Instruction Guide

Dr. Sophia Yin, a 1993 graduate of the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, is the

author of two books: The Small Animal Veterinary Nerdbook

, a best-selling textbook for

veterinarians, and How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves. She earned her Master’s in Animal

Science in 2001 from U.C. Davis where she studied vocal communication in dogs and

worked with behavior modification in horses, giraffes, ostriches, and chickens. During this

time she was also the award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Upon

receiving her degree focused on animal behavior, Dr. Yin served for five years as a lecturer

in the U.C. Davis Animal Science Department. She taught three upper division undergradu-

ate courses in domestic animal behavior and supervised students in various animal

training and behavior research projects. Dr. Yin currently sees behavior housecalls, works

at San Francisco Veterinary Specialists (www.SFVS.net), writes for several veterinary and

popular magazines, and lectures internationally on animal behavior.

For tips and to view video on dog training

(or cat, chicken, horse, giraffe, goat…training), or for more

information about animal behavior in general, visit her website at www.AskDrYin.com.

Acknowledgements

While humans have been training animals for centuries, we have been lax in collecting

data and then methodically testing and revising our techniques using the scientific

method. The MannersMinder

™ Remote Reward Training System is one of the first train-

ing systems to be tested in such a manner prior to commercial release. Such research

invariably requires input and collaboration from a plethora of resources and as such, I

would like to thank everyone who helped with or participated in the two research studies

preceding release of this product. I would especially like to thank Bob Bailey, Karen Pryor

and Eduardo Fernandez for their suggestions during the early brainstorming process of the

protocol development.

Additionally, Dr. Sarah Richardson was particularly helpful in coordinating the first

experiment and Dr. Daniel Mills was extremely helpful in reviewing both the methods prior

to the first experiment and the scientific paper prior to journal submission.

I would also like to thank everyone who helped to evaluate the system and who partici-

pated in the instructional DVD, including the focus-group members who watched the DVD

and then demonstrated their interpretation of the techniques. Their interpretations lead to

some key revisions that have greatly improved the instructional quality of the DVD.

Bio

If you just can’t wait to get started, here’s a quick set of steps that will let you and your

pooch get familiar with the MannersMinder

™ [Formerly marketed by Sharper Image Design

and

sold under the name Treat & Train]

As soon as you can, watch the DVD. The DVD training program is broken into chapters. The

first few chapters are designed to familiarize you with the concept of the program. The

remaining chapters are designed for you to watch one at a time and then for you and your

dog to put into practice with quick 10-15 minute games.

Setting Up The Machine

•Install4‘D’batteriesinthebaseunitand112V

23A battery in the remote.

•SelectaCHANNEL–1,2,3,or4–forboththe

base unit and remote.

(The CHANNEL switch on the

remote can be found under the battery cover adjacent to

the battery compartment.)

NOTE: Please be sure to select the same

CHANNEL for both the remote and the

base unit.

•InserttheproperKibbleDiscforyourdog’skibble

(dry dog food).

Learning the Basics (For people and pets)

1. Add some food to the Kibble Bin. This machine

requires dry dog food or dry treats that can fit though the holes on either of the two

Kibble Discs. If treats are used, please note that round or oval kibble of uniform size

and shape work best. To see whether the food you are using works well, hold the

DISPENSE button down and allow for 10-20 treats to pass into the Treat Bowl. If they

get stuck or occasionally fail to dispense

every time, then switch to a different food.

(For

suggestions on treats, go to Dr. Yin’s website at www.

AskDrYin.com.)

2. Turn the POWER on and set the VOLUME to off.

(Don’t adjust any other control settings for now.)

3. Press DISPENSE on the remote control to

dispense kibble.

NOTE: If the Down-Stay light turns on

it’s because you accidentally hit the

DOWN-STAY button on the remote.

Hit it again to turn it off.

Quick Start

4. NowputtheMannersMinderonthefloorandintroduceyourdogtoitbyplacingafew

pieces of kibble in the Treat Bowl. When your dog has finished, add a few more pieces.

5. Repeat Step 4 several times and when Fido is looking at the bowl, add more food to

the bowl by pressing DISPENSE. Repeat until your dog comfortably takes the food that

you dispensed.

6. Now switch the VOLUME to low and dispense treats. When Fido orients to the

MannersMinder and runs to get food immediately after hearing the tone, and before

hearing kibble dispensing, try waiting until your dog looks directly at you before

dispensing.

IMPORTANT: Don’t point the remote at your dog or at the machine. You want your

pooch to associate treats with you and not with the remote control.

Quick Start

Chapter 1: Overview ..........................................................................................................6

Chapter 2: How Fido Learns ...............................................................................................8

Chapter 3: Setup Instructions and Overview ...................................................................13

Chapter 4: Game 1 – Treat & Tone ..................................................................................17

Chapter 5: Game 2 – Targeting .......................................................................................21

Chapter 6: Say Please by Sitting .....................................................................................24

Chapter 7: Down ..............................................................................................................28

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down-Stay .....................................................................................30

Chapter 9: Rewarding Calm Behavior .............................................................................38

Chapter 10: Come When Called in the House ..................................................................42

Chapter 11: Game 4 – Place ...........................................................................................44

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down-Stay with Distractions .......................................................47

Chapter 13: Visitors at the Door ......................................................................................54

Chapter 14: Fading Out the MannersMinder (Optional) ...................................................57

Table of Contents

How it Works

While many training plans involve punishing bad

behavior, this one focuses on rewarding alternate

good behaviors. In the case of dogs that are unruly

or annoying when visitors come to the door, we will

focus on training Fido to run to and lie down

quietly at a specific location near the door.

There are five games. Each game takes an average

of 1-5 days to complete. Owners can practice in

short 10- to 30-minute sessions. We recommend

you train during low stress times such as during

TV commercial breaks so that you can keep the

sessions short, fun and relaxing. End sessions

while both you and your dog are still having fun.

Training is Divided

into Five Games:

•Game 1: Tone means a treat is coming

•Game 2: Targeting with the nose

• Game 3: Lie down and stay at a specific spot

• Game 4: Race to the rug or special spot on cue

•Game 5: Stay at the special spot for one minute

in the face of common front-door distractions.

What You Need

Item 1: Dog bed or rug where you will send

your dog.

You’ll be sending your dog to a specific spot or

place on cue and, ultimately, this spot will be

located about 3-10 feet from the door and within

sight of the door, although during early practice

sessions you can put it in a more convenient

practice location. The best type of “place” to use

is a surface that’s large enough for your dog to

comfortably lie down on such as a dog bed or a

small rug. Throughout this program we will refer to

the bed or rug as a rug.

Checklist

❏

Rug or bed selected?

❏

Final location selected?

❏

Practice location selected?

Train during low stress times such as

during TV commercials.

Keep the sessions short,

fun and relaxing.

Use a rug or dog bed that’s large

enough for your dog to comfortably

lie down on.

Chapter 1: Overview

We will teach Fido to run to and

lie down quietly at a specific

location near the door.

If you have a bed or rug that your dog is already

used to lying on, make sure there has been no

history of yelling to get him onto the bed, otherwise

the training may take much longer.

We want Fido to think of the rug and machine as a

special treat only available for a limited time. If it’s

available whenever he wants, then he may learn

that it’s okay to get off at will because he can just

get back on to receive his reward later on. In fact, in

the clinical trial testing of this product, some own-

ers accidentally trained their dogs to run to the door

to see the guest, then to go back at their leisure in

order to get a treat.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Until you’ve completed the entire

training program, only keep the

MannersMinder and the rug out

during training sessions.

Chapter 1: Overview

Reward the Correct Behavior

Contrary to popular opinion, dogs aren’t born

knowing English, Chinese or even French. They

have to be taught. Furthermore, while dogs are

experts at learning to read human body language,

they’re no more adept at reading human minds

than humans are. When you put these two factors

together it becomes clear that half the time when

we think our dog knows what we want, he’s just

feeling his way around.

We can easily fix this communication by simply

understanding that dogs repeat behaviors that are

reinforced or rewarded. Thus in order to change

behavior, all we have to do is identify what’s

reinforcing the bad behavior, remove that

reinforcement and instead reward an alternate

appropriate behavior. For instance, dogs jump on

people because they want our attention, even when

that attention involves pushing them away or

shouting “no.” To fix this behavior, we have to

withdraw all attention when Fido’s jumping and

instead reward an alternate behavior such as

sitting politely. So when Fido sits, we should

immediately pet, praise or give him treats.

Clearly one key to success here is rewarding the

correct behavior as it occurs or immediately

afterward. This requires opening our eyes so that

we see the correct behavior, closing our mouths so

we don’t babble all kinds of distracting dialogue,

and refraining from flailing our arms in extraneous

gestures. Dogs key in more to our visual cues and

actions than on our words. To avoid confusing Fido

with words, we’ll focus on our actions. Once we’ve

taught Fido the behavior, we’ll add the verbal cue.

Motivation

Like people, different dogs are motivated by

different things. Some dogs like to play with toys, others like praise and petting, and still

others will do anything for food. In this program, we’ll take all of these motivators or

Formula for changing dog behavior:

1. Identify what’s reinforcing the bad

behavior.

2. Remove the reinforcement.

3. Reward or reinforce an alternate

appropriate behavior.

Some dogs are more motivated

by play and attention than food.

We’ll consider all motivators

in this program.

Dogs repeat behaviors that are

rewarded or reinforced.

Dogs key in to our visual cues and

actions more than on our words.

To avoid confusing Fido with words,

we’ll focus on our actions first and

add words later on.

Chapter 2: How Fido Learns

reinforcers into consideration and use them to our

advantage. But the main reward we’ll use initially

for all training steps is food. Thus preparing your

dog to earn his food or treats is key to successful

training in this protocol.

Dogs that love the training treats or food will have

an attitude that says they like the pay. Those that

will eat the food but aren’t really crazy for it will

look lackluster, make more mistakes or appear

stubborn or stupid.

Turning Regular Meals into

a Flurry of Fun

While some owners claim their dogs don’t like food,

all dogs are motivated to eat because they have to

eat in order to survive. Some dogs have just learned,

like kids holding out for dessert, that if they wait

long enough they can trade their kibble for cookies.

These dogs have to be convinced that their dog

kibble is cool.

With humans we make food more appealing by

placing it in eye-catching packaging or by doling it

out in petite portions and dressing it up with fancy

decorations.

These tactics are not likely to impress even the most

finicky Fido. Dogs are more motivated by the actions

involved with obtaining their food. By feeding regularly from the MannersMinder, you’ll turn

meal times into a fun, interactive game.

Keeping Fido Healthy and Trim

Because you’ll be training Fido using quite a bit of food, we recommend you use a nutri-

tionally balanced dry dog food — one that’s approved for your dog’s life stage by the

Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Approved brands include Hills

Science Diet

, Nutro Max

and Nutro Natural Choice

. (For suggestions, go to Dr. Yin’s website at

www.AskDrYin.com.)

If you decide instead to use dog treats, your sessions should be spread out over an

increased number of days and the total calorie intake should be subtracted from Fido’s

daily allotment of food. Overall, treats should make up less than 10% of a dog’s daily food

intake. In this instruction manual, when we refer to treats, we mean dry dog food (kibble).

All dogs are motivated to eat because

they have to eat for survival.

Some dogs have just learned, like kids

holding out for dessert, that if they

wait long enough they can trade their

kibble for cookies.

By feeding regularly from the

MannersMinder machine, you’ll

turn meal times into a fun,

interactive game.

Getting Fido onto Meal Feedings

If your dog’s already on meal feedings and eats

his food exuberantly, right away you’re all set to

start training. If you usually leave Fido’s food out

all day or for hours on end, Fido may have learned

that food will always be there at his beckoning call

so there’s no need to rush to eat it. That is, food is

not a valued resource. This may sound odd but it’s

the same with humans too. If you had chocolate

and brownies available all day every day, brownies

would not be a good reward for you. In fact, you

might even avoid them. It’s only when the item is

somehow limited or controlled that it comes into

demand.

