Sometimes dog training feels like an art. The more you perfect your timing, learn to read dog body language, and adapt your skills to the dog and situation, the more effectively you can train. But don’t discount dog training science – and consistency in dog training.
Good dog trainers know that certain training rules can make all the difference. One rule that many dog owners fail to follow is consistency. It’s more than just consistency in your dog’s routine. Your dog needs to know what’s expected, so randomly changing the rules, cues, or training approach will only cause confusion. Read on to learn what your dog trainer wishes you knew about consistency.
What Does It Mean to Be Consistent?
Consistency isn’t just about feeding your dog at the same time every day or providing a walk after dinner. Yes, consistency in your dog’s routine is important, but you must also look at all your interactions with your dog. Are you using your cues the same way each time? Are you habitually rewarding good behavior? Are the rules of the household the same no matter the circumstances? You also need to ensure everybody who works with your dog is on the same page.
Certified professional dog trainer Valerie Balwanz, CBCC-KA, CSAT, CPDT-KA, of Dog Training by Valerie explains, “To help a dog understand what is being asked of them, we want to keep as many things the same as possible. For example, each person should use the same hand gestures and the same words, even the same intonation. The way children might ask for behavior can sound different than the way an adult asks for it, but if both use the same hand signal, this can help the dog recognize what is being asked.”
The Benefits of Consistency
According to certified professional dog trainer Rachel Lane, M.Sc., CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, of Leash & Learn, consistency is one of the most important keys to successful and effective dog training. It speeds up the training process and fosters confidence in you and your dog. “Consistency in your interactions with your dog, the rules you establish and enforce, and the routines you implement are a way to clearly communicate with your dog. You are teaching them what to expect at given times and in given situations. Over time, this builds their confidence and teaches your dog that they are safe with you and can trust you.”
Not only does consistency build confidence, but it also helps prevent dog anxiety. Balwanz points out that inconsistent rules can stress a dog. “If one person in a household invites a dog onto the furniture and another tells the dog they are not allowed on the furniture, this is confusing for the dog. If some people let the dog jump on them to greet, while others are discouraging it, again, the dog does not know the rules. Allowing a behavior sometimes and not others undermines training efforts.”
Consistency can also help prevent problem dog behaviors such as barking or jumping. These are often caused by your dog’s confusion about the rules or their reaction to your unpredictability. Lane says, “When training or interacting with your dog in a way which your dog perceives as inconsistent and unpredictable, they are often left feeling confused, stressed, and frustrated. And you likely are, too.”
Common Mistakes With Consistency
Similarly, inconsistency can maintain unwanted behaviors. Dog trainers often see people struggling to reduce a dog’s behavior they don’t like. But when the trainer digs deeper, they realize the owners are occasionally reinforcing the negative behavior, whether they realize it or not. For example, when you let your dog jump up on you while you’re wearing your jeans but not your work clothes. Or if one person feeds the dog from the table while others don’t. Because the behavior still gets your dog what they want, even if it’s only on occasion, they will continue to perform it.
Balwanz points out another common dog training mistake – having the wrong kind of consistency. If you always have your training sessions in the same place, you can’t expect your dog to behave outside of that location. “This type of consistency doesn’t aid in generalization or proof behaviors with distractions. If you only train in the kitchen, you’ll have a well-behaved dog in the kitchen. Varying the location of the training lessons helps a dog generalize the behavior to new places.”
Lane often sees clients who are unaware of their own inconsistency, which can range from using different mechanics and cues, applying different rates of reinforcement, or having different routines between family members. She suggests that families sit down together, develop a plan that everybody can agree on, and then do their best to follow it. “As we talk about it, people realize they have all been using different cues at different times, and no wonder the dog is confused, they are confused too! Taking the 10 minutes to sit and come together can prevent months of frustration created through inconsistency.”
What Dog Trainers Wish You Knew About Consistency
Balwanz wishes her clients realized that a word can only have one meaning for a dog. For example, “down” can only mean lie down. It can’t also mean get off the couch. She recommends being consistent in how you use your words and what you expect your dog to do in response to them. Along with consistency in how you ask for a behavior, be consistent with how you respond. “Good behaviors that we’d like to see more of should be consistently reinforced.”
Lane acknowledges that no one is going to be perfectly consistent. It’s okay if there’s a mistake occasionally. But she wants people to realize that the more consistent they are, the more successful their training will be. “It is unfair of our dogs to ask them to know something that we have not actually taught them. If we sometimes allow begging, how will they learn that they are not allowed to do it? We cannot change our rules just because we are in a different mood. That is unfair to your dog and leads to both the dog and the people being frustrated.”