Typist: Bethany
It was my first training class with Tynan when I heard the instructor give her speech about the word "sit" for the first time. "You might want to consider using a different word, one that your dog understands as 'this is my trainer cueing me' as opposed to a kid at the park or a clerk at the store ask you dog to do something cute," she urged. Yet in all the times I heard that speech, in classes with Tynan, Wilhelm, Brychwyn, and Huxley, when the instructor would go around the room after asking "what word will you be using?" I only once heard someone say something other than "sit." And, unfortunately, it wasn't me. Now, I have three super smart dogs who can go anywhere and be adored, but not one of them knows "sit."
It was my first training class with Tynan when I heard the instructor give her speech about the word "sit" for the first time. "You might want to consider using a different word, one that your dog understands as 'this is my trainer cueing me' as opposed to a kid at the park or a clerk at the store ask you dog to do something cute," she urged. Yet in all the times I heard that speech, in classes with Tynan, Wilhelm, Brychwyn, and Huxley, when the instructor would go around the room after asking "what word will you be using?" I only once heard someone say something other than "sit." And, unfortunately, it wasn't me. Now, I have three super smart dogs who can go anywhere and be adored, but not one of them knows "sit."
Not one of them knows "sit."
One flaw in my dogs "sit" is that I used the word "sit." If I had used any other word, a word that isn't said to them dozens of times a day by neighbors, shop keepers, mail carriers, etc, my cue to lower the tail end may not have been poisoned. But I chose "sit." Yet if I had worked harder in proofing the cue before they heard it over and over again from people all over in our travels, people who rewarded them even if they didn't obey, the cue may not have been poisoned. So my true training confession is that I am terrible at proofing.
proof |
proofing |
Okay. They do know "sit." In their own yard. With a lot of help.
I am not a bad trainer. I am just way more focused on socialization than proofing. Back when I was gung-ho about titles and competitions, I was horrified when a child at the park told my dogs to "sit." Yet, I didn't like horrified trainer me. The being able to take the pets anywhere happily trainer me, even if the dogs don't obey every random "sit" they hear, is a much more fun trainer me. Happy, well-socialized pets matter more to me than perfect, consistently compliant to obedience cues pets. The only exception to this lazy proofing attitude is I insist on a speedy recall and, like all good pet owners should, the pets and I work on it daily. I know that if I gave "sit" a new cue word and the same attention as our recalls, the dogs would learn it in no time. After all, they are smarter than me! I am really the one that does not know "sit."
Just because I am bad at proofing skills doesn't mean you have to be! Here's a great resource on proofing. Do you have any proofing tips to share?
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Welcome to Positive Reinforcement Pet Training Week, February 1st through the 7th, hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Rubicon Days, and Tenacious Little Terrier. This month we are sharing training confessions, raw truths,, good or bad, in our supportive force free training community of pet bloggers and readers. If you are a blogger, link up any positive reinforcement pet training post below. If you are a reader, please share your training stories or questions in the comments. Everyone can spend the week clicking around the links below, learning, sharing, and supporting each others positive reinforcement pet training journeys. The next Positive Reinforcement Pet Training Week begins March 7th. Thank you for joining us and happy training!
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