Mechanics of Dog Disobedience

By samgong

Let’s say your dog has broken a sit-stay command. Of course, you should correct the dog immediately. But DO NOT CONTINUE TRAINING until you know why your dog has broken the command! This is your responsibility as the pack leader.

It will be one of three reasons:

Lest Ye Forget…

Scientists have observed that 2 weeks after you teach a dog a command, he’ll completely forget everything for a couple days. Some dogs are better with this than others, but it’s been theorized that this is the period when a dog converts short to long-term memory. Then mysteriously, your dog will snap back as if nothing happened.

During this time, it’s crucial that you treat your dog as if you’re teaching him for the first time—that means no corrections. I find it easier to just not train the command during this time.

1. Your Dog Is Still Learning

Never underestimate how long it takes for a dog to learn a command. The first phase of training is reserved for learning. This means ABSOLUTELY NO PUNISHMENT. Your corrections need to take the form of either baiting the correct posture (with a reward) or firmly repositioning the dog and rewarding immediately after. Depending on the dog, some trainers reward with praise instead.

Pay attention to your dog’s attention span. During the learning stage, you should stop your session before he loses focus, or after 3 to 5 minutes, whichever comes first. Your dog should be able to perform your command perfectly, 5 times in a row, before introducing leash corrections.

2. Your Dog Was Distracted

After your dog has learned the command, you’ll need to move on to proofing your commands with distractions. Distractions are typically what you’d expect: people, other dogs, noise, or food. You are responsible for gradually increasing the level of distraction, little by little.

There’s no secret to this…the obedient dogs that get the wow’s are ordinary dogs with extraordinary training. With every new distraction, you’ll have to start over as if you’re teaching for the first time.

If your dog is a puppy, introduce the concept of resistance training. With a collar and lead, tell your dog to sit. Gently tug on the leash with a couple fingers to coax him out of a sit. Don’t pull for more than a couple seconds. Reposition your dog AS SOON AS HE BREAKS COMMAND without saying anything [1]. Repeat. When he finally resists, give him a “free” command and praise.

3. Your Dog Is Asserting Dominance

Let me start by saying that dominance is not aggression; therefore, it’s counterproductive to introduce aggression in your corrections. If your dog is asserting his dominance, he will reliably perform the desired response only when he wants to. Try this test: give him the command with his favorite treat. If he reliably performs the command, then he wears the pants in the house.

In this case, it’s the trainer’s fault for allowing “holes” in his training. Start over at the teaching/learning phase, because this is where you failed [2]. The key to overcoming dominance is through consistency and precision in your training. Remember, domininance is half-genetic and half-conditioned.

[1] The key is the precise timing of the correction. Correct during the undesired action, not after. In the sit-stay, for example, correct while your dog is moving to stand.

[2] Applaud yourself for starting over, because I’ve seen many high-ranking Schutzhund canines who never sat unless told several times.

Mechanics of Dog Disobedience

If you liked this article...