The Potential of Boundaries

The Why and When to Boundary Train

Congratulations! I am excited that you have decided to begin exploring the amazing realm of boundary training. You will be amazed and what you and your dog can accomplish!

Boundary training is a strategy for a number of behaviors required for good manners.

It is also handy in working through certain problem behaviors (counter surfing, barking, jumping on guests, etc.).

It supports your efforts in growing calmness and is an essential part of teaching the off-switch.

It also supports recall, and can be an alternative or another version of a recall for specific situations.

It is a safe place to be and provides safety for your dog, both inside and outside, emotionally and physically.

The reliability of boundary training is due largely to the reliability of the release, and Premack is the pathway to that. I typically start formal boundary training a puppy at around 12 weeks, but any dog can learn this style of boundary training at any age. Doc, Echo, and Goldie were not trained this way until they were adult dogs and they have better reliability than with the conventional style of training.

Why Boundary Train and When Would I Use It?

• Boundary training teaches calmness and helps a dog settle down.
• Great alternative behavior for counter surfing and begging.
• Teaches impulse control.
• Great management strategy for multi-dog homes.
• Great alternative behavior for barking.
• Wonderful place for dogs to go when guests come over - no jumping or over-excited greetings.
• Can be a recall (alternate to Come cue).
• Just to name a few!

A boundary can be a variety of things - crate, ex-pen, dog bed, raised bed or dog cot, mat, under a chair or desk, a chair, between your legs, a porch or patio, etc.

There is no age maximum or minimum to begin boundary training. Even older dogs who were originaly trained the old-fashioned way can learn this - and the results are truly amazing. Three of my dogs were trained the old way, and this new method has been incredible for them!

Puppies benefit greatly with boundary training. Think about it - a crate and ex-pen are boundaries! How much would your puppy learn to love the crate and ex-pen when using this method with those boundaries…. aton! It makes it so much easier. Plus, you also work through the separation lessons gradually with them and shape and create a well-adjusted puppy brain.

Forward Thinking - Boundaries for Outside

Safety is one of your top priorities. You always want to keep your pup safe. One of the hardest things to deal with is accidents. But accidents can happen. This is a reality that we have to think about. We need to plan for the future as best we can. Things can happen - your dog could wander or run off, chase something off the property, run out into the street, get hit by a car...

This is one of the reasons why you work so hard with training. And having multiple ways of gaining control and teaching impulse-control gives you options. This gives you a multi-layered approach to training to ingrain the needed concepts to attain reliability, or as much reliability as possible.

I highly recommend that you boundary train, and once you get a handle on it inside, to also do so outside. My dogs are boundary trained to my front porch. This gives them a safe place to go when needed. It gives a fun alternative to the Come cue. The value in the porch anchors them to my property so they don't run off. And, if someone drives down our drive while I'm out with my pups, they go to the porch so they are out of the way and won't possibly get run over.

So as you work through your training package, think about what you want, what life with your dog will look like in the future. Plan for the future and train for it. It will save time, and possibly lives, down the road.

Getting Started with Boundary Training

When you decide to boundary train, you first have to decide on what you are going to use for a boundary. I highly recommend a raised bed, or dog cot, or a dog bed that has bolstered sides. Be on top of and redirect any chewing - beds are for resting, chew toys are for chewing. A raised bed makes it very clear when the dog in on and off the boundary and they can easily be moved outside and cleaned. I have experiemented with a few brands, and like K&H Pet Products the best for an inexpensive and functional raised bed with lots of options, and K9 Ballistics for a more expensive but very durable brand. Both are available through Amazon, Chewy, and pet stores. You can also look into Collaroo I have this one too, but the legs expend past the bed (and I have tripped over them a few times), and Kuranda.

Once you have your boundary, you are ready to begin. You can place the bed anywhere to start. The boundary can move with you, because the training is about the boundary, not the location.

So, get excited and begin your journey in Boundary Training with your dog. And keep it going! There are so many uses for boundary training - it truly is amazing!

Rules with Boundaries

You have much flexibility when boundary training, but there are a few rules to follow that will help to maximize your results.

1. Teach your dog that the boundary is not a giant toy. This is especially true of soft plush dog beds. Redirect and discourage chewing of any kind. If your dog keeps going back to chew on the bed, remove it. Bring it back out when you are going to play boundary games again. Over time, you should be able to leave it out for longer and longer until your dog understands what the bed is for - calmness.
2. Being on the boundary includes all four paws and body. This is one reason why I like working with raised dog beds or beds withbumpers. it makes it very clear when the dog is all the way on or not.
3. Feed the boundary, not the dog!
4. Promote calmness by being calm yourself. That also includes how you deliver the food to the bed.
5. You can move the boundary. Location of the boundary is not the lesson, going to the boundary and remaining there is what your dog needs to learn. You can move the boundary from place to place, room to room. Put it anywhere you need to conveniently play boundary games.
6. NO CUES! This will be a very tough concept for some. Your dog needs to learn the right decisions and behavior by choice. True impulse control comes from the individual. If you cue,you are the controller. This is a new concept for many with boundaries who are used to cueing "Place, down, settle/stay." This technique provides mixed reliability. Let your dog work it out, use that brain and think, tap into the emotions and feel good, and build value and desire for what you want for your boundry.
7. Start with one boundary to begin playing. Keep in mind, though, that you can and should extend your boundaries in the future. Anything can be a boundary! Boundaries can come in handy at home, outside, and when out and about. It is even considered a "trick" by the AKC Trick Dog Intermediate level.
8. Three critical aspects for successful boundaries include - release, calmness, and value. Play games often and focus on these concepts - it’s an addiction!

Boundary Games - Introductions

Boundaries can be handy for a variety of situations:

• When someone comes to the door
• When guests come over
• While eating dinner
• If your dog goes to work with you
• When you eat at an outside cafe or go for coffee
• Working distractions
• Teaching impulse-control
• While vacuuming, sweeping or mopping, or basic house cleaning
• Promotes calmness and bringing arousal down

It can also stop or prevent unwanted behavior:

• Prevents door dashing
• Prevents counter surfing
• Stops barking(alert barking, threshold [door or window] barking)
• Prevents jumping on guests

The list goes on and on...

It also:

• Teaches impulse-Control
• Lowers arousal levels
• Raises arousal (yes it can do both depending on training)
• Reinforces Premack
• Promotes calmness
• Works listening skills
• Focus

There are two focal points of boundary training - value in the boundary and value in the release (Premack). You can easily use an entire meal with boundary games to build value with the boundary, Premack and calmness rather than in a bowl; "breakfast in bed" so to speak.

