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Episode #291 How Do You Make Puppy Training Look So Easy? · The Puppy Training Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever watched a Baxter and Bella training video and thought, that looks so easy, and then wondered why your puppy doesn't respond quite the same way when you try it at home?
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Today we are talking about why your puppy may not behave exactly like the one on the video and the five things we're doing behind the scenes that make training look so effortless.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast, the show designed to help you raise a confident, well-behaved puppy using positive practical training methods.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Each week we'll explore real-life training strategies, break down common puppy challenges, and give you clear, step-by-step guidance you can start using right away.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're dealing with potty training, biting, jumping, or just want to build a stronger bond with your pupp as their handler, you're in the right place.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Hey you guys, welcome back to the puppy training podcast.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad you're here.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: How are your dogs doing?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Are you just getting a puppy?
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you don't have your puppy yet.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have a puppy, maybe you have a teenage dog, wherever you are on your dog training journey.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think you'll find some answers here on the podcast.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm really glad you're here.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I get this a lot, but you make it look so easy on the video, right?
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Why doesn't my puppy behave like that, like that puppy does?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Or I get this one a lot too.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Can you show me what it looks like with a puppy that's not trained, even though I'm using a brand new puppy that I've only met five minutes ago?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: So today I want to unpack that a little bit because yeah, I can make it look really easy.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: You'll see us demonstrating a behavior with a puppy in our classes or our courses.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy sits, we say our marker word, we deliver the reward, the puppy looks at us, we move on to the next repetition, everything looks calm, everything, everything looks smooth.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then you get your puppy and you try the exact same thing.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: And suddenly your puppy is biting your sleeve or running across the room or sniffing the floor or ignoring you.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it looks like you've completely lost your mind.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: And you might think, wait a minute, why does my puppy not behave like the one in the video?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Well, first of all, your puppy is not broken.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: And secondly, there isn't some secret button that trainers have that you don't.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: What you're seeing in a training video is the result of a lot of little things happening at the same time.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: And as trainers, we get really good at doing those little things such that we can get these puppies to do what we want them to do.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: So today we're going to talk about five of those things.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: They are consistency, clear criteria, reinforcement history, emotional baggage, and handler timing.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: And once you understand them, you'll start to see that training isn't actually as effortless as it looks.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start with what you don't see.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: When you watch a Baxter and Bellet video, you're usually seeing a very small snapshot.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: So we're demonstrating sit.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: You see, sit, the puppy sits, we say yes, we mark, we pay them, done.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: It looks incredibly simple.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: But what you don't see is everything that went into creating that moment.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I know what behavior I'm looking for, I know when I'm going to reward, I know where I'm going to reward, I know how I'm going to respond if the puppy doesn't understand or struggles, and I know how difficult the environment is.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: I also know what reward I'm going to use, and I'm paying attention to the puppy's body language the entire time.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: So, in other words, we're not just saying the word sit.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm watching the dog, and that's something that develops with experience.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So let's break down five reasons that training can look so much easier on video.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is consistency.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: When we're demonstrating a behavior in a training video, we're very intentional about what we are reinforcing.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: If we are teaching a puppy to sit for attention, we're looking for that sit.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: If we're working on leash walking, we're looking for the puppy to stay engaged with us and move with us.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: If we're teaching a marker word, we're very consistent about what that marker means and when we apply it.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, dogs love predictability.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: When a puppy discovers that a particular behavior consistently produces something they want, that behavior becomes stronger.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: But at home, life isn't always so consistent.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that's completely understandable.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you're cooking dinner, your kids are running around, your phone is ringing, the puppy jumps on you, you say off, and then five minutes later the puppy jumps again and you pet them because you're busy and it's easier.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: You ask for a sit before putting the food bowl down.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: But sometimes you're in a hurry and you just put the bowl down.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Those individual moments don't seem like a big deal, but your puppy is collecting information.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: They're learning sometimes jumping works and sometimes sitting works.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes my person responds when I bark, sometimes they don't.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: The trainer in the video has a very specific job.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Teach this one behavior.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: So we're able to be extremely consistent.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And the more consistent you become at home, the easier it is for your puppy to understand what you're asking for.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number two, clear criteria.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: The second reason that we as trainers make training look so easy is that we know exactly what we are looking for.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: This is something that can be difficult when you're just starting out.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say that we're teaching your puppy to walk nicely on leash.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: We might be looking for the puppy to take one step next to us, and I pay them one more step, pay them, turn with us, pay them, check in with us, pay them.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: But if you don't know what the individual pieces of leash walking are, you simply might think, I need my puppy to stop pulling.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's a much bigger and much less clear goal.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe we're teaching recall or come.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: You might watch us call a puppy and think, okay, I just say come and my puppy comes.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: But we're actually watching for the puppy to orient toward us.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: I want, I'm looking for that turn toward me, the movement toward me, the continual coming towards me, and eventually arrival.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Those are all little pieces that matter.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things experience gives you is the ability to break a behavior down into smaller pieces.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: So when you're watching us train a puppy on video, you're seeing the finished presentation of a behavior.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: What you're not necessarily seeing is all the tiny decisions happening in our heads.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: What am I looking for?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Is that good enough to reward?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Should I make this easier for my puppy to be successful?
