Dog Training Questions and Answers with Nate Schoemer | Part 3 

Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. Comments like yours is what makes this work so rewarding for me. I'm happy the videos are helping and keep me posted on the progress. Cheers!

Did you ever get a dog and how is it going?

Thank you, Paul! I appreciate that! :)

Awesome. I'm happy the video helped. :)

I discuss this is version 3 of my dog training manual that you can get free for the next 5 days: amzn.to/2P2tyQH

Awesome. Thanks for sharing!

@@NateSchoemer check this ... your tips in action .. not perfect but progress it is instagram.com/tv/CJMDJvpDdrTBUJIeGG7Hd2TzpDrQCLb9ngpUg00/?igshid=1h19e9zt8eyvb

Check out my Q&A videos where I discuss this in a few of them. Just check the description of the video to find the right question and answer: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3lBJFcWiAzk.html Retrieval Training: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xkXxw1q-Ut4.html Cheers! :)

Awesome! Thank you!

Glad it was helpful! :)

I cover this is my dog training manual that you can get free for the next five days. :) amzn.to/2P2tyQH

With a puppy or a new dog in training, I will often start with a high-quality dry food during the training process. I also usually give the puppy raw goat milk from answers, to help ensure the dog is getting enough quality nutrition. If I don't have enough time for a training session, then I soak the kibble in water or raw goat milk and stuff it into a kong or raw bone, then freeze it. In addition, I train with freeze-dried dog food, but that can be very pricey. amzn.to/2W88zMf Usually, a high-quality kibble will be okay. I transition them to raw when all the main training is completed and then use the freeze dried dog food while training. Here's a video on separation anxiety: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OyhtpMaJX8U.html I hope this helps and thanks for supporting my channel. :)

@@NateSchoemer Thank you so much! Your answers really helped a lot!

Thanks! I like the dogtra arc handsfree. The earliest I would start a dog on remote collar training (For obedience) would be 5 month of age, but I prefer to start remote collar training when they are between 7-9 months of age. If you need to use it to stop a behavioral issue, then you can use it at 4 months of age. Things to keep in mind when using a remote collar: 1. Do not keep a remote collar on your dog for longer than 8 hours max. Ideally, you don’t want to go beyond 4 hours. 2. Do not leave a remote collar on your dog when you are not supervising them. 3. Always check your dog's neck when you remove the collar to ensure your dog doesn't have an allergic reaction to the collar. 4. Make sure the collar is on and charged before placing it on your dog. 5. Unless you have advanced training on the remote collar, do not use the continuation button. 6. Be mindful of the collar’s settings. Do not accidentally corrected your dog at a level higher than what is required. When you should and should not correct your dog with the remote collar. There are times when you can correct your dog with the remote collar even when your dog isn't directional yet, and for behaviors unrelated to obedience training. You can use it to stop unwanted behaviors like digging, getting into the trash or any of the other unruly behaviors mentioned previously. The second your dog starts to dig or puts his nose into the garbage, you can activate the collar. This creates an unpleasant association to the problematic behavior. However, the important thing to remember is to never correct your dog with the remote collar if your dog is actively engaged with a dog or people. You do not want your dog to think that it's the other person or the other dog that is causing the correction with the collar. If you do, there is a possibility that the dog will develop aggression, so be mindful of that. In addition, the remote collar is also used for creating reliability with all of the obedience commands, so long as the dog is directional to the collar at that point. Lastly; never use the remote collar on your dog in an attempt to stop a fearful behavior. As this would only make the fear worse. I hope this helps and thanks for supporting my channel. :)

@@NateSchoemer Thank you very much for the detailed answer Nate, much appreciated! I have your book too and it's great! Can't wait to get my pup and start training!

What do you mean by "stop command"? Be sure to start a new comment with the questions. Don't respond to this one. RU-vid alerts me with new comments, but not responses on comments. Thanks! :)

Yes, golden doodles can make nice family pets that are easier to train than many of the other breeds. :)

I heard the brand recommendations, but think one recommendation brand was dog trained? Any recommendations for the models?