Here are your games, in order, to begin teaching boundaries... Make sure to have consistency before moving on to the next game.

First step is to choose a boundary. You can add other boundaries later, but in the beginning stick to one. Your boundary can move with you where you train, since it is about the boundary andnot a room or location.

Here is how you introduce your dog to the boundary. Begin with your boundary - dog bed, mat, blanket, etc. Have plenty of treats for this game! You can feed a portion of your dog’s meal with this game (breakfast in bed, so to speak).

1. Sit next to the boundary and wait.
2. When your dog interacts with the boundary ( a look, sniff, movement towards it, paw on it), mark itand toss a treat away from the boundary. This is basically shaping the behavior of getting on the boundary. NO CUEING! NO LURING!
3. Once your dog becomes consistent with a behavior with the boundary, raise yourcriteria your behavior requirement. Take small steps (e.g. a look, then a nose sniff or touch, then a paw, then 2 paws, then 3, then 4 paws). Slowly increase your criteria for interacting with the boundary until your dog gets all the way onto the boundary consistently.
4. When your dog gets all the way onto the boundary, jackpot that behavior and put several treats ON the bed. Then toss a treat away from the bed to get your dog off the boundary.
5. This may be achieved in one 10 minute session or over a number of sessions. Every dog varies, so go at your dog’s pace and ability to stay motivated and be successful.
6. Have fun and always end on a good note and before your dog getstoo frustrated or wants to stop.
7. Tip: Work with a hungry dog!
8. When getting onto the bed is easy for your dog, go to the next game.
9. If you need more assistance with shaping your dog to the boundary, let me know. I have a video that show shaping in much more detail to help you work out how to build criteria to go from a simple behavior all the way to the end goal - your dog all the way on the boundary.

Boundary Game - Navigation

The next step in the basics of boundary training is playing "on and off" the boundary. This is to get your dog to easily get on the boundary on his/her own. to create "wanting" to get on the boundary. And to be able to do that from any direction. Both of these first two steps can progress fairly quickly.

You will also begin to utilize strategies for building value in the boundary. Every time your pup puts himself on the boundary, you can reward it. Give your pup a toy, or some affection and praise.

Discourage any chewing on the boundary.You might need to redirect, or remove the boundary until more appropriate association aremade with the spot.

Additionally, DO NOT CUE your dog onto the boundary! I know you are going to want to, but don't! Do not lure your dog there either. You want your dog to CHOOSE the boundary and then be rewarded for that choice. So be patient and wait your dog out. In the beginning stages of boundary training, you build value first in choosing the boundary and reward well so you create the feeling that the boundary is the best place to be, so your dog will want to go there more often and want to stay there.

Teach your dog that the boundary is not a giant toy. This is especially true of soft plush dog beds. Redirect and discourage chewing of any kind. If your pup keeps going back to chew on the bed, remove it. Bring it back out when you are going to play boundary games again. Over time, you should beable to leave it out for longer and longer until you dog understands what the bed is for - calmness.

1. Begin with your boundary - dog bed, mat, blanket, etc. Position yourself next to the boundary and have plenty of treats with you.
2. Wait for your dog to get onto the boundary. You might need to turn and face the boundary to let your dog know the fun starts now.
3. Mark and reward your dog (reward should be placed on the boundary) for getting on the boundary and then toss a treat for your dog to get off.
4. Repeat.
5. Toss our food in different directions so your dog can find his way back to the boundary
6. from any direction.
7. Play this game until your dog readily navigates back onto the boundary.

Trainer Tips:

• Don’t worry about mistakes yet at this stage. If your dog gets off the boundary before being released in Game 3, simply cover up the treat (or don’t toss it) and wait for your dog to get back on the boundary.
• Sit by the boundary and relax! This will help your dog, too.
• Always reward the boundary. Calmly place the treat on the boundary. How you deliver the
• treat can make a huge difference for some dogs.
• Practice for no more than 10 minutes max at a time before releasing and ending the
• game. A 5 minute session is plenty for a puppy or young dog. Play often during the
• course of the day.
• Leave the boundary out so that your dog can go to it on his own. Then you will know that
• the value of the spot is building. If your dog goes to the boundary on his own, you don’t have to release him off it. But if you engage with your dog on the boundary, then use a release to get him off when you are done “playing.”

Shaping a Boundary - Navigation in Detail

This is for details with shaping your dog to go to the boundary. It is helpful for those who are having a bit of trouble with this step.

I find it best to use the technique of shaping to teach a dog to go to a particular spot (bed, mat, etc.). This helps to keep you out of the equation and have the focus of the behavior solely on the spot. If you have built value in a boundary already, you have a head start in working to shape the behavior of having your dog go to the spot.

There are a few tricks with shaping a behavior:

1. Have a Strong Reward Marker (RM) - whether you clicker train or use a verbal reward marker, make sure that your dog knows it well.
2. Getting Started - from the beginning to the end goal, you have to set steps of behavior along the way. Make sure to start with something super simple to get momentum going with throwing behaviors. Some dogs, who have not done shaping games, don't know how to automatically do this. Once they start understanding to DO something, you can then begin setting your first requirement.
3. Setting Criteria - make sure that you have consistency in a behavior before you change the requirement for the RM and treat. Also, take small steps towards your end goal so that your dog can be successful and keep momentum going. 
4. Be Patient - you may not get to the end goal in one session, and that's perfectly fine. Practice as many times as you need to, keeping your dog from getting overly frustrated to get to the end behavior (lying on the spot). Additionally, don't lead or cue. This is so important! A big part of the exercise is to allow your dog to make a choice, and then reward the choice you want (your criteria). This is good practice for good decision making for your dog.

In this video, Goldie is being "shaped" to lie down on a crate mat. This is a raw boundary, meaning that it is totally new and she has zero value or association with the mat. The whole process took about 25 minutes, but she has some familiarity with shaping, so she figures out to throw out behaviors until she gets it right. Your dog, if there is already value with the boundary because you've had it sitting out and have rewarded your dog for going and lying down on it on his/her own, might not take as long. Or, depending on the situation, it might take a few sessions. Just stick with it - don't give up and use luring - this is a much more powerful way of learning.

