Specificity

Posted on Mar 07 in Small Dog Behavior, Training A Small Dogby Jeff K.Print

Pardon me. I have something very specific to tell you.

Can you say the title word of this article three times, very fast? Specifi . . . specie . . . spesh . . . yeah, me neither. I cannot even say it once without sputtering on my computer’s monitor. It is a good word to know because it explains some of your small dog’s behavior. Dogs interpret their environment very specifically. They tie experiences to very precise circumstances. Let’s say for example, your dog learns to fear men in black pants. The “why” part of the equation is not important. No matter why the fear first developed, only men wearing black pants will trigger a fear response. It is likely your dog will not be afraid of men in black shorts, or men in beige pants. Nor will your dog be fearful of women in black dresses. No one knows for sure why dogs are so specific in this manner. It could be a survival strategy, or it might simply be related to a dog’s limited ability to reason. You may say, sure this is very interesting, but what does it have to do with my relationship with my dog?

Let me answer that with an example. When I first started training our dogs, Kelsey and Royce, to come on command, I always conducted the training in the great room of our house. I did this simply because that room was the longest; and, it let me move the greatest distance away from the dogs. I would sit the dogs at one end of the room and then walk to the other to call them to come. Our dog’s eventually caught on and learned to come on command very reliably—in the great room! If I tried to get them to come to me in the kitchen, in the hallway, or in the backyard, there was nothing doing. Being the very specific creatures they are, they had learned to associate coming on command in the great room only.

Year after year, dogs go to training schools to learn the basic commands of obedience. Often, these classes take place indoors, with other dogs present, in a gymnasium-like setting. Two things about this type of training environment are true. First, dogs are generally quick learners, so the training works. Second, specificity applies, so the dogs learn to follow commands in a gymnasium-like setting with other dogs present. If the dogs’ owners do not repeat the obedience lessons in other locations, the dogs will not reliably respond outside of class. Similarly, people who turn their dogs over to obedience instructors will witness a miracle transformation. Their dogs will perform beautifully, as long as the instructor is at the helm. Once the instructor departs, it is anybody’s guess whether a dog will ever sit, come or stay at the behest of its owner. We have all met people with dogs who say “Watch this. Jackie, sit.” Then, “Sit Jackie! I don’t get it. She’s so good at home but she never performs in front of people.”

Knowing that your dog cannot transfer what he has learned very specifically to general circumstances, it is up to you to do the generalizing for him. Teach your dog what he needs to know in as wide a variety of circumstances as possible. By all means, teach your dog to come, for example, indoors in one particular room. Then repeat the lesson outside in the backyard, and on a quiet sidewalk in your neighborhood. Repeat the lesson with other dogs and people around. Repeat the lesson in a park. Repeat the lesson in the dark. Repeat the lesson here and there. Repeat the lesson everywhere. Sorry Dr. Suess.

By the way, I have a related article on teaching your dog not to fear thunderstorms, which you can find here. There is also more good information on dog training in my favorite book on the subject: Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog – Gently and Reliably

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