Episode 190: Using Daily Quickies To Fast Track Your Dog Training And Grow Your Dog’s Skills

Susan Garrett2023-01-13T22:35:33+00:00January 13th, 2023|5 Comments

In August 2021, I released a special video about my dog, This!, titled “Normalizing Imperfection in Dog Training”, covering our challenges so that everyone with a dog knows that struggling at some point in life together is completely normal. In that video, I encouraged everyone to take daily action to make tomorrow better than today for you and your dog. It doesn’t mean blocking out big chunks of time. Dog training with “Daily Quickies” is how I get so much accomplished without having long dog training sessions, and in this episode, I’m covering how easy it can be so that you can put it into action.

In the episode you'll hear:

How to intentionally build behaviors in short training sessions aka “Daily Quickies”.
That all behavior is either growing or falling to pieces unless we're mindful about reinforcement.
My priorities for training husbandry, manners, life skills and dog sports skills.
That conditioning positive emotional responses for dogs to husbandry is critical.
How Daily Quickies differ from formal training sessions.
Examples of short games to play for loose leash walking.
How splitting behaviors down into quick games contributes to growing skills and confidence.
Why using Daily Quickies helps you become a person who sees what's possible for dogs.

Resources:

5 Comments

Cianna December 3, 2024 at 4:55 pm - Reply

I am currently living at a separate house from my new rescue puppy. I have been embracing daily quickies and even stringing several games together with only 3-4 reps each to make sure I don’t loose his interest. I typically feed him dinner though not breakfast and use that as an opportunity to play a few rounds of Crate Games too, I now have him racing to the crate for meal times and just need to work on distractions with door open and duration with door closed.
It is truly wonderful to see how even 15min a day (sometimes spaced out over 2-3hrs) has improved his behavior and laid the ground work for even better house manners and more traditional “obedience.” With my first dog who is now 12 I was taught more “traditional” methods and to focus on “obedience.” While I am fully on board with practicing the layers, at only 4 weeks in I still occasionally find myself wondering how much longer till we get to the “real” training of those traditional obedience commands and have to remind myself our groundwork is going to build to way better obedience than most dogs I know have.
Lu Buchanan July 7, 2023 at 1:05 am - Reply

Susan, you are speaking to my soul! I Can Do a few seconds or minutes for tiny pieces of learning. I didn’t think that it would be worth doing unless it was a much longer duration. Overwhelmed? Yes that’s been my word of the day. Not sure how to fit it all in? Absolutely! That was my next sentence after overwhelmed. I’m making my daily quickie schedule tonight and first thing tomorrow I’ll begin. Thank you !
P.S. I wrote it here for my own accountability
HILARY January 30, 2023 at 5:52 am - Reply

THANKS LOVE YOUR PODCASTS
DogsThat Team January 13, 2023 at 11:16 pm - Reply

Hi Janet, thank you for such a lovely note. You are doing great, and your questions are very thoughtful. Susan has an amazing playlist on YouTube that is packed full of insights and tips to help, including on who you can play with both dogs at once. Here’s the link for you – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy2ee0fquucowgCTcl1kCdO-
Janet January 13, 2023 at 10:11 pm - Reply

GREAT video as always!!! We have a 4 year old dog (Dutch Shep X Belgian Malinois) we acquired at age 3. I was his daytime caretaker from birth to departure at age 12 weeks. We are his 4th home thru no fault of his own. Major has great recall. He sits & stays “eventually” 🙂 He has great manners. Loves to be brushed. Toothbrush = anxiety, but he will allow it. We use dental drops instead. Nail care with a dremel with 1 treat per nail reinforcement. He is an extremely social dog. He really likes to play with other dogs and interacts very well. He plays appropriately for their age & size. However, few neighbors are willing to do play time.

We have a new puppy, Odin (GSD, Show Line), age 7 months also. a male. They have done very well together so far (6 weeks). I want to train the puppy as well as reinforce the adult and expand his skills.

Major is velcro dog to me probably because of the multiple homes and our relationship for 12 weeks…I think he remembers? I am concerned about separating Major (crating, leaving him indoors or home) to train the puppy. Major seems so sensitive. I worry he will develop some attention seeking behaviors.

Right now if the puppy (same size as Major!) gets the upper hand or growls for resource guarding the puppy goes in his crate without a punishment, just a matter of fact end to the activity. And Major stays out so as to “win”. The puppy will eventually be about 100 pounds. The goal is to get the puppy to age 2 without any significant drama trauma to either dog.

Is there any training that we should be incorporating that will facilitate & maintain their currently cordial play & relationship? When is it OK to scold the puppy? For resource guarding? That is the only thing we have seen so far with a few fav toys…that Major NEVER cared about before the puppy.