One way to make dog food a high-demand item for

your dog is to first put him on meal feedings.

•PutFidoontwodailymealfeedingswithhalfof

his daily allotment in the morning and half at

night. Put a measured amount down in the

morning. If he turns his nose up or eats a little

and then walks away, remove the food and put

it back in the dog food bag. He’s telling you he

doesn’t really want it, so let him wait for his next

meal. He has lost this portion for today. Repeat

the process at dinner and for additional meals

if needed. If everyone in the household holds out

for up to several days and refrains from giving treats in between, then even the dimmest

Dozer will quickly learn that he’d better eat what’s in front of him or he’ll have to wait

for the next meal.

•ForthosewhofeelguiltyaboutgoingsolongwithoutgivingFidoachance,youcan

re-present his food 15 minutes after you’ve removed it to see if he’ll eat it immediately

at that time. If he removes his head before he’s finished the meal, then remove the

food again.

For Dogs that are on Meal Feedings but Eat Without Gusto

For Fidos that do eat their kibble immediately but not with much gusto, or that eat their

kibble except when slightly distracted, try the following:

•Cutthetotalmealdownto

of normal amount for several days until Fido clearly

enjoys his food and then start training. Then once you start training if he ever seems

Use a nutritionally balanced dry dog

food — one that’s AAFCO approved

for your dog’s life stage.

If you usually leave Fido’s food out all

day or for hours on end, Fido may have

learned that food will always be there

at his beckoning call so there’s no

need to rush to eat it.

Chapter 2: How Fido Learns

bored or gets distracted, remove the

MannersMinder machine and stop the game until

you feel like playing again later in the day. If he

loses interest, even for a short instance, he’s

telling you he’s not that interested in eating. Or

at least he’s not willing to work for his food. He

wants it for free. By removing it before or imme-

diately once he shows disinterest, you will quickly

train him to become a good eater. You’ll also be

teaching him that you are in charge.

•OnceFido’sregularlyexcitedtogethisfood,which

he shows by running to the machine when you

take it out and staying focused on the machine

during the entire game, then you can start on the

specific polite-at-the-door training.

Won’t Fido Lose

Too Much Weight?

Some people worry that their dogs will waste away

or will dislike them for withholding their food.

Cutting back or missing meals for a few days won’t

make much of a difference in weight. In fact, if

Fido’s not willing to work for his meal, then he’s

telling you that he’s really not that hungry. He’s just

eating because the food is available and there’s

nothing better to do.

Over44%ofpetsintheU.S.areoverweightand

25% are actually considered obese. Because dogs

don’t walk around naked or wear bikinis — rather

they hide their fat under their fur — it’s easy for

the excess to go unnoticed. That means that if Fido

actually looks fat, he’s probably very heavy or even

obese. Even if you’re not concerned about how the

extra weight looks, you should consider taking it off

because a long-term scientific study published in

the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2001) clearly showed that

dogs that are lean, athletic and trim live two years longer and develop diseases such as

arthritis two years later than their regular or overweight counterparts.

For Fidos that do eat their

kibble immediately but not with much

gusto,cutthetotalmealdownto3/4

of normal amount for several days

until Fido clearly enjoys his food

and then start training.

Once Fido’s regularly

excited to get his food, you

can start on the specific

polite-at-the-door training.

If Fido’s not willing to work for his

meal, then he’s telling you that he’s

really not that hungry.

Over 44% of pets in the U.S. are

overweight and 25% are actually

considered obese.

Body Condition

To tell if your Fido’s fat or whether he’s closer to

that of the ideal athlete, look at his waist and feel

his backbone, hips, ribs and skin. From the top,

his waist should curve in like an hourglass right

after the rib cage and from the side you should

see a clear line where his last rib demarks the

start of his abdomen. On short-haired dogs, you

should even see the last one or two ribs. If you

put your hand on the rib cage and run them from

the shoulders towards his hind end, your fingers

should bump over his ribs. If you have to press to

feel the ribs you know that there’s a layer of fat

under the skin. In general, skin is not very thick.

Any increased thickness is due to fat.

You should easily be able to feel the spine and hips too and even see them. But if they jut

out or you notice a loss of muscle mass, then your dog is probably too thin.

If you’re unsure, have your veterinarian help you determine your dog’s body condition.

Dogs that are lean, athletic

and trim live two years longer

and develop diseases such as

arthritis two years later than their

regular or overweight counterparts.

Chapter 2: How Fido Learns

Chapter 3: Setup Instructions & Overview

Description of Parts

Treat Machine:

• Control Panel

[Under the Bin Cover]

Allows you to customize operation for advanced

training uses.

NOTE:SelectaCHANNEL–1,2,3,or4–for

both the base unit and remote. Be sure to

select the same CHANNEL for both.

(The CHANNEL switch on the remote can be found under

the battery cover adjacent to the battery compartment.)

• Kibble Bin

Holds supply of dry dog food for dispensing.

• Kibble Disc

Interchangeable for different food sizes. Fit the

correct one for your dog’s food size onto the

dispensing mechanism of the Kibble Bin. Note

that using the larger disc with small food will

dispense multiple treats on a single dispense.

• Treat Bowl

Catches the food reward. This is where your dog

goes for its treat.

• Battery Compartment

[Bottom of machine]

Requires4‘D’batteries.

Remote Control: DOWN-STAY button activates

the Down-Stay mode (Games 3 and 5). DISPENSE

button dispenses a single treat regardless of set-

tings. Avoid conspicuously pointing the remote at

the MannersMinder as your dog will see this as an

extraneous cue. Press and hold DISPENSE button to

deliver continuous treats — “Jackpot.”

(A 12V 23A

battery is included.)

NOTE: Additional, or replacement, remotes can be purchased from Premier Pet Products

for $25 USD/ea. You can reach the Customer Service Department at Premier by calling

888.640.8840.

Training DVD: Divided into chapters. This program

is designed to be watched one chapter at a time,

then followed up with actual training games. Do

not proceed to the next chapter and games until

you and your dog are ready.

NOTE: Because people tend to perform the

exercises more correctly when they see them

demonstrated and often inadvertently perform

them incorrectly otherwise, we recommend

you watch the DVD before each exercise rather

than just reading the manual. Use the manual

as a reminder of what you viewed on the DVD.

Target and Base: The target is adjustable in

length and can be hand-held or placed in its base

as a stationary target.

NOTE: Additional, or replacement, target wands (with base) can be purchased from

Premier Pet Products for $15 USD/set. You can reach the Customer Service Department

atPremierbycalling888.640.8840.

Setting Up the Machine

•Install4‘D’batteriesintothebatterycompartmentatthebottomofthemachine.

The batteries should last about 6 months.

•Thismachinerequiresdrydogfoodortreatsthatcanfitthoughtheholesoneither

of the two Kibble Discs. If treats are used, it is important that you balance treats within

the dogs proper diet requirements. Round or oval kibble of uniform size and shape work

best. Avoid wet food or treats.

•Somesemi-moisttreatscanbeshapedtofitbutdispensingisnotasreliableaswith

kibble.

•AttachthecorrectKibbleDiscforyoudog’streatsize.

•SinceyourdogwillbeearninghismealsoutoftheMannersMinder,fillthemachinewith

approximately one meal’s worth of food. Remove the MannersMinder when not in use

until your dog has completed Game 5 of training.

Install 4 ‘D’ batteries.

This machine requires dry dog food or

treats that can fit though the holes on

either of the two Kibble Discs.

(Round or oval kibble works best.)

Chapter 3: Setup Instructions & Overview

Overview of the Control Panel

Power Switch: Set to ON for all MannersMinder operations. Indicator light turns green.

Channel Switch: Used to select a specific frequency.

TheCHANNEL–1,2,3,or4–chosenforboththe

base unit and remote must match for the system to

operate properly.

Volume: Controls the volume of the cue and training

tones from the machine. The POWER switch should

be on and the VOLUME set to the appropriate level.

Dispense treats by hitting DISPENSE on the remote.

We won’t use the DOWN-STAY button or any of the

other controls until Games 3 and 5 of training.

Down-Stay Session: Used for Games 3 and 5. Each Down-Stay session is one minute.

•Single Treat – Dispenses one treat at a time when Down-Stay mode is activated (see

below). Used for Games 3 and 5.

• Multitreat – Dispenses several treats at a time when Down-Stay mode is activated.

•Cue Dispense – Alerts you when to press the

DISPENSE button in the Down-Stay mode. Used

for Game 3 (Down-Stay). In this setting, the timer

will beep but food will not be dispensed until you

press the DISPENSE button.

Treat Rate Dial: Determines how frequently treats

are dispensed during a Down-Stay session.

Fixed or Variable Switch: Determines whether

treats are dispensed at the fixed time interval

chosen on the dial or on at a more unpredictable

interval – one that averages the interval chosen. In

most of the Down-Stay exercises, this switch will be set on FIXED. When this switch is set

to VARIABLE, the Down-Stay session will not stop after one minute. This feature allows you

to feed your dog his complete meal.

Down-Stay Light

[Above Control Panel] : Indicates unit is in a Down-Stay session and is set

to dispense according to the timed Treat Rate settings.

(Activates in Games 3 and 5 of training.)

NOTE: If the Down-Stay light flashes on and off, check for dispenser jam or see if

the unit is empty. The unit will beep and light will flash for one minute before turning

off automatically.

Warning Lights:

•Sleepmode– If using batteries, after 30 minutes of non-use, the MannersMinder

goes into Sleep mode as indicated by a slow blinking green power light. To wake up

MannersMinder, press any button on the remote.

•Redpowerlightindicatesbatteriesneedtobereplaced.

•WhenDown-Staylightflashes,pleasecheckforajamoranemptykibblebin.

Watch the DVD

Chapters 1 and 2 explain why this system of training works and are crucial for you to

watch first, so that you can understand the program and avoid common mistakes. These

chapters do not include any games or exercises and can be viewed at once.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the program.

Chapter 2, How Fido Learns, provides crucial info that will help you understand how your

dog learns and what motivates him to learn. It’s essential for understanding why this

program works so well.

Chapter 3 gives full details how the machine itself is setup and operates. After that, each

chapter is set up to guide you day by day through the entire process.

TIP: If you’re in a hurry, it’s okay to start with Chapter 3, but be sure to go back and

review Chapters 1 and 2 when you have more time.

Chapter4,5,8,11,12arethefirstof5traininggames.

Chapters 6 and 9 do not involve the MannersMinder machine but are essential for

completing the program. They contain the most important exercises in the dog training.

Chapters 7 and 10 are other basic exercises you may need.

Chapter 13 shows you how to practice with guests at the door.

Chapter14showsyouhowtofadeawaytheMannersMindermachineifyouwant.

Chapter 3: Setup Instructions & Overview

Chapter 4: Game 1 – Tone & Treat

Recommended Practice:

Two 15-minute sessions every day.

TIP: For multi-dog households, train one dog at a

time. If your dogs fight amongst themselves over

their food bowls, then train one dog through the

protocol before starting the second dog. Start

with any dog.

In this section, you’ll first teach Fido to eat kibble

or treats out of the MannersMinder bowl. Then you’ll

teach him through classical conditioning that the

tone means a treat is coming. Once we’ve trained

this association, we’ll use the tone to tell Fido when

he’s done something right. The tone will mark the

correct behavior and it’ll immediately be followed by

a food reward.

Step 1: Feeding Out of the Bowl

Turn the POWER on, but turn the machine VOLUME

off. Then place treats by hand into the treat bowl to

attract Fido to the bowl. After he eats them, add a

few more pieces of kibble. If he’s wary of the bowl,

continue adding kibble each time he’s finished eating the previous kibble until he readily

eats from the bowl. Most dogs are attracted to the bowl after several kibble.

