In my dog training, I help such a broad range of people to have a well-mannered dog or with help for their dog’s behavioral issues like fear. Much of how I do that is coaching people on how to train their dog more effectively. Good dog training habits build good dog manners.
Below, I thought I’d share my list of my top picks for those habits to practice.
- Practice learning and paying attention to your dog’s choice of Awesomeness.
Your dog is always making choices based upon where the value is for him in that moment. What activities, food and social interaction does your dog choose the most? When you use Applied Behavior Analysis-based, LIMA (least invasive, minimally aversive) dog training approaches, this knowledge allows you to strengthen the behaviors you want your dog to do more by teaching contingencies between doing the ‘wanted’ behavior and getting the consequence of something on your dog’s List of Awesomeness. (When X happens and you do Y, then you get Z.) As an example, teaching your dog that *when* you take out his leash, *if* he sits while you attach it to his collar, *then* he goes for a walk.
In addition to knowing your dog’s List of Awesomeness, knowing your dogs needs is very important. If your dog is not getting his needs like sleep and mental stimulation, that could be a source for your dog doing behaviors you do not like. You can not take your dog’s needs away from him, but you can help him get his needs met in acceptable ways for you.
- Practice being proactive vs reactive.
When you are reactive, in other words, reacting to stop your dog when he is already doing the behavior you do not like, then your dog is already practicing getting reinforcement for that behavior you do not like. And, we know that it is the reinforcement history that strengthens behavior. It could be that what you do after the unwanted behavior is actually adding value to that behavior. Chasing your dog when your dog has a stolen something, for example, could teach your dog a sure-fire way to relieve boredom is to grab a sock as that gets the fun to begin.
Also, when you are reactive, you may end up using something aversive as punishment to try and stop the behavior. That could lead to all kinds of negative ramifications such as apathy, avoidance behaviors (including aggression), or learned helplessness. And, in order for punishment to work, its timing must be excellent to come immediate after the behavior (not delayed). Plus, if the opportunity for reinforcement is greater than the potential for punishment, your dog may think that risk is worth taking.
Making teaching and learning part of your every day life with your pet. There are moments for learning all of the time, you just have to be watchful to catch them. Your consistency will help your pet learn.
- Practice asking yourself, “In that moment, what would I like my dog to do instead?”
Remember, behavior is a tool to get a consequence. It is serving a purpose for your pet. It is getting your pet something of value.
When I did not like my Dawson’s barking and running toward passing cars while on leash on a less traveled road, instead of saying “I want to stop his barking and running toward passing cars”, I said, “I’d rather that he walk with me to the side of the road and sit while a car passes us.” Then I taught him that. I even put that behavior chain on a cue of, ‘CAR’.
Work to get yourself out of NO land, and challenge yourself instead to ask the question, “What would I like my pet to do instead?” Then set up the environment so that you can have the greatest success teaching your dog that THAT instead behavior is worth doing.
- Practice being clear with your expectations.
It is difficult to teach a behavior if you do not know what that behavior should look like. Think about your criteria before you begin training. Having that focus will help you to provide better information for your learner to be able to get what you are teaching.
Additionally, think about what rules you would like for your pet to abide by in your home. It can be pretty stressful to be someone walking around doing something, and not realizing you broke a rule until you are punished for it afterwards. Give that some thought. Do you want your dog to lay on a mat while you eat dinner or are on a Zoom? You can teach that! Again, remember, YOUR consistency will help your pet learn. Non-human animals don’t understand that word ‘sometimes’. Sometimes sure can make life complicated for them (and our relationship with them).
- Always have as your goal to do what you can to help your pet (and you) succeed.
This is not about leading through domination. It is about being a team. You setting the learning environment up to make focusing on the lesson easier. You doing what you can to GET the wanted behavior so that you can reinforce it. You paying attention to your student’s feedback to make modifications as needed. If your dog is checking out of the lesson, showing avoidance behaviors or frustration behaviors, your pet is telling you, you need to change how you are trying to teach.
