Joan Hunter Mayer
How can you get your dog to cooperate with you no matter where you are? Then, one of the most important concepts you can remember is that of generalization.Generalizing means taking a skill your dog has grasped in one area and making sure they understand it in a variety of locations and situations.
Why Generalize?
Dogs learn in context-specific ways. Your dog may not be able to understand the context in which you tie your shoes, whether you are in your kitchen, backyard, or office. However, he may be able to follow the same cues on the front porch and on the trail. This may seem like frustration on your part, but it is actually a way to be ahead of the game if your dog can understand why he struggles to perform a behavior when he does so in a new setting.
How to Generalize
It is important to remember that even though you may look the same, your dog might be completely different. Do you ever cue Sit while standing in front your dog in a specific room? This can make it difficult for him to sit well when you cue him while he is standing in front of him in a specific room.
You will need to start again if you want the Sit to work in this context. Re-teach the cue as if your dog had never heard it before in a variety different contexts and places. It won’t take much time to teach a behavior in a new context. Your dog will soon grasp the concept and have that amazing a-ha! Then you can move on to another context.
Another tip: It can be beneficial to make certain aspects of a behavior easier if one aspect is getting difficult. For example, if your dog is able and confidently responds to a call from your backyard and you’re ready to go to the park down to the street, move back to 10 or 15 yards and then try the leash again. You can also try to generalize Leave It by switching to a more mundane object that your dog likes to smell, but it is better to be close to your dog and have less distractions around the environment.
How to choose where and what to generalize
You can train your dog by thinking about where you want the behaviors to go. Is your dog allowed to walk around the block or on the sidewalk? Is recall important at the park, or just for off-leash walks? What will you expect your dog’s ability to learn Leave It? The best way to ensure that your dog is consistent in exhibiting the behaviors you desire is to train him for each scenario.
Keep this in mind
When we ask our dogs to do a task, they often assume they are being disobedient or blowing off. Most of the time, this is due to a lack in understanding on their part. They don’t get that the cues we gave them mean the same thing even though they are in a different context. This obstacle can be overcome by understanding generalization and having safe, enjoyable adventures with your dog.
Let’s have fun exploring new places with our curious canine friends!
The Canine with an inquisitive natureJoan Hunter Mayer, a Santa Barbara dog behavior consultant and certified professional trainer of dogs, founded the company. Joan and her team are committed to providing humane, pawsitive and practical solutions for dogs and their owners every day. Here’s to waging war with the dogs, cheering on the people, and having fun!
