Dog Hiking Foundations (Wk 2)

This is part 2 of a 6 part series on group hike prep for your pups! If you’re looking for part 1, click here!

Week 1 group hike prep was all about establishing a system of currency for your pup and getting YOU, the owner, in the habit of seeing and making note of when your pup makes good choices all on their own. 

We hope you’re already seeing your pups’ light bulbs go off and choose to do more “good dog stuff” in response to SMART x50 work each day! We STRONGLY encourage you to continue using SMART x50 every day throughout the course of this series and onward if you want to maximize your pup’s possibilities of success!

This week we’re looking more at the dog’s side of the equation and teaching them two of those essential skills they’ll need to succeed on group hikes. Name recognition, and being caught when recalled.

*Practice grabbing your dog’s collar 2-4x/day for the next week*

Being able to catch our dogs is KEY to a safe adventure in the woods, as we never know when we need to leash up, remove our dog from a situation, or of course, go home! And a pup that wants to play keep away is no fun when you’re in an emergency situation or time crunch. 

The best way to tackle this problem or prevent it from becoming a problem in the first place is to teach your pup that they can TRUST you and that being grabbed and caught is a GOOD thing. 

For the next week, every day, reach down to your pup and grab them by their collar. Say “good!” or yes or whatever word you use when you want to reward your pup. Then, feed them a few treats while still holding onto their collar. The moment they finish their last treat, let them go and tell them “all done!” and go about your business.

The moments you do this should be random. Sometimes do it while on a walk, sometimes while your pup is relaxing next to you on the couch, sometimes while they’re begging in the kitchen! The goal is that your dog shouldn’t know when to expect it.

If your pup shys away or gets too nervous when you reach for them, you may need to slow this game down a bit and simply reach for your pup, then say good and give a treat. Over time, you can reach closer and closer as they feel more comfortable until you’re able to grab the actual collar or even scruff of your dog. 

You can do a few in a row if you want, but overall you should have 2-4 different “sessions” a day of these collar grabbing exercises. They’ll help teach your pup that being caught isn’t so bad! 

*Play this fun little name game inside, outside, in the morning, before bed, whenever and wherever to teach your pup to respond quickly to their name!*

The name game is the very first step in a solid recall! Most of us call our dogs using their names, but oftentimes their names are a bit “poisoned” by the situations where we call them and do something to them they don’t really love… Like calling them over only to give them a pill they hate! Or calling them over and then catching them to put them in the bathtub!

To combat this, we have two tips for you, really. One, stop using your pups name unless you’re about to give them something they actually LOVE! Like going outside, meeting a friend, opening a new toy, getting their dinner, or being invited up onto the couch for cuddles. If you need to get your dog for one of the more icky scenarios, don’t call them at all. Simply go get them, use a leash if you need to, or use words for the things they don’t like so they know what to expect and aren’t suspicious about you approaching them. 

Two, start to make a proactive effort to “condition” a happy response from your pup to their name with this name game! 

First, you’ll need to cook or prepare some super special high value snacks for your pup… we suggest cooking chicken, ground beef patties, turkey sausage, or hot dogs. You can also use cream cheese or cheese cubes if your pup loves dairy the most. Prepare these at the start of the week and keep in your fridge or freezer to be ready to use throughout the week.

A few times a day, say your dog’s name like you’re calling them, or use whatever recall word or phrase you like, for example we have a pup that recalls to “aquì” which is a Spanish word for “here!” so that the word stands out to their dog when they need it to most. After you call them, magically produce the special treat from behind your back or out of your pocket or out of the fridge and give to your pup, wherever they are. They don’t actually have to come to you to get their treat this week!  We’re simply making a super happy powerful association between the recall and this super yummy special snack. 

If your dog doesn’t like sausage, don’t use sausage of course, it has to be something THEY like and the game works best when it’s a surprise to them. So if you need to get the special treat out of the fridge to hide in your pocket, put it in a smell-proof ziplock first and go about your business for 5-10 minutes so your dog isn’t suspicious! 

After a week of surprise snack recall associations, your pup should really start perking up when they hear their name called out! Be generous with their surprise snack, too, and give them a few bites at a time so it’s super exciting and special for them and they ONLY get these special snacks when they hear this recall/name.

If your pup struggles with trust, shows aggression, or is overly shy about either of these two exercises, we suggest seeking the help of a professional first. We offer training services as well as hiking groups and would be happy to help you out! 

Have fun with these little tips and tricks and stay tuned for our next week’s advice to getting your pup group hike ready!