Ah, spring is finally coming. Along with the mud. I don’t know about you, but here in Southern Wisconsin the winter has been so severe that the ground is frozen as far as six feet down. Six vertical feet, just in case you’ve never had to dig fence post holes, is a long, long way. That means it will take a long time for the ground to soften, and a longer stretch than usual of dealing with mud. There is no where for the melted snow or rain to go when the ground beneath is frozen solid, so “mud season” means wiping dog off paws every time you go back inside after being outdoors.
Yesterday, while wiping off Willie’s paws for the first time in months, I was reminded of how much I love the cue “Ready.” I wrote about it in 2010, but thought it was worth a reprint, given how many of us will be dealing with muddy paws for a few months to come.
From April 2010: As I was drying Willie’s paws a few days ago, I thought about how much easier it is now that I say “Ready?” right before I pick up each leg. Since I started communicating my intention (“now I am going to pick up this paw”), he is beginning, on occasion, to pick up a paw himself, but more often he will shift his weight so that it is less awkward for him. (Yep, I could train him to pick up each paw on cue… also a potential solution, but keep reading for some potential benefits of a more generalized cue.) Keep in mind that this is the dog who, as an adolescent, growled at me when I picked up a paw to dry off the mud. That was 3 years ago, and I remember saying something like “Oh, don’t be silly” and continuing what I was doing. He growled one or two more times, but we worked through it and I haven’t heard him growl at anything in years. However, he doesn’t enjoy his paws being cleaned, as most dogs don’t, and the process got me thinking about how little control a dog has over having his/her body moved around, even gently, without any say in the matter. That’s especially difficult if there is any pain involved in putting more weight than usual on one limb. I’ve always been aware of Will’s bad shoulder, and have always been extra careful about picking up the other paw, but a few months ago I started saying “Ready?” right before I picked up a paw, giving him a chance to shift his weight himself.
It’s made a difference to both of us. I lean down and put my hand close to a paw and say “Ready?” and he either shifts his weight or picks it up. Paw cleaning is not only faster, it feels like Will and I are moving down the same path, instead of trying to go in opposite directions. This is a cue that has so many applications; Will’s structural troubles require acupuncture and chiropractic, and he’s not the kind of hail-fellow-well-met who takes being handled lightly. I would bet the farm (and, hey, I have one) that handling Will with force and punishment would have created a severe aggression problem within a few months. In both cases, we give Will lots of options, using patience and communication during the treatments. He adores both practitioners, but he literally hides behind me when the greetings are over and it’s time for treatments. But we work through it, sort of like a dance; sometimes asking, sometimes quietly insisting, but always with an awareness that Will desperately needs to have some say in what is happening to him.
I know many others use cues like “Ready” for a variety of reasons. I’ve heard similar cues most often in obedience, meaning “Okay, time to start working together”. But I’ll bet there are many examples from your own experience of using a cue to communicate your intentions to a dog. I’d love to hear them. I think we’d all learn something from hearing about all the ways that concept can be used. (By the way, signals like “Ready” are called “meta-communication,” meaning “communication about communication.” A play bow is an example in dogs, meaning “Everything that happens next is in play, don’t take these bites and growls seriously!”
Update, March 2014: Since I wrote the words above, Willie needed a lot more medical care, and so I taught him lots more cues to make handling easier. For example, he quickly lies down on his side when I say “Acupuncture.” I use this cue now for lots of things, including stretching out his shoulder to keep it flexible, grooming and exams by veterinarians. I keep it always fun by asking for it often when no treatment is necessary, and giving him lots of treats for doing it. It is a perfect example of the beauty of operant conditioning, as used by zoological parks for example, when needing to handle or perform a procedure on an animal who willingly complies rather than is forced. I can’t imagine living any other way now.
MEANWHILE, down on the farm: Yup, it’s muddy. And icy. The ridiculous weather of March in the Midwest is in full form, from taking walks in 10 degree weather to listening to the the ancient, dinosaurian croaks of returning Sandhill Cranes. One moment you’re pulling on your long johns to stay warm on the morning dog walk, the next you’re standing breathless over the inch-high, bright-green leaves of daffodils poking up beside a snow bank. “Mud/luscious” and “puddle wonderful,” in the words of E. E. Cummings, and far be it from me to try to improve on that.
The sheep must be happy. Yesterday they went up the hill and found something at least approaching grass on the high hill, instead of ice and snow. It made me happy just to see them up there.
Not a very colorful photo, is it? But it is a good illustration of the brown of March. Brown grass. Brown trees. Brown, brown, everywhere brown. Or maybe grey. That’s why, when we see what is in the photo below, for the first time in five months, we stop and take a breath and feel the sun and think that yes, yes, we’ve almost made it through the winter.
Hillary says
I love it! As a vet tech I’m constantly having to force dogs into position in order to do treatments on them. It makes me extra careful about not doing it at home.
My dog used to hate nail trims, but she likes how we do it now. We sit on the couch together, I put out my hand and she puts her paw in mine and I do her nails. It’s always her choice to keep her paw in my hand.
I’ve also taught her some of the common positions we take x-rays in, mostly for fun but if she ever needs them it will be very easy! 🙂
Susan S. says
Also in Southern Wisconsin the Red-winged Blackbirds are back in the marsh, I saw a Robin, & the day-lillies are poking up, of course.
