The Proof Is In The Petting
The first time I saw the video, around 1990, I was very impressed. There were a number of service dogs practicing loading onto a city bus. Brand new to dog training and never having seen anything like this, I remember thinking very excitedly, “this is a very cool thing!” Each participant in the two week training period for service dogs, that was then referred to as “Boot Camp,” took a turn loading onto the bus. He or she wheeled their chair onto the lowered ramp, set the brakes, sat their dog and then the platform was raised up. Once inside the bus the dog was maneuvered into position in a small space beside the wheelchair. The bus driver then secured the wheelchair with straps..
A few years later, having gained some training experience, I happened across the video again. This viewing brought about a different reaction. It is so easy to be a Monday morning quarterback but hindsight can be helpful once you have a clue as to what to look and listen for. The video, in reality, was a how not to, rather than a how to, tutorial. The first clue was the trainer saying, “This is the first time these dogs have been on a bus.” That was a huge red flag, looking back from today. At the time, loading on a bus was innovative. Looking at the individual dogs, one could see signs of stress and hesitation. While the teams were successful, there was quite a lot of prompting required. The dogs were clearly not sharing my original excitement at the groundbreaking innovation they were participating in.
There is no magic involved in training a service dog. You do your training and then you do a lot more of it. You take the training on the road and spend a great deal of time in public, where a dog learns to deal calmly with, and ignore distractions. You want a bored (not stressed) yawn, “been there, done that” attitude. Pet dogs are subject to the same laws of operant conditioning as service dogs. Many pet dogs would make fine service dogs if trained to a higher level. There was one dog, a very special Yellow Lab, that I worked with long ago. This guy could retrieve anything, be called back from a thrown ball he was chasing, was easily called over food, would Sit and Down at a distance, turn lights off and on, heel beautifully on and off leash and so on- a full repertoire. His owner was not at all interested in training or interacting with him. She just wanted to have him worked and kept out of trouble. She never knew what her dog had accomplished. And she was in a wheelchair.
Pets owners obviously do not need their charges to learn the tasks required of a service dog. But a great many would be up to the challenge if their two legged companions were motivated to teach them. The majority of pets are quite capable of acquiring the decorum displayed in public by a “finished” service dog. It all depends on what a dog has been taught. And what the dog has been taught is dependent on what his/her person has learned. A dog or person cannot be expected to perform at a higher level than he or she has been trained up to. Of the numerous models that describe stages of learning, there are a couple that apply well to training people and dogs. The first model applies very well to handlers, the second to handlers and dogs.
Stages Of Learning (1):
Stage 1. Unconscious Incompetence. In this stage “We do not know what we do not know.” “Our Confidence exceeds our ability.” This was me when I was first starting to train and saw the video of the bus loading. This is a first time dog owner coming to a class for the first lesson.
Stage 2. Conscious Incompetence. “Confidence drops as we realize our ability is limited.” “We are uncomfortable.” “Much learning occurs.” This is me seeing the video for the second time. This is the newbie dog owner “beginning to get it” but the process is “not automatic yet.”
Stage 3. Conscious Competence. “Confidence increases with our ability.”
“We can perform the skill without assistance.” “This is a stage where many choose to remain.” Pet owners most often choose not to go beyond a certain point of training. If dog training was that important to a pet owner, he or she would have become a dog trainer.
Stage 4. Unconscious Competence. Training becomes “second nature.” The training is effortless, without thinking. All trainers aspire to this level.
The second model, when tweaked a bit from a number of other sources, works well with dogs and people:
The Four Stages Of Learning: (2).
Acquisition: This is the very beginning. A dog is lured into a Sit or Down. The “Student receives praise, encouragement for effort.” (And perhaps a treat). The dog or person is “not yet able to perform learning task reliably or with high level of accuracy.” The student has begun to learn how to complete the target skill correctly but is not yet…. fluent in the skill. (3).
