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Stubborn Dogs
Posted on January 22, 2010
Your dog only does what you tell him to do the third or fourth time you ask? Or does he, on some days, decide to forget what “come” means, altogether? You might say he’s stubborn, but I really like what agility trainer Silvia Trkman says: “If something goes wrong, always remember it’s your fault, caused either by your training or handling.”
Laurie Luck, from the Smart Dog University, kindly allowed me to use some of her tips and tricks for this blog. In a past newsletter of hers she outlined five solutions to solving the “stubborn dog” problem. Because in most, if not al, cases your dog is not stubborn!
Solution 1: Your dog doesn’t really know the behavior!
Give your dog the cue while you:
Wear sunglasses.
Sit on the floor.
Whisper the word.
Shout the word.
Stand sideways.
Bounce a ball.
Say the word in a “character voice.”
Exchange your normal cue for a word that sounds similar. (Say Pit instead of Sit).
If your dog can’t get the behavior right, guess what. He doesn’t really know the behavior! Go back to basics and start teaching the behavior again, from the beginning, working those variables in the list above into your training.
Solution 2: Your dog wasn’t taught in the location you are asking him now!
Dogs are contextual learners. If you teach them in the kitchen, they know the behavior in the kitchen. But they don’t necessarily transfer that knowledge to the living room. Teach your dog to do behaviors everywhere you need him to do those behaviors.
Solution 3: Your dog doesn’t know how to deal with distractions!
A dog who sits beautifully at the door is nice. A dog who sits beautifully at the door after the doorbell rings is a gem! Distractions are anything the dog notices. Distractions can be visual (the dog across the street), auditory (the doorbell ringing), olfactory (another dog’s scent), or any combination of the above.
The key to working with distractions is to introduce them at a level that the dog can perceive, but that isn’t overwhelming for the dog. For instance, if I wereintroducing the doorbell into my sit training, I might have a neighbor ring the doorbell at 30?second intervals while I’m upstairs with my dog in the bathroom.
I’m far enough away from the distraction (the ringing doorbell) that hopefully the dog can work through it and will be able to sit. Once my dog has mastered sitting at a distance from the distracting doorbell, I’ll move him closer to the distraction; maybe into the hallway upstairs. Systematically, I’ll be able to move closer and closer to the ringing doorbell, and my dog will be able to sit despite the distraction.
Solution 4: The behavior doesn’t pay off!
Dogs know what works. They do what works. They know what doesn’t work. They don’t do what doesn’t work. Your job is to make sure that doing what you want the dog to do works for your dog. What this means is that you need to look at every situation from the dog’s perspective.
For instance: the dog is outside guarding the yard against the neighborhood squirrels. He’s got them all treed and is now on sentry duty, making sure none of those squirrels touch the ground. You need to run some errands so you call your dog inside to put him in his crate. What’s the dog’s perspective? He sees the car keys in your hand, he knows that means you’re leaving. His choices are: (1) come inside and get put into the crate for who?knows?how?long or (2) remain on sentry duty and patrol the yard. Which choice wins, in your dog’s mind? It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out! So what’s an owner to do? Make it worthwhile for your dog to come indoors, of course! When he comes inside, give him some prime treats – leftover chicken from last night’s dinner maybe. Play his favorite game for two minutes. Give him a fantastic stuffed food toy in his crate as you leave. Those three things far outweigh squirrel sentry duty in most dog’s minds.
Solution 5: Overwhelmed Syndrome
Too many dogs are labeled stubborn when in reality they are shut down. The situation or the circumstances overwhelm the dog and they cannot think. They cannot comply. What exactly does “shut down” look like? The dog doesn’t respond to your requests. He may not even respond to his name.
Want to see if your dog is overwhelmed? Completely remove him from the situation. Give him a few minutes to adjust and then give a simple request. Can he do it? If so, he was most likely overwhelmed in the situation you just removed him from. What this means is your dog needs more practice and less pressure in situations like that one. Next time, either let him observe the situation from farther away or don’t expect anything from him if you must place him in that overwhelming situation.
If you want more tips, make sure to sign up for Lauries monthly newsletter “Your Smart Dog”!
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1 Comment so far
Love this posting! Everything was very helpful- especially with Samantha- you know how easily distracted she gets.