This article is going to address the question of how to think about indoor activity and outdoor activity with your dog – once and for all. There have been many questions about this aspect of Natural Dog Training – both here and in the forum – so I thought that it would make sense to talk about how our dogs experience an indoor environment, how they experience an outdoor environment, and WHY you want to basically keep things “chill” inside – and save most of your play and training for outside. In the process, we’re going to cover a few of the most important principles of dog training.

Why principles are more important than rules and techniques

I’m always happy to answer your questions about the particulars of dog training.  “What do I do in *this* situation?  Or *that* situation?”  I encourage you, however, to try to remind yourself of the principles on which Natural Dog Training is based.  Those principles can guide you through problematic situations, because they allow you to be flexible in how you address whatever’s going on with you and your dog.

“Rules” – on the other hand – are much less flexible.  And techniques, while they can make a difference on their own, are much more dynamic when they’re fueled by an understanding of the underlying principles.  So there is no rule in the way that I train dogs about “only do such-and-such inside, and only do such-and-such outside”.  If you ever find yourself thinking that I’ve suggested a rule to you, then remind yourself that rules are meant to be broken.  Frequently.

*Exception* - ALWAYS LET YOUR DOG WIN AT TUG-OF-WAR – *Exception*

So what are the principles at work here?

1. Energy in, energy out.
2. Maximize your dog’s relaxation, and minimize your dog’s stress.

That, in a nutshell, is it.

Outdoors is for action, indoors is for relaxation.  Here’s why:

In general, the indoor environment is more likely to be stressful for your dog.  This is because emotional energy, the currency through which your dog is negotiating with the environment, is amplified in an interior space.  Things are more intense when you are inside.  And less intense when you’re outside.

Think of emotional energy like sound energy (this will sound familiar to those of you who have my DVD set).  If you’re inside, you can turn your state-of-the-art sound system up to “5″ and be shaking the foundation of your house.  Turn it up to “7″, and it might be downright uncomfortable for anyone who’s listening.

Now turn on your outdoor speakers for the dance party you’re having this weekend (you know, the ones suspended above your patio).  You can probably crank that baby right up to “11″ and still focus on getting down without worrying about losing your precious sense of hearing.

So just like the indoor environment amplifies sound, with its hard surfaces and enclosed spaces – so does it also amplify emotional energy that your dog is experiencing.  Which means that it doesn’t take much energy, particularly for a dog that’s already a little tense, to really energize your dog.  On the other hand, the same kind of emotional stimulation, outside, might barely register on your dog’s vibe-o-meter.

Energy in, energy out.

As your dog experiences the energy of the world, that energy will either flow through them OR get stored as stress.  Whether or not it flows through them is determined by two factors.

First, how relaxed is your dog?  The more physically relaxed your dog is, the more energy your dog will be able to handle without getting into an overload response (barking, aggression, submissive urination, overexuberance).

Second, does your dog know what to DO with the energy that they’re receiving?  Let’s say your Aunt Millie comes over to visit, with a basket of chocolate cookies to share.  And she’s all hyped up from eating cookie dough all afternoon.  So she enters your house, throws her arms around you, and practically hollers out “Oh, it’s so GREAT to see you!!!!  I’ve missed you so MUCH!!!”

Nevermind that she saw you two days ago.

That’s a whole lotta energy coming into your house, bouncing off the walls and ceilings, and hitting your dog square in the emotional receptors.  Your dog has to DO something with that energy to get it out of the system.  Otherwise they’ll get all charged up without a release, and end up storing that energy as stress.  The stress is potential energy that’s going to have to come out sometime.  And odds are that it will come out in a disproportionate response to some other stimulation.  Another dog.  The neighbor’s child.  Your pet rabbit.  Etc.  You have to give your dog something to do with that energy.

What can you do?

