If you are finding your dog isn't learning or progressing as well as you hoped, this is for you!
Let's unpack some of the reasons why your dog isn't learning.
Arousal
When a dog is highly aroused, whether excited, frustrated, anxious, their brains cannot function as well compared with if they are relaxed.
Think of any situation where someone is trying to teach you something and you are anxious, annoyed, excited, frustrated etc. How easy is it for you to focus on what you are supposed to be learning? Consider also, later in the day when you are relaxed in your home, do little bits of information come back to you about what you were being told?
The same happens to your dog.
Learning cannot take place if there is no balance and harmony within your dogs body (homeostasis). There is evidence to suggest that dogs can learn something negative from the environment which rapidly shifts their emotional response, but it becomes more difficult for positive information to be taken in.
Arousal can set your training back which is why it's important to keep your dog as calm as possible. Being aroused a little isn't likely to cause much of a problem and infact, could be helpful. A dog who isn't aroused enough also fails to take in information because they aren't motivated enough to learn.
finding the balance between not enough and what is too much, will likely help.
Environment
The environment your dog is in can also impact their learning ability. A dog who, again, finds themselves in an environment where they do not feel relaxed, can be more focused on how they feel as opposed to what they are supposed to be learning. A distracted dog isn't one that is motivated to learn, but instead, is focused on how the environment is making them feel. Ensure your dog is comfortable with the environment you want to teach in before you set them up to fail, and in turn, cause yourself frustration and unnecessary stress. Teaching your dog should be fun, it needn't feel like a chore.
If your dog isn't very comfortable around other dogs, it isn't a good idea to ask the dog to focus on you when other dogs are in close proximity, or a dog that chases cars, wouldn't be able to learn loose leash walking in a heavy traffic environment.
Context matters a lot, while we want the dog to be comfortable around other dogs and traffic, we don't want to be overwhelming our dogs so they can't take in the information we need them to. It's all about building little foundations, one step at a time and watching those little steps form bigger ones.
Fear of punishment
One thing we cannot under any circumstance advocate, is punishment. This will also hinder the positive progress your dog is capable of. Punishing a dog for any behaviour causes a distrust and this is the opposite to preferable conditions for your dog to learn. A dog cannot learn when they are focused on negative consequences. If you have been using;
Halti/ any head collar
Prong collar
Full or half choke / Check chain
E-collar
Vibration collar
Spray bottles
Loud noises from any equipment
Hitting
Alpha rolls
Shouting
Acting angry / threatening
Time outs as punishment
Crate as punishment
Please Stop!
Improving your relationship through trust, cooperation and understanding is key and you can't have that if punishment toward your dog is part of life.
If you have used these things, but have now stopped, it's important to note that dogs who have experienced punishments are very often worried about trying new things, so take it slow and build back your trust using plenty of positive reinforcement and encouragement. Do not force them to engage if they choose not to. When they feel comfortable and safe, that will change.
Pain/illness
If your dog is in pain or is ill, they may not feel up to performing. Always ask a vet to check over your dog when there is an sudden change in behaviour or you find they are not as interested as they have been. The vet may want a blood test, a thyroid test, check their ears for foreign objects or hearing loss, check their eyes for vision problems, they may have hip or back pain, they may generally just be feeling under the weather. Until you have the all clear from a vet, let your dog rest. There is nothing so important that can't wait until your dog feels in better form, the pain is managed or any other underlying cause is identified and under treatment.
It's just plain boring
Yip! Some dogs just don't find what you're asking, enjoyable or worth their time engaging in. This is where a little arousal / motivation come in. A little bit of arousal can change this if it piques the dogs interest. Always make learning fun, we all prefer it when things are light hearted and enjoyable and it's no different for your dog. Some dogs just don't find learning valuable and they may prefer to sleep their time away rather than engage with you in something that is boring to them.
Overwhelm
It's not unusual for an incident to occur that really wipes your dog out emotionally and for that to impact their motivation, their energy, their interest. Stress stacking can cause this as well as not getting enough sleep, or good quality rest.
If you can imagine being emotionally burnt out, you have been stressed a lot lately and it's causing fatigue, you aren't getting enough rest, home life is stressful or an event has caused a surge of anxiety for example. You can become burnt out, not enjoy the things you normally do, and you just aren't quite yourself.
