Expectation VS Reality When Learning a Cue

We would all love to learn a new language in 1 day, I know I would! But it takes time and repetition over and over and over and over, practicing in different contexts, and increasing levels of difficulty to understand that Bonjour means Hello and Bonsoir means Good Night in French! I know learning French in school was the most difficult subject as I couldn't grasp it.

When your dog is learning a new cue it is like they are learning a new language. I always say to never bring in the cue immediately (unless it serves a purpose like a distraction), as your dog learns your body language for the cue and then they start to associate the word with the cue.

For example; putting your hand out to signal stay - your dog will learn hand out means stay before they learn the word.

Due to this, your dog should always learn hand cues first and then verbal cues. Once your dog is solid with the hand cues, train for both hand and verbal so your can use them interchangeably depending on the situation.

But what often happens when you're teaching your dog a new cue and they don't get it??

Let's use Sit cue as an example.

Scenario 1: You cue your dog to sit with both verbal and hand motions and your dog just stands there staring at you!

Some people will repeat SIT over and over, increasingly (at times unintentionally) deepening tone of voice, start to loom over their dog as their body posture and if the dog (who is now afraid) doesn't get it they push the dog's bottom down and then say YES SIT!

What has the dog learned? The cue Sit has now been poisoned because the dog has negative associations that you'll physically force them into position and will get big and scary and shout at them when they don't do this. They've learned to fear Sit and will do it to stop you yelling.

**** never force your dog physically into any position. This will decrease their trust and bond with you, it will cause them pain and also create fear. It is aversive***

Or

Scenario 2: You cue your dog to sit with both verbal and hand motions and your dog just stands there staring at you! You repeat the cue over and over (to the point of nagging), then become frustrated and think that your dog isn't listening to you.

Your dog is also frustrated as they don't understand what you're asking of them. Training becomes a source of stress, as frustration is a negative emotion.

So what to do when training a cue?

Say the cue, if your dog does it, mark and reward.

If your dog takes time, wait for 10 seconds, and mark and reward. Give your dog time to problem solve! Let them think it out. Often when you do that, your dog will do a part of the criteria or all of it. Remember, they're learning a new language!

If after 10 seconds, STOP, do a find it game or a scatter feed as a break, then try again. After the break, change your body language. Often with little dogs or puppies we unintentionally loom over them and this can be scary to them- no one likes to be loomed over! Try sitting down on the ground with them or on a chair, or move to another area in the room where they have more space, as maybe where they are they feel trapped.

If your dog still can't do the cue after you've tried that, STOP and REASSESS. Take a longer break. Understand the factors that might be affecting your dog such as:

• Is your dog tired?
• Frustrated?
• Too many distractions?
• Does the cue cause them stress?
• Do you need a higher value reward?
• Is the location too distracting?
• Is something or someone distracting to them?

After the break go to a location that it less distracting, REDUCE the criteria and reward your dog in incremental steps to make the cue achievable and to increase their confidence as they learn. As no one likes to be nagged at or to feel stress when learning!

For example: for sit, mark and reward your dog for following your hand, then for leaning back, then for perching, then for sitting.

Give a huge payout - lots of treats when they finally get it! Then they'll go ohhhhh I get lots of treats for doing this, I'll do it again!