Fluency/Proficiency: If a dog is trained often and consistently, you will get results. The dog will get pretty darn swift and efficient at the Sit or Down and other tasks. Lures and prompts can be faded. The dog says, “this working for a living is a very swell thing!” The new dog owner goes, “gosh, my dog is really clever after all, watch this!” Practice often, give a lot of feedback. Feedback goes both ways. We all like to be told how clever we are.
Generalization: ‘ “Proofing,” in dog training parlance, means practicing a behavior in different environments and situations, until your dog generalizes the desired behavior and can do it anywhere, even with distractions.’ ‘ (4). You now take the training on the road. Work in every possible location, building Duration, Distance and Distraction. This is the “been there, done that” part of the training. Spend as much time as possible out in public. You may have to return a number of times to a location if a dog finds the environment distracting. Ideally, each time you return you will begin at a higher level of calm and control. Socializing is not just a dog showing up, it is behaving well enough to be a polished example of the Emily Post of Dogdom.
Maintenance: Exercise the behavior muscle to keep tasks well toned. Practice often and “accuracy and proficiency remain at high levels.” (5). This is the level where the response of a dog who sits before eating or sits before going through a door is so automatic the owner no longer has to cue or “command” him/her. “Practice is everything. This is often misquoted as Practice makes perfect.” (6). Practice keeps it perfect
.Adaptation: This is the level where what is learned can be applied in new situations. “In simple words, this skill may be referred to as ‘problem solving’.” (7).
The service dogs loading on the bus had been trained in their tasks to a high level but they were having difficulty. They were quite beyond fluent and proficient at the behaviours they had been taught and were well into the maintenance stage. They had a solid Sit and could maneuver effortlessly to proceed behind the wheelchair or to come front, face the chair and back up on cue in tight spots. This work had been honed in many locations and situations. But they had never practiced these skills near or on a bus. They were not prepared to levitate either into the bus or into the Adaptation Stage of learning. The handlers of the dogs were teetering between the first two levels of learning in both models. They were caught between Unconscious Incompetence and Conscious Incompetence. Their skills and knowledge straddled Acquisition and Fluency/Proficiency. They were doing well but still required a lot more practice and feedback. The trainer leading the exercise was at the Adaptation level of learning as she worked to sort what individual dogs and handlers needed to be successful.
Over time, confident bus loading was established by revisiting the lower stages of learning, beginning at square one with buses. Exposure to buses was introduced much earlier in training. Dogs were acquainted with buses by ambulatory trainers working at the bus depot. A moving bus can be intimidating to a dog at first. Once comfortable at a distance, dogs were worked closer to and then boarded the bus and went for spins. They had to get accustomed to the lowering of a ramp with all that weird movement and beeping. Being raised up on a ramp was another tricky piece of the puzzle. Next step was to add a wheelchair. Some dogs’s eventual partners would require working next to a power chair. Some dogs worked on the left side of the chair, some others on the right. Once on the bus it was tight quarters to maneuver chair and dog to the location reserved for wheelchairs. Finally, a dog had to accept the driver leaning over both dog and handler to secure the chair to the bus. At that time, some dogs were cued to jump onto the bus and the driver held the leash while the chair and handler were raised on the ramp. There were a good many pieces to the proofing puzzle of bus loading.
Most bus drivers were very accommodating and helpful at the bus station if they had time before their next round. The bus training evolved further in that the Supervisor of bus drivers not only scheduled regular sessions during what later became “Team Trainings,” but also scheduled regular times during the two semesters of training leading up to the “Team Trainings.” Later, puppies were introduced to buses before being turned in for advanced training. Over time, these sessions also expanded into training sessions for new bus drivers as they worked their way up through the stages of learning in their profession. The Supervisor became a most welcome addition to the “Team Training” lunches on the days of bus loading. When the Supervisor drove his bus up those first times it was obvious that he was at the top of his game and enjoyed driving the huge vehicles. He retired a couple years later. He was so enthusiastic about his work, we wondered how he would problem solve the question of what to do once retired- a big Adaptation. He retired only to begin driving buses for private tours. But from then on dogs had the “been there, done that” attitude that the work of solid “proofing” provides. Bus loading was now a potential adventure for the dogs.
