Now is NOT the Time to Train!

You’ve got two picnic tables full of food, six kids running around the yard with popsicles, drumsticks and squealing laughter, grandma with her walker, your nephew with his skateboard and your brother in law with sunglasses, a beard, a hat and a few too many drinks in him. This is not the time to attempt to teach your dog, for the first time, about table manners, children, walkers, skateboards and drunk people with sunglasses, hats and beards!

The time to train is BEFORE the desired behavior is critical. It’s no different with recall, sitting, staying or walking nicely on leash. If you wait until it’s absolutely crucial that your dog behaves correctly without error, you and your dog will both be frustrated.

Over and again I hear horror stories from dog owners about their dog racing out the door and not coming when called. I ask them how/when/where they have practiced the recall before this incident. Repeatedly they tell me that they really haven’t practiced much. If the dog hasn’t practiced, how would he be expected to succeed when the stakes are so high?

I can’t help but wonder why we expect dogs to just “know” this stuff. We don’t expect fourth graders to just know how to do long division. We don’t expect 15 year olds to just know how to drive. We wouldn’t throw a bunch of kids on the basketball court with no practice and get upset when they don’t know how to play.

There are things dogs just know, but those have to do with being dogs. They know how to mount another dog, how to use calming signals and how to bark. Sitting when asked, staying until released and coming when called are all learned behaviors imposed by us humans. It’s up to us to teach them before we expect compliance.

So, if you’re having a big Independence Day celebration, please take inventory of what your dog is prepared for and can handle. Be honest and be fair. Set your dog up for success by practicing before-hand and setting realistic expectations. If your dog simply isn’t ready for such activities, use good management (crate, leash, non-participation) for now and start training under controlled circumstances for future activities.