I like the dogtra arc handsfree. The 280c is also a good model. :)

Tnx for the additional info. Appreciate it, have a Merry Xmas. Keep up the the great videos.

It could be part of a fear period. Check out this video and jump to 7:30 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3lBJFcWiAzk.html Also be sure to check the description to see other questions that I answer in that video. I think it could help give you the direction you need. thanks!

Nate Schoemer thank you Nate, keep up the awesome videos they help me so much

Haha! Thanks! I love Eutred from the last kingdom. That show is amazing!!! :)

@@NateSchoemer ya it is a. Good show Nate hv good day

Thanks, Kevin! I really appreciate that. :) It's very rewarding to see so many having such success training their dogs.

Yay! That's awesome! I really enjoy teaching that trick as well. :)

Lol! Thanks.

Oh, okay. Then I would ask, "What would you like her to do when you tell her to stop? Would you like her to sit, down, stand?" If so, then I would just teach that command. So if I want my dog to stop moving and stand, then I would say the stand command. You can easily teach this by doing in-motion exercises. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hkdesOS0hoo.html

Awesome and it was my pleasure. Thank you for continuing to support the channel.

Thanks! Yes, I do get that question often, so I agree. I do need to make a video just on that. When doing a training session with a dog, I like to incorporate multiple behaviors in one session. Meaning; in one session I’m not just working on one command the entire time, but rather multiple commands. I may start by asking the dog to sit, then a down, then heel, then a down in motion, followed by the center command, etc. This makes the training more fun and engaging for the dog. As a side effect, the dog learns faster. Also, when training I would suggest filming yourself. This will help you identify and fix mistakes that you may be making during training. :)

Hey Taylor! If you trained him to bark to go potty, but you don't want him to bark at anything else, then try this process. - When he barks put a leash and collar on him and take him to the location where you want him to potty. Stand in one spot and wait three minutes. If he goes potty, then you can take him on a walk or whatever he enjoys. If he doesn't go potty, then take him inside and put him in the crate. After 20 min or so, repeat the process until he goes potty. You'll have to do this every time he barks. The idea is that barking will always predict going to his potty spot, but if he doesn't go, then he ends up in the crate. This will become a predictable pattern and he will learn to only bark when he's ready to go potty. Lastly, if you want faster results, you can correct with a leash pop when he barks. Corrections in dog training is when we are using positive punishment to stop an undesired behavior. First, we must keep in mind that everything our dogs do is based on motivation. The motivation to access something pleasant, or the motivation to prevent something unpleasant. If your dog is practicing a behavior that is fun (self-reinforcing behavior), then you have two options to stop this: • One: Preventing the dog from practicing the undesired behavior. • Two: Using a correction to stop the behavior. A correction can be anything the dog doesn't like. So, in the end, the motivation not to receive the correction must override the motivation to do the undesired behavior. If you use a correction and the undesired behavior continues, then the correction is not high enough. Here's an analogy to help understand this concept: Imagine every dog has a bank account (their correction level). Some dogs are very wealthy, and some are penniless, just like people. Let's say that you are speeding down the highway and a police officer pulls you over and writes you a 25 cent-speeding ticket. The second the officer leaves, you will start speeding again because the ticket wasn't high enough to get you to change your behavior. But let's say he pulls you over and writes you a ten-million-dollar speeding ticket, now it's so high that you will avoid driving altogether, and you will be very stressed out. On the other hand, let's say he pulls you over and writes you a $125 speeding ticket. That would be enough to get you to slow down, without causing you to avoid the behavior of driving altogether. This is what we must do with our dogs; we need to correct them at a level that is adequate to their bank account. If the dog doesn't stop the bad behavior, then you may have to increase the correction. Just be sure to correct the dog in the act. In addition, proper corrections should not create a fearful dog. Usually fear when correcting a dog is due to the owner being angry, yelling at the dog, or correcting too hard. When we use a correction, it's simple cause and effect. A correction should never be personal and you should never yell at your dog. Once the correction is done, then we praise and reward our dog when they're doing what we like. If your dog knows why he/she is being corrected and knows how to prevent the correction from happening, then you shouldn't create any fear. I hope this helps!

