It’s a joke among us dog lovers. “My dog thinks his name is No.” We might as well just admit it; we spend a whole lot of time and energy telling our dogs “no.” We say “no” to this and “no” to that. After a while “no” means so many things that it ends up meaning nothing at all to our dogs. It just communicates that mom or dad is in a crummy mood, and that’s no fun.
I prefer to replace unwanted behaviors with good behaviors. “Sit” is an easy one because most of us have already started teaching it. How about every time your dog sits on cue you say “Yes” and give him a piece of his kibble (or a yummy healthful treat)? This is cool, too. Every time your dog comes to you when you call him, say “Yes!” and throw his ball for a good game of fetch. Here’s another good one. Whenever your dog looks at you when you say “watch me,” say “Yes!” and treat him. Do the “watch me” game while walking and see how nicely he walks beside you!
You won’t be using food training your dog forever, or very long at all for that matter. Still, “Yes” training really turns your relationship with your dog in a whole new direction. Instead of yelling “no” all the time, now you can give your dog very meaningful directions. When he jumps up to greet someone, don’t say “no,” say “sit.” Problem resolved. Is your dog harassing the cat? Forget “no,” say “Come” instead. Now he’s with you, not the cat. If your dog is pulling on the leash, stop for “watch me,” then put the game in motion again. Now we’re moving in the right direction.
Give this a try when you’re training your dog. Leave room for him to make mistakes. Experimenting with failing can actually help your dog learn. It also leads to more creative thinking.
The classic example is the dog who jumps up to greet you. Lots of trainers recommend turning your back and ignoring the dog. That very clearly teaches the dog what doesn’t work. Jumping doesn’t earn him any attention. That’s half the equation, though. You’ll notice that most dogs will experiment with an alternate behavior. Some will run get a toy and bring it to you. Others might try offering you a “sit.” Pretty much all of them will at least put all four paws back on the ground, if for no other reason than to take a rest. Perfect! Let your dog know that does work for him. Shower him with calm gentle praise, or maybe even a nice bit of food if you have it handy. He is learning. In fact, he employed his own “doggie creativity” and tried out a new behavior other than jumping, and it worked.
There’s an added side effect that comes along with this newfound freedom. Your dog will be more likely to watch you for feedback when he tries new behavior. Does this work? What about this? That tightens your bond with your dog and enhances your relationship. The most striking example of this approach is the Karen Pryor training game, 101 things to do with a box. It requires creative thinking and allows plenty of room for low-stress failure. Peta Clarke, a wild animal trainer in Australia, also demonstrates vividly how this works with fearful animals in her short video, The Power of Choice. I also have a short video of Stellla learning “down” using this free approach.
Of course, there are some behavior problems that require we give our dogs more active direction. We wouldn’t, for example, let our dog pee everywhere until he finds the right spot and earns our praise. That would be silly. Sometimes, though, it’s exactly the right approach. Let your dog learn to fail, then learn to win. Wait until you see just how creative he can get, and just how fun training can be.
Folks ask all the time, “How often should I train my dog?” I’d like to be able to say every day, all day; your dog is always learning. But people want structure so instead I recommend short sessions (clicker training) several times a day totaling 30 to 40 minutes a day. They are both the right answer. Still, I like the first one better.
Weave training into your everyday life. Make your relationship with your dog a culture of learning. That’s the best way. Now, I’m not really talking about making your dog wait for you to pass through a doorway first. It’s not about requiring him to sit and stay before you put his food bowl down. It’s not even about demanding he sit nicely instead of jumping on your guests. Don’t get me wrong. Those are all very nice manners to teach your dog. But, I’m talking about a different culture of learning, one that has nothing to do with making, requiring or demanding.
It’s about noticing. Here’s a little bit of dog-trainer-geek science. A behavior with a favorable outcome (for the dog) is more likely to be repeated. It’s called Thorndike’s Law of Effect. Scientists don’t hand out that word lightly: Law. Thorndike’s law of effect is just that, a law. It’s been proven, tested and re-tested. That gives you a lot of power when it comes to training. There are lots of favorable outcomes you control: food, playtime, petting, warm smiles and praise. That means you can get a lot of good behavior on the “repeat cycle” of your dog’s repertoire just by leveraging those favorable outcomes. It’s how clicker training works. Your dog does something cool. You click and treat. The dog does that cool thing more.
Okay, what does that have to do with noticing, specifically noticing your dog? Life doesn’t happen in 10 minute clicker training sessions. But our dogs are always learning from us and from the environment. Thorndike’s law of effect is always at play. That means it’s up to us to always be aware of what our dogs are doing, watching for good behavior that we can reinforce (favorable outcome), noticing. That’s the culture of learning I’m talking about. Notice when your dog does something right and be ready to let him know that’s what you like. Now you’re teaching your dog every day, all day.
This may seem difficult, but read on. We humans seem to be pre-programmed to notice when things go wrong not when things go right. While I was writing this my dog, Stella, came over to check in with me. I love that behavior but I ignored it. Later she started barking out the window and she earned my full attention. That’s the way people are, but it’s backwards training. Stella learned that checking in with me got her nothing (no favorable outcome) but barking got my attention (favorable outcome). I ended up on the wrong side of the law, Thorndike’s Law.
Notice. Your dog does great things every day. Never miss a chance to pet him when he sits nicely and gazes at your adoringly. Smile and rub his belly when he curls up at your feet. Throw a party when he comes when called. Then throw the ball and play for a little while. It’s worth it. And it’s a good way to live. Notice what’s right with your dog and be glad. Then notice the people in your life – even the ones you don’t know – and the world around you.
