Dogs need gestures to be simple
We have been working on obedience by using food to draw the dog into position while saying the command. After what seems like hundreds of repetitions, our dog will not obey for the verbal command. He always waits until we lure him into position. It is clear he is stubbornly refusing to obey, waiting for a cookie. Any tips on how to get rid of the bribe?
When a dog is struggling, a well-established rule of learning theory is usually being broken. It is unfortunate for pet owners who work diligently. Effects they are unaware of stymie their efforts. Dogs are often blamed for being stubborn when quirky rules are interfering with learning. Experienced trainers can help owners to predict and avoid these types of problems in the first place.
It would seem that hundreds of repetitions should drive the command into the dog’s memory. In reality, it is a recipe for an interesting effect called overshadowing.
Overshadowing happens when the dog is presented with two or more sets of information. In this situation, owners are moving their hand while luring and saying a command such as sit. The dog could notice the gesture or hear the word. It may be counterintuitive, but the dog will register only one of those. One overshadows the other.
Hand movements usually overshadow verbal commands. No matter how loud or obvious the command may be to us, presenting words simultaneously with gestures prevents the dog from registering the command despite thousands of repetitions. The science applies whether we think it ought to or not.
Help dogs notice the verbal cue by staying silent during initial training. Fade gestures first. Make the movements gradually smaller until they no longer exist. Owners can also offer opportunistic reinforcements. For example, if teaching sit, offer the dog a treat when they happen to sit through the course of the day.
Once the dog offers skills without lures or gestures, add the commands. Say the command just before the dog is about to offer the behaviour. If the dog sits within 10 seconds of hearing the word, reinforce the behaviour by giving a treat. Let them think. Repeat this drill until the dog realizes that various words are relevant to their world. Results come from working within the rules of science. It is needed to achieve clarity. Our dog is afraid to go down stairs. No matter how much we offer encouragement, treats or toys, they scare him. How can we teach our dog to navigate steps?
The main trick to teaching stairs is a bottom up approach. Starting frightened dogs at the top can be too overwhelming and daunting. Dogs refuse to try.
Bring the dog to the bottom of the stairs or start working with a different smaller set of steps. Encourage the dog up one step from the bottom. Use food to lure them back down that one stair. Offer the food down near the ground. This allows dogs to keep their focus low so they can watch where they are going.
Some dogs will find this easy. Others, especially toy breeds, will find this to be a challenge. Stay at this level of the training until the dog navigates one step confidently.
Work toward two stairs, then three and so on. Each additional step builds confidence, much like starting a child in the kiddie pool instead of the deep end. It’s manageable. Once the dog realizes they are capable of making their way down, they will start doing it on their own. Yvette Van Veen is an animal behaviour consultant. Write her at advice@awesome dogs.ca.