It's similar to what dogs experience when they are experiencing one stressor after another. This is one reason why we will never advocate for the technique 'flooding' as it is emotionally and psychologically harmful.
If stress is or could be impacting your dog, take time out to do things your dog is interested in.
Chewing activities
Snuffle mat
Enrichment activities
Ripping up cardboard
Sniffing to seek out food
Plenty of rest time (not forced)
Sniffing walks with no expectations
Reduce expectations
Use foods which change brain chemistry (L-Tryptophan can reduce stress by increasing serotonin)
Breed Traits
Taking the breed into consideration is just as important as other aspects. If you are expecting to teach a Border Collie, for example, to sleep 23 hours a day, show low interest in running or exercise, and spend their whole life largely as an obedient lapdog, the breed probably isn't going to be able to do that since Border Collies are keen working dogs, are lively and energetic. Their needs must first be met and we need to consider how their breed affects what you are expecting from them.
Another example is living in a small space and obtaining a Great Dane, but when the dog is knocking things over and getting shouted at, it could be expected that dog lives with stress a lot of the time, unable to control their size or environment.
Undesirable behaviour is too reinforcing
Dogs will do what they find reinforcing. If that means eating the food you have left within reach, there's a chance the dog will repeatedly search for food that is accessible. When the dog gets the food, this has reinforced the behaviour and will likely be repeated.
The best thing to do is remove temptation by not leaving favourable objects like shoes, clothes or food within your dogs reach, but also don't allow food to only be given at meal times or interesting objects be a novelty. Dogs are drawn to novel things and curiosity can take over. A dog that is used to food being given to them outside of meal times may not seek as much to swipe food off the counter as opposed to a dog that is restricted to only their meal times.
A behaviour that is reinforced is strengthened. A behaviour that isn't reinforced becomes less. We can teach dogs to 'ask' instead of impulsively take an item, which is to teach an alternative behaviour and we can gradually decrease the undesirable behaviour by replacing it with the new. Behaviour you dislike or you consider 'wrong' is not excuse for punishing it. Dogs do not have a moral code, like humans do, they very much do what is natural and desirable in a moment.
The dog that pulls is likely to find the outdoor environment very stimulating and it's a real challenge for them to ignore all they find enjoyable and walk calmly next to you in a perfect heel.
We must always consider what is reinforcing for the dog and work with that in mind.
Confusion or does not understand
Some things are just too difficult and if we move faster than the dog is ready for, this is to cause confusion and frustration. Remember, build foundations first by using small steps to achieve the bigger steps later. If the dog doesn't understand what you want from them, how can they give you it?
Consider if you're moving too quick and take a few steps backward and practice what the dog can do. Always end on a positive and before the dog is bored. By having your learning sessions too long, it is likely to turn negative and you might find they don't want to continue past the point that was last positive.
A clicker can help you deliver the correct message at the right time. Often, timing is the problem because the dog cannot make the link between behaviour and reinforcement. Try using a clicker for a while and see what changes. You have around 2 seconds between behaviour and reward delivery, a clicker is the sound which anticipates food delivery and is good enough to reinforce behaviour through anticipation, providing the food comes immediately after. It is a tool which helps bridge the timing gap. It can be like a little secret weapon in your pocket sometimes!
Pay attention to all that is desirable
Don't underestimate the power of reinforcing behaviour that is desirable, many people tend not to make use of what their dog is doing right and focus on what they don't want the dog to do. Shouting at them for jumping up, putting them in time out for 'stealing' food, grabbing them by the collar when they harass visitors. While it's negative attention, it's attention all the same and for a dog that isn't so used to being reinforced for the good stuff, might just find these tellings off reinforcing because your attention has been gained. So your punishment bares no weight anyway, the opposite infact.
When your dog is lying down, calmly and uneventfully place a treat or small piece of food next to them and walk away, making no eye contact or 'good dog,' nothing. When they are sitting instead of jumping, do nothing to heighten arousal and calmly deliver a small piece of food. We can add challenges later, but for now, small steps.
Happy Teaching!
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