Some trainers will tell you to make a specific sound like a dog growl or make a snake-like hiss as if these sounds are dog training magic.
Alas, there is no magic sound out there that will make a dog behave one way or the other.
However, there is magic in dog training. Eight-five percent of dog training is science, ten percent is gymnastic dance, and five percent is the dog training magic.
It feels magical when we see our dogs understand what we’ve said, and we feel like we understand what they’ve said. We build that magical connection on the simple and powerful premise of A-B-C. All of us learn behavior through this process:
A = Antecedent – the thing that requests or triggers a behavior
B = Behavior
C = Consequence – the result of the behavior (good, or not-so-good)
The (A) can be a sound that we make, a gesture, something in the environment (like a door bell), the actions of another animal in the home, a bicycle on the street, the funny look I give my dog when she is barking, etc.
No matter what our antecedent is – it only becomes magical when there are consistent consequences that follow the behavior and build understanding.
You can see Pinball looking at me trying to figure out what I’m asking for. When he gets it, he happily responds and I praise him – magic!
All of us repeat behaviors that are rewarded and not repeat behaviors that are not rewarding.
If a dog jumps on you and you respond with a subtle sound, look away, fold your arms tight to your chest, and continue no interaction until the dog stops jumping, you have offered clear immediate consequences. There is no reward and no attention for jumping.
Maybe the dog jumps again because jumping is a self reinforcing behavior. And you offer the same sequence of No Reward and No Attention. Dog will learn that the (B) behavior of jumping doesn’t get paid for – an unwanted (C) consequence.
So, the dog chooses another behavior – maybe sitting or standing next to you. This is dog training magic step one, the dog has chosen a different better behavior that we like. So, we move to step two.
Magic step two is the big one and it’s on you…
When dog chooses another behavior (B) besides jumping, like sitting or standing quietly, you MUST offer a consequence (C) that dog likes. This could be food, toys, butt scratches, etc.
This is where the magic happens and communication begins. The dog starts choosing something better and we reward that better and then ask for even better choices.
Some might suggest the dog is training you, but in reality it is a dialogue between two different species.
Magic!!!
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