When Pigs Fly!

1. Your "Impossible" Dog is Fabulous & Trainable

Welcome to the world where your dog can be trained to behave just as well as any other dog—When Pigs Fly.

Embrace the challenge. If your dog is independent, easily distracted, or seems to ignore you, you likely have a "Pigs Fly" dog. These dogs, often terriers or hounds, were bred for independent tasks, not necessarily to be "biddable" or eager to please just because you ask. This doesn't mean they are untrainable or unintelligent; in fact, studies show non-biddable breeds can be excellent problem-solvers when motivated.

Redefine "difficult". Instead of labeling your dog as stubborn or stupid, recognize their inherent traits like inquisitiveness, energy, and passion for their own agenda. These aren't flaws, but qualities that can be channeled into training success. The issue isn't the dog's capacity to learn, but often the training methods used, which may rely on compulsion or biddability that these dogs lack.

Training is possible. This book is dedicated to showing you how to live happily and train successfully with a dog who is fabulous but not traditionally "good." By understanding their nature and using methods that tap into their independent problem-solving skills, you can train your Pigs Fly dog to be a well-behaved, happy companion, proving that even for the seemingly impossible, Pigs Can Fly!

2. Focus on Mindset, Not Just Behaviors

Only about 10% of dog training is about training any particular behavior... The other 90% of dog training is about getting your dog in a frame of mind where he is willing and able to pay attention and learn.

Mindset is paramount. For Pigs Fly dogs, the biggest hurdle isn't teaching specific commands like sit or come, but cultivating a desire to engage with you and the training process. Unlike naturally biddable dogs who often wait for direction, your dog needs to learn that interacting with you is rewarding and worth paying attention to.

Become "operant". The goal is to make your dog "operant," meaning they understand their actions can produce rewarding effects and actively offer behaviors to earn rewards. This is the opposite of being a "zombie dog" who does nothing unless compelled. Traditional methods relying on punishment can suppress behavior and make dogs unwilling to try, hindering this crucial operant mindset.

Build a work ethic. The Pigs Fly system prioritizes games and exercises that teach your dog to think, try, and offer behaviors independently. This foundation is critical. Once your dog is excited about learning and actively seeking ways to earn rewards from you, teaching specific behaviors becomes significantly faster and easier.

3. Clickers are Your Power Tool for Communication

The clicker is definitely a power tool!

Precision communication. A clicker is a small device that makes a distinct sound used to mark the exact moment your dog performs a desired behavior. This sound is initially paired with treats ("loading" the clicker) until the click itself becomes a conditioned reinforcer, predicting good things are coming. This allows you to communicate with surgical precision, telling your dog "That's right!" instantly.

Why a clicker? Unlike verbal markers ("Yes!" or "Good!"), the click is a novel, artificial sound with no pre-existing meaning or emotional nuance for the dog. It's processed faster by the dog's brain (potentially via the amygdala, the reflexive part) than spoken words, making the association between behavior and reward clearer and stronger.

Bridge the gap. The click acts as a "bridge" between the behavior and the delivery of the reward. While the reward should follow quickly, the click allows you a few seconds to get the treat to the dog, ensuring the dog understands which behavior earned the reward, preventing accidental reinforcement of unwanted actions that might occur in the delay.

4. Shaping Builds Work Ethic & Problem Solving

By free shaping him to do things, you can take your “who cares?” dog and make him as crazy to do things for you as a Border Collie.

Slice and reward. Shaping involves breaking down a desired behavior into tiny, achievable steps called "approximations." You reward successive approximations, gradually raising the criteria until the full behavior is achieved. This taps into your dog's natural problem-solving ability.

Free shaping is key. "Free shaping" means training without luring, prompting, or physically compelling the dog. You present a situation (like a box) and reward any interaction, then only interactions closer to your goal. This encourages the dog to think, experiment, and offer behaviors independently, building a strong work ethic.

Leverage natural strengths. Pigs Fly dogs excel at independent problem-solving. Free shaping plays directly to this strength, making the learning process an engaging "hunt" for the correct behavior that earns a click. This intense mental engagement can transform even a reluctant dog into an eager training partner, making the process more fun and effective than relying on lures or compulsion.

5. Attention is the Foundation of All Training

Attention is the mother of all behaviors and one of the first things you should teach your dog.

Attention is not automatic. You cannot train a dog who isn't paying attention. For Pigs Fly dogs, who are often highly interested in their environment, attention to the handler is not a given; it must be trained like any other behavior. Repeatedly calling a dog who isn't listening only devalues your words.

Train attention systematically. Start in a low-distraction environment and click/treat any glance towards you. Gradually increase the duration of eye contact required before clicking. Then, systematically introduce distractions, rewarding the dog for maintaining attention on you despite the presence of stimulating elements.

