The Best Dog Game Ever….

   1.       Would you like a command to use when your dog is completely bonkers?

   2.       If you did not know what black looked like would you understand the color white?

   3.       How on earth can you teach a dog to calm down if they don’t understand being crazy?

OK so some of you are wondering (again), has Mikey lost his marbles for good this time? The answer, (I think) is no…not yet! Instead, we are heading into one of my favorite games to teach dogs, JAZZ UP AND SETTLE DOWN!  The goal of this game is to use the idea of opposites to teach Fido to calm down when he is acting crazy. Think about the above question on the colors of black and white. They are opposites, so understanding one is really dependent on understanding the other. It works that way with all opposites.  Would you understand noisy without quiet, hot without cold or, for the more philosophical of you out there, ying without yang? Is it making more sense? Good, now back to dog training…

How on earth are we ever going to get a dog to calm down on command without understanding what being crazy is? Simple, we are going to put both on cue and practice, practice, practice. All you are going to need is a kitchen table, your dog and some tennis shoes! The game goes something like this…you get Fido all sorts of crazy by chasing him around the kitchen table. Then all of a sudden you put on the brakes and run the opposite direction, this time letting Fido chase you. Right before he catches you, turn on a dime, face Fido and give the settle down command! Now don’t expect a miracle here! Getting Fido to lie down and relax (to the point of being on his side and getting a tummy rub) is not going to be easy or fast; but with practice and patience the results will become better and come faster. Now for the kicker…once Fido is calmed down, get up and start the game all over again with you chasing Fido around the table and so on!

Not only is this game a lot of fun for you and Fido, but it gives Fido a chance to learn “Jazz Up and Settle Down” which are both sides of the coin that 100% of dog owners desperately want, but in many cases have no idea how to get. We stand there with our human brains, yelling at our dog when they are being crazy, expecting them to understand what we want without even bothering to show them…That my friends is the beauty of this game! The only time you are really going to need the dog to “settle down” is in fact when they are crazy; and if we don’t practice the command while the dog is crazy, then can we really expect it to work? Like all things in dog training, common sense smacks us in the face as we realize that a silly game of “Jazz Up and Settle Down” practiced 3-4 times a week, unlocks one of the great mysteries of problem behaviors in dogs. So if you want a dog who truly understands the command of “settle down” go get your tennis shoes and start not only training your dog but also getting some exercise and having some fun with him!