Step 2: Dispensing Treats

Once Fido’s no longer suspicious of the machine, press the DISPENSE button so that the

MannersMinder dispenses kibble. Wait for him to get his treat. Then repeat. The tone

should not be sounding at this stage. Many dogs look at their owners or away from the

MannersMinder but orient to the sound of the MannersMinder and then see the treat com-

ing out. If your dog doesn’t orient, either point the treat out or make sure he’s looking at

the MannersMinder when you dispense the treat. Once he comfortably takes food immedi-

ately after it’s dispensed, go to Step 3.

Step 1: Feeding Out of The Bowl

Turn the POWER on, but the VOLUME

off, then place treats by hand into the

MannersMinder treat bowl to attract

Fido to the bowl.

Step 2: Dispensing Treats

Once Fido’s no longer suspicious of

the machine, press DISPENSE on the

remote control button to dispense

kibble. Wait for him to get the treat.

Then repeat.

Step 3: Adding the Tone

Now turn the VOLUME to low. Fido will probably

orient towards the sound of the food dispensing or

to the tone even though it’s soft and then get the

treat. Repeat this procedure, until he immediately

gets the treat 9 out of 10 times in a row.

Step 4: Rewarding Eye Contact

Now we’ll work on teaching Fido to pay attention to

you by giving you eye contact.

This step is important for teaching Fido to focus

on you rather than becoming overly engrossed in

the MannersMinder. It’s also important for confirm-

ing that Fido knows the “tone/treat” association.

Some dogs automatically look at their owners for

reassurance between treats or because they know

who’s controlling the treat dispensing. If your dog

already automatically looks at you, make sure you

reward him by toning and treating when he looks

at you.

If he doesn’t, you can get his attention by making

a smooching sound and when he looks, TONE &

TREAT. If he passed Step 3, then he should imme-

diately go to get his treat when he hears the tone.

Repeat until your dog is consistent. Some dogs

don’t look when you smooch. If smooching doesn’t

work after several tries, give your dog a treat from

your hand several times in a row and then when

he looks at you expecting another morsel of food,

TONE & TREAT. Do this a few more times and you’ll

no longer need to give him treats by hand to get

his attention. Stand in several different locations

when you practice this step and make sure your

dog stays fairly close to the MannersMinder during

this step since we’ll wait until the next step to add distance.

When your dog consistently looks at you then immediately goes to get his treat upon

hearing the tone, and he can do this when you’re standing in at least two different

locations, go to Step 5.

Step 3: Adding the Tone

Now turn the VOLUME to low. Repeat

this procedure until he immediately

gets the treat 9 out of 10 times in

a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 4: Rewarding Eye Contact

Location 1

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Location 2

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Repeat until your dog performs

correctly 9 out of 10 times in a row.

Chapter 4: Game 1 – Tone & Treat

TIP: If you are using the MannersMinder to train

Fido to perform a calm, quiet down-stay and…

a) you don’t care whether he learns to run to a

specific location and… b) you want to skip

‘targeting’(Chapter5),youcanskipStep 5 as

well and go directly to down-stay training

(Chapter 8). If you do this, then during the

down-stay exercises you should have a leash on

Fido so you can guide him off the rug instead of

targeting him off between trials.

Step 5: Adding Distance

To ensure that your dog’s response to the tone is

strong enough for the later stages of training, we’ll

build up distance next.

First move 3-5 feet away from the MannersMinder.

If your dog follows you, TONE & TREAT. If he passed Step 4, he should immediately walk or

run to get his treat from the MannersMinder. If he stays near

the MannersMinder, lure him away by giving a treat by hand, then TONE & TREAT when he’s

standing close to you.

Repeat this step until your dog consistently responds to the tone from 5 feet away. He

should immediately run to get his treat 9 out of 10 times in a row before you go on to the

next stage of training.

Troubleshooting

Fido’s Afraid of the MannersMinder

Start with the best treats you have. Continue putting food in the machine until he’s com-

fortable taking food. You can also turn the volume down again or even off so he isn’t

startled. You can also make a trail of treats leading to the machine so that he learns to

walk up to the machine by eating the treat trail (put extra kibble in the bowl). After awhile

he won’t need this trail to get him to the treat bowl.

Slow to Learn the Tone & Treat

Use a higher value treat. Some dogs will work for treats that you give by hand but aren’t

as motivated to work for treats dispensed by MannersMinder. In some cases, this may be

because these dogs find the human interaction part of the reward. The food isn’t motivat-

ing enough on its own.

Step 5: Adding Distance

First move 3-5 feet away from the

MannersMinder. Only TONE & TREAT

when he’s standing close to you.

Repeat until he consistently responds

to the tone from 5 feet away. He should

immediately run to get his treat 9 out

of 10 times in a row before you go on

to the next stage of training.

Checklist

❏

Fido Paws the Machine

Avoid letting him paw the MannersMinder. Only

reward him when he’s standing with all four feet

on the floor. An easy way to do this is to get him to

focus on you instead of the MannersMinder by

giving him several treats by hand and then

dispensing a treat when he’s focused on you.

Repeat this pattern several times, then start

treating from the MannersMinder before Fido has

a chance to paw again. Gradually increase the

amount of time he stands stationary with all four

feet on the floor. Always make sure you reward him

before he starts pawing again. Once he consis-

tently waits with all four feet on the floor to get his

treat, go to the next step.

Fido Barks at the Machine

If Fido barks at the MannersMinder, make sure

you don’t dispense a treat during or right after he

barks. Only give the treat when he’s being quiet.

Again, you can give a few treats by hand to take

the focus off the machine. Then hurry up and

TONE & TREAT while he’s quiet and before he starts

barking again. Or give him several treats in a

row when he is quiet and before he has a chance to bark again. Then gradually increase

the interval between treats. By doing so, you’ll be extending the moments of quiet and

decreasing the bouts of barking.

Make sure you

don’t reward barking.

Avoid letting Fido

paw the MannersMinder.

Chapter 4: Game 1 – Tone & Treat

Chapter 5: Game 2 – Targeting

Recommended Daily Practice:

Two 15-minute sessions.

Practice each step in sets of 5-10 repetitions with

breaks in-between. When Fido gets 9 out of 10,

right you can go to the next step. You can

conveniently practice this exercise in short sets

during TV commercials.

In this game, you will use the hand-held target.

Its length is adjustable. Make sure the length

is adjusted so you can easily present the end of

the target below your dog’s nose level while you are

standing.

If at any point your dog does not respond to your

visual presentation of the target or your verbal cue,

avoid moving it closer or your dog will train you to

move the target closer. Instead, remove the target

and then re-present it.

Step 1: Presenting the Target

Put a small dab of wet dog food, peanut

butter or something tasty on the target. Then with

Fido facing the MannersMinder, present the target

at nose level several inches away but close enough

for him to reach with an outstretched neck. When

he reaches out to sniff the target, TONE & TREAT

and simultaneously remove the target. If he knows

the TONE & TREAT well, he should immediately run

to get his treat. If he’s not that motivated for the

food or doesn’t know the association well, he will

take his time. If Fido doesn’t try to touch the target,

remove it and present it a little closer. When he can

touch the target immediately upon visual presenta-

tion nine out of ten times in a row, remove the food

on the target and go to Step 2.

Step 2: Taking 1-3 Steps

Present the target far enough from Fido so that he has to take 1-3 steps to reach it. TONE

& TREAT when he touches it. Remember to start with the target out of view and once he

touches it, remove it while simultaneously activating the TONE & TREAT. When he touches

the target immediately upon presentation 9 out of 10 times in a row, go to the next step.

Checklist

❏

Step 2: Taking 1-3 Steps

Present the target far enough from

Fido so that he has to take 1-3 steps

to reach it.

Checklist

❏

Step 1: Presenting the Target

Put a small dab of wet dog food,

peanut butter or something tasty on

the target.

Step 3:

Repeat Step 2, standing far enough away so that

Fido has to take 3-5 steps to reach the target.

When he can perform this 9 out of 10 times in a

row, go to Step 4.

Step 4: Adding the Verbal Cue

Right now, Fido’s cue for touching the target is

your visual presentation of the target. Now you will

add a verbal cue. Right before presenting the

target, say “Target” distinctly so that he orients to

the sound of your voice. Then immediately present

the target. Your voice should cause him to orient

and then the first thing he will see is the target.

After several trials, he will get the idea that the

word is always followed by a presentation of the

target. Therefore the word must mean he should

go and touch the target.

NOTE: If you say the cue word and present the

visual cue at the same time, Fido may never

learn that the cue word means the same as the

visual cue because he has no reason to learn

the second cue. The visual cue is more noticeable

and will block his learning of the second cue

that’s presented at the same time. In psychology,

this phenomenon is called blocking.

How Do You Know When He knows?

We know that Fido has a clue about the meaning

of “target” when he orients upon hearing the cue

word 9 out of 10 times in a row when he’s first

facing away from you.

We don’t actually have to have targeting with verbal cue to go on to the next exercises. The

visual cue (presentation of the target) is good enough.

Stationary Target

On days that you don’t feel like training, you can exercise Fido by having him target to the

stationary target. Place the target in the included base. To teach him to touch this target,

just TONE & TREAT whenever he touches it.

Checklist

❏

Step 3:

Repeat Step 2, standing far enough

away so that Fido has to take 3-5

steps to reach the target.

Checklist

❏

Step 4: Adding the Verbal Cue

Say “target.” Then after your dog

looks, quickly present the target at his

nose level.

Chapter 5: Game 2 – Targeting

Troubleshooting

Some Dogs Bite the Target

This is ok but if you only want Fido to touch with his nose, then only reward when he

touches his nose to the target. Don’t reward instances where he bites the target.

Dog Responds Slowly

If your dog responds slowly, you either:

•Skippedastep

•Movedontothenextsteptooquickly.(Gobackandrepeatanearlierstep.)

•Yourpresentationofthetargetwasnotquickenough.

•Fidowasnotmotivatedbythefoodreward.Youneedtotryadifferent,moreenticing,

treat or reduce the amount of available food throughout the day.

•Fidojustneedsmorepracticeandalongerreinforcementhistoryforthisbehaviorso

thatheenjoys‘targeting’more.

TIP: If your dog is more motivated by food than

anything else

(meaning as soon as he sees food

he becomes blind to all potential distractions)

, you can

probably skip Chapter 6. But if he… a) jumps on

people exuberantly… b) darts out the door…

c) has a low attention span…or d) loves

attention and toys more than food, then

Chapter 6 is essential.

Recommended Daily practice:

At least three sessions of 10 repetitions and every

time your dog wants something from you.

This is the most important exercise in all of dog

training and failure to do this exercise is one of

the top reasons for delay in program completion.

By training your dog to automatically say please by

sitting, you’ll teach him to ask for privileges rather

than taking whatever he wants for free. Once your

dog consistantly sits automatically in all of the

situations described, you can elect to use it or not

to use it in all of these situation, but you’ll have it

in your toolbox in case you need it later on.

TIP: Your dog will respond more to your actions

than to your words. Make sure your body language

and actions are correct.

Step 1: Learning to Say Please

by Automatically Sitting

Start with a very hungry dog either on a leash or

in a small room without any distractions. Let him

see that you have a treat so that he knows what

he can earn, then just hold the treat hidden in your

hand against your body and above your belt. At

first, Fido will wonder why there is a delay in treat

delivery. If he’s a go-getter, he’ll try to get your

attention doing what’s worked in the past. This

probably means a few pogo-like pounces on you

and a “woof, yap, yip.” Rather than barking back

an English equivalent of “No” or placing a hand

Dogs say, “Please” by sitting patiently

while awaiting the go-ahead from

you. Avoid rewarding Fido for jumping,

standing and climbing all over you.

Reward while sitting.

Checklist

Day 1

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Day 2

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Day 3

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Step 1: Learning to Say Please by

Automatically Sitting — 10 times in a

row, 3 sessions a day, for 3 days.

Chapter 6: Say Please by Sitting

on him to keep him down, make like an icicle and

freeze so that he knows you’re ignoring him. You

can even turn your back on him. Be completely quiet

and still.

