Routine Behavior
Stuck in a routine with your dog that doesn’t work for you? Tired of your dog counter surfing, begging from the table, bothering you while working, jumping on you when you come home, and interrupting snuggle time with your partner? If you’re tired of these behaviors, you probably don’t have many spoons left for lots of training. Let a new routine do the training for you!
You can use a docking station routine to replace the old routines of counter surfing, begging from the table, bothering you while you work, and interrupting sofa snugs.
Docking Station Routine
Your dog’s bed and your furniture is available all the time. However, your dog is not laying on his/her bed or your furniture all of the time. We want to help your dog “read the room” by teaching them that when a particular towel comes out, they should slide into home base, stay there, and recharge.
Grab a beach towel. No, you’re not going to the beach, but you are going to feel more relaxed. Encourage your dog to lay down on the towel. Slowly place treats on the towel between your dog’s front paws. After about ten treats, call your dog off the towel. Do not toss a treat or feed your dog off of the towel. We want all of the good stuff to be associated with the towel. Encourage your dog to go right back to the towel and lay down. Feed again. Repeat until your dog is running back to the towel and laying down as soon as you get your dog off of the towel. Next time you get your dog off of the towel, pick the towel up. Wait for your dog to look at you before placing the towel between you and your dog. When your dog lays down on the towel, you dog has passed the "pup quiz" and should be rewarded. Get your dog off the towel and put the towel away.
The next time you are cooking, working from home, or sitting down for a meal or sofa snugs, place this towel on the floor nearby. Give your dog a long lasting chew or frozen food puzzle on the towel. You can still occasionally toss treats to your dog on the towel. Remember to release your dog and put the towel away when you no longer need your dog on the docking station.
Now, what about the surprise party your dog gives you every time you come home? Let’s stop your dog from bowling towards you everytime you walk through the door with the Bowling Routine.
Bowling Routine
Leave treats or toys inside your car, outside of your front door, or in your mailbox. When you get home, crack the door and scatter these items on the floor as far away from the door as you can. Think bowling ball swing. As your dog is engaged with the treats/toys, quickly come inside and put your stuff down. Ready to greet your dog? Make sure to get down on your dog's level when giving them attention.
These are great management routines that can encourage better behavior and be a placeholder until other manners are taught. Need to train your dog to politely greet guests and not jump on them? Check out my upcoming workshop, Shut the Front Door. Need help brainstorming new routines to replace the old routines? Help is only a click away.