Skills are Perishable
I took violin lessons for several years and became quite proficient, even advancing to the point of performing on stage. I enjoyed creating music, learning the mechanics of playing and the challenge of starting to learn how to read music.
I wouldn’t have a clue how to play the violin today.
Why?
I quit when I was in second grade, that’s why, and I never picked up my violin after that. Some other hobby took precedence in my early childhood and drew my attention away from learning an instrument, a decision I regret to this day. Since then, many decades have piled up behind me, filled with a mélange of skills, interests, and habits. If someone were to hand me a violin, I might have a rudimentary idea of how to hold it, but this would be thanks to remnants of a fading muscle memory.
Learning to play an instrument requires an acquisition of mechanical skills and thoughtful learner comprehension (for the coach as well). Without practice and incentive, it’s unlikely these skills will endure over time. It’s not a “one-and-done” deal.
The same holds true for our dogs.
“Skills are Perishable”
I like this statement, because it expresses a simple fact we take for granted: if we want to maintain a skill, we have to practice it. For best results, we have to want to practice it. Incentive is an enormous factor; if we aren’t interested or if the behavior isn’t meaningful or relevant, why even bother? There must be something in it for the learner.
“COME!”
Lack of a reliable recall (coming when called) is one of the top three standard complaints* I hear. A young, dependent puppy who has a positive relationship with her humans will tend to gravitate towards them and return joyously when called, no matter what noises the human may be uttering, and even without tangible rewards. This doesn’t last long, though, and it gives us a sense of false security. As puppies mature and distractions play with our dogs’ attention, behaviors will erode. However, if we presume our dogs are always in training mode, even for “known” behaviors, we will continue to build and strengthen the skills we’d like them to have and not be disappointed in them for failing to live up to our expectations. If we want it, we have to pay for it in a currency that our dog values at that moment. It’s important to appreciate that any change in the environment is likely to affect the behavior. Playing recall games in a big yard is much different than playing the same game inside.
Lots of behaviors come naturally
Of course, our dogs know how to sit, to lie down, to run, to chase something, etc. These are “durable behaviors,” or behaviors that come naturally. It’s another thing entirely for them to respond to a cue in a foreign-to-them language or to execute a behavior that is not typically included in their natural repertoire.
Fetch: The Durable/Perishable Combo Trick
Fetch, or retrieve, is a great example of a skill that combines both durable and perishable skills. Almost every link in the fetch behavior chain is durable, with the exception of “bring back and relinquish”. We don’t need to reward our pups for chase or grab - those things are self-rewarding. If we want a good retrieve, we need to reward the heck out of the return and relinquish part, and we can do this separately from the chase-grab sequence.
The Maintenance Budget: Don’t Overlook It
Behaviors we’ve taught our dogs to do require regular maintenance, much like our vehicles. Reward is the fuel that powers behavior. If you’ve taught your dog specific behaviors or to respond to certain cues and you notice deterioration, step back and ask why before you blame your dog. Sometimes it requires detective work to figure out. Typically, it’s due to an imbalance in the behavior-reward ratio. Keep in mind that “reward” doesn’t have to be food: anything your dog finds valuable at that moment can be a reward. For recall, I love to turn the reward into an exciting event. A single tossed treat that has to be chased down at high speed can be much more motivating than a handful of treats delivered by a stationary person. Action and movement add a lot of interest for our predatory dogs.
I have some homework for you:
Identify one behavior that you thought your dog knew really well but seems to have weakened (in this house, it’s “down” for lie down)
In a non-distracting environment and with super valuable rewards at hand, see if you can elicit the behavior, then immediately reward your dog.
Practice 3x day for 1 minute each time. Keep sessions happy and playful. (I noticed that Skipper responds much better if I say “down” in a happy, sing-songy voice.)
Refrain from asking your pup to do the behavior in a non-training session.
After one week, do you notice an improvement?
Happy Training!
*In my experience, the typical problem areas clients mention are, in no particular order: polite greetings, loose leash walking and recall. Are these things you’d like to improve with your dog, too?
Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed
Pet Connection Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine
www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352