We offer several kinds of classes at Sirius Puppy Training, all focused on teaching people to communicate with, and enhance the lives of, their companion dogs. Over the years I’ve noticed time and time again a certain odd phenomenon that says a lot about human nature. People smile and laugh when they are in puppy class.
Not such a big surprise, right? Puppy class is fun and low pressure! Look at all the cute puppies playing and learning! If they don’t get it exactly right, so what? They’re just puppies, after all. People also smile a lot during our tricks and scent work classes. Again, no surprise, since both are fun and entertaining.
Do you want to know where people don’t smile? In our classes geared towards training more formal behaviors in adolescent and adult dogs. I believe this is because in these types of classes people have higher expectations, as well as preconceived ideas about how dogs “should” behave.
I think most people believe they must be stern in tone and restrictive with praise in order to get good, solid “obedience” out of their dogs. People think they’ve got to show their dogs who’s boss and that dogs should behave because the human is the master and the human says so. Hence the grumpy faces and dour, commanding tones they use to “bark” orders during training exercises with older dogs.
Many people, it seems, don’t consider puppy class to be training at all. In fact, however, a good puppy class contains some of the most important training lessons of your dog’s lifetime. This is the time to mold her brain and instill good habits that can last a lifetime if reinforced. Puppies learn so much during their puppy classes not only because developmentally their little brains are sponges soaking up knowledge like nobody’s business, but also because their humans are happy and relaxed and engaging. Learning and communication flow easily when everyone is having a good time.
Tricks and scent detection classes also require training, but it’s masked by a lot of fun. Because the behaviors learned in these particular courses don’t necessarily fall into the realm of basic manners and obedience, people loosen up while training and simply have a blast.
In situations where people use loose body language and have big smiles on their faces, the criteria for success is relatively relaxed and the rate of reinforcement for performance is high. This is great at both ends of the leash, because when training is enjoyable the people will practice regularly and the dogs will pay attention and offer all sorts of good behavior to keep the fun going.
When both dogs and people are having lots of success in training they enjoy it more and want to do it more often. This is extremely important, because learning requires either high motivation or else a heck of a lot of coercion. The latter, of course, is no fun at all, especially when it’s unnecessary to meet your goals.
Yes, training can be fun and making it so is truly a game-changer! Why force your dog into compliance with harsh words and oppressive exercises when you can blur the line between play and training so easily? Why quash your dog’s natural exuberance in order to get the behavior you want? Don’t get irritated with your dog when he shows you (perhaps via what you might label as distraction or disobedience) exactly what he finds most intriguing and reinforcing. If your dog is showing interest in anything – be it food, a favorite toy, access to his best friend, or a good sniff – you have an opportunity to utilize that inherent reward to your advantage.
So next time your dog is unresponsive or blowing you off in training, think about why it’s happening instead of getting frustrated or angry. Are you being unclear? Too staid and boring in contrast to more interesting factors in the environment? If there are conflicting motivators in the area can you harness them? If not, what are the aces up your sleeve, the fun rewards you’ve nurtured and developed that your dog loves more than just about anything else that may be going on? Have you recently rewarded your dog at all? Or is your rate of reinforcement super low in both value and frequency, more like a prison guard than a fun-loving and generous friend or teacher?
If your dog’s training and attention is less than stellar, perhaps it’s time to look in the mirror and up your game – with a big smile on your face, of course.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar is Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, where she recruits and trains the instructors for the Dunbar family business, SIRIUS® Puppy & Dog Training. She is the creator of the SIRIUS Sniffers scent-detection program, and is in the process of bringing the French sport of cavage (truffle hunting) to the US. Kelly is also Founder and President of Open Paw and consults on various matters.
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