Obedience training can be quite rewarding for both you and your dog. Having a dog that is really engaged with you in the training process encourages maximum learning capacity all while building a strong relationship and allowing us to hit our target goals with fun and ease (see our Engagement blog). When we teach our dogs a behaviour we take care to show them what we want. Once they understand what to do we then form an expectation of them to perform these behaviours when asked. But sometimes we don’t prepare them as well as we think we do. Have you ever had your dog turn its ears off to a command even though you have taught them what it means? Have you ever wondered why? Is it because the dog is just being ignorant? Chances are the behaviour we think they know so well isn’t actually that well known to them at all.

Take the recall exercise for example. Some owners will let their dogs off the lead and all is fine until their dog suddenly runs off to go chase a bird and no amount of yelling or calling brings them back. They end up having to chase their dogs down, which isn’t fun for anyone! I often hear owners say, “He’s never done that before” or “She usually just comes back”. The question that needs to be asked is why. Why did the dog not listen this time? And was our expectation of them too high in that particular moment? Here is where I would look back to the dog’s training history. Most importantly, how fast the dog progressed through each training phase from the beginning to the end result. A dog that can perform in some settings but not others indicates a gap in the training process. Somewhere along the way we have missed a step or two that could go towards really solidifying their behaviour in the settings in which they have trouble. The quality of training we provide our dogs is essential for a successful outcome.

Dogs learn through repetition and seeing patterns in the work. With each successful repetition the dog comes closer to their goal of achieving the target behaviour but we need to be mindful that we take small steps to success rather than giant leaps of failure. When you train your dog to perform a behaviour, whatever that behaviour may be, make sure your training sets the dog up for as much success as possible. Start low level and gradually build the difficulty from there. While it may be tempting to rush through the training just to get an outcome, or because we are happy to settle with what we already have (or think we have!), it will in fact hinder your dog’s ability to perform in times where there are high distractions or when they are under pressure. This is why alot of dogs perform beautifully at home but not so much outside the home. It is an indicator that your dog hasn’t generalised the behaviour and that it is only context-specific for now. In order to work around this all you have to do is drop your level of expectation a little and take your training back a couple of steps each time you change the picture for your dog. Think of it as a refresher for them. By lowering our criteria when we raise the level of difficulty in our training we help our dogs to achieve maximum success. It will also help to avoid administering any unfair corrections when it is a simple case of the dog not understanding the behaviour entirely as opposed to them really disobeying you. The good foundation of learning you have set at home and their previous learning will help your dog to rapidly acquire the skills you are trying to target and before long you will be able to efficiently proof their behaviours in many different environments.

By keeping our expectations of our dogs realistic we build a confident dog who isn’t afraid to make a mistake or try new things in times of unsurety. The key here is not to rush the training. By rushing we may successfully create a behaviour but it will merely be an action with no understanding behind it. Be fair and be clear in your work to help your dog better understand what you are doing and don’t be afraid to take things slowly. Remember, you are a team and the most successful teams have great communication. By showing your dog a clear and steady path to success your training can soar to new and exciting heights!