The ONLY Time You Shouldn't Train Your Puppy or Dog

There is only one time when you shouldn’t be training your puppy…  When he or she is asleep! 💤 And while that may seem far-fetched or unrealistic, let me explain why this mindset will vastly improve your puppy’s behavior! With your puppy, you’ll often focus on “training sessions”. Those dedicated blocks of time are invaluable for improving your pup’s behavior.  But what about outside of those dedicated training sessions THAT is when real learning often takes place. Here’s an example. You’re sitting at your table reading some emails. Your pup walks up to you and barks. You look down at your pup and say something to him or her.  While you weren’t in a training session, you just taught your pup that when they bark they can get attention. Is that what you wanted to teach? Not necessarily, but that’s what happened either way! Or, you hear a knock on the door. Your pup goes wild with excitement.  How you respond next is going to teach your dog something (whether you like it or not 😀). You have a couple of options. Option #1- You open the door, your pup bolts out to greet the person enthusiastically including jumping up on the door knocker. Option #2- You direct your pup to their bed and give them a top-notch treat or chew. You then wait for them to relax or at least stop barking, and THEN open the door with your dog behind a baby gate (and ideally still on their bed/place). In both instances, your dog learned something. Let’s break down what was learned. Option #1 (opening the door) - Your dog learned that when they bark and are acting wildly, doors (literally and figuratively) open up for them.  The door opened, they got to experience a new and exciting moment with a new human. And I bet your dog loved that, why wouldn’t they? (And why wouldn’t they want to act the same way next time someone knocks on the door?) They also jumped up on the guest, and likely got either pushed down or interacted with in some way.  And for your dog, that is enjoyable for them! They jumped up desiring attention and received it. In your dog’s brain, their action created a consequence that they enjoyed! Meaning, they’ll do it again next time. Here’s the alternative 👇 Option #2 (using place) - Your dog learned that when someone knocks on the door, good things happened on their bed/place. They start to learn that their place brings about tasty consequences. Additionally, the door opened only when they were calm (I know, easier said than done but you get the point here). So, they learn that being calm and listening to you is how good things happen (like seeing a new human). And by having a baby gate keeping them from the person at the door, you never even gave him or her the opportunity to jump up on a guest. Which means they weren’t unintentionally reinforced for jumping (like in Option #1). Which option do you want for your puppy?! Whenever you’re with your puppy, you have an opportunity to teach and they have an opportunity to learn. And just like in our example above, simple choices lead to wildly different results and learning. So, how can you be more prepared to effectively teach at any moment? Here’s how ⬇️ The best way to make these impromptu moments of learning more effective is to be prepared with the right tools! And that means reinforcers! While there are many things that can be a reinforcer for your pup, treats are often the most effective! So I highly recommend keeping treats readily available throughout your home. Of course, out of your dog’s reach! Snag some Pupford Training Treats here! Please subscribe and review, thanks for listening!