Hi Wendy, It sounds like your dog is going through a fear period. It's very common for a lot of dogs. In fact, my dog Arih went through one when she was around 7 months of age or so. Below is the breakdown of how I fixed it. If you are going to incorporate this training, just be very carful as you wouldn't want your dog to bite a child. Perhaps working through this fear with adults would be the better option. When my dog Arih would see someone new her hackles would go up, she would continuously bark while backing up. When she first started to display this behavior, I knew it would be important to fix it right away before letting it become a bigger problem. Lucky for me, I have a lot of dog trainer friends that helped me through this training process. For two weeks I personally did not feed her, but instead, I had my friends feed her from their hands. It was a progressive process, as they couldn’t just give her the food right away because she was cautious of them. So, instead they would have their backs facing her with their hands down by their sides, palms facing out with food. This took away a lot of the pressure and my dog was able to steal (in her mind) the food out of their hands. As she became more confident, they started to turn more towards her. Eventually, they were able to bend down and feed her while petting her. By doing this we were able to create for her a very strong and positive association with new people. New people now gave her the same positive feeling that she received when she was being rewarded by my friends. Because of that training, she enjoys meeting new people now. If your puppy or adolescent dog is having fear problems, there are some considerations to make: One thing you don't want to do is reinforce the behavior (petting, soothing, etc). However, you also don't want to use a physical correction to attempt to fix the problem. As mentioned earlier, this can make the fear worse. Instead, there a few things that can be done with a puppy or adult dog to increase their confidence immediately. Similar to the Disney character "Bolt the Superdog", we can build a dog's confidence by making them believe they are a "super dog." This can be done through confidence-building activities. An easy way to look at confidence-building is to take something that the dog may be unsure about and make it predict something pleasant instead. For example: Let’s say you want to get your dog comfortable with different sounds, so you fill an empty kiddie pool with empty plastic bottles for the puppy / dog to play with. At first, the puppy or dog may be hesitant about the situation, but if you show the puppy or dog that it’s fun by either getting in the pool first or luring the puppy or dog into the pool, they will soon discover that it’s a fun activity and the puppy or dog will associate the sound of the plastic bottles with fun (this is something a lot of protection dog trainers will do with their puppies because some protection sports, they will use what’s called a bottle curtain, which is basically a bunch of empty plastic bottles hanging from a pole in a curtain-like fashion that the dog will have to run through.) Simply put, it’s about constantly exposing your dog to new things and making those activities pleasant by predicting something the dog enjoys. Below are some confidence building exercises that I like to do with puppies and dogs that I work with. • Having the dog walk on multiple surfaces while giving the dog treats. An example could be having the dog walk on bubble wrap or a gym floor. • Having the dog walk on elevated surfaces while providing rewards. Making sure the dog won’t fall and get hurt, which could have the opposite effect. • Playing tug and always allowing the dog to win. If I want the toy from the dog, I always use the “drop it” command. I never physically take the toy away by ripping it from the dog. • Exposing the dog to different sounds while providing rewards. Starting at a low volume and increasing as the dog becomes more comfortable. • Taking the dog to different environments for training. This is part of socialization. • Create a puppy or dog obstacle course. These are just a few examples, but you can see how the process works. Try being creative when doing confidence building exercises with your dog.

