Dog Training; the Bigger Picture
- Sara-Jane and Steve Gage
- Jul 8, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 23
Imagine that you offer to stop at the grocery store on the way home and ask your
spouse/ partner/ roommate: “Do you need anything while I am at the store?” They respond: “Yes! Thanks! I really appreciate you asking....
I DON’T need milk, bread, or eggs.” You would likely be puzzled and respond:
“Ok…. Well what DO you need?”
Only for them to respond:
“NO! Not bread, milk, or eggs.” How long would this go on before you would get frustrated, resign, give up, and turn your attention elsewhere? Not long, right? Choosing to focus on what you do NOT want to happen is quite possibly the most detrimental error humans make in all areas of life, but especially in training their dog.
We, as a society, have gotten really good at recognizing and pointing out what we do NOT like. And while there is value in knowing what does not serve us, the reality is that we would get a heck of a lot further a hell of a lot faster if only we identified, recognized, the things that ARE going well and reinforced what we DO like and prefer. This is the theory in positive reinforcement training, but also is the Law of Attraction; the idea that "like attracts like." Said another way: what we put our attention on is what we will continue to create and find more of.
"Where your attention goes, energy flows." If the belief is true that we will always find what we are looking for,
perhaps ask yourself, what are YOU looking for in your furry best friend? Are you looking for opportunities to mark and reinforce things you like? For example, Fido voluntarily sits down and you choose to state “Yes! Good Sit Fido!” and reward with a small piece of kibble/ treat/play/ praise/ pet or other reward system that speaks to your dog. OR are you looking to tell Fido what you do NOT want?
For example: Does your training sound more like “No Fido! Get down. Off. OFF Fido!!” Does your dog then look at you confused and reattempt the same, or a similar behavior? Wonder why? Because much like you at the grocery store, they are confused! You haven't told them WHAT to do at all.... just what you don't want. Fido’s Internal Dialogue is likely a little something like this:
“Ok…. So she said “no” when I jumped at her from the front.... hmm. Weird. People usually love that... maybe I’ll try to jump at her from behind so she knows I just want to play…. ("ARG! NO!") Ok, nope, no definitely not.... Another “No” again… Maybe if I run and jump at her?
“No” again…Hmm. Why doesn't she want to play with me?" How long does your dog go through this problem-solving process prior to shutting down, disengaging, or redirecting their attention somewhere else, perhaps even less desirable? Dogs are problem solvers and they are constantly trying to get their needs met. In order
to peacefully coexist with our canine friends in as healthy and happy a way as possible, it is our duty to empower them to make good choices independently. We do this by training our dogs, 24-7, teaching them what we like, what we expect, and empowering them in their autonomy so that we may coexist in a partnership relationship alongside them that is mutually beneficial.
The choice is ours.
We will always find what we are looking for. And whether you choose to look for the BEST in your furry friend, or otherwise, you will always find it.
Choose to look for and recognize their strengths. Build on those strengths. Accept them for who they are, (rather than what you think they SHOULD be. Doing anything other than meeting our pup where they are in the moment, from moment to moment, does nothing for us.)
And then apply ALL of this to yourself and those around you as well. We are always doing the best we can with what we have. Always with compassion, always with nonjudgement, always choosing intentionally.
Practice Training Exercise: Set aside 50 individual pieces of kibble each morning. Keep this easily accessible; in your pocket, on the counter, in jars throughout the apartment, in a treat pouch on you, etc. You're goal is to be able to reward them as quickly as possible after they perform a behavior you like and want to see repeated in the future. Aim to recognize and reward 50 positive behaviors in your dog throughout the day. When you see something you like, Mark it by saying: “YES!!! ::Click of clicker if you're clicker training:: GOOD Fido!!” and REINFORCE IT by giving a piece of kibble or small treat (think the size of the tip of your thumbnail; we’re just looking for a taste to make the positive connection, not to help our pooches gain excess weight. Quality of incentive is WAY more important than quantity.) As you and you pooch get better at this exercise and you run out of kibble more and more quickly, increase the amount of handfeeding and training that you do with them. Set aside 1/2 cup of kibble/ 1 meal, etc. and aim to Mark & Reinforce as many positive behaviors as you can. Marking and Reinforcing can be done anywhere and everywhere, but know that the more external stimuli and distractions there are in the environment, the more difficult it is for your pooch to maintain engagement. Our goal is to always be the most rewarding and engaging thing in our pup’s environment, so get down on their level, change the pitch of your voice, get their eyes on you, take a couple steps backward while praising and encouraging them to move towards you, touch them gently on the side while calling their name to get them engaged, etc. It is OUR job to engage and educate our dogs and they are learning 24-7, 365, whether we are being intentional in our teaching or not. Your relationship with your dog should be fun and engaging!
Training should be fun!
If you are not having fun, your dog will feel that energy (energy is contagious afterall!) and have difficulty having fun as well. Keep things light and fun, make it an engaging game, and when you’re met with resistance, pivot and find the next opportunity to set them up for success, then build on it! Happy training!
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