Teaching Dog Obedience | Behavior & Puppy Training

Probably the hardest cue for dog owners to train is the recall, or to come when called. Even a prolonged stay isn't as hard to achieve as this holy grail of dog training behaviors. So, why is it so hard for us to teach our dogs to come?

Think in terms of reinforcement. What things are you, the dog owner, doing to reinforce your dog's behavior? Keep in mind reinforcement can work many ways; so the subtraction of something fun can reinforce, as well as the addition of something not so fun. Remember: it's not about what you, the dog trainer, thinks; it's what your dog actually perceives HOW she's being reinforced for WHAT she did that matters - especially when training the recall.

We're Actually Teaching Our Dogs NOT to Come
That's right, the majority of the time, dog owners are actually teaching their dogs NOT to come when called.

Take this scenario: dog owner takes dog to dog park. Upon entering dog park, the restricting leash is removed and Fido is allowed to run free, socialize, smell, chase...all the things a dog loves to do. It's a bit of doggy paradise. Then dog owner decides it's time to go home. Owner begins calling for dog to "come" and - normally - the recall occurs multiple times. Even if the dog knows explicitly what that cue means (most don't), what dog wants to head over to the owner, get the leash snapped on and be led AWAY from doggy heaven? Not many.

Other scenarios in which dog owners 'abuse' the come cue: calling the dog over to get a bath, to go to the vet, to get punished (you know who you are - the dog's doing something they're not supposed to, so you call them over and tell them they're a bad dog for doing whatever behavior you made them come over for), etc.

Teaching Your Dog to Come
Whether you get your dog as an 8-week-old pup or an adult, training him to 'come' to you on cue is an extremely important behavior which must be initiated immediately. No pup is too young nor any dog too old to 'learn new tricks,' so to speak. Any trainer who says puppies younger than 6 months can't learn have no clue what they're talking about: if a dog is old enough to see and walk, you can start training simple behaviors.

Keep in mind you need to train recall behavior - as any other - with a fun attitude, and the dog's 'paycheck' needs to be more rewarding than anything else going on at this moment. In fact, it's best to utilize the dog's absolute favorite reinforcer when training this behavior.

To begin, set your dog - and yourself - up for success by attempting this in a small, confined area. Inside would be great, since normally dogs are less tempted to go sniffing/chasing when inside the house. After your dog has mastered an acceptable level of 'come' - by your standards - you can move on to the outdoors, again in a controlled area. A dog trainer must always progress any training in levels which set the dog up for success. Be careful not to 'put a word' to the come behavior too soon. Barking commands at a dog isn't going work if the dog isn't aware what the word means. First attain the behavior; once it's occurring consistently, then you can add a word as a cue.

But How Do I Train the Recall?
There are many ways to train your dog to come - as always, it depends on what motivates your dog. As an example, I have a high chase-drive dog - German Shepherd - so I actually worked with her on recalls while playing fetch. Since she loves chasing and retrieving sticks (I began teaching her fetch immediately when I got her at 4 months of age) and she was consistent in bringing it back, as soon as she started heading back towards me on a retrieve, I'd clap excitedly. When she came and dropped the ball at my feet, of course I'd throw it again. Now, when I take her for a walk she can be off leash and every time I clap*, she comes running! She of course associates the hand-clapping with fetch/play/fun.

I also worked on training her the same behavior - recall - with a whistle. Keep in mind you can have multiple ways to cue a dog for the same behavior; what you should never do is attempt to train multiple behaviors off of the same cue. I personally don't use "come" because a hand-clap or whistle carries farther than my voice.

Important Concept to Remember When Training: Dogs Don't Generalize
A big mistake many dog owners make is believing their dogs come when called 100% of the time, and will do it anywhere, but they've only practiced inside the yard. Then they head to the dog park and are completely baffled why the dog won't recall. At this point, the dog not only isn't used to performing the behavior amidst distractions, she's mostly trained to perform 'come' in a certain place.

