Teaching Your Pet a SEARCH FUN Game During COVID-19 Isolation

Here is a the first step to teaching your pet (any pet, not just dogs) a SEARCH FUN game. This “game” is fun to play with your pet during the COVID-19 isolation period, but it’s also a game you can play outdoors and can be a useful skill in some cases (e.g. you can use this to get your pet to help you find a glove or set of keys you may have dropped somewhere).

Your pet is likely getting a little stressed by the changes in routine, the lack of usual rest, or lack of mental stimulation if the pet is stuck indoors for long periods. You are likely experiencing similar stress. This SEARCH FUN game will provide you and your pet with endless ideas for future play sessions. The game becomes more advanced as you and your pet excel.



  • Begin this training in a low-distraction environment (e.g. indoors) then work up to a medium distraction environment (e.g. in the yard), and then try it in a high distraction environment (e.g. in a park with wildlife and all sorts of smells and sounds). 
  • Back up to at an easy stage when you first try it in a higher distraction environment.
  • Be sure your pet has mastered each step before advancing to the next step. If your pet starts to have difficulty at a step, move back to an easier step for your pet and spend more time there before advancing to the next step.
  • Do NOT repeat the “Search” cue. You can encourage your pet by saying something like “Find it” but do not repeat the word “Search!” 
  • Do NOT make it too difficult for your pet. Don’t make it too easy, but don’t make it too hard. Baby steps. Repetition. This is what builds the skills so your pet can perform in more difficult situations.
  • If you’ve made it too hard, and your pet is looking like he/she is starting to get too frustrated/stressed or starting to give up, then you can give a little help (perhaps pointing). But then remember this lesson and try to never make it too hard again. Your pet needs to be able to do this skill independently and you won’t be able to help once your pet advances to searching for a scent. 
  • Keep the training sessions (the game) very short — never more than a couple minutes. ALWAYS end the session BEFORE your pet wants to end it. Stop if you notice signs of boredom, stress, or too much distraction. 
  • Don’t play this game too often each day. Play it every day or so to keep your pet’s skills sharp, but don’t play it too often that your pet loses motivation. Keep your pet wanting more. Perhaps no more than one or two sessions a day.
  • If your pet is VERY motivated by a special toy, you can use that toy instead of the piece of food in the instructions, BUT reserve that toy for just the SEARCH FUN game. 


You will need several pieces of yummy food. (NOTE: you can use a high value toy instead, but reserve that toy for just the SEARCH FUN game.) The food pieces should be large enough for your pet to see easily and small enough to eat in one bite or so. Smellier treats will leave more of a scent and can make this game easier to learn for your pet.

Step A. 

Hold your pet’s collar (or harness), and let your pet see you toss a small piece of food about 5 feet away. Make sure your he/she can easily see where the food has landed. Your pet should be wanting to get the piece of food. Say a specific word or phrase you want to use only for this game (e.g. “Search!”) and within one second of saying the word, release your pet to get the piece of food you tossed. NOTE: Choose a word that you will only use for the searching game. Practice a few more times, but make it a little bit harder each time by tossing it a bit farther away. Make sure your pet is able to succeed.

To be continued…

Contact me you are interested in the remaining steps.

Homeschool Lesson Ideas: Dogs

I used to be a school teacher before I became a full time dog trainer. I thought some parents might like some help with homeschooling during this COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some lesson topics and ideas that can be adapted to various age levels:

