My Sidekick and Me: The Training Game

By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC–Pet Behavior Columnist

Something to think about when it comes to dog training (or parrot training or training any other animals)…if you demand or beg for participation, it is not REALLY about cooperation. It is applying pressure, coercion, even force. You may notice more dog stress signals or avoidance. You probably will not see an eager willingness to stay in the training game. Let’s talk about that. 

It is a common dog training problem. 

People may feel pressured to get their dog or puppy to do what they want because they do not want to be embarrassed around others, because they have a short period of time to work and need to get the training in or because their pet is just not doing the wanted behavior. 

Often what happens is their dog will begin to check out or shut down. Their pet may feel the need to move or look away, lay down with his head on the ground, go off to sniff or zoom or do anything else. They may notice a yawn, lip lick, tail lowered, blinking eyes, furrowed brows and/or change in breathing.

The more frustrated these people get that their dog is “blowing them off”, “being stubborn” or “not listening,” the more they beg or even demand for participation. Frequently people do not even realize they are applying pressure, but I see it in their dog’s response to them. 

It can be overwhelming to the learner. And it can become an unpleasant cycle for both the teacher and the learner. Think about that if this is happening to you. 

The more you apply pressure, the more that lesson is becoming stressful and unpleasant. The less you are giving your dog control and choice, known as agency. Training is becoming something that is just not fun at all. 

If you want your dog to be engaged, to want to pay attention, to want to keep trying, that is NOT the way to get there. 

Dog training should be fun! 

Whether you are teaching dog manners or a sport or “trick behavior,” it is still about using your pet’s brain and body, getting to do things and eat things that your pet enjoys and associating those things with you. 

Training should still involve agency. Agency refers to an individual’s ability to have some kind of control of his/her environment, decisions and life. To be able to make his/her own choices. To be able to learn from those choices. To feel empowered.

There are SO many potential reasons why an animal will “check out” of a training lesson. It could be the environment is too difficult, it could be that you are applying pressure, it could be that your criteria is unclear, it could be that you are not using high enough value reinforcers. It could be something else. 

There are times when it is better to stop or pause training, to give yourself time to think about what happened and adjust rather than trying to push through. 

An important foundation to training is teaching your pet that training is fun, listening to you is fun, working is fun. And it is totally worth the effort! 

Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC, is a certified dog trainer, a certified Family Dog Mediator, and the first trainer in Hamilton County to earn Fear Free certification. She is also a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator. She is committed to using and teaching the most positive, science-based approaches to changing behavior. For more information, visit www.SoMuchPETential.com.