I use “relax” a lot. I once trained “dead dog” or “play dead” until I had a dog put down in my arms, I then I couldn’t use that cue for an entire dog, 15 years. I like “relax” because I can draw it out – relaaaaax. My dogs lie on their sides with their heads down until released. It may actually relax them eventually, although their tails do thump for a while. I often use it to prepare them for some intrusion; toenails or maybe ears or the examination of a sore paw. Maybe the fact that they lie down voluntarily & stay there without restraint makes whatever follows less aggravating for them.
Pat Anderson says
I never thought about it, just did the same as you do with a horse when you are going to pick up a foot. They shift weight and let you pick up their foot then to check it or work on it. I start up by the chest or belly depending on the foot and pet a couple of short strokes then slowly move my hand down to pick up ( hoof for horse ) the paw. Both horse and dog are ready for the paw to be picked up when it is done this way. Having worked extensively with training horse and riders as a 4H leader, I find many things are the same. Always let an animal know ahead of time what you will be doing, do not startle them. The poor eyesight of horses can cause them to kick someone they love if startled. The same is true for a dog, you can cause it to bite if you startle it, it is instinct and the dog is not being vicious, it would just be in self protect mode.
Judy Blevins says
You will never know all of the impact you have on we dog owners. With my Golden, Daisy, I began practicing with a group from a local training school for a public obedience performance. I was thoroughly warned that a large female mastiff (a rescue) in the group was fine with people, but very dog aggressive. The owners kept her a good distance away from all the other dogs. As we practiced one day outdoors, a small terrier being worked off leash, was attacked by the zoomies and began running in big circles, and finally straight toward Big Bella. Bella’s immediate body language indicated she was terrified! All in a split second, she went from casting her huge head side to side, huge yawns…to aggression. Luckily, someone intervened and grabbed the terrier. Long story short, her owner was very open to the theory, I shared with her my copy of “The Other end of the Leash, and after a year of concentrated positive conditioning, Big Bella could happily be a part of the whole group of dogs with no worries. We are all still respectful of her space, and she still gets lots of good girl treats. Thank you for the work you do, it is soooo interesting, and more than valuable. A big fan, Judy B.
Joe says
Meta-communication. Hmmm. Something to think about. Progress report: In my own dog training, I have had a Humane Society Lab for a year now, Cocoa, who apparently hasn’t had much in the way of interaction with other dogs. (She was found as a stray, so no history at all on her.) But she’s lovey, and eager to please. She had ZERO sense of what to do with a ball, originally. Imagine that–A Lab that doesn’t fetch! Started her in the house, go to the dowel I toss and sniff it–Good Dog! Next was pick up the dowel. Next was Come, with the dowel–She usually dropped it to Come, but got a reward anyhow. Next was bring the dowel all the way to me. Then transferred to a baseball–I imagine the leather cover smelled and tasted good–still in the house. Rolled the ball from one room to the next. This winter I took her outside and tossed the baseball–She Fetched It!! Brought it back and dropped it at my feet! Yippee! So we’ve been working on that–Today Cocoa and I went out to the back yard, I threw the baseball 25 yards or so, and she eagerly chased it and fetched it right back to me, with a happy light in her eyes! We repeated that 5-6 times, and then we went back in the house while Cocoa was still begging for more. I think a light has turned on in her head! Now, we still have to work on Sit and then Fetch on command, and bring the ball to my hand, not drop it, so we aren’t done yet, but gee I feel good about trying to break down the desired behavior into small steps and then teaching each of the steps in progression, like Patricia McConnell suggests! 🙂 Anyhow, that’s where Cocoa and I are now–Thought I’d share.
widogmom says
I had a similar lie-down command for my Dobie, Dary…I’d say “flatdog” (which was South Carolina slang for alligators) and he’d lie flat on his side for whatever needed to be done. A lot needed to be done; he was more a patient than a pet for quite awhile (RIP, my sweet boy). The most tractable dog I have ever known. I’m going to try the “ready” command with our highly trainable (and highly energetic) Cockalier…sounds like a good way to transition her attention from play to training.
Gary says
Instead of “ready” I say “paw” and touch the leg that I need to wipe down next. I try to do the paws in the same order every time so that also helps my dog know what is coming. But that isn’t meta-communication. I guess for that I use “let’s go work” to begin a training session. I also grab the treat bag and I think my dog uses that cue, more than what I say, to know that we are about to do some training.
And here in central Virginia the daffodils are finally out, a good two weeks later than last year. Finally!
Charlene Hochman says
Thank you for your wonderful writing. I have a Border Collie, Benner, who reminds me a little of how you describe Willie….. reading your books and watching your videos changed our lives when he was a little pup…. he has come such a long way after my early mistakes with going to a traditional trainer …. It is a distant memory of me in tears on the floor worried that my boy would be an aggressive dog… he is a love bug today (almost 4 years old), not perfect, but then who is? Thank you…. here’s to Spring…. I don’t even mind the mud!
Kat says
Finna is such a mess that she both craves and resists being touched. I’ve learned to tell her “touching you” before putting my hands on her. It gives her a second to prepare for the fact that there will be physical contact. And as I handle each part of her I name it first, gee front, haw front, for her forepaws etc.