Corrections in dog training is when we are using positive punishment to stop an undesired behavior. First, we must keep in mind that everything our dogs do is based on motivation. The motivation to access something pleasant, or the motivation to prevent something unpleasant. If your dog is practicing a behavior that is fun (self-reinforcing behavior), then you have two options to stop this. One; make sure to prevent the dog from being able to practice the undesired behavior. The second option is to use a correction to stop the behavior. A correction can be anything the dog doesn't like. So in the end, the motivation not to receive the correction must override the motivation to do the undesired behavior. If you use a correction and the undesired behavior continues, then the correction is not high enough. Here's an analogy to help understand this concept. It's important to remember that every dog has their bank account (their correction level). Some dogs are very wealthy, and some are penniless, just like people. Let's say that you are speeding down the highway and a police officer pulls you over and writes you a 25 cent-speeding ticket. The second the officer leaves, you will start speeding again because the ticket wasn't high enough to get you to change your behavior. But let's say he pulls you over and writes you a ten-million-dollar speeding ticket, now it's so high that you will avoid driving altogether, and you will be very stressed out. On the other hand, let's say he pulls you over and writes you a $125 speeding ticket. That would be enough to get you to slow down, without causing you to avoid the behavior of driving altogether. This is what we must do with our dogs; we need to correct them at a level that is adequate to their bank account. If the dog doesn't stop the bad behavior, then you may have to increase the correction. Just be sure to correct the dog in the act. In addition, proper corrections should not create a fearful dog. Usually fear when correcting a dog is due to the owner being angry, yelling at the dog, or correcting too hard. When we use a correction, it's simple cause and effect. A correction should never be personal and you should never yell at your dog. Once the correction is done, then we praise and reward our dog when they're doing what we like. If your dog knows why he/she is being corrected and knows how to prevent the correction from happening, then you shouldn't create any fear. Leash pop: This is when you make a snapping motion with the dog’s leash to engage the training-collar to give the dog a correction (a positive-punishment). I hope this helps!

Thanks! If I have more than one dog, then I train each one separately. Once they know the commands, then I start to train the dogs together. I begin training puppies right away, as early as eight weeks. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OvdKDE326gs.html

Correct! I use "wrong" to predict negative reinforcement (Leash-Pressure) and "No" for positive punishment (leash pop). :)

Yes. I would recommend going through my basic obedience series. Start with episode one and work your way through. The series is designed to be watched in order and it works on puppies and adult dogs. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cc8hX4lCGiY.html Cheers! :)

