A lesson in removing even unexpected distractions when training your dog.
Remove all distractions when training a young dog…even unexpected ones. I’ve heard myself tell clients this so many times. When starting off training a new puppy, or an older dog that is learning something new, make sure that the distraction levels are kept to a minimum. This allows your furry buddy to achieve success and confidence in learning. You can then begin to introduce low, and gradually higher levels of distraction as time goes on.
A recent puppy training session took this theory to new levels in a surprisingly challenging environment. Bonny, a 12 week old, highly responsive and equally adorable Border Terrier was keen to learn. She was willing to focus and try new things to get rewarded, all qualities I love in my puppies. On arrival I paid a little attention to the usual greeting pleasantries which included admiring an African Grey parrot. He seemed quiet, but then parrots often shut up on the arrival of a stranger and pretend they can’t speak. Our training session went well with great results for a first attempt. Bonny’s owners were really pleased with her progress and her potential to learn. We all parted company eager to see how well she would do over the next few weeks and before my next visit.
All my training begins at home, usually in the kitchen with no other animals or humans present. After several repetitions in the same low distraction environment, I might change location and begin again, keeping the distractions low. At no point is it considered fair on the dog for more than one person to train at any one time. The same person that requests a position or offers interaction should be the person who rewards and praises. Otherwise things can get quite confusing for an enthusiastic bundle of learning potential. It’s crucial for puppy to get things right from the beginning. It’s unfair to expect attention and success if too many distractions are present. This can even include as people coming and going or worse still talking to puppy while you’re trying to train.
Two weeks after my first training session with Bonny, I arrived for a repeat visit and to my surprise, things didn’t seem to be going as planned. The owners still seemed keen. They had tried hard to instill a fun routine to teach Bonny her basic puppy life skills. But during the session each time any family member worked with Bonny, or any time I attempted to engage with her, a voice repeated whatever it was we were requesting in perfect imitation from the hallway. Poor Bonny didn’t know where to turn or who to listen to. For two weeks now, the African Grey parrot, no doubt bored in his less than stimulating caged environment has been listening and learning too. For every sit command, or happy ‘pip, pip, pip’ I use to get puppy running back enthusiastically during recall training, their feathered friend would join in too.
I never thought I would need to specify the exact types of distractions which need to be removed when training your dog. I shall, from now on, be sure to insist that Parrots, Parakeets, Macaws and Cockatoos are kept well out of the equation so as not to completely confuse the dog when learning something new. Although even I would be impressed if on my next visit, Bonny was not only responding with perfect recall and sit when her owners asked for it, but when the parrot in the hallway requested it too. Any thoughts on how the reward would be delivered?
