Ask the Experts: How Much Discipline Does My Dog Need?
Does my dog need discipline....or do I?
My dog and I step outside for her afternoon walk. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and we’re headed for the park. Ten feet away, a flock of pigeons descends upon a pile of trash. I glance nervously at her. Pigeons are her nemeses. Like usual, she’s on high-alert, staring them down. Before I’m able to command her to “leave it,” she’s lunged toward the flock, all 85-pounds of her yanking me along with her. I’m flustered and stumbling as the birds fly away.
I should have said “no,” I think as we straighten up and continue down the sidewalk. I should have been more in control. We’ve been working on “leave it” whenever we come across pigeons. Eight times out of ten, she’s pretty good at it.
A paper bag blows in front of us. Again, she lunges and snatches it in her mouth. “Out,” I command. No response. “Out,” I say again, more firmly this time. She arches an eyebrow, then to the amusement of several passersby, lays down on the sidewalk, and starts ripping the bag into pieces. “Out,” I say a third time, giving her leash a tiny tug. Nothing. I roll my eyes and give up. I’ve lost the will to follow through on reprimanding her.
Like many new dog owners, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time and money on training sessions for my pup. She’s come a long way since we started, and I’m proud of the progress she’s made. So why do I have a hard time reinforcing all the things we’ve learned together?
Has she forgotten everything she’s learned? Or does she not like doing what she’s told?
I hate to admit that sometimes it’s easier for me to just drop training altogether when either (both?) of us are having a hard time focusing. There are definitely days when it seems she’s forgotten all her good leash manners and I know that I should be stopping to correct her, but in that moment it just seems easier to give in and let her get away with subpar behavior.
That’s not doing her (or me) any favors though, is it?
Dogs Actually Enjoy Getting Trained
It’s helpful to remember that dogs actually like training. “Good trainers will tell you that dogs get excited and happy when they see you get their training leash and equipment,” says Dr. Mary Burch, an animal behaviorist and the director of the Star Puppy Program with the American Kennel Club.
I do see this firsthand with my pup. Whenever we have a few minutes of time in between work calls I try to fill it with a quick training session. We work on the “place”, “come” or “sit” commands, which she has down, but she is always very eager to practice.
Malia Stevens of Raise the Woof Dog Training in New York agrees. “As a trainer, I can tell you that the excitement and joy my (canine) clients exhibit when I walk in the door is hard proof of how much dogs love to train.”
There are exceptions for dogs who are sick, in pain, or who have experienced trauma in the form of punishment, adds Stevens. “For dogs that have experienced pain and punishment it takes rebuilding the relationship and helping them overcome that trauma.”
Dogs Like Structure
Dogs like knowing what to expect. “They respond well to structure, organization, a predictable schedule, and being rewarded for what you would like for them to do,” Burch says.
This has been key for me to remember in my own training reinforcement. If my dog is looking to me to set the rules and the boundaries so that she knows what to expect, it’s important for me to hold up my end of that bargain.
“We know that dogs thrive when they understand what is expected of them,” says Stevens. “Predictability is so important. That means that their humans are kind and meet their needs This is where the importance of training comes in, so that the human and dog have a means of communication.”
Of course, owners shouldn’t use the idea of training as a reason to be negative, punishing or controlling, Burch adds. It does mean that you will “manage your dog’s schedule, set the rules, plan the activities, and deliver the rewards, and ensure that your dog is having fun.”
Dogs Need Consistency
Once you’ve started to teach your pup what kind of behavior is expected, it’s important to not deviate or switch the rules up. “Not letting the dog jump on you in training, but then allowing this at home, can be confusing to the dog,” Burch explains. “In a class such as AKC STAR Puppy or Canine Good Citizen, instructors can show you how to make yourself reinforcing to your dog,” she adds.
This is key for someone like me, who will accept bad behavior occasionally, to remember. No wonder my dog doesn’t always listen. If I’m not enforcing her good behavior all the time, how can I blame her for being confused?
…But You Can Meet Them Where They Are
Sometimes you just need to get to a win-win. “Our job is to identify what our particular dog finds reinforcing and harness it in a way that is compatible to our needs as well,” explains Stevens. “I have a (canine) client who loves to dig. Her (human) family has a gorgeous green yard and understandably don’t want their dog digging it up. If they kept reprimanding their dog for digging- everyone would be frustrated and the dog might channel that towards other unwanted behaviors .Instead, her family built a lovely dig pit in the corner of their yard where she can go to town and that need is met. Everyone is happy.”
Dogs Just Want to Please Us
Perhaps most helpful is the reminder that dogs are eager to please us. They can’t do that if they’re not sure what the rules are, or what is expected of them. That’s why it’s so important to make sure to reinforce what your dog has learned in his or her training sessions.
Many of us dog owners lead busy and full lives, but training shouldn’t be de-prioritized, says Burch. “It is sometimes hard to convince dog owners they need to find the time each day to work with their dog. The dog, on the other hand, is ready and willing.”
Training a dog is definitely a two-way street.
“Positive reinforcement trainers refer to finding “moments of yes”- this means looking for opportunities to reward your dog for making choices you like,’ says Stevens. “The flip side of this is setting up the environment so that the dog is less inclined to make choices you don’t like.”