog"

“It’s Me or the Dog” show on the Animal Planet channel: Trainer Victoria Stilwell is creative and uses positive techniques. Unlike the “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Milan, who is all about showing dogs who’s in charge, Stilwell liberally uses treats and games to give dogs guidance. Watching the show should give you lots of ideas about ways to train your own dog. We find the “body block” especially helpful, and her sharp “Ot!” (rather than yelling “Noooo!”). As with Cesar, she emphasizes daily EXERCISE as a basis for good behavior and the dog’s happiness.

 

We also really like her book, “It’s Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet,” which is my new favorite primer on dog care for new dog owners. It’s written in short, easily-digestible nuggets, with lots of bullet points and photos. Training doesn’t go beyond the very basics, but is a place to start.

 

 

“Feeling Outnumbered? How to manage and enjoy your multi-dog household,” also from Patricia McConnell. This is both a booklet ($10) and DVD ($30) that explains training techniques for more than one dog. I invested in the video, which features McConnell demonstrating the exercises with various dogs in her own home. Once I saw her stand in front of an open door and release her 3 dogs calmly one by one by saying their names, I was determined to get this kind of order with Biski and Picchu!

If you’re not going to take a class, I think it’s helpful to watch trainers in action either on TV or video, especially since body language and tone are important. Netflix and public libraries both stock training videos, although I can’t vouch for which ones. I think this is a very appropriate area in which to splurge. 

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Letting a Sighthound Off-Leash

The main thing I heard about sighthounds when I got a whippet was, Do not let them off-leash! Because of their chase instinct, they can bolt. I assumed this meant that for the rest of our together lives, C-Biscuit (and later Sesame) would be tethered securely to our sides. Or, rarely, let loose on a fenced field.

Bob and C-Biscuit: Multi-day hiking trip, never letting go of the leash!

We did umpteen hikes last year, including scaling Giant Ledge with heavy backpacks on, with Biski on no more than a 6-foot leash (we abhor flexi-leads). We even lived in fear of letting go of the leash. Every time Bob and I handed off the leash between us, we would both hold it in our clenched fists while confirming, “Okay, YOU HAVE IT?”  

By "heavy backpacks," you didn't think I meant OURS? (Don't worry, she's only carrying M&Ms!)

A dog can, and eventually will, get away. When he does, you want to know you still have some control over him and some confidence about his returning. As the football folks say about players partying after a touchdown, “When you get to the endzone, try to act like you’ve been there before.” You don’t want your dog waiting years to get free, then bolting when he finally does. It pays to build some experience and trust regarding being off-leash.

We heard about our friend Grace letting her two whippets off-leash. Off-leash? we marveled. How? I’ve since learned that plenty of whippets and greyhounds romp off-leash – and come back reliably. I think training a dog to be off-leash, in safe circumstances, is a great exercise for us (peace of mind, convenience), for them (freedom and fun!) and for the bond between dog and owner (trust = love).

A bright coat and cow bell make it easy to keep track of pups on the trail

Here are the steps we took, with Grace’s guidance, to letting C-Biscuit off-leash:

Bob shows that a bag of treats acts as an invisible leash

Helpful equipment:

• Dog Whistle 
• Hunting Vest (or brightly-colored coat)
• Cow bell (optional)
• Tag collar including your cell number

 

Step 1: Whistle training

Condition your dog to race towards you with relish when you blow a whistle. Use a treat that’s especially high-value, and make it obvious at first: When they are right next to you, blow the whistle (not hard! they can hear it), and treat them to a delicacy. Repeat this several times over a couple days. Then get the dog from the next room with the whistle, and gradually from farther away. Next, go to a fenced yard or field. When your dog is already running towards you, blow the whistle and give special treats. Don’t be stingy: Really deliver here, as this is the key to your dog doing what you ask in the future.

Release the hounds! C-Biscuit and Grace's two whippets in the vanguard.

Step 2: Go Hiking

Put the vest, tag collar, and for extra insurance a small cowbell on your dog and go to a trail where they can be off-leash. Make sure this trail is away from any road. If you have friends with dogs trained to be off-leash, all the better: Ask them to come with you. This triggers pack mentality and the dogs tend to stay together (as well as with you, who should be the leader of their pack). With or without company, a hike on a trail puts you and the dog in migration mode. That’s different than, say, a backyard or a dog park.

Picchu's first hike, on the leash. As you can see, Biski is hardly running away.

When you’re away from the parking area/road, let the dog off-leash. I had thought that if you let sighthounds off-leash, they would go tearing off into the wilderness at lightening speed, never to be seen again. Bob and I had Grace and her whippets, plus her cousin and his Sheltie, all well-trained, to break us in on our first off-leash experience. We couldn’t believe what happened: We unclasped the leash, and Biski kept trotting at our sides. Huh. Then she ranged a little more, with the other dogs, but never too far. We were amazed.

Continue the whistle-training on the trail: Toot, treat. Repeat. Be careful not to get nervous, whistle your dog back, and put the leash on. Teach them that whistle + return = treat + more freedom.

Not holding a leash frees me up to swing on wild vines! (Note Biski is still underfoot.)

Step 3: Enjoy

Once your dog is used to being trusted off-leash, you can change venues and expect them to stick relatively close-by (again, always away from traffic). Always have the tag collar on and the whistle (and treats, ideally) ready.  

The way hiking was meant to be: Yeee-Haaaw!

Using this method, we took Machu Picchu off-leash almost right away, and she did great. Giving the pups some freedom to sniff & roam while hiking has been the best thing we’ve done with, and for, them. And if I accidentally drop the leash in the park, I won’t panic. 

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Housetraining an Adult Dog

The only issue we’ve had with Machu Picchu is she was not entirely housetrained. Her favorite place to go to the bathroom is the middle of the living room rug.

Picchu: "Biski, I've been waiting in line to use that bathroom spot..."

This is understandable, because this is at least her 6th home since January (counting her original owner, family #2, family #3, Whippet Rescue foster home, the breeder, and us). Both her environment and routine keep changing. Plus she isn’t used to big city noises, smells, traffic, and a constant stream of company on the sidewalk (“in the bathroom”).

Our mistake was not being as vigilant as we had been when we brought home C-Biscuit. Biski, too, refused to go to the bathroom on the street at first. We kept her in her crate and kept taking her out every hour or so until almost 24 hours later she finally went. She had a couple accidents in the house after that, but they were our fault for not knowing things like she has to go after taking a bath, even if she went right before the bath. In other words, she had to go and we didn’t know it and didn’t get her out in time.

With Picchu, it’s different. She just prefers the privacy of the rug, period. We walked her for an hour, figured she didn’t have to go, got home and – sssss, on the rug.

Once they go in the house once, the habit is 10x harder to break. (Although cleaning up with Nature’s Miracle really seems to help.) And she’s crafty about it: Even once we started closely monitoring her, the second we turned away, she went on the rug. I felt like my grandma when she explained driving her car off the road: “I just closed my eyes for a second!”  

Breaking this habit is all about eliminating any opportunity to go inside. Housetraining tips say to “limit your dog to one or two rooms of the house.” Well that’s where living in Manhattan comes in handy: I’ve been limited to two rooms for the past 10 years (when I moved up from one room).