We often talk about it, setting the learner up for success…but what does it mean?
Traditionally, we think of ‘training’ as being about barking out “commands” and showing ’em who’s boss but now that we have a better understanding of animal behaviour and learning, that approach is redundant.
Behaviour is in the environment
That’s another one we say a lot: behaviour is in the environment, not in the dog. Behaviour doesn’t happen in isolation; your dog does behaviour in certain conditions. These are the Whens and Whys of behaviour.
When does your dog do a behaviour (any behaviour)?
Who’s present? What’s just happened? Where are you? What have you just done? Any and all of those things might cause or trigger behaviour.
Why does your dog do a behaviour (any behaviour)?
What does your dog get after a behaviour? What does your dog get away from after a behaviour? Any and all of those things might be the reason he does it.
Behaviour happens in certain conditions for certain outcomes. Dogs do behaviours that work!
Teaching our dogs involves us setting up the whens and whys so they are less likely to do unwanted behaviour and to make it easier for them to behaviours we like. That’s setting them up for success!
Your dog’s behaviour is information
Unwanted behaviour, for the most part, is normal dog behaviour. We’ve generally put our dog in a situation that makes inappropriate behaviour happen.
We haven’t set them up for success.
That means our dog’s behaviour, whether appropriate or not, is information about how well they are able for that situation. Training gives your dogs the coping skills (behaviours) needed to deal with the environmental situations we put them in.
Your dog’s behaviour in a situation, gives you information about how well you have prepared them, or not.
Puppy Party
Follow the progress of Bonnie’s babies on our Facebook page. We have been working with these six puppies who were born while their mum was in the care of A Dog’s Life. Bonnie’s babies, and Bonnie their mum, have been in a wonderful foster home, learning about life in the human world and getting ready for going to their new families.
At about 6.5 weeks of age, they came for a puppy party with a community petcare course I was delivering. This was their first big outing, away from their home and away from their mum. A BIG challenge for such young puppies that meant a longer car journey, crate confinement, a new place, lots of new people and all new sensory overload.
No such thing as “bad” behaviour
Living with humans, for dogs, is tough. We have made arbitrary rules about what behaviour is acceptable or not. Dogs are born with a ton of in-built behaviours that humans, for the most part, don’t like. We humans have come up with all sorts of inventive and aversive means to suppress this unwanted dog behaviour under the guise of asserting that we are in charge and attempting to mould them to conform to our preferences.
You would expect that bringing six young puppies to a school environment would cause all sorts of chaos and put them in situations that allow for lots of mischief that people find inappropriate, and we might not want them to practice.
This is where setting them up for success comes in…
Adjust the picture
Knowing all this means it’s my responsibility to help them cope. At just over six weeks, we can’t really expect these puppies to have many skills, but we have been preparing them by bringing them on short car trips, spending some time in crate confinement, meeting lots of new people and spending time away from their mum.
Training and appropriate exposure helps to set the scene and set them up for success by adjusting the picture so each puppy is better able to choose appropriate behaviour.
Behaviours of concern: distress related behaviour while confined in their crate during the journey there such as vocalisation, attempts to escape, squabbling with siblings
Whens: in the car, longer duration of confinement, intermittent stopping and starting in rush-hour traffic
Whys: frustration at being confined, wanting to move about, wanting to move away from siblings, wanting comfort or contact with human, needing to toilet, hunger
Setting them up for success:
- puppies were brought to an area where they toilet before travelling
- puppies were brought to an area where they play before travelling so they were just getting ready to sleep as we left
- puppies were given their breakfast shortly before the opportunity to toilet
- I set the crate up in the car before bringing them out – the crate was lined with puppy pads so it wasn’t too slippy and was absorbent
- one of may favourite puppy hacks is to smear the walls of the inside of the crate with something really yummy and irresistible
- then I turn on the heat in the car, play classical music and we all bask in the calm!
Behaviours of concern: toileting every where, hiding or escaping, chewing stuff, getting in the way, being distressed in a new place and without mum
Whens: in a new place, without their mum, access to lots of space, after a period of confinement
Whys: exploration, having fun, reunite with mum, to toilet
Setting them up for success:
- get set up before they come in
- cordon off an area of the room securely and safely, away from the door, so people can come in and out easily without disturbing the puppies
- set up a blanket and toys from home that will smell like mum and familiarity
- have newspaper and puppy pads on the floor
- lots of places to hide
- plenty of novel objects too
- high value chews and loaded snuffle mat to engage with as soon as they arrive, that will keep them busy while they take it all in and will help with calming
- having more chews, food and toys available than there are puppies – this reduces competition
Behaviours of concern: behaviour associated with feeling overwhelmed at the new place and new people
Whens: once they arrive and are brought in
Whys: it’s all new and lots of new experiences lumped one on top of another can be pretty stressful
Setting them up for success:
- getting everything ready before bringing the puppies in
- allowing them plenty of time to settle and find their feet before all the new people arrive
- giving them time to choose how and when they interact with the environment and the people
- no luring or looming from the class attendees
- allowing the puppies to choose
By the time puppies had explored and chewed, toileted and played, they were ready for another nap so were pretty sleepy when everyone began to arrive, and soon nodded off.
Behaviours of concern: vocalising, biting, chewing, jumping up, making strange and hiding
Whens: all the people are present, new place and new people, just woken up
Whys: experiencing distress or startle, to escape social interaction, hungry and wanting food, to toilet or to sleep
Setting them up for success:
- allowing them to wake naturally
- having food and space to toilet available immediately upon waking
- more stuffed Kongs than puppies
- having attendees sit back and allow puppies to choose to interact
- no picking up the puppies
- giving clear instruction
- teaching attendees how to interact (rather than emphasising how not to) and providing them with new skills and awareness
- allowing puppies to choose how and when they engage and interact
The puppies had a great time with minimal stress for everyone. We had peaceful car journeys, they coped amazingly well with being in a new and weird environment, they were friendly and outgoing with everyone and then slept all the way home!
Bonnie’s babies are ten weeks next Thursday and will be getting their second vaccination. By the weekend they will be ready to go to their homes. If you would like to add a fantastic companion to your family, get in touch with A Dog’s Life.
How can you set your dog up for success?
What the behaviours you might be concerned about? What are the relevant whens and whys?
How can you prepare your dog with behaviours for coping and how can you adjust the picture so it’s easy for them to choose appropriate behaviour?
AniEd Ireland 