Boundary Games - Release the Beast

Once your dog is gravitating to the boundary and gets on it easily, now it is time to introduce Premack and begin using your release cue. This is the part where you begin to build impulse control. Your Premack games pair beautifully with this - it's all the same concept... remain here until I say you can go. The perfect game to start with is Premack Basics. Once you are seeing consistent results with the basics, begin adding in the Premack Duration and Conceptual Understanding game. These games help to solidify the concept or the release.

The reliability for boundaries, and waht truly keeps your dog on the boundary, is the release. If your dog wants to wait to be released, he'll stay on the boundary until cued. You goal is to create almost an addiction to the release word.

This game pairs well with your Premack games! This is why your Premack games should be played with your boundary.

1. Begin with your boundary - dog on the bed, raised, bed, mat, blanket, stc. Sit next to the boundary and have plenty of food with you.
2. Begin as you did in previous games, except now, to get your dog off the boundary, use a release cue. Choose which ever word you'd like: break, free, go, etc. You can teach your dog different releases (as you see in the videos), but for now stick to just one.
3. Say your release cue, wait a second or two, and then toss the food.
4. Wait for your dogto get back on the boundary (no cues!). Mark the return and feed on the boundary.
5. Play for around five minutes at a time.
6. The behavior you are looking for is that your dog moves to get off the boundary when you say the release. This can take some time. Many dogs wait for the toss and it is the motion of your hand and the food that prompts the dog off.
7. Combine your boundary games with your premack games and work through until you see that your dog truly understands and is loving the release cue.

Trainer Tips:

• Invest a lot of value in both the boundary and the rleease. The two go hand in hand.
• Leave the boundary out so that your dog can go to it on his own. The very action ofgoing to the boundary can instigate a little bit of boundary games with you.
• Do not cue any behaviors on the boundary - no "stay, sit, down, settle, etc." allow your dog to choose. You reward what you want from your dog when it happens. So reward a stand to a sit. Reward a sit to a down. Dont reward a down to a sit or stand. Capture the favorable moments and reward the decision your dog made so your dog will want to make that choice again. This is much more powerful learning!

Release Basics - Premack 1

This cue, and the amazing games you play to teach it, is the ultimate teaching tool for impulse control. It can also harness what are currently "distractions" into awesome rewards. This is the main key concept to reliability of your boundary training. So take the time required to get it right!

Foundations in impulse control starts here, with Premack. To begin teaching Premack, choose one release cue to start. You will work with very simple scenarios to begin building a little impulse control.

Premack games begin to teach a higher level of impulse control. You willsee the frustration when I demonstrate with the little puppy, Kia. I kept her sessions short and stopped soon after she displayed frustration, ending with a short but “good” one. Play within your dog's capacity to work through frustration and attention span.

It is pertinent that steps are not rushed in order to reach reliability with Premack! That is the key and a game-changer, especially for those pups that are resilient, persistent, or strong willed. Higher arousal situations and training will come later. First, you need to build the foundation!

1. Decide what your first Premack cue for this game will be. You can teach others later. I use “free” for general purposes. I always use “get it” for toys (as you see explained in the Toy Switching games). Your training needs to be catered to what works for you. For ideas, see theinformation below.
2. Begin with a food bowl and your dog on a boundary.
3. Drop food in a bowl and say your Premack cue to get the food dropped in to a bowl.
4. Once your dog has eaten the food…drop food in the bowl and repeat the release. If you are working with a boundary, your dog does not need to return to the boundary each time, you can also gently restrain or block your dog with your hand or arm.
5. Your dog does not need to return to the boundary for each release. In fact, vary how you have your dog before releasing - from a boundary, from a control position (like a sit or down), or from just a standing and restrained position. Real impulse control is applicable in many different situations. So repeat the game - drop food in abowl several times and release.
6. Keep it simple for now…use just one release cue of your choice… more will come later.
7. DO NOT RUSH THIS STAGE!

When using with food, work with a hungry dog so there is desire toeat. Begin with simpler foods like kibble. Later, or if you need to boost some desire and kibble just isn’t doing it for your dog, you can use higher value food.

Trainer Tips About Release (Pemack) Cues:

• Choose one cue to start with. My general relase cue for my dogs is free - they are free to get off the boundary and choose what they want to do. You can use this, or choose something else. Some good examples of a release cue is "Break" or "Go."
• Over time,you can choose additional release cues for certain situations. You sometimes will hear me say "Get it." I ALWAYS use this release cue when i am working with toys - I want the focus to be the toy and nothing else. I will sometimes also use this with food, again the focus is what I am using - the food. I will also use other release cues with food, as food as a staple for rewards and used in many contexts.

Release Roulette - Premack 2 Duration and Conceptual Understanding

It is important, before applying Premack in higher distracting/real life situations, that your dog fully understands the cue and will respond to it correctly in a number of different scenarios. This video takes the basics a step further, and shows you just how to do this. It is important to make sure that your dog meets the criteria of this step before moving on to the next level. This means that your dog holds until you say your release, not matter if the food is tossed or dropped before or after you say the release. Proficiency is 90% or better - so perfect response 9 times out of 10 minimum! You should see how your pup is holding throughthe anticipation and waiting foryour cue.Premack Games

It is important that the foundation concepts for Premack is fully understood before applying it in real- life distracting situations. This requires practice, practice, practice - play, play, play! It can and should be a lot of fun. The games below are the next steps to helping your dog fully understand the cue, and it is your job to implement Premck in your daily life with your puppy to help him/her fully understand the basic concepts of the cue. Only then, will you both be ready to take it to the next level for teaching impulse control.

Premack Game Level 2 : Duration

How to build a little duration into your Premack games. This piece is crucial!

This game teaches your dog to not only haves control over himself around distractions, but to have control indefinitely until the Premack cue happens (or does not happen). Working through anticipation, frustration, and prediction are critical steps. Not every opportunity is one you are going to allow, so duration is important - your dog waits for the Premack cue, even though one may not happen!

The amount of duration to build is completely down to your choice; however, I find keeping duration short and focusing on getting consistency is more important, especially in the beginning and with little puppies. Keep your level of difficulty within your dog’s capacity to be successful. If your dog doesn’t rehearse breaking the cue, they won’t in the future, or at least it will happen less often. Dogs don’t learn this correctly by making mistakes! Should your dog break, simply cover the bowl (or food if dropped on the floor). Play within your dog’s capacity to have fun and learn positive outcomes. Initial play session time = 2 minutes to 5 minutes maximum.

Premack : Conceptual Understanding

It is crucial that your pup truly understands the concept of the release before using it in higher distracting situations and before moving on to other Premack games. So this gives you different options on how to play Premack games and what behavior to look for so you know that your pup has got it.

