How good is your eye-hand coordination?
“Consequence drives behavior;” not what we do or say beforehand…
This concept can be challenging to wrap our heads around, but when we do, and we fully capitalize on it, we turn regular, day-to-day life into regular learning opportunities. This efficient and effective strategy involves very little conflict, yet establishes a foundation for a lifetime of skills, structure, and good communication. We can even train high level skills without ever having to engage our pups in “formal” training sessions. What does “formal training” mean, anyway?
Ultimate Control
We control just about everything in our pups’ lives: access to things they value, their food, access to people, places, toys, games, other dogs, sleeping places, the outdoors, etc. Heck, they are even required to ask us for permission to pee and poop. Imagine needing to ask somebody for the keys to the bathroom each time you needed to go. It’s remarkable, this living arrangement we have with our dogs. No other species combo is quite like it.
Eye Contact leads to great stuff! Photo by Diana Logan
How can we use these “canine valuables,” so to speak, to train skills?
The answer: through good eye-hand coordination!
I say “eye-hand” because good observation comes first, then the ability to instantly respond in a way that is meaningful to the dog without the need to nag or be confrontational. Humans can associate the most stretched out behavior-consequence pattern. Example: a mortgage! It might take 30 years for us to reap the reward, yet we are willing to offer a behavior (signing that contract) anyway, knowing that sometime in the future we will see the reward. Dogs are much more near-sighted, so much so that for them to associate a behavior with a consequence, the two things must be tightly paired: within several seconds and before other behaviors slip in.
Professional dog trainers are experts at noticing the nuances of behavior and responding in ways that help a learner understand what works and what doesn’t work, but you can, too.
The Door
An Open Door is Not an Open Invitation (this is a huge safety issue)
When I am teaching “door etiquette” I start with my back towards the door. I face the dog. I may move towards the dog to create the space necessary to open the door. My goal is for the dog to look up at me and wait for his release cue (RC) before he makes a move toward the door. If he even glances up at me, I instantly say my RC “dak!” then I open the door. If he moves, I reset him and restart. I don’t generally use treats in this situation, but you could reward your dog for maintaining a specific position.
I do not require a sit at the door, but you may want to. More important than a sit is eye contact because that helps take the attention off the door opening and helps your pup learn that good things come when he gazes up at you. You’ve probably met dogs who laser look for the gap in the door and explode through it like a missile with or without a release cue. This “may I please?” default eye contact will serve you well in many situations!
The pattern will build from 1) RC then open, to 2) open a bit then RC, to 3) open more, then RC, always with the same criteria: eye contact. If your pup breaks position before you give the RC, all you must do is close the door. Do it nicely. No reprimands necessary! He’s just learning the game.
You can apply this same strategy to many other situations:
• Wait for RC to access the food dish;
• Hold a cued position until released, such as sit or down;
• Want to grab the tug in my hand? RC! Withhold the toy, wait for eye contact, then RC and offer the toy;
• Dog jumps at barrier to get attention? Wait for all 4 on the floor, then give attention;
• Pup is getting rough while playing? Instantly withdraw your attention and freeze the moment he crosses the line. Instantly restart play when he backs off. Keep sessions short.
Any time your pup wants something is the perfect time to train. Be observant and have good timing. Your pup will start to understand what exactly he can do to earn his rewards and what might make them inaccessible.
Happy Training!
Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed
Pet Connection Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine
www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352