  1. Language Arts, English, Journalism, Communications, Media Studies: Student prepares questions for interviewing a dog trainer (perhaps this involves some preliminary research). Student interviews dog trainer. Student creates a short summary, paragraph, essay, article, report (written or oral), poster, Public Service Announcement, poem, short story, biography, resume, etc.
  2. Science: Student learns about dog anatomy and is able to identify the different parts on dogs. Student learns about dog communication (e.g. dog body language, facial expressions, vocalizations, olfactory system) and then records observations of real dogs (in real life or by watching videos online of dog parks and dogs playing). Student reports on analysis of data collected and any further questions to research. Student spends some time looking at their environment from the perspective of a dog, paying attention to the sights from a dog’s level, the sounds that a dog may pay more attention to, the smells in the environment that a dog might be more interested in.  Student creates a hypothesis of an experiment to determine the intelligence of family’s dog, creates an experiment, records the data. Student learns about operant conditioning and classical conditioning (the science of behaviour) and is able to explain how dogs learn. Student learns how to clicker train a dog, makes a training plan to teach a dog a new trick, and records data as the student teaches the dog a new trick. Student learns about the science of scent and how dogs use scent to find, track/trail for sport, Search and Rescue, law enforcement, detection (drugs, cancer,), and medical alert dogs (diabetes, PTSD, seizures, etc.). Students research dog breeds and genetics and how breeds have been developed and changed over the years. Student researches the life cycles of common parasites that affect dogs (e.g. dog lice, fleas, tapeworms) and why this information is important to know when trying to eradicate the parasite from the dog and home.
  3. Social Studies: Student researches the laws regarding dogs such as City Bylaws for leash laws, picking up poop, barking, etc., or Provincial or Federal laws regarding animal welfare. Student researches the laws around Service Dogs and the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog or emotional support dog, and how the law addresses each. Student researches ethical questions such as the use of shock collars (some places have banned their use), puppy mills and sales of dogs in pet stores; approaches to problems of dog overpopulation (euthanasia in shelters, culling in remote communities, spay and neuter programs); the issues with Service Dogs and therapy dogs and the laws regarding them. After topics are researched, student can prepare a report (oral, written, visual, video) or participate in a debate or panel discussion.
  4. Health/Wellness: Student researches the health benefits of dogs as pets. Student researches dogs trained to help people: service dogs: Seeing Eye Dogs, diabetic alert dogs, PTSD service dogs, seizure alert dogs, etc. Student researches the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog. Student researches the health benefits and risks to humans from dogs (e.g. zoonotic diseases and parasites). Student creates an obstacle course for a dog and then moves through it as if they were a dog on four legs.

Dog Enrichment During COVID-19

During these “interesting times”, as long as it’s still safe to do so, taking your dog for a “Sniff and Stroll” walk outside — especially in a park area where there are trees — is one of the best ways to provide for your dog’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

NOTE: if your dog is over-reactive, fearful, aggressive, or pulls too much on walks, I can help you with that. I do offer remote dog training/behaviour modification services through video chat, phone, or email.

Nature is healing for humans and for animals. Sunlight, fresh air, trees, a relaxing walk casually exploring — these all help you and your dog’s stress levels as well. When dogs are allowed to stop and sniff (safe places to sniff, mind you), their heart rates lower and the “thinking areas” of their brains are engaged. A “sniff walk” can be mentally tiring for a dog and can produce much more calm behaviour than a fast “mindless march walk” where the dog walks briskly but doesn’t get to stop and sniff.

Here are some additional ways to help your dog’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Please contact me if you need help teaching these. I can provide dog training services and behaviour consults through video chat, phone, and email.

1. COOPERATIVE CARE: I highly recommend teaching some “cooperative care” skills where your dog learns to enjoy some important animal husbandry activities like teeth brushing, pill taking, nail trims, brushing, tick checks, ear checks, etc.

2. BASIC SKILLS/MANNERS: Work on some basic skills that may need some work — using positive reinforcement methods only. Insert a sense of play into the training. Start from Kindergarten and you’ll be amazed at the change in your dog’s behaviours and relationship with you. If you’ve used coercion, sharp noises or emotional pressure, corrections, scolding, punishment in the past for these skills, you may want to change the word for them. For example, if you’ve always had a stern voice when you use the commands “Drop!”, “Off!”,  “Stay!” or “Come!” then you may want to change to a new word for these since your dog may have a negative emotional response to those words. Ideas for skills to brush up:

  • Not jumping up on you or guests
  • Waiting away from the door when someone is at the dog
  • Not making a fuss when someone walks past the front window or yard
  • Going to dog bed and laying down to settle
  • Going into the dog crate to settle
  • Going potty on cue
  • Waiting for the food bowl
  • Releasing a toy or other object when asked
  • Not grabbing food that falls on the floor


3. INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOURS: Provide opportunities for your dog to do natural, instinctive behaviours:

  • Foraging: instead of feeding the dog’s meal in a bowl, sprinkle it in a room (or two rooms) or leave kibble trails in the yard and then let your dog forage for the food.  Snuffle mats or food sprinkled in the folds of a towel on the floor can work, too.
  • Tearing things apart: cardboard boxes (remove plastic, tape, and staples) are great opportunities to for your dog to destroy something. If your dog needs help getting started, put bits of food inside or a toy inside and then encourage your dog to open up the box. You can even tear a bit yourself and show your dog what to do.
  • Digging: if you have a special area in your yard or an empty plastic kiddie pool that you can fill with dirt or sand (or even snow or pea rock) that can be fun for your dog to dig. Hide toys or chews — things of value to your dog — and let your dog dig a bit to find them.
  • Scent Work: Teach your dog SEARCH Fun so you can then give your dog search tasks to find. It’s a great way to let your dog do the job he/she was born to do.
  • Figuring Things Out: This includes food dispensing balls (or empty water bottles, cardboard tubes, boxes), puzzle toys.

