One thing at a time

Dogs are always learning. They tend to be very aware of actions and their consequences, good and bad, and will repeat behaviors that work for them. The good news is that a dog’s tendency to learn new things is what makes them great working partners. The bad news is that bad habits can take hold very quickly, without us even being aware of them. Dogs are being trained all of the time, whether it is by us or by the environment.

So that means that every time a pup pulls on the leash while the handler follows behind, the pup makes a mental (unconscious) note that pulling on the leash got him what he wanted (increased speed towards a distraction). The more “success notes” the pup collects, the more ingrained the behavior becomes.

On the other hand, if the raiser is very conscious of the pup’s tight leash and stops just about every time the pup surges forward, and changes direction if the pup is very persistent, the pup makes a note that pulling did not succeed in getting him to his destination faster.

Keep in mind that most of the behaviors we are asking our pups to learn don’t necessarily make sense to them, or even come naturally. So stopping when the pup pulls on the leash is great for preventing habit formation, but you will also have to teach him what you DO want. It often does not occur to pups to walk calmly and nicely on a leash even if they are excited, so we have to help shape that behavior.

But what about the times when you just need to get somewhere, and don’t have time to stop and work on leash manners? Proper leash manners are one of the core foundation behaviors that can and should be worked on at home, consistently, in low-distraction environments before true “outings” start. If the puppy you are raising doesn’t know how to walk nicely on the leash in a quiet neighborhood, he is not ready to try a grocery store.

When you are raising a guide dog pup, there are a ton of commands and expectations outlined in your manual. It is important to start with the basics though, and build slowly. Start at level 1 of leash walking: practicing in a quiet neighborhood with lots of treats and toys, for 5 – 10 minutes at a time, a few times a day. Leave with the pup wanting more. After a few sessions, try level 2: take a longer walk or try a different part of the neighborhood. Eventually you should get to level 3: reduce the treats and rewards, and maintain the good habit. When you feel confident that the pup has a good understanding of how to pay attention to you and respond to the leash, then try for an actual “outing”. Be prepared to go back to level 1, because of the new and exciting environment! It’s not fair to start training in a very distracting environment; instead, we want to lay a strong foundation at home or in quiet places. Then, when you and the pup arrive in a challenging environment, it won’t take long to establish those same good habits.

This same type of training structure can be applied to “problem behaviors”. I get questions year round about scavenging problems, but it seems to reach a frenzy right around acorn season. If the puppy you are raising tends to scavenge on leash or in coat, whether it is food or acorns, continuing to take him out without directly addressing the problem causes the habit to build quickly. Often, we tend to correct and then move on. But the problem tends to persist when no direction is given; remember that dogs make mental notes, and if scavenging occasionally works out for them, they will continue to make attempts. By the same token, if you spend all of your time scolding the pup and pulling acorns out of his mouth, he may start to get hand-shy or avoidant of you when he has gotten hold of a “prize”.

So take the pup on a walk around some acorns. When he starts to lunge for them, stop and wait; be sure that the pup cannot actually grab the acorns. When the pup looks at you (or at least stops trying to get the item of his desire), reward him! Then walk away and try it again. Eventually, build up to changing directions a few times before he gets the treat; then try to walk past the acorns. Then end your training session. Repeat this same sequence later in the day. Don’t take the pup on long walks in areas densely populated with acorns until you have worked on this skill. Frequent short walks that are heavy on the mental workout (in this case, acorn avoidance) do actually make a dog tired, and they help to establish the foundation for good habits. There is no quick fix; it takes some work to teach a retriever that everything doesn’t belong in his mouth!

You can do this same exercise with food, socks, tissues, crumpled up papers, or any other number of things that the pup is tempted by. But be sure to remove the opportunity for failure as much as you can. If scavenging at restaurant tables is a problem, stop taking the pup to restaurants until you work on the problem at home, with your own table and purposely dropped food. When you decide the pup is ready to try a restaurant again, go out to eat with the mindset that this is a training session; you eating warm food may have to be secondary until the pup settles. If your puppy steals socks out of the hamper, physically limit access and make sure that all socks are picked up, so that you can lay out deliberate set-ups. It isn’t about “catching the dog in the act”, but rather giving them a clear choice and showing them the right answer. It is not fair to correct a dog if he hasn’t been made aware of what the appropriate behavior should be.