Variation 1:

1. Drop food in bowl. Fiddle with food some of the time
2. Release from boundary to bowl
3. Dog has proficiency when no restraint is needed; dog/puppy waits for the cue 90% of the time or better

Variation 2:

1. Drop food on the floor, one piece after the other (3-5 pieces at your feet)
2. Release dog from boundary
3. Dog has concept when restraint is not needed; dog waits for the cue 90% of the time or better

Variation 3:

1. Release dog from boundary
2. Dog moves/leaves boundary
3. You then toss food on floor, in the bowl, or reward from your hand
4. This one let’s you know your dog is keying in on the verbal cue and not the food bowl or the toss

Variation 4:

1. Toss food on the floor (3-5 pieces away from you)
2. Release from dog boundary or control position to food
3. Dog has concept when no restraint needed; dog/puppy waits for the cue 90% of the time or better

Variation 5:

1. Use your voice to create some excitement and anticipation
2. Work duration (mix up longer ones with shorter ones)
3. Release using any of the various scenarios (reward after release with toss, drop, or from hand. OR toss, drop, hold out handfirst, then release)

Variation 6:

1. Fiddle with food, either in the bowl or in your hand, creating anticipation
2. Work duration (mix up longer ones with shorter ones)
3. Release using anyof the 3 scenarios (toss, drop, from hand)

If your dog makes a mistake, cover the bowl or the food on the floor with your hand to prevent the dog rewarding himself for breaking early.

MISTAKES

Cover up the food and prevent your dog from getting it. Wait for your dog to return to the boundary. Cover the bowl with your hand. If food is on the floor, cover it with your foot or hand. You might have to pick the food up before your dog will decide to return to the boundary.

Training Tips:

• You can’t train impulse control without serious and real impulses! When working with food, have a hungry dog!
• Make sure that there is a BOG and REAL desire there for the end reward. But, you must have success in the learning, and you also need to avoid overt frustration developing, which would be counter productive and undermine progress you are making. Keep sessions short when working with puppies!
• This is where the art of dog training comes into the mix, and tailoring the game to the outcomes you really want to see. For example, in playing these games to build thinking in a state of arousal, I would use a very high arousal reward. However, if I’m working with a puppy or a dog that gets very frustrated easily, my aim would be to help them be more patient, so I’d work at a much lower level of desire and arousal and build gradually.

Invest in the Release

As soon as you can, you want to begin putting a ton of value in the release from the boundary.

Once your dog begins to understand and respond to your release cue, you want to begin this stage - investing in the release. The release is a crucial element for reliability with boundaries. So, now when your dog goes on the boundary and you engage, meaning you give your dog attention in any way (that includes any eye contact), you must now release your dog! If your dog goes to the boundary on his/her own and you don't engage, your dog can leave the boundary without a release. Here is an easy break-down of the rules to begin following at this point:

• If your dog goes to the boundary, you don't have to release except...
• If you look at your dog - you are now engaged. Release your dog!
• If your reward your dog for going to the boundary (praise, feed, etc.), you must release your dog off the boundary.
• If you orient to the boundary and your dog goes to it, you must release your dog off the boundary.
• If you begin a boundary game, your must release your dog.

Rewards for the release can begin to expand! Rewards are anything that your dog loves. It does not only have to be food. Begin making the boundary a place to go for other wonderful things to happen.

Start with some boundary games...

• Then, release your dog and play
• Then release your dog and go outside
• Then release your dog and go for a walk
• Then release your dog and feed a meal
• Then release your dog to anything your dog loves!

By investing in the release, you continue to add value to the cue and your dog will want it more and more!

Boundary Games - Growing Calmness

Your goal with boundaries is to establish them as a place for calmness. That is the default behavior; what your dog is to automatically do when getting on the boundary. This is a crucial concept to teach. You will then have your boundary as a safe place for your dog to go to and to help with calming down - a true off-switch. This will also help to make your boundary training more reliable. It can also, in the future, become an appropriate alternate behavior to certain bad habits that could surface (counter surfing, jumping on guests, or barking). Boundaries are great places to build calmness. In fact, you want your dog to default into calmness when they go there, so you need to first establish this with your training.

Calmness

1. Begin with your boundary - dog bed, mat, blanket, etc. Sit next to the boundary and have plenty of food with you.
2. Begin as you did in Game 3.
3. Next, when your dog gets on the boundary, mark and reward and then wait to see if your dog will offer any other behavior. NO CUEING! Capture the moment your dog decides to sit and reward with a piece of food, or two, or three (drip feeding), on the bed, then release. Do this for your dog to lie down. That is the main goal - but it must be through choice, not cues.
4. Play this way, waiting for calmer behaviors to happen before releasing.
5. You will be drip feeding often so this is a good time to start portioning out part orallof a meal to feed on the boundary. Build value in the boundary, not a bowl.
6. For even further calmness when your dog is ready, reward your dog for getting on the boundary and auto-sitting or auto-lying down (which means you delay until it happens). Don’t go to this to quickly though. Your first priority is to build value in the boundary and any calm behaviors, so you must make sure your dog has enough motivation to play.

Trainer Tips Review:

• Sit by the boundary and relax! This will help your dog, too.
• Always reward the boundary. Calmly place the treat on the boundary. How you deliver the treat can make a huge difference for some dogs.
• Mark and reward calm behavior on the boundary. Sits and downs are good. Reward from a stand to a sit or down. Reward a sit to a down. Ignore a down to a stand, down to a sit, or a sit to a stand. Release when your dog is calmer to reinforce the behavior.
• Practice for no more than 10 minutes max at a time before releasing and ending the game. A 5 minute session is plenty for a puppy or young dog. Play often during the course of the day.
• Invest a lot of value in both the boundary, calmness, and the release. The three go hand in hand.
• Leave the boundary out so that your dog can go to it on his own. Then you will know that the value of the bed is building. If your dog goes to the boundary on his own, you don’t have to release him off it. But if you engage with your dog on the boundary in any way, then you MUST use a release to get him off.
• Do not cue anything yet except for getting off the boundary. Allow your dog to learn that the right choice is a great choice. There is so much power in that lesson!

Boundary Games - Building Value

If your boundary has a ton of value for your dog, your dog will choose to go there. Your dog will love being there and be happy and content. Your dog will be more likely to remain there and add to the reliability of the behavior. So build lots of value with your boundary. It is a privilege to be on the boundary because all sorts of wonderful things happen for the dog on the boundary!!! A very important part of developing reliable behavior with boundaries is value. Dogs show you what they value because they choose that over other things. So, in order for your dog to choose the boundary, you need to invest a lot of value for the spot.