If you only work with the recall cue when your dog is in the yard, how will he know that 'come' doesn't mean "come to me here in this yard where there's a fence and not many other places to go"? You must work on training the come cue with your dog in MANY different areas and situations. This guarantees 2 things:

• your dog knows that 'come' means to come directly to the owner every time, in any place, and right now;
• the dog knows it must recall amidst any number of distractions.

Also, be sure never, EVER to ask the dog to 'come' when you think she might not. Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it? By this I mean if you're not ready to lay down a 100-dollar bill on the table as a bet your dog will immediately come when you call her, don't call. If you call her and she ignores you, and/or if you have to repeat the cue several times before she does come, you're actually teaching her not to come when called.

Remember, When Training Recalls:
The main points to remember when teaching a dog to come are:

• understand what motivates your dog;
• train at incremental levels which set the dog (and you!) up for success;
• be consistent;
• don't put a word (also known as a cue or command) to a behavior until the dog is offering it consistently and then properly associate that word with the desired behavior;
• be patient and have fun!

*Keep in mind I taught recall with a dog who already retrieved 100% consistently; also I did it over and over in multiple places, situations, etc. Training a dog to come when called doesn't happen overnight.

Dogs with high chase drive (also known as "prey drive" or "ball drive") can actually be very easy to train. K-9 police dogs are trained not with treats for reinforcement, but with special toys or games because they're so motivated to chase.

My American-bred, European-line German shepherd is no K-9, but she does have an excellent nose, a proclivity for tracking and a high chase drive. For exercise, mental stimulation and to work on her "tracking" skills, I often play fetch while making her hunt for her stick after I throw it.

While I merely use this as a simple exercise or training regimen, this aptitude can be used to train dogs to hone their tracking skills in order to sniff out various objects.






To use this method for training purposes, it's imperative to have a dog who's extremely motivated by chasing/tracking. As you can see, although Zada's tongue is hanging out, she's very intent upon her search for the stick. There have only been a handful of times in her 3 years when she has failed to bring back a stick I've thrown (whether in the woods or tall grass; harder to find than this evenly-mowed area). These times have occurred when she's extremely tired and therefore not as focused.

What is Shaping?
'Shaping' is creating a behavior by reinforcing an animal for incremental steps which eventually 'shape' into the end goal. While it doesn't sound so hard, the catch is this: the entire premise of the method is based on the initiative of the animal; not the trainer. In other words, it's a patience game since you're waiting for the spontaneous actions of the dog.

Timing and consistency are critical in any type of training, but when using free shaping, the trainer's timing needs to be impeccable, since the full extent of the desired behavior probably won't happen right away. More than likely it needs to be built upon in small increments. In fact,you might have to start at a very basic level.

For example, let's say you want to teach your dog to bow. You might be waiting a LONG time before the dog offers that exact behavior, so instead you might have to start by reinforcing the dog when she merely looks at the ground. *click* Once the dog's consistently looking at the ground, you don't pay on the next occurrence. If it's truly a consistent behavior, the dog will go through an extinction burst - she'll try harder at the behavior because it's paid in the past - and might dip her head lower to the ground instead of merely looking down. *click* Once that's consistent, you stop paying and the dog will try harder. Then maybe the dog dips a shoulder - *click* and so on. Many trainers don't have the patience for true free shaping, but it's a fun way for your dog to be not only learning but initiating new behaviors.

Now, some trainers might understand this is a powerful training tool but don't have the patience or length of time to wait for the dog to offer spontaneous behaviors. In many cases, trainers will resort to using a lure to get the dog to perform the behavior instead. While you can certainly train a dog this way, luring isn't free shaping, rather, just 'shaping.' What happens with luring is the dog relies on the lure to 'tell' him what to do. If you decide to use luring when training new behaviors, it's important to properly phase out the lure so the dog learns not to depend on help all the time to perform the behavior. This type of training can definitely work, but free shaping creates a much more creative dog who will try things on his own, versus having to always be lured into new behaviors.