1. Tug-of-war
2. Pushing
3. A stationary behavior that allows them to experience flow (like an energized down)

The only potential hitch is that when you play with your dog (a la pushing or tug-of-war) you are also creating energy, adding energy to the system.  So while they can be a good antidote for the stress-of-the-moment, this “adding energy” aspect is the reason why I generally suggest that you not train or play indoors.  In other words, those techniques are good for teaching your dog how to handle the energy created when something happens in an indoor environment – but playing for playing’s sake might just be creating more problems down the road by giving your dog more stress to deal with.

Maximize your dog’s relaxation, and minimize your dog’s stress.

The alternative to always giving your dog an outlet for their excess energy is to take charge of when they’re experiencing it.  Let your dog experience energized situations someplace where “11″ is manageable – i.e. outdoors.  And when you’re inside, in an environment that is bound to be stress-inducing for a dog, focus on physical relaxation AND keeping the energy level low.

By generally sticking to the “indoors=relaxation, outdoors=action” plan, you will not only be creating a structure for your dog that feels good, but it will also make sense to them on an emotional level.  The indoor environment will become more of a relaxing refuge for your dog, which will make your dog much less likely to engage in problem behaviors in your house.

And since you’re reliably satisfying your dog’s need to resolve stress whenever you go outdoors, you will find that your dog is even MORE attracted to you in the outdoor environment.  There will be less internal conflict from stress that you’ve caused your dog by turning up the volume indoors, since you’ll be keeping the emotional stereo at a low level.

When is it appropriate to train and play indoors?

OK, so now you understand more the principles at work in the general rule of how to balance indoor relaxation and outdoor activity.  Is it ever acceptable to play with or train your dog indoors?

Of course!  Here are a few guidelines to help you sort it out:

1. Train indoors when you’re trying to address a specific behavior that occurs in the house. For instance, let’s say that your dog gets a bit unruly when guests come over.  Doesn’t it make sense that you would want to teach your dog exactly what TO do in that situation?  Take the opportunity to teach your dog, in the moment, what to do with that energy that guests add to the environment (a little pushing, then getting your dog to lie down on their bed and stay for 10 minutes, as an example).
2. Play indoors when it makes sense. Maybe it’s been snowing for 3 days in a row.  Maybe you’ve been stuck at home with a head cold.  Maybe you have a batch of cookies in the oven.  The challenge is – can you find ways to play that will be fun for your dog WITHOUT creating stress?  Suggestion:  have your dog in a down/stay – then go hide somewhere in your house, and call your dog to come find you, rewarding your dog with a tasty treat and some relaxing massage when you’re found.  That way you’re reinforcing your mooseness, but keeping things relatively low-key.
3. Pay attention and just do what feels right. The key, really, is to take stock of what’s going on with your dog, and how what you do influences your dog’s emotional state and behavior.  Can your dog settle indoors?  Good.  Is your dog exhibiting problem/overload behaviors?  You might want to do your best to minimize WHATEVER is causing your dog stress – since stress and tension is at the root of all problem behavior.  Do you just feel like playing inside, just because?  Well, go ahead!!!!  And just observe what happens.  And then adjust if you need to.

If you’re looking for rules to live by that can never be broken, you’ve come to the wrong place.  My goal is to ensure that you’re not acting mechanically with how you approach your relationship with your dog – that you are, instead, developing an awareness of the emotional undercurrents at work as you interact with your dog, and as your dog interacts with the world.  As your awareness grows, so will your ability to just do “what’s right” – even if it’s completely different from what was right yesterday.

In the meantime – relax with your dog inside, play and train with your dog outside – and observe how that structure affects your experience.  Then, once you think you have a good baseline, change things up – and notice the difference.  I think you’ll find that there are times when it makes sense to play and work inside – but that otherwise there are HUGE benefits to maintaining the structure.

Would you like to discuss this article?  Please join us in the Naturaldogblog Forum.