Building Value in a Boundary for a Puppy

Your first step in boundary training is designating what your first boundary will be. You will set that boundary out in the main area where your puppy has “freedom” during supervised time out of the crate or ex-pen. Every time your puppy gets on the boundary on his/her own, you will reward your pup.

1. Begin with your boundary - dog bed, mat, crate, etc.
2. Have plenty of treats for this game! You can feed a portion of your dogs meal with this game (breakfast in bed, so to speak).
3. You will capture moments when your pup interactswith the boundary. You can sit next to the spot and wait. When your dog interacts with the spot, place treats on the spot.
4. Reward in a calm manner, on the boundary, not to your dog’s mouth. Add one after the other with a little bit of time in between.
5. Understand that at every opportunity, when you are actively interacting with your dog and the boundary, practice your latest Boundary Game: Introducions, Navigation, Release the Beast, Calmness.
6. Reward each and every interaction with the bed, and make being on the bed very reinforcing. If your dog offers certain desirable behaviors, like a sit or a down, jackpot them, but don’t cue them.
7. Have fun!

High Value Treats On the Boundary?

When at all possible, utilize your boundary for wonderful things. Use your dog’s daily food for the games. Add in the opportunity for the boundary to be a great place tochew on a bully stick or a Kong. I highly recommend you set the rule of these special treats are for boundaries only, and if your pup tries to leave the boundary with the high value chew toy he loses it, and only gets in back when he returns to the boundary. Your dog can also take toys to the boundary, but the boundary is not a plae where you would play with your dog with toys. Further the value of the boundary at every opportunity!!

Golden Rules for Boundaries

There are a few Golden Rules for Boundaries:

• GOLDEN RULE #1: if your dog gets on the boundary on his own and you do not engage with your dog, you don’t necessarily have to release him off.
• GOLDEN RULE #2: If you cue your dog on to the boundary, you must Premack him off it. This is why in the beginning stages of boundary training, you will NOT cue your pup. This avoids the mistakes of when your pup gets off without you cuing because the concepts are very new and not fully understood yet.
• GOLDEN RULE #3: Do not engage in exciting games on the boundary. You want it to have value, but the value is rooted in calmness. Calmness is default behavior. This also includes dogs playing on the boundary! Move them off to another location for play. If they want to cuddle together on a boundary, that is fine.
• GOLDEN RULE #4: The boundary is special and a place of privilege, and is not a chew toy! Do not let your dog chew on the boundary. Redirect and move your dogaway if they start that behavior. You might need to remove the boundary for a little while, and then bring it back. Supervision is going to be important to reinforce this rule - especially with plush dog beds. Just because we know it is a bed, does not mean your dog knows - it could be a giant stuffed toy!!
• GOLDEN RULE #5: Give your dog special chew treats on the boundary - Bully sticks, Kongs, etc. And if you do, they have to stay on the boundary with the treat. If your dog tries to get off the boundary with the treat, they lose it until they get back on the boundary again. If your dog leaves the boundary, pick up the chew treat. Additionally, when your dog is finished with the chew treat, he can't get off until released. Do your best to get that release in! And even further (much later in training), if the toy rolls off the boundary and onto the floor out of reach, the dog cannot go get it if that means he has to come off the boundary.

A Safe Place

A rule I have for my boundaries with my dogs is “The world does not interact with a dog on a boundary, and a dog on the boundary does not interact with the world.” This means that when a dog is on a boundary, people do not go over to pet the dog. Guests ignore dogs on boundaries. Dogs on boundaries ignore guests, and barking on the boundary is not okay. If a situation is too tough for a dog on a boundary and the dog starts whining or barking, you must do one of two things: Either remove the dog and place them in a quieter space to calm down, or stop/remove the distraction that too much for the dog to handle at the moment causing the higher arousal in the dog.

This rules is super beneficial for households with children. Dogs and kids need breaks from each other! And if you don’t have kids but you do have grandkids or friends with young children, this rule is great for both children and dogs, and it is easy to explain, follow, and enforce.

When would a boundary come in handy in the future?

• While cooking dinner - preventscounter surfing and trippingover a dog in the middle of the kitchen floor.
• While eating dinner - no begging from your dog.
• When guests come over - prevents jumping and over-excited greetings.
• When answering the door - no door darting.
• Barking at people/things passing by the house - redirects your dog to a spot for calm and quiet. No more monitoring the window for “potential threats” coming into the territory.
• While vacuuming - your dog has a place to settle, learn to not react to the vacuum, and stay out of your way.
• Going back inside the house - you can use this instead of “come” (which you shouldn’t use anyway). It can work well because you build value in the spot which is a rewarding place to go. This also prevents the deterioration of the come cue: coming back inside the house after fun play outside is often viewed by dogs as a bad thing (= punishment) and therefore, begin blowing off the come cue.

Close the Gates

You’ve been playing boundary games often, and now things need to get a little more challenging. Additionally, the expectations for the boundary are pretty clear so your puppy knows what to do. Now it is time to raise your criteria and work through mistakes. They are going to happen. But the consequence for mistakes is now going to change. Value in the boundary is crucial for this game, so keep building the value!

Dealing with Mistakes

In the beginning mistakes aren’t really mistakes, they are a learning curve. Breaking a release simply meant you covered up the food, removing the opportunity to get rewarded for the wrong behavior. Now, your dog has a much better idea of what the rules are for the boundary. Now, when your dog gets off the boundary before the Premack, there will be consequences.

There are no harsh corrections in this game, you want your dog to love to play! So, if your dog gets off the boundary, either because he just had a momentary lapse in impulse control or focus, or because he got ahead of himself with the release and jumped off before you cued it:

1. Make sure that any rewards that might be on the floor are covered up! NO rewards for mishaps!
2. Then, restrain your dog to prevent him from getting back on the boundary. This might be a collar or harness hold. It might be a hand on the chest.
3. Wait 10-30 seconds, and then let go. You will then wait for your dog to get back on the boundary.
4. In the beginning you will reward him for making the right choice of getting back on the boundary. But this is not a party! Over time, as the value of the boundary and the games gains more and more value, you will delay the reward for going back to the boundary. You can even not reward, but after a short amount of time on the boundary (and a level of calm) you can release so your dog can successfully practice the correct behavior.