4. PLAY INTO TRAINING: Set up an obstacle course indoors or out in the yard using objects that your dog can go under, over, on, inside, through, around, etc. Try a bit of Dog Parkour if your dog is physically able. This can be done indoors, in the yard, on a walk.

5. CAR RIDES: Driving to a new place can be enriching for your dog, even if your dog doesn’t leave the car. Open the windows a bit to let in the outside smells and sounds and watch your dog’s nose and ears twitch.  If your dog doesn’t enjoy car rides or isn’t mannerly during one, then work on that.

6. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING TO THE NEW NORMAL: Start now to teach your dog that people in medical masks — including you — are no big deal. 


Now is the time to teach your dog to be okay with you (and others) in a medical mask (just in case)

Sometimes dogs can respond poorly when they see unfamiliar things or things that make them feel uncertain — such as you or other people wearing medical masks. Teach your dog how to be okay with seeing people in medical masks by using the power of classical conditioning. It sounds complicated, but it’s quite simple.

Quite simply, you want to condition your dog to have a positive emotional response to seeing you (and others) in a medical mask. This is done by pairing the sight of the mask on someone’s face with something the dog has a very positive feeling about (food is the easiest).

Follow these steps, and spend as much time on each step as your dog needs. Watch for very subtle signs of stress so you’ll know that you need to slow down or move back a few steps.

  1. Hold the mask beside your face then give your dog a small piece of tasty food. Move mask away from your face for a pause, then repeat.
  2. Briefly hold the mask over your mouth with one hand, give the dog a treat with the other hand, then move the mask away from your face. Pause. Repeat.
  3. Hold the mask over your mouth with one hand for two seconds. During this time, give your dog a treat with your other hand. Move the mask away from your face after you give the dog a treat. Repeat.
  4. Put the mask on but place it under your chin — not covering your mouth. Give your dogs several treats in a row. Remove the mask. Repeat.
  5. Put the mask on, but place it under your chin — not covering your mouth. Give your dog one treat. Then move the mask over your mouth. Give a treat. Then move the mask away off your mouth and back under your chin. Repeat.
  6. Repeat Step 5 but this time when the mask is over your mouth give your dog a few treats in a row.
  7. Repeat Step 6 but this time stretch the time between the treat while you are wearing the mask over your mouth. Ask your dog to do some easy tricks/skills.
  8. When it’s time to feed your dog a meal, put the mask on, cover your mouth, then feed your dog. When it’s time to play with your dog, put your mask on and play with your dog while wearing it.
  9. Start to wear your mask around the house when you’re doing mundane things that your dog finds boring or relaxing. Do not wear the mask yet while you are doing things that your dog finds scary (e.g. vacuuming).
  10. Ask family members to put on a mask, starting with Step one. You can feed the dog the treat when your dog sees the other person put the mask on.

If you are out walking your dog and you encounter a person wearing a medical mask, pop a treat in your dog’s mouth right after your dog notices the person. Don’t point out the person to your dog. Let your dog notice the person on his/her own, and when your dog does, pop a treat in your dog’s mouth. You may have to get your dog enough distance from the person so your dog isn’t stressed. For example, if the person is walking towards you and your dog, cross the street or change your direction so the person approaches on a curve or from left to right (or right to left). This way your dog can observe the person but the person is not heading directly towards the dog.


Can E-collars Be Used for Positive Reinforcement Training?

Can an e-collar be used for positive reinforcement training?

It is possible but only under these conditions:

  1. the dog is conditioned to have a positive emotional response to the collar (including the sight of the collar and the wearing of the collar even if it’s not activated)
  2. the collar is never used as a “correction” (giving the dog a “stim” as a consequence to doing an undesirable behaviour or stopping the “stim” as a consequence of doing the desired behaviour)

Let’s unpack that.

Conditioning a dog to have a positive emotional response to the e-collar requires several components. Firstly, the collar must be set to deliver a sound, vibration, or extremely minimal level of “stim” so the dog does not experience any physical or emotional discomfort. The dog is the one who decides if the sound, vibration, or “stim” causes discomfort or anxiety. It doesn’t matter if the human doesn’t think the experience is uncomfortable or worrisome; what matters is the dog’s perspective. (Even the clicker in clicker training can be an aversive to a dog if they don’t like the sound.)

