lessons children can learn from their pet dogs

t r a i n i n g Training in the Real World

Anna Bradley considers the wider implications of training some of the standard, basic cues and their applications to real life

© Can Stock Photo / ksuksa Stand can be a useful cue to teach dogs, for example for dogs who like to get muddy and need regular baths, or who need a lot of grooming A “watch” cue helps teach dogs positive engagement and is a useful background listening skill for recall, leash walking, and multiple behavioral issues

New puppy guardians will often take their charges to a puppy class, not only to learn basic skills but also so their pups can benefit from the positive effects of socialization. A wellrun class can have a fantastic effect on a young puppy’s emotional wellbeing and greatly aid confidence and social interactional skills.

Sometimes, though, guardians attend a puppy course for a few weeks and that’s it. It is a personal choice, of course, as to how many classes or courses a guardian attends with their pup, but they may find themselves stopping when their dog is only just starting to really absorb things. It can be frustrating when puppies are distracted by so many environmental stimuli and this can cause guardians to switch off from training and become disheartened. But this is the nature of puppyhood and to continue is to learn, win, and succeed in later life, as well as build a better bond together.

While skills may be learned in class, reallife learning is done at home, every day. This means during play, during walks, and during every fun opportunity together – not just during that one hour in a classroom. What we are doing is teaching our dogs a skill set. We teach them things to facilitate our lives with them, to make their lives safer and other people’s lives around them safer. It’s about being responsible.

Let’s take ‘sit’ as an example. In addition to training the skill itself, there are also the multiple reallife practical applications of where this behavior can be useful. In reality, we’re not just teaching our dogs a simple ‘sit.’ We’re teaching them a skill that can keep them calm, ease their stress, maybe save their life, or help us negotiate a complex situation. This is what I mean by realworld training.

I start teaching young puppies sit as soon as they come home. It’s part of teaching manners around the household. I like my dogs to be polite and ask nicely for the treats they receive. I’ll start in the first week asking puppy to sit at every doorway so I don’t get barged past. If you have

© Can Stock Photo / RaZZeRs

a big dog, this is something you want to start early on because it’s no fun being thundered out of the way by a hulk of a dog. It can also be dangerous.

I’ll also take the sit outside and build up the duration, e.g. sit plus an extended amount of calm time equals a reward. This sit + settle builds calmness. I will go to places frequented by people but stay on the fringes, practice my sit and provided my dog is able to cope, will progressively work to get closer over the coming weeks. So I’m essentially working on a desensitization procedure and response substitution.

I might also work on sit inside the home in a designated area and on some location training with something like a carpet square. I can use this to work on calm greetings when people call at the house.

Down

Working on teaching a lie down is applicable to the same types of scenarios as sit but because the dog is lying completely prone, they often become more settled.

In this case, I will work on building up the time the dog spends lying down. I will do it progressively because some dogs tend to find it quite difficult. If I can build a great lie down over time, I essentially have a dog I can take anywhere (assuming the dog is okay with that – not all dogs will be, so I also need to take that into consideration and make sure I am not putting him in situations he is uncomfortable with). If I want to visit places like cafés, restaurants, etc., there will be times when my dog needs to just be still and keep to himself. In such scenarios, having a great lie down is a fabulous asset. The same is true at home. Being able to cue my dog to lie down during mealtimes so he won’t beg at the table, or lie in a particular spot when I have guests, can make everyone’s lives easier.

Stay

Stay can be a real lifesaver and is also great for teaching impulse control.

While skills may be learned in class, real-life learning is done at home, every day. This means during play, during walks, and during every fun opportunity together – not just during that one hour in a classroom.

I always train stay to mean ‘stay still while I come back to you.’ This way, if my dog ever runs off, gets loose, or strays near a road, I can ask him to stay put until I get there. Stay is also good for simple close contact ‘stay puts,’ such as opening the trunk of the car so the dog doesn’t jump out. There are all sorts of scenarios where this behavior can be applied to keep the dog safe.

Stand

Stand sometimes gets overlooked, but it can be a really useful cue. For example, if I have a dog who often gets muddy, loves the water, or needs grooming a lot, ‘stand rocksteady’ on all four legs for a designated amount of time is a useful skill to teach. Rather than battle with a dog rolling around on the floor, a good stand will really cut down the time I spend on chores such as these.

Finish

Finish, as in the dog comes around my back (or sometimes in a semicircle to the side) at the end of recall, can seem like a behavior that is seen in competition but has no real practical application. However, finish is ideal for dogs who are incredibly enthusiastic with recall, or those who don’t stop, leaving you in fear of being completely bowled over. Use finish as the dog approaches to dissipate his end flourish!

Watch

Dog guardians often ask me how am I going to use watch, i.e., where and when? The answer to this question is vast because watch is incredibly versatile and has so many uses. For example, watch is ideal for teaching your dog positive engagement, as in ‘looking at me is so great, even better than looking at that!’ Because of this, it’s a useful background listening skill for issues such as recall, leash walking and multiple behavioral issues. It can also be helpful in lowering arousal, especially when the duration is increased. We can see how the dog relaxes and his breathing deepens.

The watch cue is also good for dogs who are very exuberant and bouncy who may lunge and leap at anything in their path. Instead of struggling with this, I can focus on what I’ve already taught the dog to do and be successful at – to listen and positively engage with me when these challenges appear. Watch can also be used in behavior change plans to reward looking at stimuli, to which a dog might potentially be reactive, in a calm and relaxed manner.

Training for Life

These are just a few of the common training cues that are taught in a class situation that guardians may not always consider the wider implications of. In addition, I should note here that there is always the need to continue training, no matter what the dog’s age. In real life, training continues all the time, every day, in every context, for the dog’s entire life. n

Anna Francesca Bradley MSc BSc (Hons) is a United Kingdomebased provisional clinical, certified IAABC animal behavior consultant and ABTC accredited behavior consultant. She owns Perfect

Pawz! Training and Behavior Practice in Hexham, Northumberland, where the aim is always to create and restore happy relationships between dog and owner in a relaxed way, using methods based on sound scientific principles, which are both force-free and fun.