Wag. Zazie Todd
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internet, TV, or a book, and 13 percent who got it “instinctively.” In another study, in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, “self” also rated highly as a source of information on particular techniques.2
Unfortunately, even when people turn to dog training books, they are not necessarily getting modern, science-based advice, according to research published in Society and Animals.3 The study reviewed five dog training books chosen because of their ongoing popularity and was framed around what dog owners need to know. The silver lining is that some of the books contained very good information, and Victoria Stilwell’s It’s Me or the Dog and Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot the Dog both came out well. But the review found some popular dog training books include information that is inconsistent, scientifically inaccurate, or unclear; suggest the use of punishment-based methods despite their association with negative outcomes; and use anthropomorphisms and references to leadership that may interfere with dog owners’ understanding of their pet’s behavior.
Dr. Clare Browne, first author of the study, is a lecturer (equivalent to assistant professor) at the University of Waikato in New Zealand with a special interest in scent detection dogs for conservation. Browne told me in an email, “Good dog training books should have information that readers can understand and apply, but the information must also have a scientific basis. This review showed that not all of these popular books (that remained highly ranked on large retailers’ websites for years) meet these functions. This is a concern, because people who read some of these books may not be getting the best information in terms of training efficacy and animal welfare.” That is, this is bad news for animal welfare, and it’s also bad news for owners who may struggle with their dog’s behavior due to following poor advice.
LEARNING ABOUT DOG TRAINING TECHNIQUE
I’M TRYING TO teach Bodger to jump through my arms, and right now we’ve hit a tricky patch. I broke the activity down into steps and started by using food to lure him to step over my arm when I held it 10 cm (4 inches) off the ground. I soon realized that task was too hard and I had to start with my arm flat on the floor and my fingertips touching the wall. It’s not the most comfy position for me, but now Bodger is very happy to follow the food and step over my arm. In no time I’ve dropped the food lure and he’s following my hand; once all of him has stepped over my arm (and I get his tail in my face as he goes by), I get a treat from my back pocket to reward him.
The tricky part comes with the gradual raising of my arm. Five cm (2 inches) above the ground is fine because it does not disturb his natural step. When I move my arm a bit higher so it’s at the level of his lower chest, Bodger’s strategy is to try to barge his way through. “Too bad!” I say, trying hard to keep my arm in position. The same happens at the second and third attempt, only he tries even harder to force my arm out of the way. “Too bad!” I say. He knows this means he didn’t earn his treat. And now it’s time to lower my arm before the next attempt, because I’m following “push, drop, stick” rules as devised by renowned dog trainer Jean Donaldson. Four or five out of five correct and I push to the next level; three and we stick; but only one or two out of five and we drop back to the previous level. It’s an efficient way to train because you proceed or drop back depending on how well the dog is doing, and this method helps to keep the dog’s attention because that all-important rate of reinforcement stays nice and high.
We go this way for a few attempts—push, drop, push, drop—and then I split the difference to see if a smaller height increment will work. Bodger is totally focused the whole time, and it’s fun because even when he is getting it wrong I move on swiftly to another attempt. When there is finally a little bit of a jump in his step as he goes over my arm, I’m delighted. And so is he, because his rate of reward has gone up.
This example shows all the important things about dog training: using a reward he likes (little peanut butter cookies), having a training plan that proceeds in gradual steps, dropping the food lure early on (but still rewarding with food every time), letting him know when he got it wrong (“Too bad!”) and swiftly moving on to another trial, and getting the timing right so he is rewarded promptly. And, of course, he has a choice. If he gets tired and wants to stop, that’s fine—the training plan will still be there another day.
WHAT MOTIVATES DOGS: FOOD, PRAISE, AND OTHER REWARDS
THE BASIC CONCEPT of training—the dog does the thing you ask and you reward them with food or a game of tug or something else they like—is nice and easy. But the detail is more difficult. And it’s important to know how to motivate a dog if you want to train one.
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