“Ready” is the cue that something fun is about to happen, usually I’m going to throw the ball for her to fetch. I was thrilled recently to discover that “ready” is so ingrained in her now that it will even snap her out of a meltdown. The noisy neighbors were out yelling at their Labs which is almost always guaranteed to upset Finna. She was at the fence barking furiously and not responding to her name or any other cue. Since I had a ball in my hand I tried “ready” and it was like a switch was thrown, she abandoned her barking, ran to the start point for ball chasing and was focused on me and the ball. Anthropomorphizing here but it was as if she’d suddenly realized that she could walk away from the upsetting yelling next door and do something fun instead. Finna still loses it from time to time but “Ready” always snaps her out of it and the episodes of her melting down diminish steadily. Today it takes more than one upsetting factor in her environment to push her over the edge. The noisy neighbors yelling at their dogs isn’t enough by itself but them yelling together with the nasty little pack of rat dogs across the street charging across the street at her fence yapping furiously is way more than she can handle but “Ready” gets her back. She’ll keep checking the upsetting things but I’ve started encouraging her to “check it out” and rewarding any glance back at me that follows looking at the upsetting things. Teeny tiny increments but she’s getting better.
Laura says
Ah… we are tentatively looking forward to a serious warm-up this weekend. One model suggests 50s by this weekend, another goes completely nuts and has us in the 60s, and yet, I am waiting until the day before to see what will happen. we have been so disappointed so many times 6 hours north of you. Hang in there MN, just a little longer… dare I hope? Will it be warmer before my birthday next week? I just want some honest to God rain to fall. I’d love that. Anyway, enough about my weather ramblings. We’re taught a “ready” cue for our dogs on eskalators. When we approach the end of the stairs, we give lots of slack on the leash and say “ready?… ready?” It gets the dog reved up to jump off the platform so he doesn’t catch his feet in the teeth. I’m not sure if they do this with the more recently trained dogs though, as they wear boots on eskalators now and so are more protected. I like the idea of teaching Seamus to offer me a paw or help by shifting his weight when I’m cleaning his feet after a day out working. He already does the “golden paw thing.” Where he puts a paw on me whenever he wants to and so for him, it would be easy to teach. Now all we need is mud to practice… come on Spring… come to Minnesota.
LisaW says
Oh, what I would give for some mud. On top of the layers of ice from two ice storms this year, we have 18″ of snow from a storm week before last. It’s been so cold the snow, never mind the ice buried underneath, hasn’t a chance of melting. I think our soil is frozen below the permafrost line! Even our weather forecasters look chagrined and weary and reluctant to talk about the weather.
I use “Ready?” a lot with one of our dogs who is truly worried about being surprised. She’s not crazy about being handled, but cuing her makes her a little less anxious. I first get her attention by saying, “Olive, look,” and have a treat up by my eye, and when she looks, she gets the treat, and now I have her attention and can then say, “Ready?” Then I can pick up her paw or lift her into the car, etc. We also do the “looks” and treats when nothing much is going on. Not ever having a dog with this particular issue, I had no idea how strong her reaction was to not knowing something was coming; surprising her elicited some pretty heart-wrenching cries and looks of terror. I do the multi-step cuing to make sure I really have her attention. We still have things we’re working on as far as handling and ear cleaning, but it has gotten so much better. At her last vet check, she was amazing, with proper cues and an extremely patient vet, we were able to check her physically and draw blood with virtually no restraint. A gentle hand to the chest was all it took. Truly didn’t think I’d see the day.
Tegan Moore says
One of the most unexpectedly useful things I’ve taught my rescue dog is “water!” We’re just starting to trial in agility, and as she was highly reactive when I got her the environments we spend a lot of time in can be overwhelmingly exciting–to the point where drinking water is pretty low on her priorities list, even when she’s thirsty. By making it a trick I guarantee that she’s hydrated without having to force or cajole her. It’s not even something I have to reward a lot of the time, as once she starts drinking I’ll see the light go on in her head: oh good, I was parched!
Another great one is teaching her to lay on my lap to get her nails trimmed. She’s a fifty-pound kelpie/german shepherd mix so wrestling her for it never was an option. She doesn’t love it but it’s such a great cookie party that she is a willing participant. I can’t say that for the poor BC we saw at the dog wash, with two people holding him down while the dog wash attendant tried to clip his nails. It was traumatic even to watch, and they didn’t manage to clip anything either. That poor dog, what does he think of his people?
Rose C says
I use the word ‘Ready’ but mostly when I am calling my dog/s attention before changing an activity (e.g., with them having spent some time walking and running in the park, I say ‘Ready’ when we are turning around and start heading towards the direction of the gate. Or when sitting and resting, I say ‘Ready’ when we are about to get up and start going). It probably doesn’t really mean much in terms of dog training but they pretty much respond to it by looking at me, waiting for the next move. In my opinion, it is still a cue that they take from me. Of course, if I happen to utter the word ‘ready’ in a conversation in a totally different context, my dogs would still turn their heads towards me with anticipation, the same way as they do when I use the word with them as a cue.
When putting on their harnesses, I lay it on the floor and assist them put their front legs into it then clip it on the top (on their back). I hold one leg and gently lift it as I feel them lift the leg with me, place that leg into the harness and before they can lift that leg, I’m already holding the other leg, gently lifting it as I feel them shift their weight and lift that second leg with me. Before either leg goes up again, I’m already holding the harness strap, pulling it up closer to their chest and by this time, there is no chance of either leg coming out of it anymore. Hard to explain but it’s sort of like a dance, a swift move, that we have developed with constant use.
