The Learner Is Never Wrong

When you want to teach someone a task presumably you have an outcome, an end game, a desired result. The thing is that your learner has no idea what that result looks like and they cannot read your mind. They are there at a disadvantage in the equation and are relying on the environment, cues within it and information that is coming from you.

The question then is how do you, as a teacher, convey to your learner the end result, because ultimately the learner, having no idea what is to be learned, is never wrong. This is not to place blame on someone just trying to train their dog to potty outside. It is however a gentle reminder that if are struggling with teaching your dog something, the dog is pretty guessing at what that is and therefore it is up to the teacher to have a clear plan and not just issue the dog is dumb, or even worse being stubborn.

So if you are not getting the end result that you want, take a break and step back. Look at things like, do I have a clear, step by step plan and honestly, it is worth it to put a plan in writing to it is easier to see where something may not be clear to the learner and how you can make changes for success.

Are you teaching in an environment that has little to no distractions. When you are teaching a new behaviour the environmental distractions should not be competing with you. So plan for a quiet space for you and your dog to practice in and as your dog becomes successful then you can go to incrementally distracting environments to practice.

Is your dog open to learning? A tired or hungry puppy is not open to learning, so make sure that your dog (and you for that matter) are well rested, not hungry, or thirsty and have had adequate time to play, exercise and sniff (that is super important).

And if things are still just not working out, don’t worry, we are just a phone call away and we will help you solve the mystery.