If you have not played the Collar Grab Game, or if your dog has issues with a collar hold, you will either need to play the Collar Grab game to build good associations with that, or use a different technique to prevent your dog from going back on the boundary.

Bounce!

You’ve been working on the basics of boundaries: building value in the boundary itself, promoting calmness on the boundary, and investing in the release. So your pup should now love going there and will even go there on his own. Now it is time to start working certain details to achieve a nice, solid foundation to your boundary training. You are still NOT cuing to the boundary yet.

The Bounce Game is called that because you will be bouncing around with various durations on the boundary.

There are two components to duration:

• Time on the boundary before being released (duration on the boundary)
• Time in between food rewards on the boundary (rate of reinforcement)

You are going to be bouncing your dog on and off the boundary at different time intervals. You are also going to be bouncing back and forth the time in between placing rewards on the boundary. Build the time increments up and down again, beingas random in duration as you can. You will Premack in between to continue to build fun and excitement and value to the release.

1. Begin with your boundary - dog bed, mat, etc.
2. Have plenty of food for this game. You can feed a portion of your dogs meal with this game (breakfast in bed, so to speak).
3. Sit near the boundary and wait for your dog to get on the boundary. Don’t cue!
4. When your dog gets on the boundary, mark it and place a treat on the boundary.
5. You will then “drip feed” on the boundary….feed the boundary not the dog.
6. At first, do short durations - wait about 3 seconds before putting another treat on the spot. Do this a few times.
7. Premack your puppy off the spot, tossing the food after you cue for your puppy to chase and get. Then wait for your pup to return to the boundary.
8. Next you will bounce the time up to 5 seconds, then a 10 second duration, then down to 3 again. Bounce between longer ones and shorter ones to be unpredictable. Your pup will have to work through patience and learn to not anticipate or push, but default into calmness. This can be tough, so work wight he dog in front of you and build on success!
9. Take pressure off from time to time by releasing in between to keep things fun and get your dog moving again.
10. Remember to toss in different directions from the boundary as well.
11. Keep your session with reason - no longer than 10 minutes, but for some dogs they will need a much shorter session to begin with - especially puppies and young dogs that are still growing calmness and working on patience and stillness.

Messin’ Around

Building calmness, patience, impulse-control… these are things that we choose boundary training for. So now it is time to begin teaching your dog how to deal with distractions. This has to be gradual. So we will start slow and work through different scenarios to teach your dog to remain calm on the boundary and wait for the Premack, even though there might be things going on around them.

Introduction to Distractions - Low Level

Time to start messing around with things; making noise, movement, changing your position, and so on, creating mild distractions. Start simple to ensure success, and keep it short and sweet so that if anything gets your pup a little excited, he is stillable to stay onthe boundary and calm back down…

Begin with the Bounce game and start adding some mild distractions:

1. Mess with food in a bowl
2. Move your arms
3. Make random strange sounds
4. Kneel, stand, walk to the other side of the boundary. Walk behind the boundary, but stay close!

Get creative but be fair - you want your dog to be successful, not fail! So create challenges, but make them attainable so that you don’t build frustration. Your goal at this point in boundary training is for your dog to have a clear idea of waiting for the release, bouncing back onto the boundary, being calm, no matter what is going on. You can only build on success. Failure means that your dog is practicing the wrong behavior. So be careful. Practicing correctly means that time on the boundary with grow successfully longer, and the rate of reinforcement can vary, all while keeping the boundary wonderful, rewarding and valuable.

Room Service

Room Service is a game that teaches self-control, patience, and tolerance of frustration. It is a great game by itself, but is even more powerful when combined with boundary training. It helps to teach your dog that the boundary is the gateway to the things she wants and desires.

Room Service also promotes calmness in dogs. It slows those “lurchers” down! It teaches your dog that self-restraint is what pays, and the quickest way to the reward is through self-control and patience.

This game can be played two different ways:

1. Food Off the Boundary - You will place the food on an upside down bowl just off the boundary, and your dog will beon the boundary. The food can be just out of reach, or a little farther out to help you prevent mistakes. You will move slowly to reward your dog with a piece of food when your dog reamins on the boundary. As the concept of the game is starting to sink in, and your dog is no longer trying to get the food on her own, you can change it up. Release your dog…and be ready…This will be tough! You need to cover the food if your dog tries to get it! Your dog needs to learn that it is not the release that gets them the food on the bowl, but getting back on the boundary that pays. She will have to learn a huge lesson in self-control for this level.
2. Food On the Boundary - This is a great strategy for dogs that like to lurch to the food, and for dogs that stand at the edge of the boundary and sometimes step off to try to get to the reward more quickly. These dogs need to learn to slow down and be more patient and calm on the boundary. You will place the food on the boundary near the center, but keep your hand over it so that it is covered and your dog can’t have access to it yet. You will wait for your dog to back his nose away from your hand, lie down, look away from your hand, or look at you. Then you can uncover the food and your dog can have it.

In the Double-Dog section at the bottom of the course, you will see Room Service played with two dogs.

Balancing Act

A very important part of developing a balance between calm and excitement (an on/off switch) is training your dog with boundary games. The boundary is the place of calmness (off switch) the release is active and leads to more excitement (on switch).

Boundary games have numerous benefits:

• They promote and develop impulse control.
• They can increase arousal and boost motivation.
• They can decrease arousal and promote calmness (yes they can do both!)
• They clean up your training sessions.

Now it is time to work a number of your games together and keeping things balanced between calmness on the boundary, the excitement of being released, easy durations on the boundary and more challenging scenarios on the boundary. It’s all about balance so that the boundary maintains its value and fun, but also so that all the concepts are practiced and mastered.

Think of this as an Arousal Up, Arousal Down Game. Calmness is the arousal down. The release is the arousal up. In between, there might be some challenges or an easy-peesy release of pressure for working hard and staying focused. Balance your time so that you are allowing plenty of time for your dog to calm down on the boundary, but also keeping your dog engaged by releasing and keeping things fun. The amount of time that you boundary train in a session will vary. For puppies and young dogs it might just be 5 minutes. For olders dogs it might start at 10 minutes. Then, once you get a feel for your dog’s attention span, focus, and calmness, you can adjust your timing appropriately.

On Walk About

One more step in building a solid foundation and framework for boundaries is working through you walking away from the boundary. Up until now, you have remained close. This makes it easier for your dog to be successful in remaining on the boundary so you could build loads of value in calmness and the release, as well was duration. Now it is time to take on a new challenge!

