When talking about dog training it is common for people to use the word COMMAND when talking about teaching behaviors, or referring to behaviors that dogs know. It is a word that is spoken probably without giving it any more thought than that, often, even by people who are using positive reinforcement to train behaviors. However, it is a word I focus on avoiding in my work. Instead, you will hear me use the word CUE frequently talking about learning and teaching.
It is all about semantics.
Let’s look at the dictionary meaning of both words.
According to www.merriam-webster.com, COMMAND means to direct authoritatively, to exercise a dominating influence over, to have or exercise direct authority, to give orders, to be a commander or to dominate as if from an elevated place. CUE means a signal (such as a word, phrase, or bit of stage business) to a performer to begin a specific speech or action, a feature indicating the nature of something perceived.
Now let’s look at those two words from a dog training perspective.
The word COMMAND connotes in my mind dominance and force. It refers to ordering the learning process without choice, to the teacher using increasingly more aversive strategies to get the animal to do what is wanted. And all of this points to added stress to the learner. It can lead to an animal only working to the level needed to avoid punishment, checking out of the lesson, doing more appeasement signals, even showing aggression or learned helplessness. Most definitely this will not help to foster a love of training in the learner.
On the other hand, when a behavior is taught by using positive reinforcement consequences to build lots of value for the animal to do what is asked, then the CUE is simply a green light that tells the animal that *if* a behavior is done (in a determined amount of time or circumstance), *then* something the animal really values will happen.
By teaching in this way, you naturally see much stronger/more frequent taught behaviors. You see a learner that chooses to stay in the lesson. You don’t see those appeasement signals, aggression or learned helplessness. And you more than likely will see that animal want to learn more behaviors from you.
Now think about how your attitude and your focus affects how you communicate with others. If you think about training in terms of dominating and ordering your dog, you will be entering that lesson with a very different approach than you would if you focused on how you could make those choices you want to see…THE MOST VALUABLE choices from your pet’s perspective.
