Do the statements, “my dog has selective hearing” or “he only responds when he feels like it,” sound familiar? If you made these comments to a dog trainer, the first thing she would ask you is, “Are you sure your dog knows your cues?”
One of the most confusing things for any pet is when we use different words for the same cue. For example, if you want your dog to lay down, you must use the same cue every time. You can’t say “down” one time, “lay down” the second time, and “hit the floor” the third time. Even more confusing is if someone tells the dog “down” when he jumps on a guest or hops on the sofa. Remember, you are trying to teach your dog a foreign language (human), so using different words for the same command will confuse Fido.
If this touches a chord, then we think a family meeting is in order! Review what cues you are going to use for each situation. This isn’t as simple as it sounds. Sit can mean just having the dog’s fanny hit the ground. Other pet parents want the dog to sit next to their leg. Make that a separate command; maybe use the term “place” to specify your dog should sit next to your leg. Discuss various scenarios with your family and have a follow-up meeting to ensure the cues work. Post those cues on the refrigerator so everyone can easily remember!
If you want Fido to learn faster, use both a visual and a verbal cue. Dogs are visual animals, so adding a hand signal with your cue will help your dog learn more quickly. There are no hard and fast rules to which commands or hand signals you use; be sure everyone uses them. This YouTube video shows that some dogs understand verbal cues just fine.
Many trainers will tell you to avoid repeating a command since loudly repeating yourself can stress everyone out. Give your pooch time to respond; if he doesn’t, ask yourself why. Are there other dogs nearby or a squirrel? Commotion in your training area? Maybe Fido looks confused. If so, then go back a step or two in your training regiment and reduce distractions until Fido understands.
A few essential keys: Don’t work with Fido when he is geared up; take him on a walk or toss a frisbee to bring his energy level down. Make sure Fido’s emotional state is calm and keep yours the same way – calm and steady. Go back to basics, be consistent, and train frequently. Soon you’ll see your dog “getting it.”