(*After typing the very last paragraph below, I just happened to look back at your post above and realized I skipped reading those two lines where you did call it a dance. I guess, then, you understand exactly what I was trying to explain.)
When I am closely working with my dog/s (or any dog), I use more non-verbal cues. Somehow, I feel it is more relaxing to them, gets them to stay and cooperate more. When I have to use verbal cues, I consciously try to say it in a tone that is lower and slower than my usual speaking voice. I used to have two dogs, with different ‘excitability’ levels. I only have one now which is the more excitable/highly arousable one. I try to use more visual than verbal cues so as not to give her additional auditory sensory stimuli.
Another aspect that is hard for me to explain:
One thing that have worked for me when helping my dog/s continue performing a desirable behavior was for me to ‘keep the momentum’ and to ‘keep things status quo’. For example, at the very start (at home), my dogs will run away from me when I get their collars/harness and leash. The same way they used to run away from me when it was time to leave the dog park. By luring then rewarding them everytime they come and stay still as I put their collars/ leashes on, they have learned to come to me as I head to the front door or the dog park gate. I always reward them so they keep doing the behavior. From my standpoint, as long as they are doing the behavior, I keep things status quo (by this I mean that the way I give my cue, my demeanor, the way I kneel next to them, the way I say my verbal praises, the manner I put the leash on which dog first and which one next — I maintain the routine close to identical as possible). I feel that dogs can easily be distracted by anything and once the ‘routine’ gets disrupted, there is a possibility that they may not perform the behavior as smoothly as they have been doing all this time (could depend on what the disruption was too). And this is why I keep in my mind, ‘Don’t break the momentum’ (especially if they are performing the desired behavior in all different contexts). And as long as they are doing the desired behavior, ‘Keep things (all stimuli) status quo’ (as the behavior is more ‘proofed’, then I can allow some variations or distractions).
Carol says
Like a few of the others here, I use the same cues that work with my horses on the dogs that I deal with at work. A friendly skritch on the shoulder or upper leg, lightly run my hand down the leg and when I’m close to the hoof or paw I say “foot”. The horses quickly learned to lift their feet (ok, so maybe my gelding is still sticky on that right front, but he’s getting better), the dogs often give me a puzzled ear or look, but in a moment or two they generally shift their weight away from the foot I’m requesting, and nail trims, foot exams, and blood draws are much easier.
Sadly, my boss hasn’t figured it out yet….but I’m still trying.
Gittebi says
I have a one year old aussie. From the beginning I taught her handling in the following way: before touching her eyes – I say “eyes”. Before touching her ears – I say “ears”. She now knows a lot of words: teath, frontpaws, backpaws, tail and so on.
She really understands the words. When I say eyes, she closes her eyes 🙂
It has made handling SO much easier.
When we start training, I say “ready”. When we finish training I use “finished”.
I have other words for other situations- up, down, under, over, in, out etc.
I started it as an experiment- and it turns out that it works fine.
I call it autotraining…
Nic1 says
http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(14)00007-0/abstract
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/article4042578.ece
Another study with evidence that using positive reinforcement results in happier dogs ( of course we know the, but we still need the evidence nfortunatley). It also got an article ran in The Times today. Nice to see David Ryan, past president of the APBC, commenting in there too, who introduced Trisha when she did her talk in Newcastle last year. 🙂
Is ‘walkies!’ an example of meta communication too?
Liz Langham says
I use ready with fearful dogs, when I anticipate something scary is pending. I am a far distance away, sub-threshold, with the dog. Say a car is in the distance and approaching. Dog alerts, I say “ready” and toss a ball. Helps change the emotional state.
L. Joy Mercier says
My little terrier/sheltie mix is highly “ball motivated.” The only thing better than playing with me+tennis ball is catching a squirrel, or at least getting very, very close to catching one. Chiqui used to have a very hard time with the “drop” cue when she had a tennis ball. She would dance around with the tennis ball in her mouth and play-growl at me while I would useless repeat” Drop. DROP. DROP IT!” One day, it occurred to me that I could add a cue to mean “mentally prepare yourself for what’s about to happen.” I started to say “Reeeeeeaaaaaaady? Drop.” And what do you know? Her willingness to drop the ball when asked improved significantly. Sometimes, if it looks like she really isn’t ready to drop the ball, I will repeat the Ready cue several times: “Reeeaaady? Reeeeeaadyyyyy? Reeeeaaaaaaaadyyyyyyyyyy? Drop!”
Sometimes Chiqui will still refuse the first request, but we have a 80+% success rate, which is good enough for me. The “ready” cue even transfers to other people fairly well, with only a moderate decrease in success/compliance rate.
Kathy says
One of my dogs dislikes being “handled” at all unless it’s on his terms. The other, a stray originally, has been pretty touchy about his paws. Since we too live in Wisconsin and I have 8 paws to wipe every time we enter the house, we’ve gotten pretty good at it.
