As I watched, I tried to remember it all. The movements, the body language and the sound. I was at a training appointment to help fix some canine/human issues. I watched the woman trying to hold her dog back when I entered the home. I stood still, seemingly not watching but taking it all in. "Let him go," I said. He immediately calmed, not completely but much better than when he was in the trap of his guardian's arms.
There are a lot of things that can interfere in the canine learning process. Touch, sound and distractions can all factor in on learning. But if we humans learn how a dog can learn, it works much better. The woman with the problem dog who wanted to dive on everyone who came into the house was a prime example. All she knew to do was restrain, but her restraining was backfiring. Her touch, talk and body language just revved up the crazed behavior.
Another good example of too much interference was a German Shepherd and it's guardian trying to learn "stay." I had been at an obedience class with another trainer for a photo shoot but the dog trainer in me was dying to step in as I watched. It was not my place so I just surveyed from the sidelines. The guardian repeated and repeated the "stay" while putting her hand up, then down, up then down. She fidgeted with the leash and basically made it impossible for the dog to know what the heck was going on.
Being quiet, listening and watching as our dogs learn is a big learning session for ourselves. Learning how our dogs learn best is a win win for everyone involved. But much frustration surrounds the act of teaching when we do not teach ourselves first. How on earth can we teach our dogs if we don't understand how our dogs learn?
Most canine guardians do not understand how to teach their dogs. There is much reliance put on the physical act; collar grabs, pushing, pulling, swinging arms and talking up a storm.
Our dogs constantly watch us. Their whole world revolves around watching and listening. They rely on body language for the bulk of their communication so making our body communications clear and precise is extremely important in the learning curve. The more we throw in the more complicated it gets, making it far more difficult for a dog to learn.
- Touch is a huge interference.
- Sound is an interference.
- Body movement can be an interference.
- Environmental stimulus can be an interference.
If we as canine guardians take the time to learn to teach, we can accomplish so much more. It is a win/win for the canine/human relationship.