Why Use a Clicker in Free Shaping?
Clicker training is basically a junk term for marker-based training. Marking a behavior with a sound is an extremely effective method of teaching new behaviors because the subject - be it dog, dolphin, rat, human - knows the exact moment when he performs a desired behavior. Also, by introducing a (previously) neutral sound into the training process the subject learns to work for the SOUND; not the reward. This is important, since a common complaint of dog owners is, "my dog only does tricks when I have a bunch of treats in my hand!" These people don't understand clicker training or the principles behind operant conditioning.

If a marker sound isn't utilized in free shaping, the dog won't learn very quickly. Why? Because he won't know if the desired behavior occurred when the trainer gave the treat, just before the treat was thrown, etc. With a clear, short marker at the instant the behavior is offered, the dog will understand instantly what he did correctly. Of course, before starting to free shape, the trainer must be sure to 'charge' the clicker so the dog understands its meaning.

Why can't I just use a short word instead of a clicker?
Often trainers will resort to a short, upbeat word - such as "Yes!" or "Good!" - instead of a clicker. This can work when free shaping, but it's best to use a clicker, since it's a consistent sound - there is no voice inflection, no volume change. That being said, it's great to have a dog accustomed to the sounds of both the clicker and the trainer's voice, since there will be times when you've forgotten your clicker or weren't planning on a training session. However, studies have shown there is a much quicker learning time when using a clicker vs. a voice as a marker.

With some practice, patience and good timing, you can teach your dog anything with free shaping. After all, how else do zoo trainers achieve desired behaviors with elephants, birds, dolphins, etc?

In this article I'm discussing reinforcement and punishment as it relates to the training method of operant conditioning. To achieve a dog which willingly wants to work with the trainer, we tend to think only 'positive' methods work the best, but keep in mind when dealing with this type of training positive means the addition of a stimulus; negative stands for the subtraction of a stimulus.

In regards to the tools available in operant conditioning, there can be a total of four contexts:

• Positive Reinforcement is the addition of a favorable stimulus after a desired behavior has occurred. E.g., a treat or toy is presented for good behavior.


• Negative Reinforcement is the subtraction of an undesirable stimulus after desired behavior has occurred. E.g., a dog on leash acts calmly - or displays some other form of obedience - and the owner takes the leash off. A leash itself is a negative reinforcer since it keeps the dog from moving freely where he wants to go.


• Positive Punishment is the addition of an undesirable stimulus at the onset of undesirable behavior. E.g., a shock collar or electric fence.


• Negative Punishment is the removal of a desired stimulus after undesirable behavior has occurred. E.g., a family friend comes to visit and upon entering the house begins petting the dog, but the dog becomes too excited so the friend ceases giving attention to the dog until she settles.

While the most 'upbeat' form discussed here is positive reinforcement, the other methods have their place, too. The only form of training I don't condone is positive punishment. It's a "quick fix" which actually teaches a dog to become fearful and untrusting, since he's not sure when he'll get shocked, hit or yelled at next. Instead of focusing on what a dog is doing "wrong," why not work with him to encourage what he's doing right?

An example of using positive reinforcement when training my German shepherd. Since she's obsessed with fetching sticks, I use the act of retrieving the stick as reinforcement for performing cues. Of course, she already knows the 'down' cue, in order to teach her something I'd obviously work in small increments.

What is the Premack Principle, Anyway?
If you’re at all interested in behavior modification, you’ve heard of David Premack. He is a psychologist who came up with the relationship between desirable and undesirable behaviors.

Desirable – or high probability – behaviors are those behaviors which the animal wishes to do when given the choice. Undesirable – or low probability – behaviors are those behaviors which, given the choice, the animal seldom, if ever, does.

Premack’s Principle states an animal will perform an undesired behavior in order to engage in a desirable behavior. When a high probability behavior is contingent upon the performance of a low probability behavior, the outcome is the increased frequency of the low probability behavior.