Mico (45 pounds, dainty and graceful) hops up on the top step of the two-step stairs from the garage to the house, standing at 90 degrees to me, facing my left. I say “one foot?” He lifts his left front paw and I wipe. I say, “two foot?” He lifts his rear left paw. I say, “can you turn around?” He pivots on the 8 inch wide step so the right feet are in front of me and the left are against the door into the house. I say, “three foot?” and he lifts the right front. I say “four foot!” and he lifts the rear right foot. The reward is going into the house.
Then the other dog Argus (50 pounds, less dainty and less willing to be “trapped” between me and the closed door) puts his front paws on the first step while keeping his hind legs on the ground and we go through the same routine, but I step back while Argus just pivots around with his back legs safely on the ground, so that if the contact is too much, he can move away for a second and come back.
The “one foot? two foot? three foot? four foot!” always makes me think of that Dr. Seuss book “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.” and that makes me smile. My cheerful voice makes the dogs happy to let me wipe their feet.
Like Willie, Mico used to growl when I wiped his feet, and Argus used to be able to let me wipe only one foot before he had to dance away out of range and then come back, but no longer. Now they know exactly what’s going to happen and they control which foot gets wiped by lifting it in response to my question. It has made the whole procedure so much more pleasant.
I also, as many horsey people have already posted, run my hand down the leg just like I used to do with my horses. Now that the dogs lift their paws for me, I can wipe with only one hand and have a hand free to scratch their necks and ears at the same time they are getting their paws wiped. It’s quite reinforcing for both of us!
Margaret McLaughlin says
I was taught by my first obedience instructor to use “Ready!” as a marker word, since every. single. exercise. in the obedience ring begins with the judge asking, “Are you ready?”, to which you may respond “Yes” or “Ready” & using a word with a strong reinforcement history almost guarantees a happy & engaged dog.
I had a horse long before I had a dog, & realize I have unconsciously based a lot of my handling technique on this history–it’s much harder to use force when an animal outweighs you 10/1, & also because horses, being prey animals, startle so easily. I taught my horse, who was 7 years old when I got her & had not been handled much–she had to be twitched to be shod or examined by a vet–to put her foot in my hand when I said, “Foot, please”. It took me a year, & a LOT of treats. If I had known then what I do now about training (this was 1969, & I was 13) I’ll bet I could have taught it in a couple of weeks. Even at that time, thought, I was, at some level, aware that I wanted a partner rather than an adversary. As the twig is bent…
Katie Traxel says
…”the ancient, dinosaurian croaks of returning Sandhill Cranes.” What a fabulous description! So perfect that I’ll quote you (with credit) every time I describe their calls from now on. Love the blog, keep up the good work.
sarahjaneb says
I had been using “foot one, foot two” etc, and just touching the foot for a couple of seconds before lifting it, thinking that would be enough of a cue to let my boy know what I was about to do, but he was still really nervous about it, and never helped me by lifting a foot himself. I started using “ready” today, and on the first round of using it, he lifted the third foot himself. Thank you! He already seems so much more comfortable with the foot wiping. He has very advanced arthritis in his knees, and he really needs to know what’s about to happen with his feet so he can feel balanced and secure.
LunaGrace says
I am so jealous! You have green poking through and we here in western South Dakota are still melting our 14″ of snow from Saturday afternoon. Straight into the well, I hope! One day we too shall have daffodils and greenery.
I teach a lot of words/cues because I’m engaged in a number of different doggie disciplines and I think that helps explain to the dogs what they should anticipate happening next. “Ready” for my dogs, like Margaret M’s, is done in conjunction with performance competition. For us it means “Sit up straight, come to attention, watch me, and prepare for something to happen real soon”. The dogs never really know for sure what’s going to happen next, so they are fairly vibrating with anticipation when they hear the upbeat “Are you ready? Ready to go to work?”
When we’re preparing to train and learn something new, I ask my dogs if they “wanna WORK!?” or “let’s do some WORK!” which is a happy, fun thing for everyone. I’ve also found it’s useful to have an “unready” or “stand down” word to indicate that they should calm down, relax, sit down, lie down, and settle in place until further notice. I use the cue/word “eahhhhhsy” (easy) which I say in a low, calm voice with an exhale, almost like a sigh, and you almost can’t help but dial it back a little (so the dogs do too) when you say it like that and everyone sinks to the floor or the ground or into and beside a chair. I’ve used it at the vet’s office and can fairly feel the tension flow out of the dog, even if they’re on the dreaded Steel Table, when I tell them, “This will be eahhhhhhhsy”.
I realized that, over the years, I was asking my dogs to “show your TEETH” when the judges would look at their bite in conformation, not only to prepare the dog to be grabbed by the muzzle but also to start them peeling back their own lips instead of clamping them together and drawing away from the judge. I say, “Let me see your PAW” as I put my hand near the requested foot when I want to wipe the mud off, clip nails, or examine toes for thorns; and “wag your TAIL” for one of their tricks; so I pretty much just teach them the words for body parts — which has come in handy in some surprising ways. I used to show a very nice Siberian Husky except for his rather tightly-curled tail, and I found I could verbally ask him to uncurl and “drop your tail” when I thought the judge was about to look our direction and the dog would unroll his tail just like a party favor noisemaker that you blow into to make it squeak.
