Consistency is the mother of learning and repetition is the father: My wife and I are being very consistent with Otis. So, we have to correct each other which is not easy when you have been married for 36 years. All the things we learned and put into force are on electronic index cards and my wife and I review them every morning. The words or phase we use for “commands” (play calling) are just like a football coach would “call a play”. In a business application, the same thing holds true. During the game, the coach calls a play. If the player executes that play to perfection, they succeed and get another chance at another play. Positive reinforcement or consequences. All a puppy wants to do is be in the game. When the puppy or player messes up too much, they are put on the bench to think about it (negative consequence). See how much the same the approach works from puppy to human training.
What was cute or sad is NOT anymore: When the puppy is to excited or does not obey the pack leader’s instruction, off to “time out” they go (the bench). The puppy gets emotional,wines and cry’s in a way to get our attention. Cute as they can be, but that is just asking for attention and that attention should not be given to the puppy. They control the pack leader if their wining gets what they want which is attention. Therefore, no eye contact or direct conversation until they calm down and then wait a little longer. They did improper behaviors and they also know what the consequences (time out) are for those actions.
What if the behavior was outlined and reinforced; the puppy or human did not follow-through; consequences were outline clearly for lack of success; and when the situation happened, the pack leaders DID NOT enforce the consequences? What does that teach? I think you see this situation very clearly now.
So, when the puppy wants out of “time-out” (the consequence of their actions) they look at you with puppy eyes, makes little sweet sounds; cry’s like he is being beaten or in pain and then gives up. Point was made by the pack leader. Was it fun or enjoyable, NO. Learning is a bitch sometimes but without it we accept incompetence and bad behaviors.
Not stupid, Smart: If you as a human give an excuse to your boss for being late and the boss excepts it every time, you use that excuse often because it works. If it did not work and you were focused back on the behavior with both positive and negative consequences consistently, your behavior would change. Pushing limits of the pack leader is a sign of intelligence, not stupidity. Knowing just how much the pack leader will take before the consequence is strategic. WAIT, am I talking about a puppy or a human. BOTH. The importance is the rules don’t change and stay consistent eliminating confusion. So, we potty outside and make this many phone-calls-a-day. Same darn thing. Wining, excuses, justifications or crying does not change the fact the poop is on the floor and the phone calls have NOT been made.
Lead, follow or shit on the floor: Otis “the French Bulldog” is learning what is right when he had no real rules before. He did have instinct as human beings also have. His teachers are learning the right way and being consistent as individual’s leaders and pack leaders. The investment of enormous time seems to be more then my wife and I expected. What isn’t in this world worth having. However, it is the pack leaders job to be the strong, patient, consistent and disciplined souls we must be. WHY? Have you ever had a dog or employee that was talented, but undisciplined? Wrote their own rule book and most of the plays were not right or effective. Yet you knew in your heart they have super star capabilities. How did that make you feel as a pack leader? Training is training.
PS: We had a pure bread beautiful female basset hound named Nancy decades ago. We did not train her well and it ended up we had to take her to the animal shelter. No problem we thought, pure bread and great looking dog. Within one week Nancy was dead of parvo virus. Enough said.