A week or so ago, we talked about another major question that you can answer for your dog: Where is the Danger? In this article I’m going to give you a more advanced exercise in defining “the danger” for your dog. Please make sure that you’ve read the first article about “where’s the danger?” before continuing. Remember that your predator work should be something that you do only after you have a solid foundation in doing all of the prey-related work (particularly pushing).

Advanced exercise in identifying “the danger” for your dog

Major predator. For this exercise, you’re going to need an assistant, and a place to go (like a trail in the woods) where you will certainly be undisturbed by other people. Agree ahead of time on a place in the trail where the “action” is going to occur. Your assistant is going to be the “predator”, so make sure that you have given them all the details on how to be predator-like (see the first article for a comprehensive list). It will also be helpful if your assistant dresses so as to look a bit different – additional layers of clothes, a big hat, sunglasses. The extra layers are also helpful in deterring insect bites (a plus for the assistant).

IMPORTANT WARNING:  This exercise digs really deep into your dog’s emotional repertoire.  If at any time it feels like this is “too much” for your dog, end the exercise.  Since you are going to be keeping your dog close to you (with a leash) during the exercise, there is a chance that overstimulation could lead them to bite you.  So stay in tune with your dog, and use “the retreat” (as described below) to effectively manage your dog’s stress level.  The goal of the exercise is to get deep within your dog’s emotional reserves (often heralded by a deep, resonant barking) – but you need to remain calm and objective, ending the exercise early if it seems necessary (especially if your dog shows any signs of impending aggression towards you).  You choose to do this exercise at your own risk.

ALSO IMPORTANT:  Potential aggression (growling, barking) towards the predator (who will never get within 100 feet of you) is fine.  However, make sure that you DO NOT release the leash at any time (and make sure in advance that your dog can’t slip their collar).  You do NOT want your assistant to get bitten.  DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT release the leash.  Make sure that your assistant has a tasty treat or two with them.  Should your dog get loose, your assistant should not run away (which would encourage the chase).  Have them remove their hat and sunglasses (if wearing them) to transform back into “friendly person you know”, at which point they can talk to the dog (“good dog”) and offer treats.  They should keep a big stick handy - just in case.  Be a responsible pet owner and KEEP A GOOD HOLD ON THE LEASH AT ALL TIMES – and you’ll never have to worry about any of this – and use a LONG LEASH so that, in the off chance that you do lose hold on the leash, you can get back to the leash that much more quickly.  Make sure your assistant has read this article AND the previous article on “Where’s the Danger?”  Make sure that your assistant understands and feels comfortable with the risk involved.  Your assistant also chooses to do this exercise at their own risk.

Let your assistant head out into the woods before you go. If possible, have your assistant approach the spot from a different direction than how you are going to be approaching with your dog. For instance, if the trail is a loop, they can enter one way, and you can enter the other way. Or they can just hike through the woods to get to the agreed upon place. If there’s no choice but to take the same route, allow your assistant ample time to get to their appointed spot – so that their scent (which will probably be familiar to your dog) will have dissipated somewhat by the time you approach. It’ll still be there, of course – you just want to minimize its impact on your dog’s experience.  To that end, don’t let your dog see your assistant head out down the trail.

OK, so your assistant heads out to the spot, and then should leave the trail, heading about 50 yards into the woods (or even further). If you have the choice between uphill and downhill, it’s better for your assistant to head uphill (so that when you approach you’ll have to look up to see “the predator”). Now your assistant hides and waits for you to arrive with your dog.

So head out on a “normal” walk into the woods with your dog. Your dog should be LEASHED. Keep it relatively relaxed and discussion-free, enabling your dog to really tune in to the sights, sounds, and smells of the trail. As you arrive at the appointed place, come to a stop, and reel your dog in (if you have let the leash out) so that your dog is right near your side with minimal slack in the leash. Wait for a few moments.