The word “Wait” is used almost daily here. For us it means “pause —- and something will happen soon”, so it’s not like “Stay” which means hold your position, possibly until tomorrow if necessary. My dog can go faster with his four legs than I can with my two when we’re tracking with the line, so I have to periodically ask him to “(puff puff pant pant) Wait (puff puff) wait” so I can catch my breath while he taps his toe, raises his eyebrows, and we can proceed on again. And it means “remain in the car regardless of whether the doors or hatch are open until I release you to get out” and “stop inside the front/back door even if it’s wide open until I say it’s safe for you to go out”. Which also led to the word “Clothes” (collar) as the dogs were told “You can’t go OUT until you have your CLOTHES on” and, hearing that, they would all dash to the shelf where the collars and leashes were stored when not worn and do the “let’s go outside NOW” dance until they were all properly attired. And, at night, when we’re all tucked in and their collars come off, I tell them “Let’s take your clothes off so you can relax” and chins are lifted so buckles can be undone and collars put on the shelf until tomorrow.
Francoise Maxwell says
To warn my dog, I gently tap the paw to be lifted, and wait until the dog shifts his/her weight. As soon As I have lifted the paw, I praise the dog and proceed gently. Giving treats after each session always helps too, dogs know to anticipate :-)))
Frances says
After realising how much tiny dogs hate being unexpectedly swept up into the air, I taught mine an “I am about to lift you” cue – a hand curved ready to go under the chest. My Papillon, Sophy, particularly appreciates it – she does not much like being picked up, but with the cue she will position herself to make lifting safe and easy, and give a little hop to help. “Ready” has a very special meaning in our house – after a walk I take any remaining treats out of my pocket, say “Are you ready? Are you steady?” as the dogs try very hard to wait in a Down (Poppy levitates – she vibrates so hard with excitement her tummy hovers an inch off the ground), and then “Wheeeeee!’ as I throw the treats into the air so that they scatter across the room for the dogs to find.
Jamie McKay says
Having a rough winter in the NE we are now experiencing more mud than usual in our yard. Working on training our border collie Scorch to wipe his paws on a towel. Our sheltie Piper wipes her front paws already. Her trick is called Toro!!
Trisha says
Argh, just wrote a long set of answers to comments, and lost it. Sigh. Here’s a shorter version:
I am loving this conversation, has me thinking about other ways for me to communicate with dogs and help improve our relationship. I’m going to think about other ways to let my dogs know what is about to happen. (I started teaching Tootsie to associate a cue and a treat with being picked up, but for some reason dropped it. Time to pick it up again.)
I also love Kat’s comment about switching Finna’s emotional state with the “Ready” cue. Brilliant. I find this invaluable, even sometimes with dogs you don’t know. I changed the emotional state, and thus the future behavior, of hundreds of dogs by saying “Wanna go on a walk?” or “Want your dinner” or “Play ball?”
And I love Tegan’s teaching something like drinking to “water” to ensure that a dog gets hydrated. I have taught Willie to sniff on cue, and it has helped us out tremendously when he is clearly nervous about something. Once he can focus his nose on it he seems to calm down.
em says
So many great cues. Upon reflection, I realize that I say, “let me see” when I need to handle one of the dogs in a way that might make them uncomfortable. It’s something that hearkens back to childhood and my mom checking my own bumps and scrapes. It’s been a regular thing for several years now but I never really thought about it before now.
To me, the phrase communicates calm and reassurance- a gentle request, but announcing a clear intention to take charge. ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to take care of this. It may hurt a little, but I know what I’m doing.’ To my dogs, I’m sure that it is a preparatory cue, and while I can’t say for sure if they hear the same gentle reassurance in it that I do, I hope so.
It has always been my habit to be chatty with my dogs- I say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ an awful lot, and even with physical cues (Otis really responds well to these- a very light flat hand on his side is a good way to steer him, on the top of his back will slow him down, etc.) I seldom do anything abruptly. I’ve always thought of it as somewhat anthropomorphizing on my part, but it seems to me that asking, even in a situation where the dog doesn’t have a real option to refuse, is nevertheless still more polite than simply demanding, (or worse taking) what you want. If another human wanted something from me, I would hope that they’d ask, not just snatch something out of my hand or push me out of the way, even if it’s my boss and I don’t really have a choice. In fact, I’d be pretty peeved if they didn’t. A person grabbing one of MY body parts without warning would be lucky to get away with just a growl.
I do wonder about the term “metacommunication” for a ‘ready’ cue, though. To me, it doesn’t seem like a warning cue is communication about communication, but rather communication about an intended action, and I wonder if that is a significant difference. A play bow seems like communication about communication, because it nullifies other, contradictory language signals like growls, just as ‘April Fools!’ nullifies whatever verbal or gestural language preceded it. Other metacommunications might reinforce rather than nullify, “seriously, I mean it!”, but still, the language is the thing being referred to, not the situation in general.
A warning cue seems simpler to me, since it doesn’t serve to nullify or reinforce the meaning of subsequent cues but simply to announce your intended action (and perhaps give a clue about the meaning of your otherwise inexplicable actions)- in most cases, it seems to me that it’s language, not language about language. It’s the growl, not the play bow before the growl.