This will puzzle your punchy pooch and give his

wheels a workout. If he wasn’t attached to you by a

leash or stuck in a small room with you, he might

give up and find a simpler game. But since he’s

hungry for your special treat and strapped to you by

his leash, you can just wait him out. Eventually he’ll

sit. Immediately give him a treat before he has a

chance to get up.

Next, walk away a few steps while hiding the treat

in your hand and repeat this exercise. If he starts to

wander, get his attention by making a smooching

sound. Don’t bother using his name unless you’re

100 percent sure he’ll look at you immediately.

Otherwise, you’ll just be teaching him to ignore

his name. If making a sound doesn’t immediately

get his attention the first time, then hold still and

just wait (sometimes for quite awhile) until he gets

bored and figures out that he’ll continue to be bored

until he sits again and gives you his attention.

Once you have his attention again and he decides to

make another try for the treat, he’ll still start with

the old song-and-dance routine. When it just earns

a cold shoulder, he’ll start thinking about what

worked last time. As soon as he sits, send the treat

express-delivery before he stands up.

Practice this 10 times in row and Fido should clearly

have the concept that if he wants something from

you he should offer a sit in order to say “please.”

Now you can switch to giving treats intermittently

and replacing with praise or petting (whichever

reward he wants).

Step 2: Sits in Rapid Succession

Now, practice getting sits in rapid succession. Each

time your dog sits, give treats while he’s still sit-

ting, then take several steps away and repeat. Give

only one treat if he’s already good at offering a sit

Immediately give a treat

while Fido is still sitting.

Checklist

Day 1

❏

Day 2

❏

Day 3

❏

Don’t use any verbal cue because we

don’t want to have to micromanage

Fido’s sit behavior, rather we want him

to say “please” automatically every

time he wants something from you.

Step 2: Sits in Rapid Succession

Now, practice sits in rapid succession.

Each time your dog sits, give treats

while he’s still sitting, then take several

steps away and repeat. Work up to

10 sits in a minute.

and staying seated, but give several treats in suc-

cession if he tends to get up immediately after

you’re done or if he has a long history of jumping

on people. This means you should have 5-10 treats

ready in your hand. If your timing is good and you

perform these sits in rapid succession, your dog’s

eyes should be glued to your face. If you’re too slow

or your timing is off, he’ll get bored and his atten-

tion will wander. The more we reinforce sit and

standing completely stationary when Fido gets up,

the quicker sitting for food will become a habit.

Practice in Other Situations

Once Fido knows this exercise so well that he’s

performing 10 sequential sits in a minute, apply

this polite behavior to other situations where he

wants something from you. Avoid using a verbal

cue such as “sit” because we don’t want to have

to micromanage his sit behavior, rather we want

him to say “please” automatically every time he

wants something from you.

When to Use “Say Please by Sitting”

Fido should sit and remain seated in all of these situations below and remain sitting until

you give a verbal or visual signal that he can get up. So for instance, when he sits for you

to open the door, he should remain seated even with the door wide open until you tell him

he can go through. The goal is to teach Fido that the door only opens when he sits. As soon

as he stands without your permission, the door closes. This will be very important for the

last stage of training.

•Togothroughdoorwaysandgates,especiallywhenguestscometothedoor

•Togetoutofhiscrate

•Tohavehistoytossed

•Toreceivetreatsormeals

•To get his leash on when he goes for a walk

•Togetoutofthecar

•Togreetpeople

Chapter 6: Say Please by Sitting

Troubleshooting

If after a day or two you don’t see a dramatic change in behavior here’s what might be

going wrong:

•Yourtimingisoffandyoudon’tgetthetreattoyourdogquicklyenoughorwhilehe’s

still sitting. Fido should be in the sitting position when you give him the treat.

•Youdon’tgiveenoughtreatsforsittingandremainingseated.Dogsthatjumpalot

need lots of treats for remaining seated.

•Youorotherfamilymembersareinconsistent.SometimesyourequireFidotosittoearn

privileges such as getting his leash on or getting attention. Other times you don’t.

•Youdon’twaitlongenoughforFidotosit.Youmayhavetowaitseveralminutesat

first for dogs who are comfortable waiting in a standing position or don’t like to sit

much. Hold completely still so he realizes nothing is happening. Wait until he chooses

to walk up to you and sits with his attention focused on you.

•Youdon’tstandsilentandstationarywhileyouwaitforFidotosit.Ratheryoumove

your arms around, try to bribe or lure Fido by waving the treat, grab the leash with your

hands, or physically take one or more steps. Every time you make a movement, you

create a stimulus and it takes longer for Fido to learn that nothing happens until he

sits politely.

•YourbodylanguageconfusesFido.Youmaybeleaningoverhimashestands,soit’s

not clear to him that he is being ignored, or you feed the treat in such a way that you

cause him to stand.

•Yourdog’snotmotivatedbythereinforceryou’reusing.Forinstance,don’trequireyour

dog to sit to go through the back door if he has no desire to go out the back door.

•It’seasyforyourdogtoignoreyoubecausehefindsotherrewardssuchasrunning

away to play with his toy. Use a handsfree leash if your dog does this.

Recommended Daily Practice:

Three sessions of 5-10 Downs.

NOTE: If your dog knows how to lie down on com-

mand, skip this chapter. If your dog doesn’t know

this yet, don’t fret. It will only take a few short

sessions and he only needs to know how to lie

down for a second or two before you continue with

the polite-at-the-door training.

Here are two different methods you can use.

Method One: The “L” Pattern

Start with Fido already in a sit and hold a treat

several inches below his nose so that he has to

look down to touch it. This will draw his nose down

and cause him to lower his head and front end a

little. When he touches lower to sniff it, let him eat

the treat, then offer additional treats in the same

location. When he eats 10 treats in a row without

lifting his rear off the ground, go to Trial 2. If he

gets up to get to the treat, then you’re holding it

too low. Raise it a little for now.

Next, hold the treat a little lower so that Fido

bends down a little more. If he loses interest or

keeps getting up, you’re holding the treat down too

far. Continue this process until he’s pretty good,

then increase the difficulty in the next trial by

holding the treat further down. Once you’ve gradu-

ally worked to the level where the treat is almost

on the ground, take the next step by holding the

treat on the ground but a few inches away from

him. This will allow him to bring the front of his

body the rest of the way down. Overall, you are

moving the treat down and then away from him

in an “L” pattern. Pretty soon he should be going

down fairly easily.

NOTE: For small dogs with very short legs, some-

times it’s easier to have them on their raised dog

bed so that they have to reach down a little to

get their treat.

Checklist

Step 1

Trial 1

❏

Trial 2

❏

Trial 3

❏

For small dogs with very short legs,

sometimes it’s easier to have them

on a raised dog bed.

The "L" Pattern

Chapter 7: Down

Method Two: Make a Tunnel

For dogs that really don’t like to lie down, you can

try the tunnel variation. Start with both you and Fido

sitting on the floor. Raise your knees so that you’ve

made a little tunnel and hold the treat under your

tunnel but protruding out a little. Fido will have to

bow down and reach into the tunnel. At first, he’ll

just bow. Reward him for this a bunch of times.

Then, gradually shape the behavior in steps by

moving the treat further under the tunnel so that

Fido has to reach further into the tunnel. If he runs

around to the other side to get the treat, then you’ve

moved through the step too soon and put the treat

too far into your tunnel.

Eventually, he will magically bow low enough and then lie down. When he lies down imme-

diately several times in a row, you can switch to the “L” pattern method.

Adding the Cue Word “Down”

At any point when Fido’s predictably lying down with the hand signal or on his own, add

the cue word, “Down” right before you give the visual signal or before you know he’s

going to lie down. Make sure you say the cue distinctly but in a happy voice. Give a treat

immediately when he lies down. When you can say the verbal cue while holding perfectly

still, your dog knows the “Down” cue.

Troubleshooting

•Youholdthetreatouttoofarandlureyourdogintoastandratherthanintoadown.

•Youwentontothenextsteptoosoon.Forinstance,whenusingthe“L”patternmethod,

you start drawing the treat out along the ground too soon.

•Fidoisn’tcomfortableonthesurface.Startonacomfortablesurfacesuchasarug.

Later train on more difficult surfaces such as a hardwood floor or concrete.

For dogs that really don’t like to lie

down, try the tunnel variation.

The Tunnel

Recommended Daily Practice:

Two 15-minute sessions.

In this exercise, Fido gets treats when lying down

and the treats come so frequently that there’s little

time for him to get distracted and get up. The first

few times he may get up to get the treat before he

realizes that he can get them while lying down. If

he gets up, just tell him “Down” or lure him down

again and reward him again for lying down. Also

make sure the MannersMinder is conveniently

located so that he can eat from it while lying

down. It’s best if he learns to lie down on verbal

cue or automatically when he gets on the rug as

this will be important for Game 4.

NOTE: Make sure Fido is truly motivated to work

for his food. Stop the session if he looks bored or

isn’t hungry.

Practice this exercise in ONE-MINUTE SESSIONS.

At the end of each one-minute session, provide 2-3

more treats randomly and then target Fido off the

rug. The purpose of targeting is to give him prac-

tice running to the MannersMinder and rug. Target

him about 3 times in between trials and then when

you’re ready to start another Down-Stay session,

just follow him up to the rug and cue him to lie

down. Make sure you always target Fido off the

rug after each session so he learns not to get off

on his own. If he has a good recall, you can also

sometimes call him off the rug, but you should

mostly target him off. If he likes to stay on his rug

that is a good sign as it means he’s learning his

down-stay well.

TIPS: If Fido makes more than 2 mistakes in a

row or starts barking at or pushing the machine,

refer immediately to the trouble-shooting at the

end of this section. If he’s not performing well or

frequently gets off, stop the session. If he’s not

willing to work for the food, he’s telling you he

wants it for free. Wait until he finds food to be

Make sure the machine is conveniently

located so that Fido can eat from

it while lying down.

Set the control panel to:

– Power = on

– Volume = on

– Session = cue dispense

– Treat Rate = :03 seconds

– Treat Interval = fixed

At the end of each one-minute

Down-Stay session, provide 2-3 more

treats at variable intervals and then

target Fido off the rug.

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

TIPS (con’t):

a more valuable resource or learns that it’s only

available when you present it and when he’s

willing to work. Also, if he’s more motivated by

praise, play or other things, or overall has a

low attention span, you will need to perform the

exercises Say Please by Sitting (Chapter 6) and

Rewarding Calm Behavior (Chapter 9) in order

to successfully complete this and the next two

sections.

If the last session was on a different day, it’s a good

idea to review the last step that Fido completed.

Starting the One-Minute Sessions

Take the MannersMinder and a comfortable rug or dog bed out. From here on out, I’ll refer

to both as a rug. For now, make sure you use a rug that you only use for this one purpose.

Avoid using his regular dog bed or a rug he lies down on regularly. Be sure to choose

something that you won’t mind having near your front door later down the road.

•RememberthatboththeMannersMinderandtherugshouldonlybeoutduringtraining

sessions at this point so that your dog learns that these things are special and access

to them is limited.

•Also,onlyrewardyourdogfromthe

MannersMinder for lying on his rug when you ask

him to. Otherwise, he may end up training you

to give him treats at his will rather than on your

terms.

•PositiontheMannersMinderattheedgeofthe

rug in a way that allows your dog to eat the treats

without having to get up. You may have to prop it

up on something if you’re using a dog bed.

•TurntheMannersMindertoON,turntheTONE

VOLUME to ON. Set the Down-Stay Session

switch to CUE DISPENSE. This setting tells the

MannersMinder to give you an audible cue that

tells you when to dispense a treat.

•ThensettheTreatRatetimeto:03seconds

so that it gives you the cue tone every :03

seconds. Set the interval to FIXED so that the

MannersMinder will give the cue tone at a fixed

interval.

When Fido can repeat

5 one-minute trials in a row at any

given level or step (with short

breaks between each minute), then

he can go onto the next step.