Proofing plays a big role in training pets as well as service dogs. A simple Sit seems easy enough to teach any dog but when a guest arrives many a pet “socialpath” is transmogrified into a perpetual motion machine. Pet owners often state that “my dog knows how to Sit but he is just too friendly, he loves everyone” or “he knows Sit if there is nothing going on and he sees a treat.” Most dogs also have an eight hour Down as well- but only when they sleep at night. Unfortunately, very few pet owners are interested in training their dog beyond the basics and reside on the bottom rung of the learning ladder. Being at the first level of Unconscious Incompetence, one doesn’t know what questions to ask. Once a pet owner realizes his “too friendly” pup who lovingly mauls guests in a frenzied, furry whirlwind, can be rehabilitated into a member of polite society, learning can begin. Where to start?
Before ascending through the learning levels, the free spirited greeter must be put on leash. Situations in the environment must be managed for basic learning to progress. The patterns of ill mannered greeting must be completely stopped while the unruly canine concierge has his duties redefined. A target goal would be to have the pup Sit calmly and accept petting from a guest. Or at least, Sit until released to say hi. (if a dog is anxious the Target Goal is for her to be comfortable at an approach but a comfortable distance is kept). Learning a solid Sit requires work at the Acquisition and Fluency levels before Proofing or Generalization can take place. Like the training of service dogs, it helps to break the behaviors into smaller doable parts.
Keep the Distraction level low- no knocks or bells or untrained guests at this point. Practice with family members. Have them approach the offender but stop at a distance he can keep his Sit and get a treat for this supreme effort. Avoid direct eye contact and direct body language, if either of those two things rev him up. Gradually, over a number of sessions, advance closer to him as he keeps his position. Do many repetitions,keeping the dog “below threshold.” Good behaviour results in soft praise and an occasional treat. If the pup breaks to visit, have your helper retreat and the good things don’t happen. Repeat often. As the dog becomes adept at keeping his derriere attached to the floor, the approacher adds a bit more distraction- walking up a bit faster, leaning over, reaching for the dog, adding a gradually more excited high pitched voice. At some point, if you choose, release the dog on cue to approach your helper to be petted. Then have her return to your side. You have now installed an Off/On switch on your energizer puppy. She stays in her Sit until released, or given another cue- no options. Finally, the helper briefly pets the dog who remains in position. Later more enthusiastic petting can be applied. This will take a number of sessions. Over time, proof with as many people as you can possibly enlist to help and who will follow your direction.. As she progresses and is successful with more people, you will get an automatic Sit at the approach of someone. Now, return to the original problem of a guest at the door. (See previous blog entry, “Trifecta Of Troubles Part 3, You Have A Visitor, Mr. Puppy”).
Proofing a cheeky dog to calmly accept petting is every bit the challenge of a service dog task. A lot of headache can be avoided by starting to educate a puppy or new dog on day one. Proofing requires a lot of practice and for both dog and handler to have advanced well into the third level of learning, Generalization. Few pet owners aspire to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test which, among its ten exercises, includes Test 2: Sitting politely for petting. (8). But a pet owner who has taught his dog to remain calm and be petted by a guest has earned countless kudos and praise galore for a job well done. This is no small task! The proof is in the petting.
(1). Stages of Learning - Four stages
(2). This is the model I remember but could not find the original source.
There are a few variations from additional sources (3) and (4) and (6)..
(4). Proofing a Dog Training Behavior | Best Friends Animal Society
(5). Periander - Practice is everything. This is often... Periander- The Second Tyrant of Corinth.
(6). ow We Learn: Stages of Learning | PACE
(7). unit-6 - Unit-6.pdf