Someone once said, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.” While that thought brings a smile, have we considered the flip side? If we repeat our actions over and over again, we should be able to count on the result.

We might even say that this applies to general thinking when it comes to dog training. If you repeatedly give your dog a biscuit for sitting when asked, you should be able to count on the result. This reward vs. no reward concept is widely used in dog training.

However, have you ever stopped to consider that this is the same method dogs use to teach us what they want? We are not the only clever ones. In fact, I think dogs do a great job teaching their humans and seem to get the upper hand in many homes.

Clever ‘Levi’
I can start with my own little terrier. Levi came to me as a rehomed dog when she was close to a year old. She was a bundle of energy and at 13 hasn’t slowed down much. She is clever and has the art of manipulation down pat.

Her main issue was coming when called in the park. It was my goal to give her some freedom, so it was important that she have a reliable Recall. She was rewarded hundreds of times over a few months for running like the wind toward me when she heard her name. She was the talk of the park because her Recall was so fast and reliable.

Over time, I noticed Levi running further and further away. She would always come when called, but her roaming distance seemed to increase daily. After observing her, a light bulb went off in my head. If she was close by, she wasn’t called; if she wasn’t called, she didn’t get a tasty morsel for returning. She had trained me very well. She knew that if she went a distance that made me uncomfortable, she would be called back and receive her treat.

Our new program started immediately. Instead of calling her back, I gave her treats and attention for be-ing close. I would occasionally drop a treat out of my pocket when she was nearby and hadn’t been called. Whenever she went too far, I would walk in the oppo-site direction. I knew she had her eye on me at all times. If she ran back to catch up, there was no reward. The only reward was for being close to me.

That did the trick and while she still has a fantastic Recall, she now chooses to stick around.

How smart is your dog?
Our dogs are clever and spend their days observing us, and there are many ways they train us. Attention-seeking is huge in dogs, and when they want our attention, they get it. Imagine sitting at the computer and your dog is bumping your arm, bumping your arm, bumping your arm. Eventually you pay attention. You might think that your dog has to go outside, but generally that isn’t the case. Dogs that bark at us so we’ll speak to them have us well trained. If you ignore these behaviours, they will soon disappear.

How about the dog that barks at the door to go out? Is that real or is he just calling you to the door to see some activity? I’m sure our dogs are telling each other, “Check out how fast I can get my people to run to the door.” Get up and let your dog out initially, but if this starts to happen every hour, you know you’re in trouble. It takes an observant owner to decipher their own dog’s language and know when the need to go out is legitimate, but keep in mind that your dog might just want to see a scurry of activity and get some attention.

Can you imagine? Now there are dogs that won’t come when called, but if they call us to the door, we come at the speed of lightning and they get rewarded for it.

There are even some dogs that are so smart a turn of the head will get them what they want. They will sit beside their people and do the head tilt, and who can resist? Very clever. Of course, there is really no harm in this, but it’s interesting to see a dog’s mind at work.

Dogs train us when we think we’re training them. We teach them to walk nicely beside us on a walk, but the walk will continue even if they pull. They wait for the two- or three-sit command. Sit, sit, sit and finally a response. They are even clever enough to roll on their backs for a belly rub right in the middle of a training exercise. And who can resist them?

Consistency pays off
Many dogs simply want to wiggle out of the rules. Dogs that are told numerous times to do something and are finally left alone have learned that if they ignore their people, they will eventually be let off the hook. You must be consistent; when you ask your dog to do some-thing (Sit, Down, Get off the counter) you need to follow up. This is the primary way dogs learn that we mean what we say. No muss, fuss, yelling or upset, just follow-through. Consistency now will save you time and frustration in the future.

The other day I was having coffee with a friend who recently acquired a seven-year-old Husky mix. It has been many years since they’ve shared their home with a dog, and this one has stolen their hearts. There are many stories of ‘Juno,’ and how clever he is, and I have to agree. He’s a lovely dog that had lived a sheltered life and is now getting the attention he deserves.

The other day Juno started pushing at my friend’s arm in a determined way. They were savvy enough to not just give him a pat, but to get up and see what he wanted. He immediately ran to the back door and, once outside, promptly tossed up his dinner. His communication with his owner paid off… for both of them.

Who’s the smart one now?

By Gillian Ridgeway

The director of Who’s Walk­­ing Who (Toronto and Ajax), and co-author of the book Citi­zen Canine, Gil­lian Ridge­­­­­­way has been working with fam­ily dogs for over 34 years. She can be reached at www.whoswalkingwho.net

(Originally appeared in our December 2008 issue)