After you have arrived and waited for a minute or two, your assistant should begin their predator act. Ideally your assistant will get into the mental space of a big, bad predator who is very, very slowly stalking their prey (you and your dog). Have them start slowly – perhaps not even yet visible, but just striking a large, dead branch against a tree to make some noise. The sounds will punctuate the sonic backdrop of the scene (something your dog will definitely notice). Your assistant should approach, ever-so-slowly: crouching, pointing, breathing noisily, striking branches with a stick. It’s important to not over-expose your dog to the intensity of the situation (and to allow a gradual build-up of the energy) – so make sure that your assistant takes it slow. When in doubt, they should err on the side of too slow.

Your assistant also needs to respond to your dog.  Just as in the earlier exercises, if your dog lets out a bark, your assistant should run away a few paces and hide.  You are giving your dog a successful way to negotiate being the recipient of that “big, bad predator” energy – they BARK and the predator responds.  Listen to the quality of your dog’s bark, and see if you notice it having a deeper, more resonant quality.  This exercise gets into the core of your dog’s experience to shake things loose – especially if they have some “stuck” stress.

Your dog might not bark – they might whimper, look at you nervously, or give a low, rumbling growl.  You are exposing your dog to “the BIG danger” after all.  You can offer your dog encouragement with a quiet, relaxed “Good dog” – but that should be the extent of your interaction with your dog in this moment – you don’t want to distract your dog from the matter at hand.  You should also try to gauge the extent of your dog’s tension and the stress that’s building within them. 

Work out a hand signal with your assistant, so that you can indicate from a distance that your assistant should do the “retreat and hide” routine.  It can be helpful to take the pressure off for a moment or two (which is what the running and hiding does), to allow your dog to get to the NEXT level in their experience.  Notice how the retreat affects your dog’s subsequent response to the predator’s advance. 

After your assistant runs away, they should wait a few moments and then begin their approach again.  SLOWLY.  If you get your dog to the “barking” stage, you’ll want to let your dog go through the “bark/relax” cycle a few times.  Then END the exercise by leading your dog away (they might not want to come with you - so feel free to use food as an inducement).  Take some time to notice how your dog is responding to the environment now (versus your initial approach).

IMPORTANT:  While the deep, resonant barking is what you’re after, if it doesn’t happen DON’T worry, and DON’T prolong the exercise in an attempt to get there.  The whole thing should take about 15-20 minutes MAX.

ALSO IMPORTANT:  Your assistant should never get closer than 100 feet.  It’s more important for your dog to FEEL the presence of the predator and its approach – so that’s what you’re after.  It’s the suspenseful “What is that thing in the woods coming to get me?”  Your dog should never feel like it is directly being threatened by close proximity of the predator.  In other words – ASSISTANT STAYS FAR AWAY.  Less is more.  There should never be the chance of a direct encounter between your assistant and your dog during the exercise.

Once you’re well away from the site of the encounter with big predator, you can do a little pushing or tug-of-war with your dog.  Your main aim is to give them a vent for any residual emotional energy that’s hanging around, and to re-attract them to you (which, as you recall, is the chief aim of your “prey” work).  Then give your dog some alone time to relax.  The entire experience needs to gestate within them a bit, which seems to take a sleep cycle or two.  So give your dog the rest of the day “off” – and resume your regularly scheduled training the next day.

One last important note:  You should plan on re-introducing your dog to the person who was your assistant the next time that they meet.  In other words, be cautious – everything will probably be fine, but you want to make sure that it’s fine.  Have your assistant feed the dog some tasty treats – you can also go through the “How to Introduce Your Dog to a Stranger” protocol.  Go the extra mile to make sure that your dog is fine and relaxed with your assistant around before you allow them to freely interact.

You may only have to do this exercise once in your dog’s life.  You may NEVER have to do it.  Anything more than once or twice (and if you did it twice you would want the experiences to be separated by a LOT of time) would be too much.  Be the predator to answer the question “Where’s the Danger?” for your dog (answer: it’s out there in the woods), and then go back to being the MOOSE, which is the most important part of your training work.  As always, let me know if you have any questions or need me to clarify any of this exercise.