New places = look at me. Condition your dog to associate new environments with looking at you. Upon entering a new place, immediately feed high-value treats to create a positive association. Gradually transition to rewarding attention before giving treats, teaching the dog that novel stimuli are cues to check in with you. This builds a reliable default behavior of attention.

6. Harness Your Dog's Natural Drives (ICE)

What if, instead of eliminating these behaviors, we could control them and use them as fuel to power the behaviors we want?

Identify hot activities. Dogs are motivated by things they naturally love ("hot" activities) like sniffing, chasing, playing, or even certain types of food. These are powerful reinforcers. "Cold" activities are things they don't naturally care about, like heeling or sitting on cue.

Control access. The "C" in ICE stands for Control. Gain control over your dog's hot activities so they can only access them through you. This means managing the environment to prevent self-reinforcement (e.g., keeping enticing toys put away, using a leash to prevent random sniffing). You become the "cash machine" for everything they want.

Exchange behaviors. The "E" in ICE is Exchange. Use the opportunity to engage in a hot activity as a reward for performing a cold activity. For example, a good loose leash walk earns a release to sniff, or a solid stay earns the chance to chase a ball. This transfers the dog's passion from the hot activity to the cold one, making previously mundane behaviors exciting and reinforcing.

7. Play is Essential for Bonding & Motivation

Being able to use play as a reinforcer is essential if you want reliability and consistency from your dog, anywhere, anytime.

Beyond food. While food is excellent for initially teaching behaviors, relying solely on it can lead to a dog who only works when food is visible. Play, especially interactive play with you, is a powerful reinforcer that can be used anywhere and strengthens your bond.

Teach them to play. Some Pigs Fly dogs may not naturally enjoy playing with humans or toys. You can teach them by making it a game:

• Chase a ball yourself excitedly.
• Drag toys like prey animals.
• Use food-stuffed toys (like Tug-N-Treats) to initiate tugging.
• Shape the act of tugging itself.

Become the reward. The ultimate goal is for interaction with you to become the primary reinforcer ("naked games"). Running, jumping, silly noises, or hand touches can become exciting rewards. This makes you the most valuable thing in any environment, ensuring your dog's attention and motivation.

8. Train Systematically with SAFETY

Every behavior will be taught the same way, using the Pigs Fly system.

A structured approach. The SAFETY acronym outlines the systematic steps for teaching any behavior to a Pigs Fly dog:

• Shape it: Break down the behavior into small approximations.
• Add a cue: Introduce the verbal or hand signal once the behavior is reliably offered.
• Frequent but short sessions: Train often for brief periods for better learning and focus.
• Energize with hot reinforcers: Use high-value rewards to build excitement.
• Take it on the road gradually: Practice in increasingly distracting environments.
• Yield requirements when changing context: Lower your expectations when introducing new variables (distance, distraction, duration, location).

Build durability. By shaping behaviors in small steps and gradually adding complexity and distractions, you build behaviors that are more durable and less likely to fall apart under stress. If a behavior breaks down, you know exactly which step to revisit.

Consistency is key. Applying the SAFETY principles consistently ensures your dog understands the rules of the game and learns efficiently. This systematic approach makes training predictable and successful for both you and your dog.

9. Solve Problems with ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence)

Two behaviors cannot occupy the same space at the same time.

Understand the chain. Problem behaviors aren't random; they follow a pattern: Antecedent (what happens before), Behavior (the action), Consequence (what happens after). The consequence determines if the behavior is repeated. Often, unwanted behaviors are accidentally reinforced by attention or achieving a desired outcome.

Train an alternative. The key to solving problems is to identify the antecedent and train a different, acceptable behavior to occur instead. Since two behaviors can't happen simultaneously, reinforcing the desired behavior prevents the unwanted one. For example, if the antecedent is "person approaches" and the unwanted behavior is "jumping," train the dog that "person approaches" is an antecedent for "sitting."

Manage when you can't train. If you can't actively train an alternative behavior in the moment, manage the situation to prevent the unwanted behavior from occurring or being reinforced. If you know your dog jumps on guests, put them on a leash or in their crate before guests arrive. This prevents the dog from practicing the unwanted behavior and you from accidentally reinforcing it.

10. Integrate Training into Everyday Life

Every minute you are with your dog you are training him.

Life is the training ground. Formal training sessions are helpful, but your daily interactions are the most powerful training opportunities. Your dog relies on you for everything they want or need – food, walks, attention, access to the yard, toys. Each of these is a potential reinforcer you can leverage.

Ask for something in return. Instead of giving your dog things for free, ask for a simple behavior first. A sit before opening the door, a stay before putting down the food dish, a hand touch before getting petted. This teaches your dog that working for you is the way to get what they want.

Be a mountain. Be a calm, predictable presence that controls access to resources. Avoid constant nagging or meaningless praise, which can devalue your attention. By being the gatekeeper to all good things, you become the most valuable part of your dog's environment, ensuring they pay attention and look to you for direction and rewards.

Last updated: July 3, 2025