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Who’s Training Whom at Your House?
Does your Dog Stare at what He wants?
The other day I found myself, staring blankly around my kitchen. I guess I am getting old, because as with numerous other times I had forgotten what I was doing!
As I glanced around trying to get my bearings, my pupils caught the pupils of my oldest dog. He is 12 and my very, very best friend, dare I say my furry soul mate? He commonly follows me from room to room and I rarely am capable of completing any task without his help, or so he thinks (and I am afraid I agree)!
As my gaze matched his, I watched him very consciously look very lovingly from me…to the top of our refrigerator.
I giggled a little and acted totally brainless. As I waited, to see what he would do, he very calmly caught my eyes and even more slowly turned his head to stare at the top of my refrigerator, languishing there for a moment or two before again glancing back to my face.
I must admit I found him completely endearing and totally hilarious. You see, I keep my dog treats on top of the fridge. This was his way of calmly, quietly asking for a treat, AND it must work!
I quietly asked him “What do you want” and again he slowly pivoted his head toward his awaiting treats. By now, since I had engaged him in conversation, he was drooling in apprehension.
This got me to thinking… As skilled as he was at getting me to deliver a treat (and yes, I admit I did give him one because his request was so quiet, calm and intelligent) I wonder what else he has trained me to do for him!
You see, I think we are the inferior species when it comes to dog training! I believe they are much, much better trainers than we are! They are more patient, more insistent and less distracted than most of us! Most of all dogs are incredibly consistent! Could you scream in a crate for 2 hours straight?
Dogs learn very quickly what behaviors we like and what behaviors we don’t and what behaviors get them the most interaction. What behaviors reward them and what behaviors don’t. Make no mistake about it; sometimes those are not related. In fact sometimes dogs choose naughty behavior simply to get some kind of interaction from us because inadvertently we reward them when we don’t mean to!
AND, sometimes naughty, bad, deplorable behaviors are reinforcing!
Whenever I have a behavior problem or a struggle in my dog training, I ask myself “What is my dog getting out of this?”
This is the root to good dog training and understanding dog behavior.
When there is a problem, whether it be a human or dog related problem the person or dog is getting something out of the behavior.
In order to find a solution we must determine what the “payoff” is and if we are looking to change a behavior we must deny the subject the payoff they are use to or that they desire!
Does your Dog Steal?
For instance, I often hear of people who complain that their dogs steal objects, show their owners, and then dash off around the house for a fun game of “cat and mouse”.
The bad behavior: Stealing
The payoff: The “chase” game, where the owners scream profanities, throw objects, cry and run around chasing the dog, is in fact the dog’s favorite game! What could be more fun for your dog than a game that you will probably NEVER win (because you simply aren’t quick or agile enough to catch him)? AND, it is completely interactive! This is why your dog steals and often shows you the stolen article before darting off.
So, in order to change the bad behavior: Stealing…you must prevent the behavior or change or cease the pay off. More on this problem in this article “Teaching your Thief to Retrieve”
It doesn’t matter what the bad behavior is: stealing food, barking, jumping on people, having accidents on the floor, aggression; there is a payoff for your dog.
As the more intellectual animal you need to figure it out and decide how to change the behavior.
My ability to do so has often been the precursor to people saying I am part dog. In order to conquer dog behavior, you must put yourself in his paws and “Think like a Dog”
My challenge to you is to observe your world, watch what you are doing with and for your dog and ask yourself who is the better trainer in your home; you or your dog?
Do You End up Chasing Your Dog?
What do You do About it?
The first step to true change is to acknowledge the problem.
Once you realize how YOU have been trained you can begin the re-training or the reorganization of your relationship with your dog.
Are you “Rewarding the Wrong Behavior”?
My dog, would personally like me to be a human PEZ dispenser! Like all “animals” he would like to get everything in his life and in his world for free or at the very slightest with the least expelled energy as possible.
I don’t mean to dash everyone’s feelings about dogs, but they don’t care about pleasing you, unless of course in some way it pleases them.
We are all out for ourselves in the end. The point is to make sure that what pleases you is what positively affects your dog! Simple as that!
Will my senior dog continue to seek my gaze in the hopes of staring at the things he wants in life? ABSOULTELY! Especially since I rewarded him with what he desired the last time he did it, but in the scheme of things I didn’t feel this was a negative behavior.
However, I know that many of you are suffering from some nasty behavior problems and because of that I admonish you, step back and look at the big picture. Take notes if you have to and make a list of the possible payoffs for your dog and only then can you begin to change that behavior!
