Have you ever taught your new puppy to sit, and then tried to show their new trick to your friend? Even though they had practiced with you just fine, when asked to do the exact same thing in front of another person, they suddenly can’t remember it! Believe it or not, this isn’t some sort of Murphy’s Law. It’s actually because your pup only knows “Sit” in one specific situation.
Dogs don’t generalize well. If you teach them “sit” at a training class, they may not connect that action with asking for “Sit” at home. If you ask them to sit and then move, that may cause them to break the sit.
Proofing is the art of teaching the dog that sit means sit everywhere, and that they should stay sitting until you release them. You can help in part by teaching a ‘break’ command alongside all obedience cues, but you’ll also need to proof against Time, Distance and Distraction.
Time
Dogs who are new to a behavior will often perform the behavior and then immediately break it. They might sit for a split second before getting up again, or come but then immediately take off. This is because they have not yet been proofed for time, or how long they have to hold the behavior.
After a new behavior is established, take some time to teach the pup that they have to wait for their reward. Start by delaying just a split second longer than usual before rewarding the behavior, and build it up until they can wait 10-15 seconds before release.
If your dog breaks the behavior at any given time, do not reward them for that instance, but make it easier the next time.
Distance
Once your dog can be expected to wait a few seconds, you can add distance. Try asking for the behavior and taking one tiny step back. If they break the command, no reward. If they’re able to stay, practice at the level for a while and then try taking a step to the side, or a step back.
Eventually, you can walk several feet away from your dog with the expectation they will continue the behavior until you release them.
Distraction
Squirrel!! –Did that send your dog running? Distractions are things that may excite or even worry your dog. It could be a new area, a piece of kibble lying on the floor, a literal squirrel, or a strange sound.
Practicing with distractions helps your dog learn that even if they see something new or unusual, they still need to obey the cue.
You can add distractions by practicing a new behavior in different areas. Practice in every room of your house, outside on leash, even in a quiet corner of the pet store. The more places you practice, the more likely your pup is to be successful in a new environment.
Another easy distraction is to simply clap your hands—first softly, and then with more energy as they get better at holding the cue.
Practice One At A Time
Although we talked about the three core proofing categories, it’s important to realize that when you’re adding one new thing—such as a new location or more time, you should make the requirements in other areas easier.
As an example, if you’ve practiced expanding time in your first training location to 10 seconds, if you practice in a new location the expected time should be shorter. Maybe even only 2-3 seconds at first.
If you’re adding distractions, such as clapping, shorten distance and time if you’ve worked on these things at all.
Warm ups and cool downs are also helpful for your pup to be successful. Even if your dog knows a command well, providing a few ‘easy’ practice reps can help get their brain going and ready for the harder stuff.
Similar Posts:
- 3 D’s of Dog Training: Distance, Duration, Distraction
- Teaching the “Break” Command
- Two Paws Up: A Handy Skill For Your Pet
- Dog Vocabulary: Capturing
- How to Train Your Chihuahua to Come when Called
