Sweat the small stuff in training. Big, dramatic behaviors are small things strung together.
There’s really no way to teach anyone the “big” things other than starting with the “small” things. No one can build a rocket that goes into space without knowledge about mechanics, physics, the atmosphere, and more. You have to know what those words mean and their applications to get started. I imagine that’s the first “small” thing for the rocket-building process. (I don’t know how to build a rocket, but that’s where I would begin to learn!)
“Getting Dressed” for a Walk: A Very Small Thing
If a dog volunteers to put his head into a collar you present, he’s more likely to be ready to make good choices when he faces challenges on your upcoming walk together. Your dog choosing to join you in getting him dressed is such a small thing, but so important. If the two of you have to argue to get the equipment on, your dog will be stressed, amped-up, and start the walk on edge. This won’t set either of you up for success.
Split the Small Things into Even Smaller Pieces
To teach your dog to help you leash him up, it’s likely you’ll have to break it down into even smaller pieces. One reliable mantra for training is, “Always be splitting.” It means to always be splitting behaviors into even smaller pieces – even if it seems like it’s just a tiny piece already! You can always make behaviors smaller.
We humans tend to want more. We want to use less energy to get more results. All organisms do, including your dog! Even in communicating with members of our own species, it’s hard to get out of ourselves and into someone else’s world to ensure they understand the message we want to send. It takes even more effort to get into the world of an individual of a different species. That’s where behavior science comes in!
Communicating Without Words
Language doesn’t have to be part of the equation, and everything becomes easier if we just set it aside. Can you “ask” your dog to show you a behavior related to an object you bring into his environment, without saying anything? Try it. Make learning easy for him and see what you can build.
How Does Your Dog Feel About This Equipment?
Every dog will have a different response to your presentation of a collar, harness, or leash, based on his previous experience with it (or lack thereof.) Is the object completely neutral? Is he a little concerned about it? Does he think it would be a fun thing to play with? Or does he shove his head right into it when you present it? (Which behavior do you prefer?)
Your dog’s experience will also cause these responses to the object to occur at different levels. He might run away and hide, draw back and shiver, or remain close without showing curiosity. These are just a few of many different levels of fearful responses, showing that you will need to work to make this new object positive for your dog. He has a negative association and you’ll need to change that.
Your dog might be curious, confidently reaching or moving toward the object to sniff it or even take it in his mouth. These responses show you that you have a strong start on teaching your dog what you want him to do with this collar, harness, or leash. He likes it already, and you just need to teach him just what you want him to do with it.
Breaking the Small Things into Smaller Pieces
Can you break down the behavior you want into small enough pieces that your dog will give you one right away?
You first need a vision of where you want to go. What is the behavior you’re dreaming of? I suggest this one: You hold up the object (collar, harness, leash), your dog comes running to push his head through to put it on.
This behavior description applies to a slip lead, which can be presented as a “hoop” like a collar or harness can. For a clip-on leash, you’ll want your dog to come running and present his neck or attachment point for the harness he’s already wearing. For a step-in harness, you’ll need the dog to put his feet into the harness loops while it’s laying on the floor. But you can shape the behaviors you need just as I’m describing here.
Practice the Small Things Before You Involve Your Dog
Visualize what you want the dog to do, and what you’ll be doing. Sit and contemplate how you’ll want your dog to be positioned to help you put the equipment on him. Make a plan. Practice how your hands will hold the item and how you’ll give the treats to reinforce the behaviors you observe.
Can You Notice the Small Things Your Dog Might Do?
Now, think about the smallest pieces of this behavior you might see your dog perform. This is key because it’s most efficient to be able to “capture” and reinforce any of these bits of behavior! Don’t let your lack of observation skills limit the behaviors you can notice that will further your goal. Be ready.
Your dog might look at the object: orient his head and/or toward it, perk his ears up, maybe even cock his head to one side. He might do this from a bit of distance.
Your dog might move toward the object: he might take a step, or if he’s already close he may lean toward it. A clicker or verbal marker will come in handy for this one, especially if your dog already has a habit of putting his mouth on the collar or harness. Click as he approaches or moves his face toward the item, before he opens his mouth. Offer a treat close to the object you’re working with.
What is the First Small Thing You’ll Reinforce?
If your dog has previously shown fearful behaviors related to the equipment, you’ll want to click at the moment his body language looks confident. Maybe he stands still instead of moving away. He might show you some level of curious behavior, if the item is at enough distance so he’s not scared it’s coming at him. After you click, offer a treat on the path between your dog and the item, but fairly close to the dog.
As your training progresses, you can start giving the treat a little closer to the collar/harness. You might even want to begin your training with an object that’s hoop-shaped but not a collar or leash, if your dog is afraid! The behavior you’re shaping is the same. You can transfer the behavior he’s learning to the collar or harness later, after it’s been reinforced many times without the scary collar in the picture.
Art + Science = Training
The art of training joins the science as you begin to subtly but purposefully change what you click for and where you present the treat. You’ll need to be very consistent, performing your behaviors in the same way every time. But you’ll also need to make deliberate changes in what behaviors you reinforce, at the right moments. If you want to get technical, these are called “criteria shifts.” But don’t worry about those words; just remember to focus on the small things.
Learn to See the Small Things
Success can be measured in various ways, but you don’t want to use “My dog stuck his head into the collar” as your first level. Learn to see the smallest bits, down to the flexing of a very small muscle. If your observation skills are well-enough developed that you can see when your dog’s foot is about to lift in order for him to take a step toward the object you’re working with, you’ll be ready to reinforce specifically when he does! You want to create a flawless series of behaviors.
The possibilities of achieving your training goals increase as you and your dog develop a fast and efficient process starting from when you choose to present the collar or harness. Present it when your dog is close enough to know you did, of course. But don’t present it when your dog is in the middle of a project like playing with a toy or searching for something!
The Small Things Lead to Fluent Behaviors
You can certainly reach the point in teaching your dog to “dress himself” where he is so fluent in the behavior that he will drop everything at the chance to do it. But the teaching process has to begin with the small things.
The Small Things in Your Own Behavior
Your own behavior choices will help your dog get his part correct. This extends to when you choose to click and when/how you deliver the treat. If you focus on these small things, you can build a set of behaviors that flows quickly and flawlessly.
Quality training produces reliable, consistent behaviors you can depend on. You and your dog can perform the ritual of putting on a collar, harness, or leash flawlessly and quickly, getting the two of you ready for an outing in mere seconds without even thinking about what you’re doing. Honestly, when I do it with my dogs, my thoughts turn to how great our partnership is and how cool it is that we work together to get this simple job done. This is what can happen with the practice of good training.
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