The summer solstice has just passed; the day with the most light for the year.  Now we start moving in tiny increments into shorter days and longer nights.  Day to day you hardly notice a difference. The rest of the summer will be full of long lovely evenings.  But in a few months it will be obvious.  In 4 months the accumulated light changes will be very clear.  And in 6 months there will be more dark than light.  We’ll start to wonder if there will ever be light filled evenings again.  And then very slowly it happens.  Day to day doesn’t seem to make a difference, but it does.  It takes us months to clearly notice a change.  

The same is true for dog training, or any behavior change really.  Working towards making progress in training isn’t obvious in a day or a week or sometimes even a month or a year.  It can take consistent accumulated effort to see a real difference.

Walking in the Park

I was thinking about this the other day when I took Neo to the park for our regular walks.  We’ve been in North Carolina at this location for almost 2 months now.  At first, the walks were a bit wild.  He was overstimulated by everything, wanting to see it all and wanting to see it now.  There were a lot more dogs and people than we ever see in our quiet Ohio suburb.  Our early walks weren’t very relaxing for me because I was always managing him and looking out for the next thing we might encounter while thinking about how to best handle it.  

I relied a lot on management techniques along with a tiny bit of behavior modification to get us through our walks without hitting overload for him.  I observed that he got more agitated on narrow paths where we couldn’t see around the next turn, and seemed a bit calmer when we were surrounded by wide open spaces.  It also became clear that 15 minutes was the turning point.  After 15 minutes he was much more able to relax.  I also learned to be very mindful of possible trigger stacking.  Too many exciting interactions or encounters could lead to over arousal.  

His main problem is being an overeager greeter.  He wants to interact with absolutely everyone he sees, humans and dogs alike.  Unless the dog yells at him, then he wants to yell back.  I discourage this!  He’s not as big and tough as he thinks he is!   

Anyway, the other day in the middle of our walk I suddenly realized that it was the most pleasant, calm, easygoing walk we’d had in this park.  He was staying on his side of the trail, even when we passed others, keeping the leash loose, and just sniffing his way along.  All I had to do was follow behind and enjoy the scenery.  No interest in other people or dogs, no pulling, just strolling at an easy pace.  How did this happen?  It seemed like a sudden change but it had actually been months in the making.  Every walk led us to small shifts in the desired direction.  Some days it didn’t seem like we were making any progress; but then here we are with a perfect walk.

Do I expect all walks to be like this? Absolutely not!  I’ve been doing this long enough to know that progress is not linear; it ebbs and flows.  Things don’t start to get better and continue on that path.  There will be regression and stumbling blocks along the way.  Knowing that, and knowing what to do when that happens, is key.   Regression isn’t a sign of failure, it’s a normal part of the process.

Note: our walk two days ago featured the sudden appearance of SQUIRRELS and may have devolved into some scream barking while trying to climb a tree!  His tree climbing was actually quite impressive.  Mostly momentum and adrenaline, but still.   But I know it’s just a temporary setback, not total failure.  

Second note: on our walk yesterday we encountered a group of at least 30 people walking their dogs together.  I’ve honestly never seen such a large group at one time.  What did Neo do? He stood and watched them pass.  That’s all, no fuss, no agitation, no excitement.  I’m still not taking it for granted, at all, but change is happening.

Trimming Your Dog’s Nails

I’ve just finished up the last lecture for my new 3 week online FDSA course titled Tackling the Toes.  The course focuses on teaching your dog (and YOU) to be comfortable with nail trims, which is a very difficult procedure for many.  This last lecture is all about the idea of small changes still being progress and regression as a likely possibility at some point.  And I talk about what to do when that happens.  You can learn more about this course here:

TACKLING THE TOES ONLINE COURSE INFO

You might think that taking a relaxed walk in the park and trimming your dog’s nails are two totally different things, but they really aren’t.  Under the surface, all behavior change follows the same basic laws. 

First, you have to clearly identify your end goal. 

Second, break down the steps between where you are and where you want to be.  It’ll be messy; it always is. 

Third, start where you know your dog can be successful.  Go back further than you think! 

Fourth, reinforce anything that is moving towards the desired outcome. 

Fifth, pay close attention to how your dog reacts and adjust your approach accordingly. 

Sounds simple, right?  Yeah, I know.  Things can go wrong and they don’t always move the way we expect or at the speed we hope for.  Even so, behavior can always change.  To repeat, behavior can always change.  Don’t give up because it’s not happening the way you want or hope.  There is always a way forward.  

Deborah Jones, Ph.D. is a retired psychology professor who now trains animals full-time.  She has been training for 30+ years and focuses on positive reinforcement based methods.  Deb has written 13 books on dog training and has helped develop several DVD series way back in the day.  She has also trained and shown multiple breeds to high level titles in agility, rally, and obedience.  She is currently teaching online training classes, workshops, and webinars at www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com.  Her latest project is the Cooperative Care Trainer Certificate course.  Visit her website at www.k9infocus.com for her blog and more information.