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HOW DOGS LEARN:

Dogs learn mostly by cause and effect. They will try a behavior, and if the outcome is positive to them, then they will repeat the behavior. Or, if the behavior causes a negative experience, they will avoid that behavoir. The trick is knowing what the dog considers to be positive or negative (not what we think it is!).

Another way to say this is, dogs are opportunists, and will do what works best for them!

Dogs are creatures of habit. Once they are used to doing a behavior a certain way, they very seldom ever question it. So consistency on our part will go a long ways in training!

Dogs are constantly learning, even when you are not training!

Dogs do not generalize. What your dog has learned in your house, will be forgotten anywhere else.

Dogs do NOT speak English! Attaching a word to an action performed by your dog is just creating an association between the sound you make and the movement your dog makes, along with the surrounding distractions at that time. It is a habit that you've created for your dog.

Dogs that do not do what's asked, haven't yet made the association between the sound they hear from you, and the action you want them to make. Could be the duration has changed, the distance between you has changed, or the distractions are too strong (See the 3 D's of training). Backup and retrain for your given situation!

Dogs are easily distracted.

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