Dog training is a tricky subject to navigate. There's a wide spectrum of opinions ranging from the stringent competitor to the everyday sidewalk warrior. What we expect from our dogs will vary from person to person, and how we communicate with our individual animals is just as variable. My hope is that whoever you are, whether you agree or disagree with all or some of my techniques, that you take what you feel is useful to you, and leave what you don't. Lets get started.
This article will discuss the finer points of the language I use to communicate with Tsunami. It does not delve into discussion about body language (which is a HUGE part of dog training, and which will be covered in detail in another article)
Consistency is key and communication is everything. Pick the words you want to use for specific behaviors and stick to them.
To start you will need a:
- Prompt: "Ready?" Increase the likelihood that your dog will perform the behavior the first time you ask by pre-empting the cue ("sit") with a prompt. Ready? "Sit". A prompts basically means HEADS UP, I'm about to ask you to do something. Use a prompt to Initiate play to help define the span of time your dog is expected to engage with you intensely. When you're finished, say "All done".
- Reward marker: For myself this is either a verbal "YES!" or a CLICKER. Both reward systems have their pro's and con's. The YES! is more convenient since one doesn't always have a clicker on them, but with a clicker you can be more precise and the sound is very distinct. Meaning it's more likely someone will say "Yes" around your dog on the street than for them to have a clicker. Therefore the power of the reward marker doesn't get diluted from experiencing the signal (YES! or CLICK) out of the context of a reward.
- A Duration Marker: "Goood" (usually spoken softly and drawn out). This marker is used to convey that you like what they're doing, and they should keep doing it. Very useful for stationary behaviors like "stay" or if you are trying to get your dog to not react to a strange person/thing, a softly spoken duration marker can be just enough to maintain their attention long enough to allow you to capitalize on a beneficial moment. (more on that later). I also frequently use it as part of my general affection post reward marker language. (good girl tsuzie, atta girl)
How often should you talk to your dog during a session? This will depend on your dog's energy level, and the specific behavior you are requesting.
When dog's get AMPED! we say they're "Up In Drive."
Every dog has a metronome. The beats per minute changes as the tug gets pulled from the back pocket...Pupils dilate, and her focus narrows to a pinpoint beam of concentration. The whole world disappears... Ears prick and twitch... she waits with bated breath...
YES!
and like a coiled spring or angry rattlesnake...your broad headed chocolate lab or sleek GSD slams into the padded tug. Two seconds later the OUT is given (OUT by the way gets its own entire post)
"Out - Place - Front - Heel - Down - Stay - Settle - Stand - Place - Front - Chipmunk - 1 - 2 - Paws UP"
"YES!"
The interval between cues can be as short as a heart beat or as long as a whales heartbeat.
If Tsu is in a down stay, and i'm working on Distance Obedience (Covered in the up coming "Advanced Obedience" post, the interval between cues will range > 10 seconds down to less than a second.
Bottom Line: The more up in drive your dog is, the faster you can give cues and expect a reliable response.
Build your dogs drive by building your own engagement skills and developing their love for the toy. (or food)
How can one be more engaging to a dog? Check back frequently new posts including the "How to Capture a Puppy's Attention (and Keep It)" Post.