The exception that I can think of is when a physical action has an understood meaning to a dog (forcing a dog down and onto its side, for instance). In that case, a training or warning cue may actually nullify the conventional meaning of this gesture so that it no longer means “I’m punishing/controlling you” but something else instead. Even that seems somewhat slippery, though. There are a lot of layers to unpack- what does the dog think the gesture means? What does she think the cue means? How can we know that? What an interesting thing to spend some time thinking about!
em says
@L.Joy Mercier
Your charming story about the “ready” cue setting up your Chiqui for success at ‘drop’ jogged my memory. “Wait’ was one the first truly solid cues that Otis had. He easily saw the point of it, and it was low pressure and easy to teach with the merest suggestion of body blocks. About six weeks into our off-leash training, Otis experimented with not exaaaactly coming all the way back on his hard recall but pausing about ten feet away. Not awful, but not quite what I wanted. One day, in a burst of inspiration, rather than getting more frustrated and insistent, I said “waaaait, waaait”…OK!Right Here!” Instant sprint to my side for rewards and happy prancing. It turned a pointless chore into a game and a task that was undesirable a moment before acted like a reward.
I suspect it’s very similar to the psychology of game playing in humans. What an interesting topic for study that would be!
Jennifer says
As a horse person and farrier, I’ve used ‘foot’ and routine to wipe feet – same order around, give them a chance to shift, etc. I also use ‘whoa,’ ‘stand’ and ‘walk on.’ Just easier to remember, really.
Whether a 60 lb dog or 800+lb horse, cooperation is preferable. 🙂
diane says
The word, ready, is used often to prepare my dog for many things (start of agility class, heel across the street). I agree it is important to let them know and be part of the process. One of the stranger communications I have with him to make him ready is “check you for the medicines”. He’s part poodle and has skin rashes, more when he was younger than now. When I wanted to check his belly for any rashes I would say “Let me check you for the medicines” meaning I am going to possibly spray a medicine on his belly where the rash is. He assumes a lie down position and moves his paws in the air exposing his belly. He always got treats for cooperating, and I am sure felt better with a rash relieving medication which was another positive reinforcement. Recently at the vet, she wanted to examine his underside and was having difficulty viewing his belly (my dog is large and was not on the table but on the floor). With embarrassment I said, “let me check you for the medicines”. He assumed the position. The vet laughed and examined. I felt silly, but it worked, and my companion was properly warned!
Rebecca Rice says
I’ve taught Pixie, my rat terrier, a “ready” cue for when she is about to get picked up (into the car, onto the bed, and other fun places that she is too small to jump up on, especially since she had bad patellas and I am paranoid). She also knows “paw” (give me a paw so that I can get her harness on), “udder paw” (for the “other” foot… don’t ask me why I say it like some New York mobster!), and “both paws” for when I am trying to get her to put both feet on something.
Katie-the-greyhound, on the other hand, will tolerate being handled since she is an ex-race dog. She doesn’t love it, and was a terrified dog when I first got her. So for her, I taught her sort of the opposite cue. Instead of a cue to tell her when I was going to do something to her, I taught her to give me a signal for when she wanted to be petted. This allowed me to show her affection on her terms and at levels that she could handle. Here’s a link to a video of it, if people are interested in seeing what it looks like. http://youtu.be/u7Yep9zOHNY
Jackie D says
Accidentally, certainly I do. How many of your dogs jump to attention when you grasp the arms of your armchair ready to stand up, while saying riiiiight….? Mine certainly know that something is interesting. If I don’t say ‘Right’ they correctly guess that I am going to pick up the remote, or a magazine, or go to the toilet – but then sit down and be boring again.
With drying paws, I count as I do them, I don’t know why. I suspect I always do the paws in the same order, too. Add in me picking up the towel and I am certain that my dogs are ready and prepared that I am going to wipe them, and that ‘four’ is the last paw and then they can walk away.
However I shall definitely try the stroke down the leg thing next time I need to handle a paw for a different reason.
Trish Kirby says
Until I read this post I didn’t have a “Ready” cue but I did try it the last two days before wiping my dogs paws. I felt that they were calmer and more relaxed or maybe I was calmer and more relaxed because I was thinking about what I was doing instead of just doing it the way I always have in the past.
Like a few others that commented I too count One, Two, Three and then I say one more. I feel They know a paw wiping was coming because I will say “up up” and they get up on the two steps that lead to the back door . Except for the up up command I wasn’t very consistent with the ritual as far as what which paw I wipe first but now that I am paying attention I will be more thoughtful.
Formal training is coming soon so I’m sure I’ll find a use for “Ready” but paw wiping doesn’t seem to fit for me. I think I say ” ok, let’s wipe your paws” . funny I never really thought about it til now.
My Simon who I’ve had since he was 10 wks. didn’t like his paws touched at all and would squirm and growl a bit, also having a brush come near him was almost impossible, even worse than the paws. A few months later when I brought Bella home and he saw her get wiped and brushed, he BEGGED for it. It was great! All the sudden the brush wasn’t so scary and he’d lay on his back for a belly brushing. A little off topic but sometimes dogs are like others grandchildren, you can’t help but to tell great stories about em :-).
Marianna says
I taught a petite pooches class and this cue was one of the first things I talked about. I also use it with big dogs, but too many small dog owners pick up little dogs and don’t give them a choice or even warning. When these dogs get older and sore, this helps them prepare to get picked up. Thanks for helping explain the beauty of “ready”.