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Do I need to increase the distance?
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Should I stop?
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Does this puppy understand?
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's why we encourage you not to compare your training session with a polished training video.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: You're watching a highlight reel and your living room is the live broadcast.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number three.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: The third reason our puppy may seem to behave better for us is reinforcement history.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: When we're training a puppy on camera, we're usually spending a concentrated amount of time reinforcing engagement.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: So the puppy looks at me, I pay them.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Sit, reward.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Follow me, reward.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Come here, reward.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Make a good choice, I pay them.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy quickly starts thinking, wow, this person is really good to hang out with.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love training sessions with her.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's reinforcement history.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: And you can absolutely build that same history with your puppy.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, you have a huge advantage.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: You live with your puppy.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: You have opportunities all day long.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy looks at you while you're making dinner, you can reward that.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy lies quietly while you're watching TV, you can calmly reward that.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy comes when you call them, pay them for that.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy chooses their chew choy instead of your shoe.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Great.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy walks next to you, reward that.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: You're constantly building a history of, okay, paying attention to my person makes good things happen.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And the more history you build, the more valuable you become to your puppy and the more they want to do things for you.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're thinking, my puppy doesn't pay attention to me the way that that dog pays attention to the trainer in the video, don't worry.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: You can start building that reinforcement history today.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need a 30-minute training session.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: You just need hundreds of tiny moments throughout the day that you're paying attention to.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Sit to say, please, you guys, is so simple to teach your dog.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: You can do it in just a few minutes.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And now you can use that one simple task multiple times throughout the day and reward that and build that reinforcement history.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number four, emotional baggage.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now we're going to talk about one of my favorite reasons that training can look different on video.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: So we're talking about you, the human.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: You and your puppy have a relationship, and that relationship has history.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your puppy has stolen 47 socks.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've had three accidents today.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've barked at the neighbor or they've saved you from 100 salespeople.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've ignored their recall approximately 900 times.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what it might be, but maybe uh you've spent uh 20 minutes trying to get them to stop biting your ankles this morning.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: I've heard of all of these things, right?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: So when you pick up the leash to train, you're not starting from zero.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: You're actually starting with a whole day's worth of experiences.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: And your puppy has their own history with you too, the way they viewed all of those experiences.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: So they know what happens when you pick up the leash.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: They know what happens when you say come.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: They know what happens when you walk toward the crate, they know what happens when you call them inside.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: They know your routines and your patterns.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that history can work against us.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: So imagine for a second that I'm demonstrating recall in a video and I say, puppy puppy, come, and the puppy comes running.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now you might think, well, why doesn't mine do that?
