training
Message Received! Suzanne Clothier discusses how to ensure that communication is effective for both handlers and dogs to achieve optimal success during training sessions
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t the heart of any relationship is communication. On so many lev els, how effectively we communicate plays a huge role in the quality, tenor and overall success of a relationship. As psycholo gist and family therapist pioneer Virginia Satir (1998) states: “Communi cation is to . . . relationships . . . as breathing is to life.” As a trainer, my goal is to find the communication approach that serves the human, the dog, and the relationship. I need to recognize what works well for that specific team, and I need to know how, where, when and why communication becomes ineffective. When working with clients and their dogs, part of our job is helping them learn how to have effective conversations. Satir (1998) also notes that “[e]ffective communication can be both taught and learned. We were not born with the way we communicate. We learned it, mostly through modeling, in ways no one even knew or intended.” In trying to help handlers and dogs succeed, dog trainers often have a lot of rules: “Never repeat a cue,” “Use a high pitched happy voice,” “Never say no,” “Speak sternly from your core,” “Don’t talk much – just provide cues,” and so on. Inevitably, at the heart of the rule, is a genuine desire to help people and dogs communicate better. But, as with many rules, the intent can get lost in the strict application. Whenever I encounter a “rule” that says a handler should or should not do X, Y or Z, my first question is always, “Why?” Sometimes, the rule is applied without need, and may even get in the way of effective com munication. Consider the dog and handler, not a rule of thumb. How do you know if communication is effective? It: • Is sustainable – a natural fit with the dog and handler preferences. • Gets results – you get the response you're looking for. • Supports the relationship – good communication is mutually rewarding. Teach handlers how to be congruent and coherent, and to do so in a way that is natural for them. A laconic handler may learn how to be more intense and generous with praise but asking them to speak in a high squeaky voice is unlikely to be sustainable. The “high squeaky voice” rule is meant to provide the dog with more motivating, stimulat ing auditory input that – in theory – will excite the dog in a positive way. This may or may not be true for that dog, and even if it is, the handler has to be able (and willing) to sustain that behavior. This does not mean that learning new ways to communicate will be effortless. It takes prac tice and work.
Communication Styles Sometimes, there is a simple mismatch of preferences. One of my stu dents, Daniel, had a brilliant Siberian husky, Loki. Daniel is a softspoken and articulate seller of antique books, so he naturally relied on words,
Trainers face the challenge of figuring out the dog’s preferences as well as the handler’s, and then trying to find common ground between the two. If we forget the handler’s needs as a receiver, we can unintentionally further complicate things.
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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020
© Can Stock Photo/helga1981
Professional trainers must be effective in how they communicate with both humans and dogs, as well as be able to successfully identify the preferred communication style in individuals
using verbal cues for his dogs. By contrast, Loki was not particularly au ditory, but he was strongly visual. When Loki was focused on visual input, Daniel’s softspoken cues simply did not register. Some trainers blamed the dog (“You know how Siberians are!”) while others blamed Daniel’s timing or inadequate rate of reinforcement or insufficiently mo tivating food rewards. The truth? It was a simple communication mis match. When Daniel added visual signals to his verbal cues, Loki was cheerfully responsive and cooperative. Finding the solution here was just a matter of watching the man and his dog, seeing what was natural for them, and finding a mutually agreeable communication style. Whatever rules you may impose on your clients and their dogs (or on yourself!), it can be helpful to step back, reexamine the intent of the rule, and observe what’s happening. I’m interested in sustainable,
