Stressor to Signal - Teaching Automatic Behaviors

Now that we’ve shifted from thinking about the behaviors or skills our dogs do from ‘commands’ we issue to ‘cues’ they are following, a HUGE new world opens up to what a cue can be.

We know that a cue can be something we say, like the word ‘sit.’

It can be a visual cue, like raising a hand straight up to signal for a down.

But the environment or even a distraction can also become a cue.

A cue to Check In can be another dog.

A cue for a recall can be a deer crashing through the woods (really!)

A cue for going to their bed and settling can be the doorbell (yes, for real again).

Anything that stresses out your dog, or stresses out YOU, can become a cue to DO something better. Which builds their confidence and massively increases the chance of them listening if they need extra help of your backup verbal cues.

Dogs are smart. Dogs are observant. And dogs are very, very good at learning the sequence of usual events, to predict the next. You’d be just the same too, if trying to figure out what was coming next was all you had to think about most all of the day.

Dogs don’t read the shared Google calendar. They don't know ahead of time when the schedule will be different, or when it’ll be exactly the same as usual. They don’t know when someone is coming over for dinner, or when we’re heading out for a short walk or a cross-country drive. Everything is a surprise, until they learn to anticipate changes in our behavior and in the environment to give them crucial cues about what’s coming next. Having some understanding and predictability in their lives gives dogs a huge sense of confidence and belonging, rather than just being at our whims and waiting for the next big surprise (hello anxiety!)

Let’s use their incredible predictive abilities to expand what their cues are. When the environment or distractions be come cues, their offering good behaviors will start to seem automatic. In reality, something like a recall back to heel position isn’t actually ‘automatic’ (thats for cars and computers) but a learned association of the cue of seeing someone coming down the trail, to mean come back and stay at heel until we pass.

Step 1

Pick the stressor. This can be a trigger for overthreshold behavior or a distraction.  Example: Jumping, scratching or rushing at the door or gate. 

Pick the behavior that would be a better alternative.  Example: Sitting at the door until released.

Step 2

Build a +CER (Positive Conditioned Emotional Response) with the new, alternative behavior. Key is to build a good history of rewards and good emotions with the skill first. They should be coming quickly and happily when you call ‘come.’ They should be happy to sit, relaxed in an down on their Place or bed, etc. 

Step 3

Build the association with the formula!

• Show the new cue -> give the old cue -> reward BIG

The key here is (sigh, as always in dog training) the timing.

First, give or show the new cue. For our door example, it’ll be my hand on the doorknob.

Within 2 seconds, cue a verbal ‘sit’ Then, mark ‘ok!’ to release and open the door

Rinse and repeat. For how long? Well, it depends on your dog. Their training experience, their level of distraction, focus, and the day. Start with 10 reps.

Step 4

Then, start fading the OLD cue.

By now, your dog has likely started to figure out ‘hey, usually right after the hand goes onto the doorknob, I sit, then get the reward of going outside. So I might as well start sitting as the first thought of ‘outside’ and not wait for the word ‘sit’ to get there faster.’

Put your hand on the doorknob. And now wait. If 5 seconds go by, give a small hit for the behavior. Maybe a small hand signal, saying ‘sit’ quietly, or just prompting with ‘hey, what’s next?’ or something encouraging. “What comes next?” “Yup, you’ve got this, think it through” Dogs need time to noodle it through, and make the connection that the next step is up to them offering some sort of behavior. 

As soon as they even START to offer the behavior, mark ‘Ok!’ and open that door. As we fade the old cue, we want to reward just the *thoughts* of offering a behavior. 

If we help too much, your dog will end up on autopilot. And they’ll be stuck just ‘doing’ whatever they impulsively come up with until you step in and direct them. But when we give them time to connect the dots and realize they can actually DO something to get what they want, they start to learn how to think and act constructively. THIS is cooperation. This is training for a partnership together. 

Now, hand on door = sit and wait until the marker and release of ‘Ok!’

What’s causing stress in your life with your dog?

What’s stressing your dog out in life?

What are behaviors you’d like to see your dog do ‘automatically?’

Recall? Place? Heeling? Dropping a toy?

Let’s build a plan and make it happen!