Basic Training Tips

New Year, New Patt erns

Weaving New Habits into Life

Merriam-Webster defi nes “habit” as: 1. sett led tendency or usual manner of behavior. 2. an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary 3. addicti on 4. a behavior patt ern acquired by frequent repeti ti on or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance

Habits

The topic of “habit” is applicable this ti me of year when we turn the metaphorical pages of the calendar to a new year. Saying goodbye to the year behind can prompt us to give at least a cursory glance towards improving or changing our ways. The idea of making and keeping a “New Year’s Resoluti on” is att racti ve; this personal commitment could lead to a bett er life, improved fi tness… you name it. But... it’s not so easy, is it?

Patt erns Build Habits

When I walk into my house, I typically head straight to the kitchen for a snack. I’m not usually hungry; it’s just what has become a habit for me. Enter house. Go to kitchen. Scavenge for food. It’s one patt ern among many others, practi ced and perfected over the course of many years. I do it without thinking. I am not proud of it.

Basic Training Tips

by Diana Logan

Why is it that “bad” habits are so much easier to make but much harder to break than “good” habits?

What about our dogs?

It works the same way for dogs: patt erns build habits and “bad” habits grow quickly. Of course, from the dog’s perspecti ve, it’s all good if it works for them. “Good” habits take thought, ti me. and understanding from us to help them fl ourish in our dogs.

Weave Helpful Patt erns into Everyday Life

I have some good news, though. There are very simple ways we can establish useful patt erns by practi cing them regularly as a normal course of the day, with very litt le additi onal ti me or eff ort on our part. The following are some of the patt erns I have established with my dogs over the years. Aft er suffi cient repeti ti ons and good ti ming, the patt erns start to gel and I get the responses and results I am looking for. Best of all, the dogs are happy parti cipants. • “Collar” means the collar is going to be put on. Because collar on means a treat and potenti al for adventure, my dogs learn to come enthusiasti cally when I say “collar.” • “Leash”: same as above. I say “leash,” hook it to the collar and give my dog a treat. • Leash off . When I take the leash off my dog, I give him a treat or two or three. Why? Have you ever struggled to remove your dog's leash because he's pulling so hard? This is because he anti cipates freedom once the leash comes off , and the antecedent to the leash coming off is you fi ddling with and unclipping it. The patt ern is pull, pull… freedom! I like the leash being detached to mean

“treat!” The result is I have an att enti ve dog the moment the leash comes off . • Say your dog’s name just before something awesome is going to happen for him. This adds value to his name, to you, and improves recall in general.

“Awesome” depends on your dog and what he values at that moment. • Pat on head. Ugh… humans are so rude. We think it’s nice to pat a dog on top of his head. Most dogs loathe this, but humans will do it anyway. Help your dog form a more positi ve opinion of it by preparing him through the patt ern of pattreat…. repeat. It should build up his tolerance for it even when he doesn’t get a treat from others. • “Head’s up” warning cues. Dogs can get startled by sudden noises. If I’m about to create a noise that could be startling, I simply declare “noise!” then do what I need to do. • Labeling spaces. “Inside, “outside,” “upstairs” ... any space that’s relevant to your dog and to which you are headed. • “Excuse me, please.” I say this just before I need to walk through my dog’s space. I become a gentle snowplow if he doesn’t move. Prett y soon, a dog learns to yield his space when you say, “excuse me.” It’s a very polite and cooperati ve way too. • The Apology Reward. Let’s face it, we occasionally hurt our dogs. Perhaps we accidentally step on a tail or a toe, or perhaps we cause pain while treati ng a wound. It happens. I say, “I’m so sorry!” and then immediately follow up with something my dog values at that moment. The Apology Reward builds trust, resilience, and forgiveness. I’m sure you can come up with simple patt erns that you can implement in your day-to-day life with your dogs. I’d love to hear about your ideas. These simple strategies build understanding, vocabulary, and relati onships and take very litt le ti me and eff ort to achieve. Happy Training!

Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certi fi ed Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed Pet Connecti on Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine | www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352

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