The behavior that is most perplexing for me right now is my puppies behavior when I am eating. She is a 6 month old cockapoo. She jumps at the table, trying to reach the food on the table. A couple of times she has jumped onto my lap!! I have told her down, then given her a puppy treat when she complies with that command. The bad part is she continues to do it. She is disruptive and I don’t want her to behave that way at meal time…..especially if I am having guests. The last couple of nights I have put her in another room while I am eating.
What are your suggestions? I would appreciate any help. I don’t think I am a very good “Dog Mom”!!
[Reply]
Minette Reply:
January 19th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
She is probably chaining the behavior of jumping first, then getting down and getting a treat.
Instead put her on a leash and restrict her movement at the dinner table by making her lay down at your feet. If your foot is on her leash, she won’t be able to jump up on you and you can use your treats to reward her for laying there and being quiet.
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I have many annoying behaviors going on in my house right now. One of my weims barks the entire time that I am preparing the boyz meals. It’s like a baby crying until it gets fed. I have tried everything recommended, I think…try to teach quiet, ignoring hoping he’ll stop, squirting with water. The only thing that has worked and I don’t like to do it because it isn’t my style is a shock collar that shocks him when he barks. My problem then is if one of the other boyz happens to bark to cause him to bark then he gets shocked so I feel like I have to have one on all the boyz that could potentially bark…there are 3.
[Reply]
Minette Reply:
January 19th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
The bark must equal something he doesn’t want, like going outside while all the other boys are in the house or going into another room by himself for a bit. But you must be consistent, AS SOON as he barks or whines the first time this must happen then when he is quiet he can come back and be fed. But again AS SOON as he is quiet, he is liable to bark more when separated so wait till he takes a breath or looks at something else or break his concentration and be ready to reward him for being quiet!
Which one of my boys is this?
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Laura Reply:
January 19th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Thanks for your reply, Minette. The annoying barker is Bauer…it’s like clock work. Immediately after the first bowl is heated in the microwave he starts barking. It seems he is classically conditioned by the microwaves beep beep beep. So, I tried to not let it beep and just open the door when 1 second is left and it seemed to work at first but then the barking started by the opening and closing of the microwave door. I don’t think I would have the problem if I didn’t heat the food in the microwave….I know I’m making excuses. With 5 weims it seems so hard to follow the normal training path even though I know it’s right.
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Ava's Mom Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 am
there was a blog post recently about dogs getting too excited before going for a walk…. you could try the same technique for your dogs… do microwave stuff without the reward at the end to “fake him out” & get him used to hearing the sound & nothing coming out of it….. or, you could also trick train your dogs to lay down & quietly wait for a treat & the calmest gets his first, and then apply it to feeding time when they “get it”. I have a picture of our 4 dogs laying down calmly quietly in front of their food bowls (filled) waiting the release command… it takes a lot of calmly putting them back if they move, but they learn very quickly that they have to at least pretend to be calm to get first rewards…
My collies have my husband trained so well to give them a treat when he’s in the kitchen. They definitely “herd” him in the direction of the biscuit jar and do a little dance! Its pretty funny to watch. They’re quiet about it but “bump” him until he moves. They only do it to him.
My younger Collie will bring me my glasses every chance she gets because I’ll treat her for retrieving them. I figured it was better than her chewing them up. I’ve never played the steal/chase game with her, instead if she brings me something, I’ll treat her. She’s figured out she can bring me water bottles or anything she finds in my son’s room. So she helps keep his room cleaned up.
I agree with you that dogs are much better trainers than we are. They’re so persistent!
[Reply]
Minette Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 7:47 am
I LOVE a retrieving dog too! So we don’t chase and also exchange for treats at my house. I don’t even have to bend over to pick up a paper clip if it falls I have 3 dogs rushing to get it for me!
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We have a German shorthair, Lab mix–she is very sweet with a mind of her own however. My biggest challenge is to get her to wait when I ask her to sit when the door bell rings and I open the door. She cannot stand to wait and sit while that happens and “breais” every time. Nothing is as exciting to her as seeing who’s there and then welcoming them in her own style of excitement, running around the room with toy in mouth and coming back to see the person and half jumping around them. Help! I’ve tried everything I can think of to make an alternative to this as it is most embarrassing. Anh ideas would be most welcome. Thanks
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@ January 21st, 2012 at 05:18Haha, we’re definitely inferior to our dogs as far as training goes. I know, I’m the best trained owner around LOL
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@ January 22nd, 2012 at 14:27