Mireille says
We had some issues with our two Siberians – which have nothing to do with this blog, so I’ll skip this part – but part of the training exercises we got was “get to know your dog physically and find out where and how stressed they are’. This trainer claims that females take care of pups in a pattern, f.i. they first wash the mouth/face, proceed to the paws, breast etc. He also claims that they even do right paw, then left paw. I started using this method, first while relaxing, than gradually building it op. I must say, they do seem to recognise it, offering body parts to be rubbed and relaxing thoroughly. Especially our “electric’ dog Shad, who lacks the “off switch” can be calmed down by it. Both guys do not particularly like their paws handled. Last year Spot had a two paws injured and infected and I had to bath them. It was more like a wrestling match… This year Shad had something similar, but this time I took it slowly, worked up to it in the “logical sequence” and paw bathing was easy. I still do not know what to believe and what not from this trainer but this is something that has worked for us. (his books are published only in dutch, but his website is available in English (ok something akin to English 😉 ) http://www.deroedel.com/eng_index.php
randy swatek says
Ms. McConnell, I have been reading your posts for a couple of years now. I have started talking to my two dogs a lot more. I see a great number of things going on in their heads. Sometimes they eyes give away what they are thinking. I have become more aware of not only their expressions, but other dogs as well. I appreciate your blogs. I am thankful for your resource. Randy
Diana says
This post really made me think about how I groom my standard poodle Rush. I’ve worked since he was a puppy on positive training for grooming behaviors, but there are a few things he just doesn’t like. I think his right front paw must be very ticklish; he hates having it handled. This morning I spent some time with a newly created “may I?” cue that asked him to let me lift his paw, rather than just grabbing the paw and starting work on his nails or clipping the hair, which is what I’ve done in the past. After spending very little time training “may I?”, he clearly got the idea that he could control my access. He was very cooperative, and signaled politely with a gentle pull away of his paw when he needed me to take a break rather than his previous method of a growl. It made grooming his feet much more pleasant; he even let me Dremel his nails when I was done clipping.
I also felt that the respect of the dog’s personal space that you describe changed MY attitude toward grooming. When Rush told me he didn’t want me to use clippers near his dewclaws, I looked for an alternative instead of just pushing on. (Scissors worked.)
Thank you for taking the time to write about this.
Vicky in Boise says
This is a great discussion! My first border collie, Cooper, was a real digger. After watching him digging in the sand along the lake near where we lived, I started to ask him to “get the bug” whenever he dug in sand. It became quite the game for him and he stopped digging unless asked. Since we walked along the beach nearly every day, he got ample opportunities to exercise his desire to dig without doing it in the yard.
Good luck with mud season! My parents are in Appleton and are so ready for this winter to end!!
Patricia Savage says
Loki used to growl quite deeply when it came to feet touching, so I decided if you want the frisbee, you have to let me touch your legs. When we progressed down to feet level, we went to a local park where he loved to retrieve the frisbee from the lake. Well, if he wanted the frisbee, he had to let me handle his feet. He was not happy, but if it meant he got the frisbee, well, okay. When I knew the he knew that I knew he was okay with me handling his tootsies, we progressed to the dreaded nail clippers. One really yummy treat for each nail, one foot every couple of days. He never quit verbally complaining about the entire ordeal, but he didn’t growl. I would rather hear his complaints than see his teeth.
We have gone from skelelton trees on Sunday to trees starting to bud out here in NC.
Rebecca says
Your ready command sounds a lot like Cacey Cover’s “Name and Explain” concept. I’m been interested in some of her work. Some of it, I’m skeptical of. I just don’t buy the animals are making the verbal associations as quickly as she thinks. But even if not, if nothing else, I do think it changes the person’s approach to these procedures and that makes a difference down the line. And then over time, can certainly create verbal associations.
Louise Mann says
I need help with my 3.5 year old corgi. All of a sudden he won’t let me touch him, growling and tensing his body. I have been bit once, so am hesitant to push it at all. But I have used the grab the ruff and say no technique twice–once very recently. I think that’s what’s brought the episode on. How do I say I’m sorry to a dog and mend the mistrust that’s been created? I read your blog on “ready” but he’s so distraught I can’t even get close to starting this. Help! Is there an animal behaviorist in southeastern WI?
Trisha says
Louise: So sorry to hear about your corgi. I would definitely take him to the vet for a first step; part of what’s going on might relate to pain. Even dogs who play with abandon can be affected by pain–think how often something bothers you at one moment, but not the next. But after the vet check I’d start conditioning him to enjoy the approach of your hand. Move your hand just a few inches toward him (long before he looks tense) and toss him a treat from the other hand. Gradually, over a period of weeks or months, move your hand closer and closer, so that he learns that an approaching hand means that something REALLY good is coming. It would be great if you could find a behaviorist in your area, try looking on the APDT site or the Animal Behavior Society site (applied section.) Good luck!
Swiss Shepherd says
I have a White Shepherd with Peri-anal Fistulas. In order to treat him, he needs his back end to be washed daily – he is so big I can only do it in the shower but he has learned to back into the shower for me – allowing me to guide his back end in-so he is moving in reverse. Then he is showered, soaped and rinsed then dried and then blown dry before I apply the medicine,. He holds perfectly still for all this presenting his rear for the treatments. Ditto for the vet techs performing the laser treatments, even though he is a reactive to people dog, but allows even new/strange vets and techs to examine his sensitive bum and work on him. I use READY also and generally encourage him with Brave Boy comments in a soothing tone.