Momentum is critical in teaching new things
I have spent more than $500 training my dog. He learned “sit” and “down.” We are still struggling with coming when called and loose leash walking. How can I get my dog to learn these things?
These two skills are often the biggest challenges people face during basic training. Generally, it’s because these two skills are incredibly vulnerable to real life. Dogs need to learn more than the skills. They need to be motivated to do them. This motivation needs to be strong enough to overcome the temptations that real life brings.
It’s not much different from knowing how to do home maintenance or chores versus doing them. Social media and outings beckon. Procrastination sets in and we find ourselves more motivated to wander off, do fun things, rather than take care of responsibilities.
Knowing how to clean the toilet does not mean we are motivated to do it.
Most dogs are simply not motivated enough to stay on task. Doing obedience becomes a chore similar to cleaning toilets. Smelling grass is distracting enough to pull them off task. Leash walking and recalls fail to hold up to the temptation.
When dogs respond happily and enthusiastically, we say the behaviour has strong momentum. It’s the Holy Grail of dog training and something most people want to achieve. They usually fall into the trap of looking for the magic treat rather than the magic technique.
There is one main factor tied to creating momentum. It’s the speed at which you reinforce the dog during training. The feedback has to come quickly. Good trainers employ strategies to make this happen.
First, write training strategies on paper. Plan for success. Create a clear, measurable goal. Break that goal into tiny achievable steps. Plan a path where the dog is moving toward the long-term goal. Do it in a way where the animal is a rock star at every level.
Begin teaching skills in a quiet location free from distractions. Fast rewards are easier to create without temptations. Train in short bursts. Do not overwork them to the point where they want to quit.
Assess progress frequently. Watch for signs of procrastination. Slow responses are a red flag. Adjust course. The dog should be challenged, but also successful.
Add distractions strategically. Start with easy temptations. Add difficulty according to your written plan. Distractions that are too difficult slow the rate of reinforcement, the speed of the positive feedback. This sabotages momentum.
Experienced trainers do all these things out of habit. Families with pets can easily create momentum if they focus on the speed of the feedback they give. Behaviours with strong momentum hold up in the real world. It is this that is critically important for skills such as leash walking and recalls. My dog barks when left in the crate. We have been told that this means he has separation anxiety. How can we fix it?
Barking can be one of the signs of separation anxiety. It does not necessarily mean that all barking dogs have this problem.
Some dogs dislike the crate and would benefit from crate training. Others bark because it serves to get them something that they want, such as attention. Those dogs need to learn that remaining quiet is a more effective strategy. Still others dislike being isolated. It’s not that they are distressed about being separated from a specific person. They want company. Anyone will do so long as they are not alone.
While some barking dogs do have separation anxiety, first assess which factors are triggering the barking. Then choose the strategy that best fits the problem. Yvette Van Veen is an animal behaviour consultant and Canada’s First Tested and Certified PCT-A. Write her at advice@awesomedogs.ca