Thanks! Yes, you can. Here is the unedited section of remote training collars from my manual. My editor is still working on it, so ignore the grammatical errors. Lol! Safely using a remote-training collar. In the event, that you are required to use one or you want off-leash reliability, it’s important to understand how they work so that they can be used safely, in which case read onward: Most remote collars have a few options. Let’s go over them. 1) Stim - The stimulation that comes from the collar. This is a muscle stimulator, so it can safely be used in water as well. 2) Test or Vibrate - This can be a tone or a vibration of the collar. Some trainers will use this before they correct the dog, treating this as a conditioned correction. I’ve used the vibration when working with deaf dogs as a marker. I’ve also used it as a recall command. 3) Nic - This is a split second stimulation from the collar 4) Continuous - If you press this button down, it will continue to stimulate the collar up to 15 seconds or so, depending on the brand. 5) Light - Some remote collars offer a light setting for the collar. When you press this button it will turn the light on the collar. Recommended brands: My two preferred brands are Dogtra and E-collar technology. Recommended age; The earliest I would start a dog on remote collar training for obedience would be 5 month of age, but I prefer to start remote collar training when they are between 7-9 months of age. You can use it at a younger age to stop behavioral issue. Using a remote training collar for obedience: This is going to be different then when we use a remote collar for behavioral issues. When using one for obedience first you must make sure your dog knows what’s expected of them, they have been given a clear path to success, you have taught them how to turn off pressure by complying and they know how to prevent the correction. If you have done this, then you can start the process. Before ever correcting your dog with the collar, you want to get them used to wearing it. For the first week, you want to put the remote collar on your dog randomly throughout the day. You have to make sure the collar is snug with both connectors touching the dog. This get’s them used to the new collar without creating any negative association to the collar. From my experience, if using Dogtra, most dogs work between 15 and 25 stimulations level. I prefer to start at the lower end and increase as needed. If I correct a dog at 15 and I don’t see a change of behavior, then I move the collar to 25. If I correct a dog at 15 and they react with discomfort, then I move down to 10. A simple rule to follow is to go up increments of 10 when the correction is not high enough for the dog you’re training and down increments of 5 when the correction is too high. First, it is important to make sure that your dog is directional to the remote training-collar before you use it without the leash. So for the first two weeks minimum, you're going to pair the leash pop with the stimulation from the collar. Meaning, the moment the leash pops, you will press the button on the collar to give your dog the correction. This will help show the dog that you are giving the correction, and the collar is not just some random bug biting them on the neck. When starting the process, have the leash attached to a flat or martingale collar. Follow the procedures that were explained earlier when adding corrections for obedience. For example; you ask your dog to down and your dog chooses not to go into the commanded position. The moment you notice this, you will say “no”, then you will pop the leash. The moment the leash pops, you will press the button on the remote collar. Also, make sure the leash pop is very light. The intention is to give the dog direction, not to also correct with the pop on the leash. In addition, if you pop too hard, the dog may not feel the stimulation from the remote collar. After two weeks of pairing the remote correction with the leash pop, you will test to see if the dog has become directional to the collar, which means your dog understands that it's a correction. You will place your dog on the climb command (without a leash), and you will wait till your dog breaks the command. The second your dog jumps off the climb; you will say "no," followed by a correction with the remote collar. Your dog will then do one of four things, either your dog will freeze in place, go back on the climb, signifying that he is directional, or he will come running to you or away from you, showing he is not directional. If he comes running to or away from you, you will not continue to correct. However, you will place the leash back on your dog and continue pairing the collar with the leash for another week, at which point you will again attempt to see if your dog is directional. Keep in mind that the correction level will change depending on the environment. If you’re in an environment with a lot of distraction, the correction level will most likely have to increase. In contrast, in a neutral environment the correction level may be decreased. Once your dog is directional, you have then reached the status of off-leash trained. Things to keep in mind when using a remote collar: 1. Do not keep a remote collar on your dog for longer than 8 hours max. Ideally, you don’t want to go beyond 4 hours. 2. Do not leave a remote collar on your dog when you are not supervising them. 3. Always check your dog's neck when you remove the collar to ensure your dog doesn't have an allergic reaction to the collar. 4. Make sure the collar is on and charged before placing it on your dog. 5. Unless you have advanced training on the remote collar, do not use the continuation button. 6. Be mindful of the collar’s settings. Do not accidentally corrected your dog at a level higher than what is required. When you should and should not correct your dog with the remote collar. There are times when you can correct your dog with the remote collar even when your dog isn't directional yet, and for behaviors unrelated to obedience training. You can use it to stop unwanted behaviors like digging, getting into the trash or any of the other unruly behaviors mentioned previously. The second your dog starts to dig or puts his nose into the garbage, you can activate the collar. This creates an unpleasant association to the problematic behavior. However, the important thing to remember is to never correct your dog with the remote collar if your dog is actively engaged with a dog or people. You do not want your dog to think that it's the other person or the other dog that is causing the correction with the collar. If you do, there is a possibility that the dog will develop aggression, so be mindful of that. In addition, as explained before, the remote collar is also used for creating reliability with all of the obedience commands, so long as the dog is directional to the collar at that point. Lastly; this should go without saying, but never use the remote collar on your dog in an attempt to stop a fearful behavior. As mentioned before, this would only make the fear worse.

