SHAKE IT OFF
How to correct a dog’s bad habit when it’s time to shake a paw,
We taught our dog to shake a paw so we could wipe them. Now our dog swats us, even if we are not asking. If we reach toward her leg or chest, she thinks it means that she should start pawing. What can we do to make sure she does shake a paw only when we say the word “paw”?
Most families quickly regret teaching “shake a paw” because it leads to pestering. It’s a problem that routinely happens because it triggers an effect called overshadowing. It helps to understand what overshadowing is before learning how to fix it.
Anytime we teach a dog a skill, on command, the dog takes notice of many different things. Simultaneously, it sees our gestures, our movements and hears our voice.
Dogs will home in on the element that seems most important. They will start to tune out the other extraneous information. The most salient element overshadows the others — hence, it’s called an overshadowing effect.
During “shake a paw”, the gesture of placing one’s hand near the dog’s leg becomes the command. The word is ignored. The gesture overshadows the word.
More repetition of the skill will not fix the problem. The dog tunes out the sounds the same way we might tune out traffic that passes the house. The irrelevant information is ignored.
Eventually, the dog sees all extended hands as a sign to “shake a paw.” The behaviour fails to come under the control of the verbal command, or cue.
Fix the problem by teaching the dog to attend and notice the verbal cue. Also teach the dog to ignore hands that are extended when no command is given.
Begin by silently extending your hand as if to ask for a paw. Wear gloves if scratches are a concern. The dog will likely start to paw. Stay silent and ignore all its attempts until it stops and hesitates. The instant this happens say, “Paw.” If the dog shakes a paw, say yes and give it a treat.
This teaches the dog that unless asked, offering a paw gets it nothing. The effort is futile. But waiting patiently may lead to being asked for a paw. It pays to wait for the command.
Generally assume that your dog is watching you more than listening to you. If you want it to listen to your words rather than some inadvertent gesture, it needs to be drilled. I’m not that picky about my dog’s behaviour. The obedience instructor is insistent that we reward our dog only for being precisely right. I don’t mind if my dog lies down when I say sit and think it’s worth a cookie. Is it really necessary to be so precise?
It’s not too often that I suggest someone is being too nice. However, in this case, paying a dog for lying down when you say “sit” is far too nice. It’s too nice to the point of being confusing.
It would be like asking a child to solve three times four. When the child says 10, you say that answer is correct. While there is no need to be mean, it’s OK to have the child try again. Telling the child that the wrong answer is right would only lead to more wrong answers and confusion.
There comes a time in every dog’s future where “sit” needs to mean “sit” or “down” needs to be “down.” An injured dog may need to lie to in order to have itself bandaged and “sit” won’t do.
Training isn’t always about what we need today. It’s about what we may need in the future. Clarity is always a good choice.