Most dogs are brimming with energy and many really struggle to control themselves without proper training. My philosophy about dog behaviour is that all dogs should have a good level of self-control, and Impulse Control training is the foundation for this. It is where I start with all of the dogs that I train. Dogs need to be able to be still when we want them to be and in control of that energy switch. This is harder for some dogs than others, but with some basic training a solid foundation can be developed in most if not all dogs.
So where do you start?
Well, PLACE training is where I begin as a trainer. I use a variety of boxes and wooden ramps on my Small Obstacle Course to develop a solid PLACE. This can be clunky at first as many dogs are a bit wary of stepping on to these unfamiliar obstacles, but with patience and some luring work with food and an abundance of positive praise I have yet to see a dog not want to PLACE. (if your dog isn't a foody then we switch to toys for their reward or positive verbal praise). Some dogs get it almost immediately and are soon throwing behaviours at you so that they get paid whilst proudly sitting on a box like a statue.
Once we have taught the PLACE we start to teach our dogs to be still on the place board. We do this by adding duration between the behaviour and paying our dog with a treat. The more repetitions we do the more solid the behaviour becomes, and before long we increase the time between behaviour and reward. I call this the "elastic band effect".
As we increase time between the behaviour (PLACE) and the payment (the reward), we are stretching the elastic band. Ask too much of your dog too soon and they will move off the place board and the elastic band is snapped. You have asked too much of your dog at this stage. So you reset your dog and try again, next time not stretching the band quite as far. In time you keep adding seconds to the duration and your dog learns to control their impulse to move.
I then introduce a variety of cues in to the dogs training such as WAIT (a pause) and STAY (be still until I release you).
So how is this relevant in the real world?
There are many times in a day that we want our dogs to be still and control that urge to bounce around.
Exiting through doorways, when opening the boot of the car, meeting people, stopping at kerbsides, standing on a towel to have their paws wiped, waiting patiently for a food bowl to be placed on the floor and being invited to eat, and letting a horse rider pass by are just a few examples. The list is endless.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of teaching this behaviour in our dogs. After all, we as a society ask a lot of the modern dog in order that they fit into the human world. A well mannered dog that has a control of their impulse to move is always going to get recognised and rewarded, and this makes life much easier for the owner and everyone that comes in to contact with that dog.
So don't delay, get training and have some fun. I have used door mats, upturned washing up bowls, stacks of books, palettes, park benches, tree stumps during training and I continue to ask my own dogs to PLACE on a daily basis in a variety of situations to keep them sharp.
If you need to know more come and train with me and we can explore the potential of your dog. And believe me, no dog is too young or too old to learn this skill.
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