You can socialize them as often as your schedule allows. Leading in the store is just obedience. I would reinforce the heel command. :) Socializing: www.nateschoemer.com/post/how-to-properly-socializing-your-dog Heel command: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E7ztsl09dOI.html Focused Heel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QqnyEJu5jtU.html

Thank you so much! I'm always happy to help. :)

The stay command. :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s5iD8eN89bo.html

He is a fox red British lab. :)

@@NateSchoemer So I looked up the fox red lab and discovered that there is a British and American version. I have the thinner, more athletic American version that is fox red. (I also was not aware that any lab came in fox red). He looks strikingly like Charlie but has a patch of white on his chest and toes. I had been told that he was a Vizsla mix!

fox red british lab

22:15: "wrong", ears go up to listen: '"huh? What did i do"?

If I'm training a dog that has very little to no motivation, then I usually use leash pressure to teach all the command. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9L8tK7mSD10.html

Thanks! Since your pup is only 9 months of age, it could be part of the fear period. If it was my dog, I would reinforce what I want with leash pressure first. Then after doing that for a month or so, if it was needed would consider corrections. Here's an unedited section from version 3 of my manual on the subject of reinforcing without corrections. Leash pressure also helps to teach a dog what behaviors are not acceptable without issuing a correction. For example, if a dog likes to jump up on people, you can perform the following exercise (for the purpose of this book we will be using the word “wrong”. You can use whatever word you choose): • Have a friend start petting your dog. • When the dog jumps up, have your friend immediately stop petting. • Say “Wrong”, and then add the leash pressure, pulling the dog off the friend. • Once all four paws have returned to the ground, turn off the leash pressure, then have the friend immediately return to petting. We can also use this to stop specific behavioral issues such as jumping up on furniture or stopping a dog from playing too rough with another dog. We follow the same idea of saying “Wrong” then applying the pressure, and releasing the pressure when the dog does what we wish. Remember positive reinforcement is limited by how much the dog wants the reward, but negative reinforcement means the dog is given no choice but to comply (and learn). For your issue I would do light upward pressure for the sit command. Just make sure he knows to sit and be quiet when he feels that pressure. Practice it in multiple environments first. Hope this helps! :)

None yet, but I plan to make some in the future. Cheers!

Awesome! Thank you, Weronika! I really appreciate that! :)

Thanks! If I correct a dog on a specific level and I don't see a change of behavior, then I go up increments of 10.

Thank you, Erik! I really appreciate it. I'm happy the video helped and yes, there is nothing wrong with properly correcting a dog. I care more about my dogs Arih and Charlie than anything else and I correct them. Not to hurt them, but to give them more freedom and to keep them safe. A lot of businesses that push PP training are often uneducated or virtue signaling (Petco and their anti-ecollar campaign). It's sad to see because so many dogs have ended up in shelters because of PP training. Someone has an issue with their dog, so they hire a trainer. The trainer is PP and can't fix the issue. As a side effect, the owner takes the dog to the shelter thinking the issue is unfixable because the trainer couldn't help them. I've seen this with countless dogs that have ended up in shelters. Issues that were easily fixable with balanced training. Anyways, thanks again for the support and comment. Cheers!

@@NateSchoemer thanks again for your reply! It’s interesting that you mentioned that you’ve seen countless dogs in shelters because PP training didn’t help them. One of the guys on your FB page got into a spirited debate with me when I tried to help a person that is having trouble with her 13 month Mal. I told her to find a balance trainer because PP wouldn’t be able to help. So this guy chimes in and started spouting that PP training would help and what I said was false and he’s seen all these dogs in shelters because of balance trainers ruining their dogs. Lol...reminds me of our country’s politics! Lol Have a great Christmas Nate! Thanks again! Cheers!

Yay! Anytime, Vickey! Hope you're doing great and we need to get together sometime for another photoshoot with the pups! :) Maybe an Arih calendar. Lol! She's becoming a little celebrity on my channel. Haha!

Awesome. Thanks, G K! :)

Awesome. Hopefully it helps. :)

UPDATE: She still cant go down BUT she’s more relaxed at the top of the spiral staircase now (compared to before where she was just freezing)

2 years later, did she ever conquer the scary stairs I hope?

Thanks, Ezra!

My pleasure. :)

Thanks, Jen! :)