BH375: Freedom from FOMO: Overcoming Canine Frustration

BH375 Lecture 3.3: Stationing While Another Dog Works

 

SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!

 

DO NOT skip ahead when it comes to working two dogs! Please follow this lecture exactly, and do not push into more difficult skills. Remember that we are working with emotions here, and building the emotions we need takes time. Pushing farther ahead will be detrimental to your training success. This training should feel super easy and your dogs should be relaxed and comfortable.

 

Why This Step Matters

 

Now that your dog has solid stations, even with some distractions, it’s time to bring in a second dog. You want to start this process slowly and set your dog up for success. Many dogs have big feelings about watching housemates get attention, and those emotions often show up here. All the foundation work you’ve done up to this point will help your dog manage those feelings, but this is where it becomes especially important to watch body language and listen to what your dog is telling you.

 

Step 1: Start With Both Dogs Stationed

 

I start by stationing both dogs and feeding them a few rewards for staying. This creates clarity, sets the rules, and reinforces the idea that stationing is still the job, even when another dog is present.

 

 

In this video, notice how I handle mistakes. Rise is very new to station training here, so I simply and calmly guide him back to the station. No drama, no escalation, just information. The goal is relaxed success.

 

Step 2: Release One Dog and Reward Both Dogs

 

If everything is going well, you can release one of the dogs using their name. Reward the dog that came off the station, and then immediately reward the stationed dog.

 

Notice that I use the reinforcement cue “ground” for the stationed dog.

 

I’ve not had issues with my dogs getting confused about which dog the reinforcement cue is for. I try to look at (or at least toward) the dog I intend to reward, and the dogs also have strong context cues: they know the difference between what they hear while stationed versus what they hear when they’re out working with me.

 

If my dogs are stationed and I say “ground,” they know I’m coming to the station to deliver the reward between their paws. Even if I use “good” instead, they still understand they should remain in place and I will come to them with the reward.

 

 

Reading Body Language: “It’s Going Fine” Isn’t Always Enough

 

If you watch Excel’s body language in this video, you’ll notice him standing and getting more restless as the session continues. I was paying close attention to his body language and watching carefully for signs that he was telling me it was too difficult.

 

He did well and stayed on the station, so I continued, but I kept the session short to ensure success.

 

If you notice signs your dog is struggling, keep in mind that the longer the session goes, the more likely those emotions are to build. That’s when you see mistakes happen. Short sessions help keep the emotional intensity lower and improve your success rates.

 

Also remember: keeping your rate of reinforcement high will increase your success rate because it adds more value to staying on the station.

 

Adjusting the Plan for Less Experienced Dogs

 

Both Strive and Excel have extensive stationing experience. Training will look different when your stationed dog is less experienced, younger, or newer to station work.

 

This is Rise, who was just shy of four months old in this video. Although Rise had been introduced to a station, he only had about eight station training sessions prior to this clip. This was his first time adding Excel into the mix.

 

 

Right after the first reward, Rise gets up and looks like he’s about to come off. He pauses, which gives me an excellent opportunity to reward his choice to stay on the station. He still didn’t look steady, so I rewarded him again. In this stage of training, those small moments of “I thought about leaving… but I didn’t” are so important.

 

When I said his name, Rise hesitated slightly but came to me. I reinforced him for coming, and then I immediately rewarded Excel on his station.

 

Also notice how the smart puppy ran back to his station all by himself! I wanted to reward that excellent choice.

 

Rise chose to lie down as I moved away, which was an excellent decision and great information for me that he was relaxing. I rewarded that choice. At this stage, I want to encourage relaxation, so if I notice the dog offering a down on the station, I absolutely reinforce it.

 

Reinforcement Balance: Stationing Should Pay More Than Leaving

 

Notice how much I’m reinforcing the dogs on the station compared to how often I’m calling them off. Especially at this stage for Rise, I want the station behavior to become very valuable. That value is what helps the dog cope emotionally with it not being their turn.

 

Handling “Oops” Moments Without Escalation

 

The second time I released Rise with his name, Excel also came partially off the station. It’s hard for Excel to miss out on training! I rewarded Rise, and then I simply re-cued Excel back onto the station.

 

Excel stayed on the next release (yay!), so I rewarded him very quickly for making that choice.

 

After that, I switched dogs. Notice that I stayed very close to Rise’s station so I could reward him quickly. That was an intentional setup choice: I’m doing my best to make this easy and successful for Rise.

 

Rise got up when Excel came off the station, but he didn’t leave the station. I kept things very simple by feeding Excel and then feeding Rise. This allows Rise to see that yes. the other dog is being rewarded, but he will be rewarded as well.

 

Overall, this was a very successful session for Rise’s first time dealing with the distraction of Excel. I ensured success by watching both dogs closely, keeping the session simple, and rewarding good choices.

 

Additional Video Example

 

Here’s one more video of me practicing releasing dogs on their names.

 

 

Rise struggled a little bit near the end, but overall he did really well. This is tough, especially for a puppy!

 

Key Points Summary

 

• Do not skip ahead; this is emotional work and must stay easy and relaxed.
  
  
• Introduce the second dog slowly and set both dogs up for success.
  
  
• Start with both dogs stationed and reinforce calm staying before adding movement.
  
  
• Release one dog using their name, reward that dog, then immediately reward the stationed dog.
  
  
• Use clear reinforcement cues (like “ground”) so the stationed dog understands rewards will come to them.
  
  
• Watch body language closely; restlessness can mean the difficulty is increasing.
  
  
• Keep sessions short because emotion builds over time and increases mistake risk.
  
  
• Keep reinforcement frequent to build value for staying on station.
  
  
• With less-experienced dogs, stay closer to the station and reinforce more heavily for staying and relaxing.
  
  
• If a dog get off the station, calmly put the dog back and reward the next correct choice quickly.

 

Homework

 

• Introduce a second dog by stationing both dogs and rewarding each dog for staying.
  
  
• Release one dog using their name, reward the released dog, then immediately reward the stationed dog.
  
  
• Keep the released dog’s behaviors simple and boring (no exciting skills).
  
  
• Stay close to the stations so you can reward quickly and prevent frustration buildup.
  
  
• Your working dog should remain stationed while the second dog is released and rewarded.
  
  
• If you want to release your working dog once or twice to practice name releases, that is fine.
  
  
• If your dog struggles, shorten the session and increase your rate of reinforcement.
  
  
• If you don’t have a second dog, train near other dogs at a distance while your dog stays on station.
  
  
• Reinforce heavily for staying on the station and practice releasing your dog a few times during the session.