Now if you hit the DOWN-STAY button on the remote, the Down-Stay light will go on signal-

ing that you’ve started a one-minute session and the MannersMinder will emit a cue tone

every :03 seconds.

When you hear the cue you should immediately press DISPENSE on the remote so that your

dog hears the tone and gets his treat. This cue tone is a guideline. If your dog need treats

more frequently at first, then give them more frequently. If your dog takes longer than :03

seconds to eat treats sometimes, then give the treats less frequently. And, if your dog gets

up, immediately stop giving treats or you may accidentally reward your dog for getting

up. Then, give your dog a verbal or visual cue to lie down. Dispense a few treats with the

DISPENSE button.

If your dog gets up to get his treats, stop dispensing treats immediately and just have

him lie down again. You can target him back in position or lure him with a treat by hand

if needed. Avoid physically repositioning him as this confuses some dogs and causes oth-

ers to resist which often leads to poor performance later. Then dispense additional treats.

Check the positioning of the MannersMinder to make sure it’s convenient for your dog.

Some dogs get up each time you dispense a treat at first. Just continue having them lie

down each time they get up. After they lie down many times in a row to get the treat they

figure out that it’s less effort to just stay lying down the whole time. So take your time on

this preliminary step. Once your dog consistently lies down to get his treats, you can go to

Step 1 of the Down-Stay Game.

NOTE: Even flat nosed dogs such as bulldogs can eat out of the MannersMinder treat

bowl. We suggest elevating their rug or using a large kibble to make eating from the

treat bowl easier.

Step 1: Now, we’ll start our first one-minute trial.

Kneel or sit next to your dog’s rug. Get your dog to

lie down on his rug and immediately press the

DOWN-STAY button on the remote. Then, immedi-

ately dispense the first treat and then dispense

treats every :03 seconds when you hear the cue-

tone.

When the Down-Stay light turns off signaling one

minute, dispense a few extra treats randomly so

that your dog doesn’t learn to tell time and get up

on his own at one minute. Then inconspicuously

pull out your target and target Fido off. Target him several times between each trial in

order to provide variety in training and also to give him vital practice for the Place game in

Chapter 11.

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

Step 1: Treat Rate :03 seconds.

Repeat 5 times in a row.

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

During this step, he’ll probably look like he wants to

get up and will move around on his bed. If he gets

up, stop the treats, put him back in a down and

start the minute over again. At first you may have

to do this a bunch of times in a row because he

willgetupeachtimetogetthetreat.Butafter3-4

times of getting up and being put back in a down,

he will get the idea that he should stay down. When

he completes this level for 5 one-minute sessions in

a row target him off his place between trials, then

go to Step 2.

TIP: If you are just training Fido to do a down-stay

but don’t need to send him to a specific location,

then between trials you can call him away from

his rug or use a leash and guide him off.

Step 2: Repeat as with Step 1 but deliver the first

treat starting at :03 seconds after Fido lies down.

At the end of the one minute, give him a few treats

from your hand while he’s still in a down so that

he learns that he still has to stay down when

getting treats from your hand. Make sure you reach

down low enough so that you don’t lure him into a

stand! Occasionally giving treats from your hand

will also prevent possessive pooches from guard-

ing the machine from you. They learn that when you

approach their machine they get good things from

you. You can also sometimes provide better treats

from your hand than from the machine, if you’re

concerned that Fido may start guarding. (If he has a

history of food guarding, you should get help from a professional animal behavior special-

ist!). Otherwise, the treat should be the same or lower value than what’s coming from the

machine because you want the dog to be more interested in staying in his “place” than

coming over to you.

Once Fido completes 5 trials in a row, go to Step 3.

Step 3: Repeat as with Step 2 but now the Treat Rate is :05 seconds with the first treat

coming at :05 seconds.

By now you probably don’t have to crouch down, rather once you get Fido in a down you can

sit within 3 feet in a chair.

At the end of one minute,

dispense a few extra

treats, then target Fido off.

At the end of one minute,

give some treats by hand.

Checklist

❏

Checklist

❏

Step 2: Treat Rate :03 seconds,

starting :03 seconds after Fido lies

down. Repeat 5 times in a row.

Note that if your dog is really short so that he

wants to get up to look at you during this exercise,

you may have to go back to giving treats more

frequently for 5 trials now that you’re sitting at

this new height. Make sure that you give him

treats right as you’re starting to stand up so that

he concentrates on the food rather than on your

change of height.

If he doesn’t have a problem with this height

change, then resume with the plan by giving treats

every :05 seconds, starting at :05 seconds.

From here on, at the end of one minute you will

vary the routine so that Fido doesn’t just learn to

tell time and automatically think he should get up

after one minute or doesn’t learn that every time

you stand up or approach it means to get up. So

sometimes after a minute, give 2-3 treats from the

MannersMinder randomly and sometimes walk up

to him and give 2-3 treats from your hand at

varying intervals. Sometimes walk up and give

a treat as you start to walk away. Remember to

always call him off or target Fido to leave his rug.

If he gets up before you call, then put him back

on his rug and tell him down and then give him a

treat for staying down.

Step 4: Repeat as with Step 3 but now the Treat

Rate is :07 seconds with the first treat coming at

:07 seconds. Repeat 5 times in a row. At this stage

dogs may start to prefer staying on the rug over

targeting. This is why a good targeting response is

important. You may need to review

targeting at this point. If you are having problems,

go to troubleshooting.

Steps 5: Repeat as with Step 4 but now the Treat

Rate is :10 seconds and then give 2-3 more treats

afterwards at a variable interval. When Fido can

repeat 5 trials in a row, go to Step 6.

Step 6: Repeat as with Step 5 but now the Treat

Rate is :15 seconds and then give 2-3 more treats

Step 3: Treat Rate :05 seconds.

Repeat 5 times in a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 4: Treat Rate :07 seconds.

Repeat 5 times in a row.

Checklist

❏

At the end of one minute,

vary the routine so that Fido doesn’t

just learn to tell time and

automatically think he should

get up after one minute.

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

Checklist

❏

Step 5: Treats every :10 seconds.

Five correct trials in a row.

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

afterwards at a variable interval. When Fido can

repeat 5 trials in a row, go to Step 7.

Step 7: Treat Rate every :20 seconds for a minute

and then give 2-3 more afterwards at a variable

interval. Also increase your distance from the

MannersMinder to 5 feet. When Fido can repeat

5 sessions in a row, go to Step 8.

By now your dog should be pretty stable. Also by now,

Fido should be starting to go to the “place” even

before you walk him over and give him the cue to lie

down. In fact, he may be lying down on his own. If

he’s not going readily, then your treat value is

probably too low (i.e. he’s getting too much free

food or has had too much to eat). Watch his expres-

sion and see if he’s truly motivated for the food. He

should have his ears pricked forward and should be

watching for the food.

Step 8: Treat Rate :25 seconds. Give treats at :25

seconds, :50 seconds and one minute and then give

2-3 more treats afterwards at a random interval.

When Fido can repeat 5 trials in a row, go to Step 9.

Step 9: Treat Rate :30 seconds. Give treats at :30

seconds and one minute, then give 2-3 more treats

afterwards at a random interval. When Fido can

repeat 5 trials in a row, go to Step 10.

Step 10:TreatRate:45seconds.Givetreatsat:45

seconds and one minute, then 2-3 treats afterwards

at a random interval. When Fido can repeat 5 trials

in a row, go to Step 11. Note, at this stage, because

Fido’s getting so few treats per each trial, from here on

it is okay to sometimes jackpot and give him a string

of treats each time. Press and hold the DISPENSE

button on the remote to give him a jackpot.

Step 11: Treat Rate :60 seconds. Give treats at one

minute, then give 2-3 more treats afterwards at a

random interval. When Fido can repeat 5 trials in a

row, he’s completed the “Down-Stay” section!

Step 6: Treats every :15 seconds.

Five correct trials in a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 7: Treats every :20 seconds.

Five correct trials in a row.

Checklist

❏

Checklist

❏

Step 8:

Troubleshooting

If Fido gets up more than 2 times in a row at one

level, here’s what might be wrong.

•Youwenttothenextsteptoosoon

(before complet-

ing the last step)

or you skipped too many days

between sessions. You can tell because Fido looks

interested in the treats but fidgets impatiently.

Solution: Go back to an earlier step.

•He’snotmotivatedenoughforthefood.Ifyou

completed the earlier step recently and Fido was

stable, then most likely it’s the treat value.

•Ifyourdoglooksbored,thenrandomlygetsup,or

if you switch to a higher value treat and he

suddenly looks more interested and does much

better, then motivation is the problem.

Just because an animal will eat a food when given

by hand or for free does not mean he likes the food

enough to work for it. If they don’t want to work for

it, they are telling you they aren’t that hungry and

they would rather have it for free. So, overall the

best course of action is just to take the

MannersMinder away and practice again later in

the day. Alternatively, you can use a real treat

instead of kibble. But remember dog treats that are

not nutritionally balanced should make up 10% or

less of his diet.

•IfFidowhines,barksandornosebuttsthe

machine, refer to the section on barking or

pawing the machine from the Tone & Treat

section. Make sure you address this problem

immediately instead of accidentally reinforcing

the bad behavior or it will take longer to fix the

inappropriate behavior.

•Also,ifFido’stoofocusedonthemachine,

smooch to get his attention when he’s lying down.

Follow this with a treat out of your hand for a few

sessions. This will take care of the problem.

Most dogs will focus on the MannersMinder in the

early steps of the “down-stay,” but by :30 seconds

Step 9: Treats every :30 seconds.

Five correct trials in a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 10:Treatsevery:45seconds.

Five correct trials in a row.

Checklist

❏

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

Checklist

❏

Step 11: Treats every :60 seconds.

Five correct trials in a row.

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay

or longer they often spend time looking at their

owner before they get their treat.

NOTE: At this point, Fido can do a down-stay under

normal household conditions but not with major

distractions. In stage 5 of training he will learn to

perform the down-stay even with significant

distractions such as visitors at the door.

Automatic Training Session – Quick Meal

At this point in training, on days when you’re thinking

about skipping a training session, instead of

feeding your dog out of his dog bowl put him through

an automatic training session. Set the Treat Rate

between :03-:30 seconds, put it on SINGLE TREAT

and VARIABLE interval so that it doles treats out on

average at the Treat Rate but the actual rate var-

ies, which keeps him guessing. Then hit the DOWN-

STAY button to have the machine feed your dog his

entire meal automatically. In the Variable mode, the

MannersMinder will keep going until it runs out of

food. Make sure you’re nearby so that you can call

Fido off his rug when he’s finished his meal and so

that you can stop the session if he gets up prema-

turely on his own. If you use an automatic session

before you finish this stage of training, when you

do resume a formal training session, make sure you

don’t skip ahead just because your dog does well on

these “non-training” days. If you’re on a long interval such as :30 or more seconds, or

you want to get through the meal faster, you can set it to MULTITREAT so that each reward

is a jackpot.

Remember to stay near your dog in this step since we haven’t yet worked on distractions.

If Fido’s too focused on the machine,

give treats by hand until he

focuses more on you.

Automatic Training Session:

– Power = on

– Volume = on

– Session = single treat or multitreat

– Treat Rate = :03-:30 seconds

– Treat Interval = variable

Chapter 9: Rewarding Calm Behavior

Recommended Daily Practice:

Two 10-minute sessions.

If even after working on Say Please by Sitting

(Chapter 6) your dog still loves to jump on people

or he’s more motivated by attention and play with

humans than food, then the following variation

of “say please by sitting” will give him the focus

he needs.

Step 1: Suddenly Settle

Now that Fido knows he should say please by sitting

in order to get your attention, you have a built in

ON-OFF switch. You should be able to jump, cheer

and get him bouncing around with you, and then be

able to freeze and expect him to immediately sit in

a game called “suddenly settle.” So, he’s still

allowed to play and run around when it’s okay with

you, but when you give the body posture cue he

should immediately settle. Practice this several

times each day.

