11 Bře Never make your dog do something—let him discover he wants to do it on his own
Today’ss topic is a little bit of a pet peeve of mine. I find myself repeating this to my clients much more often than I would like to. It is also one of the first things I notice when I work with a new handler.
“‘Cause I said so!”
When a new client comes to one of my training sessions, I usually ask them to show me how they train their dog. I want them to behave as if I am not even there and they will simply work their dog like they usually do. Observing them like this for a few minutes gives me a lot of valuable information about the dog, the handler, their relationship, and the methods being used in the training.
What I see time and time again are numerous instances in which the dog is doing something (be it a minuscule detail or even, god forbid, the whole exercise) just because the handler said so. This might sound a bit weird to be pointing out; after all, isn’t obedience kind of based on the handler telling the dog what to do?
Of course, it is. However, what I am trying to get at here is the reason why the dog is performing the exercise: what is going on in his brain, and why does he feel he should be heeling, sitting down, retrieving, or any other particular action?
“You must sit still while I throw the dumbbell!”
A very easy to grasp and typical example of this issue is the moment in which the handler is throwing the dumbbell. The dog has to sit still in the basic position while the dumbbell is being thrown. He should not get up to fetch the dumbbell prematurely; in fact, he shouldn’t be moving, rocking back and forth, or whining at all. Only after the handler gives the command is the dog allowed to run and get the dumbbell.
This is pretty obvious to anyone familiar with the retrieve exercise, so where is the catch? Very often, I see that the only reason the dog is sitting in the basic position while the handler throws the dumbbell is simply because the handler said so. No other reason.
The dog is very excited to go fetch the dumbbell. He knows that after the dumbbell is thrown, there is always this obnoxious waiting period. He doesn’t understand why it’s there though, and if it were up to him, he would get rid of it and just go fetch the moment the dumbbell left the handler’s hand.
But alas, he has to wait for a bit, and then he can finally run and fetch and get his favorite ball as a reward and life is all rainbows and unicorns. Not understanding the purpose of this wait leads to him occasionally try getting up before the command every now and then. It also leads to anxiety, nervous whining, or even barking.
When this occurs, the handler is forced to repeat “sit”, correct their dog for not sitting still, and likely even shout at him when he can’t contain his excitement and runs to fetch the dumbbell prematurely. Even if this works in a training situation, it almost definitely won’t work at the trial. Every dog can very keenly sense that the “you have to do this!” principle is not quite as pronounced at the trial as it is during training.
Long story short, the whole exercise is unstable; and, in my opinion, this means that the dog doesn’t understand it fully. The waiting period is just a nuisance for him, not an integral part of the exercise as it is written in the regulations. He knows that the only interesting thing that happens after the dumbbell is thrown is the command “fetch” and him running after the dumbbell, so that’s what he looks forward to and can’t wait to actually do.
“Do whatever you want, but maybe sitting still is a good idea?”
Knowing this, what can be done to make the waiting period more meaningful for the dog so that he understands that it’s important and that he has a good reason to sit there quietly while the dumbbell is being thrown? What will help the dog understand that it isn’t only about “you have to” but more about “I want to do it myself” instead? How can you help turn “I hate having to do this” into “Oh wow, this is exciting!” from now on?
It’s a very simple fix. Just show your dog that, after the dumbbell is thrown, one of two situations may occur:
- After a brief waiting period, you will reward him with his beloved ball and he doesn’t even have to run to fetch the dumbbell.
- After a brief waiting period, you will give the command “fetch” and send the dog to retrieve the dumbbell.
Now the dog’s perception of this exercise has totally changed. Sitting still in the basic position suddenly makes sense. He wants his ball oh-so-badly and there is a good chance he could get it just for sitting still. There’s no reason to be rocking back and forth and aching to get running after the dumbbell. You just magically transformed the awkward “must“ moment into a solid and clear “want” moment.
Your dog now has a much better understanding of the exercise and he’ll now want to do each part of it because there is a good chance that he may get his beloved ball for it. Training fetching this way is much more stable and reliable once the two of you are at a trial.
This is just one example of improving waiting behaviors, but you can surely think of many other instances this can apply to as well. To name a few:
- Lying down during the send away exercise
- Pushing forward during heeling
- Getting up prematurely from a down position before the recall command
- And many others!
Change “must” into “want”
I would like you to carefully think through your obedience routine. Consider all the exercises and try to pinpoint the areas in which your dog is doing something “just because you said so.” It can even be something really small, but be aware that even a little detail can have big consequences during a trial.
Basically, imagine your dog asking: “Why should I do this?” And your answer has got to be something besides just “because I said so.” Identify these areas and then think hard about what you can do to explain them to your dog better. Show him it will benefit him if he does what is required. If you need help with that, I will be glad to be of service.
My whole system and the way I train is based on this principle. I always think about what I can do to let the dog have a choice but still stack the conditions in my favor. That way, I can show him that the best choice for him will be to do what I want.
It’s like telling your dog, “Sure, you can start running after the dumbbell. Knock yourself out, buddy. But if you sit still for just a second longer, you might get your beloved ball right here and now. Just saying. You do you.”
We, humans, are (or, at least, we ought to be) smarter than our dogs. Use these smarts to show your dog all the different ways he can get to his beloved ball or treat. It’s surely just a weird coincidence that these numerous different ways are all written in the regulations for your trials.
I always joke that Archer is convinced that he came up with obedience. He thinks that it was his brilliant idea for how to get some treats, lots of praise, and his beloved ball from me. That’s why he loves it so much; that’s why he can’t wait to get to the field with me. That’s why he doesn’t want to leave the field when we finish training.
“Hey, come back here! This was my idea! I wanna do some more heeling, hooman!” That’s Archer, his favorite tug safely between his paws in the middle of the training field, refusing to call it a day. Just look at him in the photo above, that’s how it should look like.
Please think through your training. Make it so that your dog loves every part of it and wants to do it from the bottom of his heart. You will both enjoy it, believe me. It’s not that hard; just be mindful.