Minimalist Training: Incompatible Behaviors

avatarDenise Fenzi
December 11, 2019
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Incompatible behaviors are things that our dogs do that are incompatible with other behaviors; both cannot happen at the same time. Here are some examples:

Lying down is incompatible with jumping up – they cannot both be happening at the same time.

Pulling on a leash is incompatible with looking at the handler.

A toy in a dog's mouth is incompatible with mouthing, biting or nipping.

Often the simplest way to manage a dog's behavior is by thinking carefully about what the dog is doing and then ask ourselves – is there something that our dogs already know that is incompatible with what we don't like?

If you don't want your dog to jump up on people, ask the dog to do something that is incompatible with the behavior that you don't like. It may not train the dog, but it will get you through that moment in time.

Not much time to train? Focus on these 2 behaviors.

If a person has incredibly limited training time and not a lot of desire to train their dog, I'm going to suggest two key behaviors that will keep most dogs out of big trouble, most of the time. Put all of your energy into making these behaviors bombproof, and you'll save yourself a lot of grief.

Teach your dog "Come" and "stay."

Come! If a dog is coming towards you, they are not jumping on another person.They are not digging in your neighbor's garden and they are not getting hit by a car. Hard to beat all of that.

Stay! I don't care how or where your dog stays – sit, down, stay on a mat, or a combination the three; all of these work just fine.If your dog can stay put, then you have something to do with your dog after they come to you. Now you can open your front door to bring in your groceries, keep your dogs from bothering people, or hold them in one place and eliminate running through the house at inopportune times.

That's it. With those two behaviors, life will be much easier. So train them vigilantly. Be generous with the cookies and the praise. Spend a few minutes each week putting these skills to the test under distraction. And have a reasonably happy life with your dog – at least at home.

A Dog Trainer vs. A Minimalist

Yes, there are plenty of other behaviors that come in handy too, and since I'm a dog trainer, I happen to enjoy training many of them.

But if I'm talking to a a person who only wants to get along with minimal effort; consider starting with those two: come and stay.

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Denise Fenzi has titled dogs in obedience (AKC and UKC), tracking (AKC and schutzhund), schutzhund (USA), mondioring (MRSA), herding (AKC), conformation (AKC), and agility (AKC). She has two AKC obedience champions, perfect scores in both schutzhund and Mondio ringsport obedience, and is well known for her flashy and precise obedience work.

While a successful competitor, Denise's real passion lies in training dogs and solving the problems that her own dogs and her student’s dogs present. She is a recognized expert in developing drive, motivation, and focus in competition dogs, and is known internationally as an engaging speaker and an expert in no force training for sport dogs. She has consistently demonstrated the ability to train and compete with dogs using motivational methods in sports where compulsion is the norm.

In addition to training and speaking, Denise is a prolific writer.  You can find her at www.denisefenzi.com where she maintains an active blog on all things related to dog training.  She is also an active writer on facebook; follow her there to learn more about her range of interests in addition to dog training. Denise and Deb Jones have recently finished a four book series, "Dog Sports Skills" which has recieved widespread acclain in the dog sports community.  In addition, she has written additional books on her own, including "Train the Dog in Front of You", "Beyond the Back Yard; Train Your Dog to Listen Anytime, Anywhere!" and, for the younger audience, "Blogger Dog, Brito!"  Several of these books have won Maxwell awards for Best Training and Behavior book from the Dog Writers of America.

Denise thoughtfully and persistently works to break down the barriers that prevent people from obtaining a truly interactive and mutually enjoyable sport relationship with their dogs.  Fenzi Academy is the culmination of her efforts as a forward step in providing progressive information to any trainer who wishes to learn.

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