While this might sound hard to enforce, consider the mother who tells her child, “you aren’t allowed to go outside and play until you clean your room.” Cleaning her room is not a preferred behavior for the child, yet since she is extremely motivated to play outside, she will perform the low probability behavior for her “reward”: the high probability, or preferred, behavior.

Training Dogs Using Premack’s Theory
In relation to dog training, Premack’s Principle tells us we can use our dog’s most desired activities as reinforcers for good behavior in operant conditioning. Often, trainers will become frustrated when their dogs lose interest during a training session because they’d rather sniff the floor, play with another dog, chew their favorite toy, etc.

That’s okay! You can use these tendencies to achieve the behavior you want. For example, if your dog would rather fetch a ball, you can use it as a reinforcer during training. If you’re working on “sit” with your dog, wait until she sits, then release her as you’re throwing the ball. Of course, this works best with dogs who are so motivated to play fetch they always bring the ball (or stick, favorite toy, etc.) back to you every time! Mostly, with dogs that enjoy this activity, they understand the principle: I chase the ball, bring it back and the human throws it so I can chase it again!

Or, if your dog would rather sniff around than receive some other form of treat during a training session, wait until your dog performs the behavior you wish, and then let him sniff as his reward! After a few seconds of sniff-time, calmly say “let’s go,” or get your dog’s attention back on you and start over.

I know a dog trainer who used her male dog's extreme desire to mark everything as reinforcement. She taught him to heel at perfect attention merely by waiting for him to perform desired behavior and then rewarding him with allowing him to scent mark. Voilà! Premack's Principle at work.

Premack theory works hand in hand with intermittent reinforcement, allowing you to wean your dog away from “treats” as rewards. Not only that, it allows you to utilize your everyday environment to train your dog. An important thing to always keep in mind is "what motivates my dog the most right now?" If the Premack Principle is used correctly, you’ll quickly have a dog which is always looking for ways to “have fun” by offering you obedient behavior!

Unfortunately, most clicker trainers teach their students to treat their dog each and every time a behavior occurs, or they don’t properly outline how to reinforce intermittently, thus moving away from reinforcing each occurrence. This is the biggest argument against clicker training: people don’t want a dog dependent on receiving treats in order to be obedient. Tied in with that argument is a trainer who doesn’t want to "carry treats around" all the time. They’ll argue, “why does the dog needs a treat every time?”

When trainers use operant conditioning – in which clicker training is based – they not only wean their dogs off of “treats” by using intermittent reinforcement, they also substitute other forms of reinforcers. This means you don’t have to – and actually shouldn’t – carry treats or toys with you wherever you and your dog go.

Another argument against clicker training: the dog’s behavior is dependent on the presence – or absence – of treats. While it’s hard to use much other than dog treats in an actual dog class setting, many clicker trainers fail to teach their students the many types of positive reinforcers, and how to use these other forms of motivation to modify dog behavior outside of the classroom. Also, done correctly, operant conditioning does the opposite of training the dog to only work when "treats" are present!

For example, simply telling your dog “Good dog!” can be reinforcement. Whether or not it's a strong enough reinforcement for your dog depends on if you've correctly conditioned the dog. Also, behaviors themselves can be reinforcing. According to Premack’s Principle, a dog will perform a less desirable behavior in order to be able to perform the more desirable behavior. The dog who is excited to enter the dog park, for instance, must sit calmly and look her trainer in the eyes in order to be able to advance into the park. Although the dog is extremely motivated to play with other dogs, she knows she must offer the obedient behavior (sitting with attention) in order to “earn” the “treat” of entering the dog park.

This is not to say that a trainer shouldn’t use clicker training! Rather, when researching trainers and dog classes to begin on your positive reinforcement journey, be sure to do your homework and find a reputable establishment which utilizes operant conditioning methods correctly. This means you probably should not attend the PetCo/PetSmart dog classes, since the majority of the time these trainers don’t utilize clicker training methods properly.