Step 2: Changing Reward to Petting & Praise

Now we’ll make it habit for Fido to sit politely to be

petted. The best way to do this is where everyone

in the house concentrates on each interaction with

Fidoforthefirst24-48hours.Withoutthisspecial

attention to this exercise, it’s the humans who will

have problems changing their habits. Fido will just

do whatever you reward him for.

Every interaction with Fido is a training session, so

he’s always either learning what we want him to

learn or what we don’t want him to learn. If people

pet him for calmly sitting, he’ll learn to be calm

when he wants attention. If others pet him or give

him attention when he’s jumping, he’ll learn to jump

for attention. If individuals are inconsistent, Fido

will be inconsistent, too.

In this exercise, when Fido comes over to be petted,

stand up straight and ignore him until he sits.

Step 1: Suddenly Settle

Practice several times each day.

You should be able to jump, cheer and

pet Fido bouncing around with you.

Then stop and wait for him to sit.

Step 2: Changing Reward to

Petting & Praise

Practice this with every interaction

with your dog.

If people pet Fido or give him attention

when he’s jumping, he’ll learn to jump

for attention.

Chapter 9: Rewarding Calm Behavior

When he sits, reach out to pet him. He’s used to

getting treats as a reward for sitting and may not

be used to staying seated for an extended period of

time, so expect him to get up immediately or start

wiggling when you start petting. When he does,

immediately withdraw your hand and stand up

straight again so that it’s clear that this behavior

was not right. Then when he sits, go to pet him

again.

He may wiggle each time you try to pet him for up

to 10 times or more in a row. If you’re strict about

straightening up and removing your attention

immediately so that he knows what you want, he

will, within 10-20 minutes, understand that he

must stay seated in order to be petted. When you

do pet him, rub or stroke slowly. This will help keep

him calm.

Some dogs are motivated by so many other things

that as soon as you expect them to sit to earn

something they walk off to focus on something

that’s rewarding for free.

They go to sniff a toy or play with the other family

dog. They’ll just come back to you later when you’ll

lower the price of your praise and petting. In these

cases, you should start by practicing with Fido on

a leash, preferably a handsfree leash (or one tied

around your waist or to something stationary in

the house), so that you don’t give mixed signals by

tugging on the leash.

Now when Fido goes to walk off, make sure you

stand stationary instead of letting him drag you

with him. He’ll pull and tug at his end but if you’re

completely still, he’ll finally realize he’s going

nowhere. Eventually he’ll focus his attention again

on you. Wait until he sits on his own, then pet him.

If the whole family sticks to this regime regularly

every time they want to pet him, then Fido will be a

changed canine over-night. He will understand that even when he’s maximumly excited,

he has to calm himself and be polite. Have strangers and other guests also practice this

If your dog walks off, start by

practicing with him on a handsfree

leash, so that you don’t give mixed

signals by tugging or letting him pull

your arm forward.

Stand stationary when Fido

pulls on the leash.

Pet Fido only when he’s sitting.

Chapter 9: Rewarding Calm Behavior

routine. Soon sitting politely for pats on the head

will be a habit and Fido will no longer think of

jumping on family members or guests for attention.

As an added bonus, Fido will also be more focused

because he’s now used to controlling himself when

excited. So now, instead of going off and doing his

own thing or being sidetracked by the smallest

distraction, he’ll pay better attention to you.

ON-OFF Button

NOTE: Once he’s consistently calm for petting,

you can let him run around exuberantly for praise

and attention when you want to play with him.

He should immediately sit and calm down though

when your body posture tells him to.

Step 3: Changing the Calm Behavior to “Down”

To speed up training of the down-stay and to

strengthen Fido’s calm behavior, you can require

that Fido earn all petting and attention by lying

down. As with the sitting exercise, Fido may at first

wiggle or put his paws on you as soon as you start

petting. If he does this, immediately remove your

attention so that the message is clear. Pet only

when he’s lying calmly. Pet him in a slow, relaxed

stroking at first. Once you’re good at this, then

increase the exuberance with which you pet. If you

also only pet Fido when he’s on his rug during the

days or weeks of training, this will speed up learn-

ing that lying down on the rug is his favorite thing.

Practice this consistently.

Fido will soon understand that even

when he’s maximumly excited, he has

to be calm to be rewarded.

Fido will pull and tug at first, but if

you’re completely still, he’ll finally

realize he’s going nowhere, then sit

to receive a reward.

To strengthen Fido’s calm behavior, you

can require that Fido earn all petting

and attention by lying down.

Chapter 9: Rewarding Calm Behavior

Troubleshooting

If after a day or two, you still don’t see a dramatic change in behavior in your dog who

enjoys praise or petting, here’s what you could be doing wrong:

•Youdon’tremoveyourattentionquicklyenoughordon’tremainstationarywhenFido

starts to get up. Stand up straight immediately when Fido even starts to get up. Then

hold completely still. Also, make sure you’re silent. You have to make your signal black

and white so your dog knows exactly what he has to do to earn your attention.

•SomefamilymembersorfriendsarepettingFidoforfree.Ortheyareinconsistent

about rewarding the appropriate behavior.

•YoucorrectlyignoreFidowhenhetriestogetyourattentionforfree,butyoudon’t

reward him enough for sitting or lying down. If you only withhold attention for bad

behavior but fail to reward him frequently by giving attention when he’s performing

the appropriate behavior, it will take him a long time to learn to sit or lie down calmly

when he’s excited and wants attention from you or from guests.

TIP: The next exercise, Come When Called in the House, is useful for when you want to

call Fido away from a distraction such as people he wants to jump on or bark at, rather

than sending him away from you to go lie on a rug. For instance, if you want to skip

Chapter 11, you can instead stand near Fido’s rug and call him over when guests come

to the door. Once he comes, you can tell him to lie down on his rug.

Chapter 10: Come When Called in the House

Recommended Daily Practice:

Three short sessions.

For Fidos with spotty hearing when it comes to

coming when called (that is, they don’t immediately

come when called 100% of the time), it’s a good

idea to teach him to consistently come when called.

Before you’ve finished training Fido to be polite

at the door, you can call him to you every time he

starts to run to the door.

The best way to get Fido to come when called is to

send him on a chase. Practice “say please by

sitting” several times so Fido is focused on you.

Then suddenly run backwards a few steps and give

him a treat as soon as he catches up. When he

reliably runs after you several times, start adding

the cue word “come.” That is, say his name and

“Come” just one time in an exuberant tone of voice

right before you run backward, then give the treat

and praise or petting if he indicates with his body

language that he likes praise and petting.

Alternatively, when Fido’s across the room and there

are no distractions, you can bend down in a the

human equivalent of a play bow which will elicit

his attention and say, “Fido come.” If he doesn’t

immediately come, then run the other way to stimu-

late him to chase. Again, as soon as he catches up,

praise him and give him a treat.

If Fido doesn’t come when you call him immediately

every time, practice with him on leash so that he

has to follow when you run. When he consistently

comes immediately when you call, then you can

graduate to off-leash in the house. You can cheer

him on while he’s running towards you so he thinks

it’s really fun. Make sure you call him and only say

his name once though or he’ll think his cue is “Fido,

Fido, Fido, come, come, come.”

Now practice in the house with family members.

Practice calling Fido back and forth between family members. Every time he goes to a

family member who calls, he gets a treat and praise or petting if his body language shows

If Fido doesn’t come when you call him

immediately every time, practice with

him on a leash so that he has to

follow when you run.

Checklist

Day 1

❏

Day 2

❏

Day 3

❏

Step 1: Come When Called

in the House

If your dog has selective hearing

when you call his name, practice this

exercise.

Chapter 10: Come When Called in the House

that he likes these things. Wait until he’s finished eating the treat before another family

member calls. Also play hide and seek where you hide and call him and he looks for you.

The goal is to make coming when called a fun game — more fun than other distractions

around the house. If needed, you can practice on a retractable leash.

Troubleshooting

He ignores you because...

•Youuseamilitarytoneofvoiceinsteadofanexuberantvoiceoryourtoneofvoice

is too soft. Fido should think that running to you is fun.

•Youleantowardsyourdoginsteadofrunningaway.

•Youoftencallhiminsituationswherehe’snotlikelytocomesohelearnsto

ignore you.

•Youpracticeoffleashincaseswhereyoushouldpracticeonleash.

•Fidorunsrightbyyou.Forthefirstseveraltimes,lureFidowithatreat.Thatis,when

he almost reaches you, show him the treat and position the treat so he sits. Only do

this several times during your first practice session until he gets the idea or this lure

will become a bribe. Then hide the treat and wait until he sits before giving the treat.

•Youbribehimbyholdingthetreatoutorwavingitaroundtogethisattentioninstead

of waiting for him to sit and then rewarding him.

•Hecomeswhencalledbutafterhegetshistreat,heignoresyouandwalksaway.

Give 2-5 treats in a row at unpredictable intervals so he learns to continue watching

you after he has come. The goal is to give the next treat before he looks away.

Chapter 11: Game 4 – Place

TIP: You can skip Chapter 11 if you’d rather lead

Fido by the collar to his rug.

Recommended Daily Practice:

Two 15-minute sessions.

By now, Fido knows to go to his rug if you walk over

with him and has targeted many times so he’s used

to running to the rug. He should also be going read-

ily and even goes spontaneously on own. Now we’ll

teach him to run to his rug with the MannersMinder

near the rug on cue. If he’s not going over happily or

he wants to avoid his “rug,” you’ve either used food

that’s not very high value to him or he’s been rep-

rimanded and associates the rug with bad things.

If this is the case, spend a few days letting him

earn all of his food for lying down on his rug with

the machine as described in the Automatic Training

Session on pages 36 and 37 in the Down-Stay

section. Once he gets to the point that he immedi-

ately follows you to his rug when you bring out the

machine, then you can go to Step 1 of Place.

Step 1: Targeting and then Lying Down

Target Fido several times in row, but this time

follow him up to the “place” each time and when

he gets his treat, cue him to lie down. Once he’s

down, give him a few more treats at varying intervals so he continues to think about

staying in a “down-stay” rather than developing a pattern of getting up right after he

gets his treats. You can even “jackpot” by holding the DISPENSE button at irregular

intervals once he’s down. When you’re sure he’s in a stable “down-stay,” go ahead and

target him off again and repeat the exercise. Make sure you practice from many differ-

ent directions relative to the rug. And if he looks like he’s going to lie down crookedly,

just position yourself by stepping closer to the crooked side so that he will straighten

out before he lies down. If he lies down off his rug, then just have him stand up and

reposition him to lie down. When Fido reliably runs to the rug after targeting and lies

down quickly on the first “down-cue” or without a cue 9 out of 10 times in a row, go to

Step 2. Make sure that you target him from many different directions relative to the rug

so that he learns to lie down in the correct orientation regardless of the direction from

which he has approached the rug.

Checklist

❏

Step 1: Targeting and then

Lying Down

Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions

in a row.

Chapter 11: Game 4 – Place

Step 2: Reward After Lying Down

In this step, when Fido targets, don’t TONE &

TREAT until after Fido lies down on his rug in front

of the MannersMinder. That is, after he targets he

should automatically run to the MannersMinder

because it’s a habit now. Once he gets there, he

should stay at the machine if he’s really ready for

this step, especially since you should have walked

up to the MannersMinder with him and should be

standing near him. Then, you can either wait a

second to see if he’ll lie down on his own or cue

him down verbally. You need to be sure he lies

down in the right orientation. When he reliably runs

to the machine after targeting and lies down to get

his treat 9 out of 10 times in a row, go to Step 3.

NOTE: Any time your dog makes several mistakes,

go back and repeat the previous step. Remember,

you can “jackpot” Fido if you want, but in any

case be sure that you give him several treats at

irregular intervals so that he doesn’t anticipate

that you will call him to target. Once he’s in a

stable “down-stay” you can target him off the

rug. Again, make sure that you target him from

many different directions relative to the rug so

that he learns to lie down in the correct orienta-

tion regardless of the direction from which he

has approached the rug.

