Nothing in Life is Free

“Nothing for free,” or “make your dog earn everything,” you may have heard these phrases before. What do they mean? It’s simple really, you have to earn your paycheck, make your dog earn hers/his.

What is your dog’s “paycheck?” It’s everything that your dog values; food, attention, play, walks, access to toys, the right to get on the couch, treats, whatever. How do you make it earn these? Through giving it commands to obey, of course.

Giving your dogs commands could mean a formal training session, obviously. But, it could be as simple as having your dog sit every time that you want to give it attention. I highly recommend a reliable “sit” command. I’m not talking about your dog sitting because you’re holding a treat in your hand. Nor am I talking about your dog sitting after you have repeatedly told it to. I’m talking about a sit that happens immediately after you say the command, and that eventually happens without a command any time your dog anticipates something from you. For instance, if your dog knows it has to sit to receive your attention, it has no reason to jump in greeting. In fact, it’s hard to sit and jump at the same time. If your dog knows that it has to sit in order for you to open the front door before a walk, it won’t bolt out of the door ahead of you. If it knows that you won’t throw the ball until it sits, it will sit to keep the game of fetch going. And the bonus in all these cases, is that you are showing your dog that you’re in charge the easy way.

One of the ways that I use “sit” is to help remind my dog that food comes from me. Since food is an important resource to all living things, it is understood among social animals that s/he that controls the food, controls everything. So, my dog Emma knows that she has to sit when she sees me handling food. If the food is for her, she has to stay sitting throughout the preparation process, and while the food is being placed in front of her. In fact, she has to continue to sit until I release her from her “stay.” If she gets up without permission, the food is removed from her reach until she returns to staying. She understands that I will make sure that she gets the food that she needs, but that it will be on my terms. I am in control of the resource known as “food.”

You don’t have to limit yourself to using “sit” for everything. There are countless ways of getting your dog to earn things. Your dog can earn treats or toys by giving a paw on command or “speaking” on command. It can earn them by pretending to die when you pretend to shoot it. It can earn more play by bringing a ball back to you, and giving it to you. Be creative, and have fun with it. Your dog will, too.

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