Working Through Distance

This one could take a little more time - young puppies want to be near us and follow us. Older pups can test us. Start with short distances first, then a little farther, and then come back close again, so you are mixing closer and farther distances.

1. Start with the Bounce game.
2. Thentake a few steps away from the boundary and return, rewarding on the bed.
3. Take a few steps away again, return, reward on the boundary, and then release.
4. Short distances and short durations at first.
5. Remember to release from time to time to take pressure off.
6. Repeat, taking more steps away and returning, then just a couple steps, so you are building distance up and down, just like you did with duration.
7. Always return to the bed to reward.
8. Once your dog is good with a bit of distance, start adding in a release from farther away, too. And wait for your dog to return to the boundary with you farther away as well. Make sure you reward your dog on the boundary when that happens.
9. You are going to work varying distances between closer and farther away. Also work walk by and around the boundary.
10. Eventually, you will also need to work through out of sight scenarios. Out of sight is NOT out of mind.

Mixing Games

1. When you are ready, combine On Walk About with Bounce and/or Messin’ Around, and introduce mild distractions - fiddle with something on a counter, make some arm or leg movements, etc. Always return to the bed to reward.
2. You are now mixing up different elements, so that your dog learns how to sort through different pictures and keep behaviors the same. This is reliability - no matter what is going on, your dog can still do the right thing, make the right choices.
3. Take it slow to minimize mistakes, and be as random as possible with your duration and distance to avoid predictability. Bounce around with short and long durations, easy and challenging distractions, close and far distances.
4. Remember to release from time to time!
5. If a mistake happens, remember to Close the Gates! Then go back to easier scenarios so your dog is successful, and stay within your dog’s tolerances and abilities before pushing tolerance levels again - - - slowly!
6. Put everything together - going to the boundary, calmness, release, direction, duration, distraction and distance!
7. Play for about 10 minutes or less.

Give It a Name

The time is finally here!! You’ve been wondering when you can start cuing your dog to the boundary. And I kept saying not yet! Well, if your dog meets the requirements be,ow, you can add the cue and begin cuing your dog to the boundary for times when you want it to happen.

Continue to wait and allow your dog to return to the boundary on her own. This decision still needs lots of reinforcement!

Your Criteria for Adding the Cue:

• My dog gets off the boundary when I cue it (tossing food is not the release). The release cue is very strong, with very few to no mistakes. My dog waits for the cue, even when I move, walk away, toss food, or drop something on the floor.
• My dog automatically returns to the boundary every time we play boundary games with no body language prompts or help from me.
• My dog has great value with the boundary and can calmly remain on the boundary for a good amount of time without continual reinforcement from me.

Adding the Cue

Decide what you want to call your boundary. Eventually you can train more than one boundary and they all can have different names. You can also use a general cue for boundaries that might be any boundary, or for random boundaries when you are out and about or visiting friends or family.

1. Start with the Bounce game. And warm up with releasing your dog off the boundary and having your dog return.
2. Then after a release and as your dog is getting back on the boundary, say your cue. I’m using “Bed.”
3. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
4. When consistent, move your cue back a bit and cue as your dog is going back to the boundary.
5. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
6. Next, move your cue to when your dog is orienting back to the boundary. Now you can understand why I made you wait so long. You really need consistent behavior in going back to the boundary so that this process is fool proof!
7. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
8. Lastly, you will say your cue before any movement towards the boundary. I time it just as Kia is finishing getting the food on the floor.
9. You might have to work through distance with the cue. This is also why you want that returning to the boundary behavior so strong. Move about while you play your game and work through different distances from the boundary for your cue.
10. Mix in other cues, like a foundation behavior, then cue to the boundary. Test your dog’s listening as well as the understanding of the boundary cue.

Get Real

Get ready, get set, get real! This is the stage to solidify a great foundation for boundary training. Woohoo! You can start using boundary games during certain real life situations; like when cooking a meal, working, watching TV, eating dinner, cleaning up.

Get Real - Apply in Real Life Situations

• When you feel ready, play boundary games during a real life situation - which combines all your boundary games together - real life is duration, distraction and distance… even direction because you will be moving around! :)
• Remember to keep an eye on your dog! ALWAYS come back to the bed every now and then to reward staying on the boundary. Be calm when you do; be casual.
• Premack and release your dog from time to time, allowing them to choose to go back to the boundary again.
• You can cue to the boundary to begin the training.
• This is everyday life, and so you want calmness still with the boundary. No toy work or arousal games yet.
• If you have kids, it’s a great way to practice calmness around your kid(s) playing and being kids - work through it with your dog by playing boundary games!

I wouldn’t say you might not be ready for people at the front door or guests coming over… but this also depends on the natural self-control of your dog. Some are just better at it than others. This is still the foundation level and higher arousal is a whole different ballgame. More games arecoming to further build impulse control in higher arousal situations. Until then, happy boundary games!

Trainer Tips:

• You can move a boundary to different spots. This allows you the convenience of having your dog closer when working real lifesituations so it is easier to manage. Your dog identifies with the object, so all the games remain the same.
• You can give your dog a chew treat of Kong on the boundary for real life situations, too. You just need to make sure that when your dog is done with the treat, that they still know how to remain calm and quiet if your are not done with your task.

Safety and Control

Safety is one of your top priorities. You always want to keep your dog safe. One of the hardest things to deal with is accidents. It is a reality that we have to consider carefully. We need to plan for the future as best we can. Dogs are not aware of certain consequences to their behavior and choices. But you have the capability to think of the various potential outcomes of certain situations and train for them.

This is one of the reasons why you work so hard with training. And having multiple ways of utilizing management tools, gaining control, and teaching impulse control. This gives you a multi-layered approach keeping your dog safe and training to ingrain the needed concepts to attain reliability, or as much reliability as possible. Always remember that nothing is 100% reliable.

I highly recommend that you boundary train, and once you get a handle on it inside, to also do so outside. You can utilize a boundary with a front porch or steps. You can use a bench. You can have a raised bed outside. This gives your dog a safe place to go when needed. It gives a fun alternative to the Come cue. The value in the outside boundary anchors your dog to the property so they don't run off. And, if someone drives down your drive while you are out with your dog, you can send your dog to the boundary so he/she is out of the way and won't get run over.

So as you work through your boundary training package, think about what you want, what life with your dog will look like in the future. Plan for the future and train for it. It will save time, and possibly lives, down the road.