Step 3: Food Lure

Now Fido should clearly show that he likes lying

down on his rug in front of the MannersMinder

machine and that lying down in front of Manners-

Minder is what makes the treats come out. Now

call him to you or target him and then grab his

collar before he can go back to his rug. When you

call him to come, you can give him a treat for com-

ing if you want. When you’re holding onto his col-

lar, he should want to go immediately back to the

machine so that he can lie down and get a treat.

Checklist

❏

Step 2: Reward After Lying Down

Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions

in a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 3: Food Lure

Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions

in a row.

Chapter 11: Game 4 – Place

Still holding his collar, from about 5-10 feet away, release a treat from the machine in

order to lure him to the MannersMinder and then say, “Place.” Simultaneously release his

collar. “Place” will come to predict that he gets the opportunity to run to the rug and lie

down. Once he gets to MannersMinder and is eating his treat, tell him to lie down, then

give him a few more treats at random intervals. Make sure you continue giving treats until

he’s stable on his down-stay and gives no indication that he wants to run back to you.

Some dogs tend to lie facing the owner. When you TONE & TREAT, he will stand up to get

his treat. Tell him to lie down and give him a few more treats. If he lies down facing you

the second time, just TONE & TREAT and tell him to lie down again. Eventually after you

repeat this portion of Step 3 enough times, your dog will lie down in the correct direction

because it’s easier to lie down in this direction to get the treat than it is to turn around

and face you and then have to get up to get a treat.

Continue this exercise until the dog lies down fac-

ing the MannersMinder and stays lying down to get

treats. Then follow up with at least 2-5 treats for

staying down facing the correct direction, before you

call or target him off the rug.

When you can repeat Step 3, 9 out of 10 times in a

row correctly, go to Step 4. If you mess up more than

5 times, go back to Step 2. (If you plan to be able

to place Fido without having to tell him to lie down,

then don’t go on to Step 4 until he automatically

lies down for his second treat.)

Step 4: Place Without Luring

Repeat Step 3 but this time don’t TONE & TREAT

until after Fido has run to his rug and laid down.

You can still verbally cue him to lie down if that’s

what you want for his final behavior. Otherwise, just

wait until he automatically lies down before you

TONE & TREAT. Once you complete this Step 9 out

of 10 times in a row correctly, go to Step 5.

Step 5: Place from Different Directions

Repeat Step 5 but from a different direction so that

Fido learns to “place” from different directions and

locations. You can gradually build up distance too if

you want him to “place” from a long distance away.

Once Fido completes 9 out of 10 trials in a row on

cue, you’re finished with this game!

Checklist

❏

Step 5: Place from Different

Directions

Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions

in a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 4: Place Without Luring

Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions

in a row.

Continue this exercise until the dog

stays lying down to get treats.

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

Recommended Training Time:

Two 15-minute sessions.

Overview

At this point Fido knows “down-stay” for one min-

ute and “place.” Now we’ll add in the common

door distractions. For this part of the training, put

the rug in its final location near the door. The best

type of location is one that’s on the way to the door

so it will be easy for him to “place” and in a

location where he can see the person who’s at the

door. It should also be in a location where it’s easy

for you to block him by stepping in front of him if

he gets up to run to the door.

For this series of one-minute trials, always send

Fido to his “place” from 5-10 feet away so he has

practice “placing.” At the end of each one-minute

trial give a few more treats at variable intervals,

sometimes from your hand and sometimes from

the MannersMinder so that Fido doesn’t anticipate

when he should get off the rug. Then call Fido

off or target a few times in between the

one-minute trials.

In this game, we will add one distraction at a time

while doling treats out every :03 seconds. Once

Fido’s completes 3 one-minute trials in a row at

any step, you can go on to the next step.

If he ever messes up 2 or more times in a row,

refer to the troubleshooting section.

Step 1: The Moving Human Distraction

Send Fido to his spot and when he lies down,

immediately hit the DOWN-STAY button so that

treats automatically dispense every :03 seconds for

one minute. Then start walking around. When you

walk around, start by making it easy. That is, first

walk in front of Fido or close by. When he seems relaxed, then walk more toward his sides

or back and all the way around. Then also add distance. Time more difficult distractions

as his head is in the treat bowl. If he gets up, immediately press the DOWN-STAY button

again to stop the trial. Then have Fido lie down again and start over. This time be more

Checklist

❏

Put the rug in its final

location near the door.

Set the control panel to:

– Power = on

– Volume = on

– Session = single treat

– Treat Rate = :03 seconds

– Treat Interval = fixed

Step 1: The Moving Human Distraction

Send Fido to his spot, then start

walking around. Dole out treats every

:03 seconds and fast enough so that

he doesn’t think about getting up.

Three correct trials in a row.

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

careful to prepare him for the distraction by starting

with easy distractions and then making them harder

and timing them while he’s eating a treat. Once he

is good with harder distractions timed with treats,

time these distractions more randomly.

Target Fido several times between down-stay trials.

Make sure that during this step you practice walk-

ing toward and away from the front door. When Fido

completes 3 one-minute trials in a row, go to Step 2.

Step 2: The Running Human Distraction

Repeat as in Step 1, but this time intersperse short

quick movements and running. At first, time the

movements right as Fido’s going for the food in his

bowl. Once he’s no longer excited or interested in

your quick movements, start timing the quick

movements right before he gets a treat and then

more randomly. Work in any movements that you

know tend to distract him such as dancing, leaning

over to pick something up or sitting down on the

floor. When he completes 3 one-minute trials in a

row, go to Step 3.

Step 3: Loud Sounds and Talking

Send Fido to his “place” and then dole out treats

every :03 seconds by pressing the DOWN-STAY

button. This time, practice yelling, cheering or

making sudden loud (but not scary) noises. Again,

at first, time these distractions to occur right as

Fido’s going for the food in the treat bowl. When he

looks like he’s no longer interested in these distrac-

tions, then present them more randomly. When he’s

relaxed and completes 3 one-minute trials in a row,

go to Step 4a.

Checklist

❏

Step 3: Loud Sounds and Talking

Complete 3 one-minute trials in a row.

Checklist

❏

Step 2: Running Human Distraction

Complete 3 one-minute trials in a row.

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

Step 4a: Toy Distraction from Far Away

From here on, you only need to complete 2 one-

minute trials in a row successfully before going

on to the next step. Take a toy like a squeaky ball

(provided your dog likes toys; if he doesn’t then you

can skip this step). Send him to his “place” and

then stay about 10 feet away with treats dispens-

ing every :03 seconds. Squeak the toy or bounce

the ball every time Fido has his head in his bowl.

In between trials you can call him off his rug or

say, “OK” and then let him get off to get his toy.

If he tends to run away from you with the toy,

then keep him on the leash for this exercise. After

a short toy-holding bout, take the toy from him

(exchange for a treat if he doesn’t give it back

readily) and have him go back and lie down.

If he tends to get up off the rug or bed because

he values toys more than food, then go to

Troubleshooting at the end of this section. When

he’s completed 2 one-minute sessions in a row, go

to Step 4b.

Step 4b:

Repeat Step 4a, but this time squeak the toy or

bounce the ball at random intervals from 10 feet

away.

When Fido’s good for 2 one-minute sessions in a

row, go to Step 5a.

Step 5a: Toy Distraction from Nearby

Repeat as in Step 4a where you time the squeak

or bounce just as Fido’s getting the treat, but this

time stand about 5 feet away. When he’s complet-

ed 2 one-minute sessions in a row, go to Step 5b.

Step 5b:

Repeat as in Step 4b where you time the squeak

or bounce the ball randomly but stand about 5 feet

away. When Fido’s completed 2 one-minute

sessions in a row, go to Step 6.

From here on you only need to complete

2 one-minute trials in a row

successfully before going

on to the next step.

Checklist

❏

Step 4b: Repeat Step 4a, but this time

squeak the toy or bounce the ball at

random intervals from 10 feet away.

Step 4a: Toy Distraction Far Away

With treats coming every :03 seconds,

stand 10 feet away and squeak the toy

or bounce the ball every time Fido has

his head in the bowl.

Checklist

❏

Step 5a: Toy Distraction Nearby

Repeat as in Step 4a, but stand about

5 feet away.

Checklist

❏

Step 5b: Repeat Step 4b, but stand

5 feet away.

Checklist

❏

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

If you want, you can also work in more intense

distractions where you toss the toy. As with the

earlier steps, at first present the distraction as

Fido’s receiving his treat. When he’s good at this,

then present the distraction more randomly.

Step 6a: Knocking on the Door

Send Fido to his “place” with treats coming every

:03 seconds and knock on the door. Time all knock-

ing to occur while Fido’s eating his treats. If he’s

very reactive to knocking, then start with soft knock-

ing and even just knock on the walls. Make sure

that you knock softly enough so that he doesn’t bark

or you may accidentally reinforce his barking. When

Fido’s relaxed and completes 2 one-minute sessions

in a row, go to Step 6b.

Step 6b: Repeat with louder knocking (but not loud

enough to make Fido bark). When he’s relaxed and

nonreactive for 2 one-minute trials in a row, go to

Step 6c. You may need to insert additional steps

where you gradually increase the knock volume until

you’re able to knock full force.

Step 6c: With treats coming every :03 seconds,

knock on the door with full force, but time the

knocks randomly. When Fido’s relaxed and nonreac-

tive for 2 one-minute trials in a row, go to Step 7. If

he barks more than once or twice, immediately go

back to Step 6b or you may accidentally train him to

bark more!

Step 7: Opening the Front Door

Send Fido to his rug, then stand by the front door.

With treats coming every :03 seconds, close and

open the front door. First, time the distraction as

his head’s buried in the MannersMinder bowl. Then

when he’s nonreactive, time the distraction random-

ly. If he gets up to run to the door, just block him or

close the door and wait patiently until he decides to

go back to his rug. You may first have

Step 6a: Knocking on the Door

Checklist

❏

Step 6b: Louder knocking,

timed with treats.

Checklist

❏

Step 6c: Now time knocks randomly.

Checklist

❏

Step 7: Opening the Front Door.

Checklist

❏

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

to start by just touching the doorknob or rattling

the lock as he’s eating his treats. Once he ignores

these cues, increase to opening the door just a

quarter of the way and quickly shutting it. Work up

to opening the door all the way. When he’s relaxed

and nonreactive for 2 one-minute trials in a row,

go to Step 8.

Step 8: Combine All Distractions

Now combine all distractions with treats coming

every :03 seconds. Especially concentrate on

opening the door, running toward the door, pre-

tending to talk to someone outside the door and

add ringing the doorbell. If you find that Fido’s

having trouble with one particular distraction,

concentrate on timing that particular distraction

when he’s getting food treats. If he’s overly reactive

to the doorbell, you can practice several sessions

with the doorbell distraction alone.

When he’s good for 2 one-minute sessions in a

row, meaning you can present the distraction even

when he’s not eating his treat and he doesn’t bark

or try to get up, but remains relaxed, go to Step 9.

NOTE: If you live in a household with more than

one dog, you should repeat this step with the

other dogs in the room if your end goal will be to

have all the dogs out in the house when guests

come to the door.

Increasing Time Intervals

From here on, we just increase the time interval

between treats.

Step 9: Combine all distractions, with treats

coming every :05 seconds. Time the distractions

while or just before Fido gets a treat. When Fido

can complete this step 2 times in a row, then go

to Step 10.

Step 10: Repeat Step 9, but with treats coming every :07 seconds. Make sure you present

distractions at a high enough intensity in this early stage.

Step 8: Combine All Distractions

Have treats coming every :03 seconds.

Checklist

❏

Step 9: Combine distractions with

treats coming every :05 seconds.

Checklist

❏

From here on, we just increase the

time interval between treats.

Step 10: Repeat Step 9, but give treats

every :07 seconds.

Checklist

❏

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

Step 11: Repeat Step 10, with treats coming every

:10 seconds.

