Tuesday Training Byte: Are you boring your dog?

Have you ever had a friend that would chatter non-stop just to hear themselves talk and never pausing to make it a conversation? After a bit, we tend to tune them out or say, "I've gotta go now" and rush off. I do not babble and ramble on when talking to my dog. I say something more exciting like, "Where's your ball?" and then elicit my dog's help in finding it so we can play for a bit. Similar to the old E.F. Hutton commercials where when E.F. Hutton spoke everyone was quiet and listed. By limiting the talking to my dog and replacing meaningless chatter with a few words that are more interesting, your dog will start to really perk up when you speak to him. Various times throughout the week, I will tell my dog "belly!" and she lays on her back for a belly rub. In fact, she gets excited about it and flops down quickly for the rub and a treat when we're done. While she is down I might handle a paw or two and praise her. Tomorrow is toenail trimming day. She already knows that on occasion I do her toe nails while she is on her back, but that is okay because I still make it fun with a good belly rub and a treat afterwards. Before I begin a training session, I ask my dog in a happy, upbeat tone, "Are you ready to work?" She gets excited and we practice a variety of commands for maybe 5 or 10 minutes followed by some play and maybe a treat. I limit the amount I speak to my dog and when I do speak, he perks up and listens because he knows it will not be boring, but instead be fun.