The first step: Wait before (and while) you train any dog

Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by admin in Dog Training, Top Stories

STAFF REPORT
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Sometimes, whenever you start something, it’s best to just dive right in. Of course, you risk drowning. That’s the risk to sink-or-swim strategies, and there’s a time for taking such risks. Generally, when we’re talking about starting a training program for our own dogs, there’s no rush to get started.

In fact, starting too quickly could actually create damage–and in more ways than some people initially suspect. There’s a risk of taking the wrong training approach and hurting the bond between you and your dog (assuming a bond even exists in cases of new dogs), and there’s a risk of injuring the dog physically and mentally. Anyone interested in training their beloved pet would never dream of intentionally doing any of these things. So what is the solution? What is the first thing a do-it-yourself dog trainer must do to start down the path of a better behaved and reliable canine.

Wait.

That’s right. Wait.

The most important thing a dog owner can ever do is procrastinate strategically. This doesn’t mean to put off training indefinitely and put your mind to something else–say, watching television. What this strategy of waiting means is that your first priority will be to wait a set number of days–perhaps 30 days if the dog is a new adoption and is getting to know you and your household. Your goal within this waiting period is to observe your dog carefully. Take note of what gets your mutt happy, excited or uncontrollably nuts. Pay attention to what scares your dog or triggers fear or aggression. Make observations about your dogs interest in play, smelling, exploring and how bold and fearless it is in new scenarios and with new people.

In a way, this is training in itself. Everything you’ll be doing with your dog, whether it’s active or passive, is a form of training. For example, you might do absolutely nothing whenever the dog jumps on the couch, and that would be a form of training the dog to know the couch is part of its world. Or you may want to keep the couch offlimits, and that’s perfectly fine within the waiting period. Set limits on your dog’s exploration and use of the house, as well as its privileges.

But don’t try to begin obedience training, and don’t try to teach any tricks just yet. Just focus on being careful to note your dog’s reactions to your actions and focus on improving your bond with your dog.

That’s the second part of this waiting period. You’ll need to actively improve your bond with your dog. The more time you’ll spend with your buddy, the better. Make the time as pleasant for your dog as possible, and don’t try to force the dog to confirm in the beginning to what you think a dog should be. Only by letting your dog safely explore and play in your presence will you be able to get to know your dog. People who start a relationship with a dog by immediately shaping a dog’s behavior often form negative (and often untrue) impressions of their pet and its personality. They may think the dog is willful and dominant because it doesn’t immediately respond to training. They may say the dog is stupid or lazy. They may even label their dog as skittish and standoffish.

But how do they really know? Many dogs remain in a state of shock in the beginning of a relationship. With time, their true personalities emerge. Dogs that were reserved and skittish in the beginning may have a completely different attitude in a few weeks–unless the owner makes the mistake of rushing into training.

An example is a rescue dog recently placed in one Brownsville home. In the beginning, this terrier mix would hide for hours under a bed if anyone in the house raised a voice in anger–a common training practice unfortunately for inexperienced owners. With a new rule in place–no yelling at or around the new dog–she gained confidence in her new home. Today, she’s much more confident with her family and the world around her, and the family has learned ways of communicating disapproval with the testy terrier’s behavior whenever needed.

The dog is in a better mindset to begin training because the family also waited to get to know the dog before beginning training. What’s more, because the dog’s behavior did change during this time (it actually improved without training), the owners were able to make better choices about what training methods would work best. A choker collar and compliance training is out of the question, but play training or clicker training will work.

You can have similar results by waiting for a couple weeks to 30 days or more. Even if you want to dive right in, take it from NoDogNo.com, you’re going to need the strongest bond possible with your dog. Even if you’re confident in your dog, your dog needs to be confident in you.

What if you’ve had your dog for a while now? Should you still wait?

Well, yes. But you’ll be using the power of waiting in an altogether different way. Waiting remains one of the most important training skills even after you have known your dog for a lifetime and have already trained or taught several tricks. But it’s a different kind of waiting.

Before you start to train a new trick or even begin a new training session, wait just long enough to catch your breath and set a goal for that session. What are you hoping to train? All behaviors must be taught in stages. Even teaching a dog to sit must be taught in stages. This is true even for a dog that throws sits at you like confetti on the first session in the kitchen. You’ll need to make that behavior rock solid, so your next goal might be to get a reliable sit in front of other dogs at the dog park. This is what you will decide in that moment of waiting.

By waiting just a minute or two to set a goal and visualize what you want your dog to be able to dog, you will be better able to control your patience and temper if things do not go well in any given session. For example, perhaps your dog is not “in the zone.” Wait a few minutes again to see if there’s something wrong.

If during the session, there will be important times to wait. A dog that is learning a new command often needs time to interpret your command, just like we do when we’re learning a new language. If you think your dog knows the command for sit, but he doesn’t immediately sit. Wait. You might wait for as long as 45 seconds in the beginning, though you’ll wait far less for a dog that has much more experience with a given command. The point of waiting is to allow the dog to think. Often a dog just needs more time to make a mental connection, but afterward the training goes much more quickly. The hazard of not waiting is to inadvertently teach your dog to ignore your chatter. Think of how many dogs never sit when the owner is desperately repeating the command. Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit. SIT! Other dogs learn unwanted lessons and may actually think your command for sit is SITSITSIT.

Never be afraid to wait. It’s the key skill for a patient trainer. And the most successful trainer is needs to qualities: persistence and patience.