Expanding Your Boundaries

Anything can be boundary! So start taking your boundary training outside and on the road. Start with your beginning games and see how fast your dog learns to generalize the concept to various places and things. It is SO amazing and helpful for a dog to have this skill, and it makes taking your dog to a variety of public places so much easier.

A CALM DOG IS A GOOD DOG!

And that is the dog that is a joy to take everywhere. So once you have boundaries nailed down with your dog at home, begin taking the games on the road. Use a park bench, stump, bleachers, hula hoop, and anything else you come across that will work for boundary games. You can even take with you a mat, crate pad, or blanket and use a familiar object for an eaiser transition. There are so many possibilities and you will love the results.

Gateway

One of the gifts that boundary training gives you and your dog is the value in calmness. It is a vital componenet of teaching a good off-switch. You want to build value and reinforce that calmness whenever possible. Calmness is what makes things happen. Calmness is also what happens after any type of activity. Bringing arousal levels down and allowing your dog to recover, both mentally and physically is critical for better performance, thinking, and well-being.

Make calmness and your boundary the gateway to all things wonderful. Going to a boundary and being calm is what leads to fun on a walk or in the yard. It leads to play and games with you! By taking this strategy and making it part of your lifestyle with your dog, you will clean up your training sessions and activities with your dog. How nice is it to have your dog go to a boundary and wait patiently when wanting to do something with you, instead of barking or pawing or jumping on you?

Starting and Ending Training/Play Sessions - Boundaries are the perfect way to clean up any training or play session. It teaches your dog that being calm on a boundary is what leads to fun and enjoyable activities, and then teaches your dog how to turn off when the fun is done.

Using a boundary as the starting point for any activity, not only puts added value into your boundary for more reliability, it also reinforces the value of calmness and good behavior. Boundaries then lead to wonderful things, like a romp around the yard, a fun game of fetch, or a splash in the creek or pool. The boundary becomes your tool for permission, and your dog learn better impulse control because of it.

Airplane Game

This game is great for dogs that like to hang on the edge of the boundary or have a hard time staying on the boundary. It takes a lot of impulse control to not be tempted! This game works through that desire and teaches a dog that the best place to be is on the boundary.

Work through anticipation, tolerance of frustration, impulse control and thinking in arousal all in one game.

Tempting But No

This is taking distractions to the next level. You will work through various distractions to further build impulse control and staying on the boundary. This is also a challenge for your dog in staying calm, even when things are not calm around your dog. The difficulty of distractions will vary from dog to dog. Here are some ideas to work through:

• Bouncing a ball (or just holding one, or tossing it in the air)
• Kicking a toy across the room
• Another dog moving around
• Squeaking a toy
• Kids moving in the room (walking, running, playing)
• Your cat playing in the room (or maybe just being in the room)

Sometimes you will need to break down a distraction into different elements:

Think about what sense is most stimulating for your dog - sight, sound, smell, movement, etc. Break things down into small bits and work on easier elements first before tackling the harder ones. Think distance - the farther away something is, the easier it is to ignore it.

Think reinforcement. The appearance of the distraction could be reinforcing all by itself. What you provide for your dog will have to be better. Your reinforcement will have to happen more often to “out do” the other distraction. Your reward can also be the distraction you are using, if appropriate.

Release! Your dog is going to need to take breaks, for this can be challenging and frustrating. Keep that in mind when you play.

Short and sweet. Don’t burn-out your dog! You must build on success. You can’t build on failure. Stay within your dog’s ability to accomplish what you are working on and keep things fun and positive so your dog remains confident, calm, and optimistic.

Not My Monkeys, Not My Circus

This is where you take your boundary games on the road and apply them in real life situations. Play them in various environments, starting with less busy places and gradually working your way to ones that will be a part of your life with your dog. You can bring a boundary with you - a crate pad, blanket, or even a raised bed. Start with you beginning games and work through them as your dog begins to learn that even though the picture has changes, the games and the rules remain the same.

A well behaved dog in public is a dog that does not make anything in the environment their business unless you say it is for them. Boundary games help your dog focus on thier job and practice self-control for optimum behavior in public places. The introduction of a familiar object and a known game, helps to boost confidence in a dog, furthering the ability to handle a variety of situations with optimism.

Mistakes will happen along the way, ehich is why you have the Close the Gates game at your disposal. Have your dog on leash to prevent wandering off or greeting someone or something without permission and a release. If too many mistakes are being made, stop your training and go back to basics at home and in your yard for a while. Then reintroduce new envirnments that are less busy and where distractions are farther away.

Your dog, over time, will begin to learn the value of the boundary and look to you for guidance. Self-control will be much more dependable, not only with boundaries, but with things in general. Calmness will become the default state of being which is useful in any situation. Your friend and family will be amazed at how well behaved your dog has become, and you will be the proud parent of an amazing canine companion.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Double Dog Strategies

There are a few tricks to sort out when working with one or more dogs on a boundary. First, you need to clarify your releases, so that each dog know when you are releasing them and not another dog. This is where knowing and using names comes in handy. You can have the name be the release, or the name can be the attention cue which is then followed by the release cue. It is your choice.

When you release one dog, you will feed the other dog on the bed. You can continue to feed the dog on the bed until the released dog gets back on their bed. Then both dogs will be fed on the bed.

Work through alternating releasing each dog until they understand how multi-dog releases work. Then work through your Release Roulette (Premack 2) game until the dogs are reliable with getting off the bed only when their name/release is cued.

You can also have a general release that will release all the dogs. “Puppies” in my book refers to all the dogs. The omission of a name and just a release cue also means that all the dogs have permission to get off the boundary.

Taking Turns

A vital concept in multi-dog homes for dogs to learn is waiting their turn. This cleans up training and play sessions as well as avoid conflict, interruptions, and competing for attention. Boundaries make learning this concept much easier.

You will first start with easy scenarios so that you can work out your mechanics. From there you will begin low-level arousal and short activity, so that the dog remaining on the boundary can be successful at staying calm while the other dog is doing something. Over time, you will build duration with working one while the other is on the boundary. When your dogs are ready, you will very gradually bring up the arousal, and then bring it back down again, so that your dogs can learn how to remain calm when things are going on around them. Look at it as first beginning with your individual games: Growing Calmness, Bounce! and other game basics, and finally Tempting But No.

Room Service - Double Dogs (Bonus Video)

This video shows you how to work the Room Service game with two dogs so that they both learn how to handle their own impulse control in the presence of another dog and a distraction. It can be a tough scenario for some dogs! Patience, waiting your turn, working through anticipation and frustration, as well as impulse control allapply here.