Nag, Nag, Nag (It's A Dog's Life!)

Many dogs would happily offer a learned behavior if just given the chance to, but many humans seem unable to resist constantly directing their dog.

I went to a training consultation for a Golden Retriever some years ago. They had only picked up the two-year-old a few hours previously. The man had chosen Lenny (not his real name) because he had been 'trained'. Being able to command the dog was, apart from wanting a retriever breed, the one most important thing to the man when choosing his rescue dog.

The old-school gentleman believed in 'controlling' an 'obedient' dog.

He told the poor, patient dog who had only just arrived, to go to his bed, time and again during my visit. Whenever Lenny came over to him, the man commanded him to sit before he would touch him. Then to lie down. The dog got up and was ordered to his bed again.

Are you guilty of nagging your dog?

This is extreme, but we humans do like nagging our dogs! Whether or not the dog has been trained to 'obey commands' or 'respond to cues' depends upon the method of training, but some people can't drop it once the word has been learned. They seem unable to resist constantly directing their dog.

I personally am not keen on the words 'obedience' and 'commands' in training. We would be unlikely to use them when talking about teaching a child, would we?

Typically, a dog may have been taught to sit before crossing the road. Every time her person reaches the road, month after month, he says 'Sit!', or "Sit Sit Sit" until the dog sits. Isn't this nagging? Surely she's been taught this after a couple of weeks and no longer needs to be told? Why not just wait and let her work it out. The dog will feel in control of herself and the person will feel proud.

The teenager who has finished his TV dinner and who is every time told 'put your plate in the dishwasher' even before he's finished chewing would probably have a tantrum - particularly as he would have done it anyway if left to get on with it. It could well have the opposite effect - inviting rebellion!

Give them a chance to work things out

From a safety point of view as well as teaching the dog self-control, it can be very important for a dog to learn tricks and actions from cues or requests - like Sit, Down, Stay, Settle and so on - and if taught using modern, positive methods, enjoyable also. Once learned though, it must be a lot better for our mutual bonding for the dog to be allowed to work out for himself what we want, to get on the same wavelength - with no more than a gentle prompt, maybe a subtle hand signal or a look - and then some sort of acknowledgment for the desired response.

I'm sure the dog that works out for himself what works and what doesn't feels a sense of doggy achievement when a task is completed and we are pleased.

If we say 'Sit' and the dog gets nothing for sitting, if we say 'Come' and nothing follows or 'Down' or 'Wait' and then nothing worthwhile to the dog happens, isn't this 'crying wolf'? If I were a dog I would become deaf or revolt!

I went to a dog the other day who was being very well-trained by an extremely conscientious owner. She has been surprised at just how much more willing and biddable he is when she leaves him to work things out for himself - things she has already taught him over and over. Here is the story.