Determining if a dog is experiencing physical or emotional distress can be very difficult, and even very experienced trainers often miss the signs, even with their own dogs.*  The human MUST be extremely good at reading the very subtle changes in the dog’s body language (e.g. nose licks, yawning, look aways, tightness around the mouth, dilated pupils, slowing down of movement). Dogs have been known to hide their pain, and dogs can show pain or emotional distress in ways that humans misinterpret as “obedience” or “good manners.” For example, dogs that are stressed can shut down emotionally and even “freeze” (Fight/Freeze/Flight response), and dogs in pain can appear more quiet, calm, or still, and some may appear more alert. Some trainers even purposefully use aversive tools and techniques to “rev up” or “activate” their dogs, perhaps not realizing this might be due to discomfort and stress.

If the dog’s experience of the stimulus of the e-collar (the sound, vibration, or extremely mild “stim”) is not negative in any way, then pairing it with a reinforcer like food (or a conditioned reinforcer) can condition the dog to have a positive emotional response to it. The sound/vibration/extremely mild “stim” can then be used as a marker for a desired behaviour, and with correct timing of the human with the remote, will communicate to the dog that the behaviour “correct.”

BUT, if the e-collar’s sound/vibration/’stim” is later used at an intensity that causes the dog any physical or emotional discomfort, the dog’s positive emotional response will quickly degrade. Instead, the dog will develop a negative emotional response to the sound/vibration/”stim” (and possibly to the collar itself, as well as any other associations the dog may have connected to the experience, including the location, the trainer, the activity).

Cognitive Dissonance Can Make Us Blind

I just finished listening to a podcast where the hosts discuss how e-collars work. They clearly point out that the device causes enough discomfort to cause the dog to stop a behaviour (or to avoid doing a behaviour) because that’s how aversive tools work, but they insist that they are not causing their dogs physical pain when they use it. Their defence is that they don’t register it as painful when they give themselves a “stim,” and they don’t see any evidence in their dog’s behaviour to indicate it’s painful.  (Emotional distress is not acknowledged as a consideration.) Yet they spend a fair amount of time pointing out that one person’s experience of the “stim” of an e-collar can be very different from another person’s experience of the same level of intensity. They acknowledge that the anticipation that the device will cause pain: “An e-collar has the value you give it. If you go into it thinking that the e-collar is a pain tool, it’s gonna deliver you pain no matter what comes out of it. Even if it’s nothing.” Now read that substituting the word “dog” for the word “you.” They recognize from the human end that the anticipation of pain/discomfort can result in actually feeling it, but they do not acknowledge that this can happen from the dog’s viewpoint, as well.  (Note: the anticipation of pain/discomfort is also called “fear“.)

As studies on dogs advance, especially with advances in neuroimaging and functional MRIs, perhaps we’ll have more science-based information on how dogs experience emotional and physical “pressure” when aversive training methods and tools are used, rather than relying on the opinions of dog trainers who insist the dogs are not feeling any physical or emotional distress.

*I remember seeing a video a trainer posted online trying to demonstrate how gentle a prong collar was to a dog. (The video isn’t up anymore.) It was obvious to me the dog was showing signs of stress (head hanging low, appeasement behaviours). This same trainer attended a dog class with me — her dog was in a flat collar for the class — and I noticed her dog never really looked happy in the class. Except when the owner asked me to hold onto her dog’s leash while she left the area to use the washroom. That’s when the dog visibly relaxed. My heart broke for this dog and I wondered if the owner even realized how her aversive methods affected her dog, even when the dog was not wearing an aversive collar. I’m sure she loves her dog and would find it very distressing to know that her aversive methods could be causing her dog distress and ruining their bond and relationship. 

Reducing Dog Conflicts at Dog Parks

What can dog park users do immediately to help reduce the chances that their dogs are involved in a dog-dog conflict?

Here is a podcast that helps explain some simple ways to use any dog park to help avoid dog-dog conflicts. Stay tuned for a more complete article outlining some simple ways park users can change their own behaviours to drastically reduce the risks. 


Recently a small dog died from wounds it received from a larger dog at my local dog park. I cannot comment on this particular situation, as the details are not entirely clear. My heart is breaking for the owners of this dog. I can’t even imagine how traumatizing this is.

