Oh, You're Still Talking?

When training your dog, it is important to focus on not only when to use a command, but also when not to use a command. Knowing when to use a command, or what command to use, is second nature to most people when training their dog. Something that is often overlooked, however, is when not to use a command. Here is a helpful phrase for you to remember:

"Don't command it if you can't demand it."

What does this mean? 

It means that you'll want to take a second before you ask your dog to do something and consider two things: How likely is my dog to respond? Can I correct him if he doesn't respond?

If you don't think your dog will respond to your command the first time you say it and you have no way to help him be correct, it is probably wise to avoid using the command at all or you will teach him that it's okay to ignore you sometimes.

The most common example of this scenario that I've seen involves people calling their dogs and the dog just happily wandering around, completely ignoring their owner, or even worse, they run the opposite way. The dog has learned that commands can be ignored if it seems inconvenient for them. Not only can this lead to dangerous situations, like chasing a squirrel into traffic, but it also limits the amount of freedom you can comfortably give your dog, like not being able to go to the dog park because your dog won't come back.

So how do we apply this skill to training?

Pay attention to what you say to your dog. Do you find yourself asking for basic obedience and then just saying "Close enough." and letting it go? Do you get their attention or talk at them and then provide zero stimulation or reward? Do you repeat commands over and over until they finally respond?

All of these scenarios result in what's called a dulled response. Just like a dull knife, a dull dog is not going to perform ideally and can cause quite a bit of frustration. Additionally, just like it takes effort to sharpen a dull knife, it takes effort to sharpen your dog's attention as well.  

Un-training dullness takes a lot more energy than avoiding dullness in the first place. To avoid creating dullness, or to begin to correct it, start by telling yourself "Don't command it if you can't demand it." Also, avoid rambling at your dog to the point where you become background noise. Dogs don't talk to each other and don't relate to talking the way that we do. If you want to interact with them, do it in a way that includes them. Play with a toy or go for a walk. 

Some quick tips to avoid dullness include: 

1. Use a leash to maintain control and provide a way to help them be correct. Avoid giving commands off-leash until you are far along in your training.
2. Instead of calling a dog that won't come, quietly walk up to them and grab their collar instead.
3. Avoid activities that require sharpness, like big dog parks.
4. Don't use their name or a command absently. Use a nickname if you want to avoid dulling their real name and don't say any command words outside of training.
5. Never punish a dog for finally responding to a command. If it takes them a long time to respond, but they eventually do, reward the response and don't punish the lack of response. Make a note to avoid that command in the future until you can create a sharper response.

Set yourself up for success and you'll have no problem creating an attentive dog who enjoys interacting with you.