Step 12: Repeat Step 11, with treats coming every

:15 seconds.

Step 13: Repeat Step 12, but give treats every

:20 seconds.

Step 14: Repeat Step 13, but give treats every

:30 seconds.

Step 15: Repeat Step 14, but give treats at

:45secondsandoneminute.

Step 16: Repeat Step 15, but give a treat after one

minute. When you’ve completed this step two times

in a row, you’ve completed this section!

Troubleshooting

Trouble with Toys

If Fido’s focused on toys, then take time out to

practice tossing toys or playing fetch only after

Fido’s in a “down-stay” on his rug. Show him his

toy, and then have him earn it by lying down on his

rug while you bounce, squeak or wave it.

When he stays down for a few seconds (one bounce

or squeak or wave), say “OK” or use some other

release word, then toss the toy.

Repeat this 5-10 times per session until he under-

stands that he has to lie down on the rug in order to

earn the toy. Then gradually increase the number of

bounces, waves or squeaks that will earn the toy.

Intersperse these toy-earning sessions throughout

the distraction training.

Step 11: Treats every :10 seconds.

Checklist

❏

Step 12: Treats every :15 seconds.

Checklist

❏

Step 13: Treats every :20 seconds.

Checklist

❏

Step 14: Treats every :30 seconds.

Checklist

❏

Step 15: Treatsevery:45seconds.and

one minute.

Checklist

❏

Step 16: Treats every one minute.

Checklist

❏

Chapter 12: Game 5 – Down Stay w/Distractions

Also, when playing with toys inside or outside,

always require that Fido sit, or better yet, lie down,

before tossing the toy. Refer to Say Please by

Sitting (Chapter 6) and Rewarding Calm Behavior

(Chapter 9). Practice in sessions of 5-10 tosses.

When he reliably lies down to have his toy tossed

you can also bounce the toy or squeak or wave it

around one time before giving the “OK”, then toss-

ing. Increase to :05-:10 seconds of “down-stay”

before you toss.

Gets Up Prematurely

If Fido gets up it’s for one of the following reasons:

•Youpresentedthedistractionsattoohighanintensity.Gobackandlowertheintensity

until Fido’s relaxed.

•Youpresentedthedistractionatthewrongtime.Makesureyoutimethedifficultmoves

as Fido’s nose is in contact with his treat bowl at first. He should be staring at the treat

bowl when you present the distraction.

•Fidoisnothungryenough.Testwithhighervaluetreatsorstopthesessionandresume

later in the day.

•Youhaven’tremovedtherugorMannersMinderbetweensessionsinGames 1-4, so

Fido thinks he can get on and off at will to earn treats.

•Treatrateistooslow.Rateshouldbeevery:03secondsuntilheisrelaxedforall

distractions.

•Youarerewardinghimforgettingup—bypettingorgivingattentionorbygivingtreats

for getting up, then lying down again.

•Youhavenotpracticed“saypleasebysitting”or“rewardingcalmbehavior,”sohe

thinks that if he gets up to run to the door that he will be able to get by you to go out

the door.

Barks

•YouhaverewardedbarkingbygivingtreatsafterFidobarks.Lowerthestimulusinten-

sity and raise treat rate back to every :03 seconds so Fido does not have much chance to

bark. (Refer to door knock distraction for more information.)

When playing with toys inside or

outside, always require that

Fido sit, or better yet, lie down,

before tossing the toy.

Chapter 13: Visitors at the Door

Recommended Daily Practice:

Two 10-minute Guest Visits (and any other time visitors come over).

Now it’s time to practice with actual visitors. You’ll get quickest results if you set up visits

where neighbors, friends or guests visit two times a day, until Fido gets the idea, but you

can also train just when you have your regular visitors come to the door.

If you’ve been consistent about picking the MannersMinder up between sessions and

ending the training session before Fido loses interest, Fido should be glued to his rug

whenever the MannersMinder comes out. If this is the case, then you can now leave it out

all the time. He will quickly learn that treats only come out when you cue him to “place.”

If he goes to lie down on his own, don’t reward him. Only reward him when he lies down

on cue, then call him off at the end. This way he’ll learn that you’re still in charge of the

rewards and he can’t just go back randomly to get rewards, then get off his “place”

whenever he feels like it.

Start with One Dog:

If you have more than one dog that’s misbehaved at the door, make sure only the dog in

training is out during the early guest visits. You’ll add the other dogs later on.

Step 1:

When the doorbell rings and your dog runs and

barks at the door, tell him to “Place.” If he doesn’t

immediately place, then instead, stand near his rug

and call him to come. If you’ve practiced your recall

he should come readily. (Refer to Chapter 10.) Then

once he reaches you, give him a treat by hand, then

tell him to “Place.” Often dogs will place on their

own once you get them near their rug or bed.

NOTE: If the “place” is located on the way to the

door and within 5 feet of the door, it will be easier

to teach him to “place” with high distractions

and also easier to block him from getting to the

guest if he stands up.

Step 1: When the doorbell rings and

your dog runs and barks at the door,

tell him to “Place.” If he doesn’t

immediately place, then instead, stand

near his “place” and call him to come.

Chapter 13: Visitors at the Door

Step 2:

As soon as he places, dispense treats manually

every :02-:03 seconds. Continue at this rate if he

looks like he wants to get up or if he barks. You

may need to give treats even faster to prevent

barking. If Fido gets off his rug to run to the door,

block him as you learned in “Say Please by Sitting”

on the DVD. If he has the choice between sitting

and waiting or going to the rug where he could

also get treats, he’ll go to the rug to get treats.

When you block him, you shouldn’t have to tell him

to “Place.” He should make the choice on his own.

If your dog does not look relaxed after a minute,

then have your guests leave and return a few min-

utes later and repeat the door procedure. Continue

practicing these one-minute sessions with guests

remaining outside until your dog relaxes. This can

take as little as one trial, or it may take multiple

guest visits over a number of days. Since the trials

are short, each visitor can make as many as five or

more visits during one training session. Dogs learn

this step quickest if they know that they can’t get

by you to reach the visitor and if you’ve worked on

“rewarding calm behavior.”

Once your dog is relaxed with the person outside,

you can slow the treats down as long as he doesn’t

get up and he doesn’t bark, or you can go ahead

and invite the person in.

Step 3:

When your guest steps inside, make sure you

stand in-between Fido and the guest so you can

block Fido from getting to the guest if he gets up.

Also, keep the treats coming fast enough so he

doesn’t get up. If your dog gets up once the visi-

tor is inside, block him from getting to the person

by stepping in front of the person well before Fido

reaches the person.

The visitor should stand completely stationary as if there’s no dog there. Once Fido figures

out that he’s not going to get to the guest, he will go back to his rug. Once he gets there

Step 2:

As soon as he places, dispense treats

manually every :02-:03 seconds. Continue

at this rate if he looks like he wants to

get up or if he barks

Step 3:

When the person steps inside, make

sure you stand in-between your dog and

the guest so you can block him from

getting to the guest if he gets up.

Chapter 13: Visitors at the Door

and lies down, give him treats every :03 seconds so he stays down consistently for at least

:30 seconds and relaxes. If you give him only 1-2 treats and then he gets up again and you

repeat this pattern multiple times, you may accidentally teach him to get up so that he

can run back to the rug to lie down and get a treat.

After Fido is down and relaxed, the visitor can pet him when he’s lying down on his rug,

but if he gets up, the visitor should immediately stop and stand up straight. So, in this

step, Fido learns that he doesn’t get attention when he gets off his rug, he only gets

attention when he lies down on his rug like he’s supposed to.

Repeat this door practice multiple times with each practice visitor. If Fido gets practice

with many visitors over a short period of time, he’ll quickly learn that he should stay on his

rug when visitors come to visit.

Once your dog’s fairly relaxed for visitors coming to the door, with treats coming rapid-fire,

and stays on his rug reliably because you’ve blocked him when he’s gotten up before you’ve

given him the cue to get up, then you can gradually increase the interval between treats.

Congratulations! You and your dog have completed “Polite at the Door” training.

Troubleshooting

What If Your Dog Barks?

If at this stage Fido still barks, you’ve probably accidentally rewarded him for barking

by giving treats after he barks and not giving treats frequently enough when he’s quiet

to keep him quiet. You can tell when you’ve rewarded the wrong behavior because your

dog may bark a few times and then looks at the MannersMinder, or if he barks every time

you bring the MannersMinder out, then he thinks that barking earns him treats. To fix

the behavior, when he’s placed with someone at the door, give him treats continuously to

teach him to be quiet. Give them quickly enough so that he doesn’t have a chance to bark.

Gradually increase the amount of quiet you require before giving him a treat and gradually

increase the interval between treats. When doing this, make sure you still have the treats

come rapidly enough so that he doesn’t have a chance to bark.

Chapter 14: Fading Out the MannersMinder

(Optional)

Some owners might like to have Fido “place” without a MannersMinder present. This is one

method for fading the MannersMinder away.

Right now Fido thinks “place” means go lie down in front of the MannersMinder but doesn’t

know it means lie on the rug. Now we’ll teach that “place” means specifically lie on the rug.

•StartwiththeMannersMinder1-2doglengthsfromtherug.WalkFidooverandsay

“place.” When he lies down, give a treat by hand while he’s lying down on his place.

Then give a treat from the MannersMinder. Repeat many times. Then move the

MannersMinder a little farther away and repeat. Repeat with the MannersMinder in many

locations and many distances away from the rug.

•WhenyoucanputtheMannersMinderupto10feetawayfromtherugandsay

“place” and he goes to the correct location, you’ve successfully removed the need

for the MannersMinder during this exercise. However, you’ll probably want to use the

MannersMinder periodically to brush up on his behavior.

•AlternativelyyoucanputtheMannersMinderaway.ThentellFido“place”andwalk

him over to his rug. Reward with treats by hand intermittently for doing a down-stay on

the rug.

Other Uses

Training Fido to be calm and quiet in another room or in his crate

Use the same settings as the down-stay with distractions. Set the MannersMinder on a

treat rate of :03 seconds, single treat, and variable rate so that each trial can last greater

than one minute. Put Fido in a room, or in his crate, and hit the down-stay button so that

treats dispense on average every :03 seconds. Once he’s quiet, calm and focused on the

MannersMinder instead of getting out of the room or crate, you can slow the treat rate to

every :05 or :07 seconds. When he’s good for another minute at this rate, then slow the

rate down further. The goal is that he… 1) receive treats before he has a chance to revert

to the undesirable behavior…and 2) that you systematically increase the interval between

treats but only after he is consistently behaved at the present treat rate.

Be sure to stop the session before Fido gets full. So at first the session may be short, but

you can have multiple sessions throughout the day.

If Fido is too anxious when you leave him in his room or crate, you will have to work

through the down-stay and down-stay with distractions section of this protocol first. Then

when he’s in the room or crate, have him perform a down-stay. Now this becomes a varia-

tion of the down-stay with distractions.

Barking

Reward quiet behavior in the same way as training calm behavior in a room or crate. As

soon as Fido is quiet, dispense treats rapidly for up to a minute. Then slow the treat rate

down slightly for another minute and so on.

WARNING:

Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for

compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital

device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide

reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This

equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed

and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a

particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which

can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to

correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•Reorientorrelocatethereceivingantenna.

•Increasetheseparationbetweentheequipmentandreceiver.

•Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianforassistance.

FCC Label Compliance Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following

two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device

must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired

operation.

Statement of FCC Compliance

Dr. Sophia Yin’s

latest book oﬀers:

• A positive approach to

behavior modication

• Clear, straightforward

explanations

• Creative solutions to

common problems

Sophia Yin, D.V.M., M.S., is an Applied Animal Behaviorist

and past award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

See Dr. Yin’s website at www.AskDrYin.com

Looking at your dog can be

like looking in a mirror.

Do you like what you see?

Midlothian, VA

888.640.8840 / premier.com

Sharper Image and Sharper Image Design are registered trademarks of Sharper Image Corporation.

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