Your Dog IS Listening
Do you know what you’re saying?
We usually “train” our dogs a few minutes a day, a few times a day. That’s really all it takes! Yes, really. 10-15 minutes a day. I PROMISE, if you consciously work with your dog for a few minutes, a few times a day you’ll see a difference.
The problem is when we do NOT consciously work with our dogs, they are still learning. Do you know WHAT they are learning? They learn that they can act on impulse and have a whole lot of fun!
Couch cushions? SUPER FUN to unstuff the fluff!
Garbage? YUM! I think I’ll hide some of that for later under your pillow!
Your sandwich on the counter? YES PLEASE! That was worth jumping up there to check it out.
So, we do teach our dogs a lot of stuff. It’s just often not what we MEANT to teach them.
The same goes for our dog’s listening to us. They are often listening! They just don’t understand WHAT you are saying so they’ve decided it’s frustrating or not fun and they’ll go back to acting on impulse.
What’s that you say?
Puppies start trying to figure out what you are communicating from a very early stage. This looks like them cocking their head to one side, following you around, pawing your hand, biting your arm…it’s all puppy language for “HEY! I’m here! Teach me stuff!”
The problem is that humans think like primates and dog’s are canines. They have an entirely different language.
If you haven’t read “Crack the Code on your Dog’s Weird Behavior” or understand the ABC’S of how dog’s learn, you may want to start there.
Once you understand HOW your dog takes in information and learns, or the ABC’S of Dog, you are on your way to being a great buddy for your dog. Now you’ll want to learn WHAT you are actually communicating to your dog.
The training formula we use at Casa Luna Canines is RMT.
Reframe.
Manage.
Train.
Reframe - Change your perspective to focus on the behavior you WANT your dog to do, not what you don’t want them to do, or what your want them to STOP doing. Dog’s don’t think with human logic. They go after the best value and learn through association. So, they don’t have the logical reasoning of “stop that behavior just because Mom’s voice got loud and choose a different activity.” They learn…YIKES! Mom was verbally intimidating so I surrender (go hide, slink away, look at her with big eyes) so she stops that cray cray behavior!
Manage - Manage, manage, manage, manage! This is 90% of the impact on what your dog’s learn. If you’re actively training 10-15 minutes a day, let’s say you’re an over-achiever and work with your dog for an HOUR a day, they are still learning the other 23 hours (or 23 hours and 45 minutes). That’s why you MUST manage their environment so they don’t have the option to free roam and act out of impulse to learn what is fun. Manage what they have access to, manage their environment, manage their toys, manage their food. This can be done easily through baby gates, play pens, crates or supervised tie downs.
Train - You truly only need to train your dog for short periods, a few times a day. You want your dog to associate that learning is FUN so train with purposeful, directed games that help them develop aspects of their brain. This will lead to a dog that listens to you, chooses to be around you and has appropriate behavior whether or not you are around to tell them what to do.
Your DOG is listening. Do you know what you’re saying?
Now that you know the ABC’S of Dog Learning, and the RMT Formula for Success, it’s time to really look at what you are REALLY telling your dog.
When your dog is staring at you, they are usually trying to figure out what you want. Some dogs move quickly (the DO-er dogs) and try out all kinds of actions hoping to get the right one that leads to the valued reward. Some dogs will sit and stare (the THINK-er dogs) as they weigh the options of what you may want and the outcome it may bring and if it’s worth their time. Both can have their level of training frustrations.
The DOers because you have to catch the EXACT moment your dog does the correct action and not one of the 99 other actions.
The THINKers because you can get stuck in a stare off, with them wondering what you want, you wondering if they are ever going to move so you get out higher and higher value treats until they’ve trained you they will only respond to steak and champagne dinners!
Both can lead to human frustration which can include yelling at your dog, or repeating cues 3, 4 or 7 times with increasing volume, flailing your extremities and rapidly moving about. This leads to dog frustration as well because they are not clear on WHAT EXACTLY will get them the wanted reward of treats, toys or scratches.
The key is to slow down. Think through WHAT you want your dog to do (RE-FRAME). Then look at the environment and decide if it’s too distracting for your dog to listen to you. If they are NOT listening, but you know they know the cue you’re giving them, then YES, the environment is too distracting and they’d rather be doing something else so change the environment. (MANAGE). Then, pick your games directed at what you want them to do (TRAIN).
Need them to come when called? Practice calling them as YOU run away. When they get to you, reward and run away again. It’s call Chase Me. Remember, dog chases you, not you chasing the dog.
Need them to SIT? Say it ONCE, clearly. Then wait. The MOMENT they do it, reward, reward, reward (treats or toys) and play some more. Don’t rush to a long duration SIT. Just get them to sit every time you ask, then release it.
Need them to calm down a bit? Try Ditching the Bowl and playing Towards Me instead. It’s simple, easy and allows you to spend some time with your dog while you drink your coffee.
Understand what you want your dog to do BEFORE you ask them to do it!
Casa Luna Canines is your partner in dog training, human learning. Join us to learn how to be your dog’s best friend using 100% pain and fear free methods. Imagine what it will feel like when your dog chooses to behave well around you, no matter where you are!