Changing Human Behaviour

There have been numerous social media comments over the years about the problematic “dog owner culture” at my local dog parks.  How much can dog owner behaviour influence dog-dog conflicts at dog parks? Well, a lot, actually.

One of the biggest factors influencing dog-dog conflicts at dog parks is the behaviour of human park users, and the two most effective ways to change the behaviours of park users are Education and Accountability.

Dog owners need to be educated in how to read dog body language — particularly canine stress signals — and how to use dog parks in ways that will mitigate the risks to all the dogs present. Here are three simple and effective ways to educate of dog park users:

  • posters at the park illustrating dog-body language to watch for (here are some good examples of dog park signs),
  • Dog Park Ambassadors (volunteers who use the parks frequently) that have been trained by the City to help educate park users on the rules and Bylaws for using the park safely, an overview of dog behaviour/communication as it relates to dog parks, and how to interact with people at the park to help keep the experience positive.
  • optional dog training lessons for dog park users taught by Certified Professional Dog Trainers hired by the City. (Calgary’s award winning Responsible Pet Ownership model used CPDT certified trainers because the dog training industry is unregulated. The CCPDT is the leading certification program for the dog training industry.)

The consequences of behaviours modify future behaviours. If people like the consequences of their own behaviours, they are more likely to repeat them in the future. Education can help empower park users to use the dog parks in ways that help make them safe and positive for everyone, and adding “perks” can further motivate and reinforce dog owners for their “good” behaviours.

Unfortunately, park users can purposefully or inadvertently behave in ways that make the dog parks unsafe and unpleasant for others. If these behaviours result in consequences the park users like (e.g. their experience at the dog park was pleasant from their perspective), then these undesirable behaviours are likely to be repeated in the future. For the park users who are behaving in this way due to a lack of knowledge, Dog Park Ambassadors can be very helpful. For the park users who are intentionally behaving in ways that make the parks unsafe and unpleasant, making them accountable for their behaviours can help. In many cases, this intentional misbehaviour of park users can be reduced by Dog Park Ambassadors who are empowered and trained to speak up in these situations (while keeping things as conflict-free as possible). Sometimes misbehaving park users may require other consequences to change their behaviours, such as prohibition from using the dog park, monetary fines for Bylaw infractions, or court orders relating to limits put on their dog ownership.

Changing behaviours and a “dog park culture” will take time and an effective approach.



Why E-collars are a Very Bad Idea for Dog Parks and Dog Daycares

If you are at the dog park and you see a dog wearing an e-collar, keep your dog away from that dog.

To be clear, e-collars are a bad idea in general, but especially for situations where there are groups of dogs. When the dog wearing the e-collar feels the zap, the dog is very likely to redirect its frustration/fear/panic/pain/rage towards the nearest dog (or person).

If your doggie daycare uses e-collars, find another doggie daycare, even if the daycare assures you that they will honour your request not to put one on your dog. Not many doggie daycares will be open and honest about their use of e-collars, so check the fine print of anything you sign and ask several staff members to be sure.

It has been established in the scientific community and the professional dog training industry that e-collars are not recommended because of the negative repercussions even if they are used “properly.” Many reputable professional organizations have Position Statements against the use of e-collars, such as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

But, despite the science and the opinions of these professional organizations, there are still trainers who insist they know how to use them without any of these proven negative outcomes. They insist they are right and the science and highly educated professionals are wrong. Why?

Part of the problem is that an e-collar can sometimes provide a quick fix by temporarily suppressing the unwanted behaviours. Suppressing the behaviours is not fixing the problem. It can make things worse including training a dog to aggress without warning. However, from the person’s perspective, the instant result causes the person to be more likely to use the collar again in the future. This can be a big problem because it teaches the person to use the collar sooner rather than putting in the effort to try to actually train the dog to do a different behaviour, or trying to find out the underlying reason for the unwanted behaviour in the first place. Basically, an e-collar makes the trainer a lazy trainer. Yep. I said it.

There is so much more that I could write to explain why e-collars are a bad idea. But why take my word for it. Take the word of the professionals, including the professional organizations linked above.


I will never use the Shock Collar Again!

NOTE: it DOES NOT MATTER if the zap does not feel painful to you. What matters is how the dog feels about it. If the zap causes the dog to stop doing a behaviour, then the zap is causing discomfort. Putting the e-collar on your arm or neck or any body part to test it to see if the zap hurts is not a reliable test. The recipient decides what is discomfort. Just like the recipient decides what is pleasant.