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, maybe your puppy has learned that cum means, well, the fun is over.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's time to go inside.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna take your toy away.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: I need you to get in the crate.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that's a reinforcement history problem, but it can be changed.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: We want you to start making coming to you valuable again.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: So we call your puppy when you know they're likely to win, and then you pay them generously.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I like to release them right back to what they were doing because then my puppy is learning coming to my person doesn't always mean the fun ends.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: And here's another important point.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: When you're watching a training video, you're seeing a trainer who isn't emotionally attached to the outcome.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not thinking, oh no, my puppy didn't sit.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: We're simply thinking, okay, well, that didn't work.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Let's make it easier.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: How do I help my puppy win?
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that mindset is really helpful when we kind of remove those emotions from it.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number five, timing.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: You guys, timing is so important.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of the biggest things that develops with practice.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: When you're watching a training video, you'll notice how quickly we mark and pay that behavior.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: So puppy sits, yes, reward them.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Puppy looks at us, yes, reward.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Puppy takes a step toward us, yes, reward.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: The timing is very intentional.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we're trying to tell the puppy that thing you just did, that's what earned you the reward.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: But when you're new to training, there's a lot happening, right?
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: I know you feel a little overwhelmed and your brain is on go, go, go mode.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: So your puppy sits, you get excited, and you say, good puppy.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: And then you reach into your pouch and you try to find a treat, and then you can't like quite get the right one.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you you find one and then you break it off into a smaller bit, and then you drop the food, right?
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: And our puppy stands up and you pick up the treat and give it to the puppy, and they're now standing.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: So now you're thinking, okay, why doesn't this look like the video?
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: But you're learning, right?
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: And the puppy's trying to think, well, what did I just get that reward for?
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: It was kind of messy.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: So don't beat yourself up too badly.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: We just need to practice this.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: So you're trying to watch the puppy, remember the marker, remember the cue, get the reward, deliver the reward, and maybe keep your puppy from eating the couch all at the same time.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a lot.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: So this is a skill.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's something that you have to practice.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: But good news, you guys, the more you practice this, the easier it becomes.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: So even weeks two, three, four of training a brand new dog, you guys are now getting into the method of training, and your brain shifts from, oh, this is so much information I'm trying to process to, oh, my brain just doesn't naturally.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Have you guys ever been out driving?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then your brain kind of wanders off.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, two minutes down the road, you're like, how did I even get here?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: I do that a lot.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of scary.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, I just automatically drove this stretch of road without even thinking about the road, right?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Same thing with training.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: You're not gonna have to think about all of these little details.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: In the future, you're going to just get better and better at this, and it becomes like second nature.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: So the next time you watch a Baxter and Bella training video and think, wow, that looks so easy.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to remember you're seeing the result of experience.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's not magic.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: And we are showing you with puppies that are not trained, but because we know what to do and what to look for and how to uh help our puppy succeed, it looks very easy.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's not, it's a lot of practice, and you you can do it, you can get better at it.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: So you're going to start to see the criteria and you're going to be able to do consistent reinforcement.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: You're going to have better timing on your rewards.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: And just remember, you're seeing a very small controlled piece of a much larger training process.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: So don't watch the video and think, why can't my puppy do that?
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, watch the video and ask, okay, what can I learn from what they're doing?
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Where are they standing?
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: When do they give the reward?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: What behavior are they actually reinforcing?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: How quickly are they marking that?
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: And what does their environment look like?
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: All of these questions can help you be more successful.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: And then you take that information back to your own puppy.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: You start easy, you make it fun.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: You guys keep training fun.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: Reward generously.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: Don't make it into a drill session.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Do not be a drill sergeant to your dog.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: They get very bored with you very quickly and they are not interested in training.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: So short and sweet, puppies like that best, and lots and lots of repetition.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: All right, that's it for this week, you guys.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you learned something new.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you can take this little tidbit of information and just get a little bit better at marking behavior and helping your puppy be successful so that you can help them become the dog that you need them to be.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: So you can live together and have fun together without a lot of stress.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now, puppy training is stressful in the beginning, but it gets easier and easier the more you practice.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's the good news.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, you guys, have a great week.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: Happy training.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in today.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a training tip.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're enjoying the show, leaving a quick review really helps other handlers find us.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: For more training resources, tips, and support, visit me Amy Jensen at baxterambella.com.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, happy training.