Some dogs have a hard time transitioning from an indoor environment (house and/or group class) to focusing outdoors. Even though our dogs spend most of the time with us indoors – we do need them to be able to focus and listen when outside for when we’re on walks, playing, and traveling.
1) Look at the Value of the Rewards: What’s different about dogs who transition easily to working outside? They love their rewards! 90% of the dogs I meet who struggle with focusing outside have low interest in food/toy rewards. If you have not already, try to increase your rewards – move from ‘dog treats’ to plain, cooked meat. Try different kinds of meat – something warm and smelly. Experiment and see what your dog loves – here’s a list of what my dogs like. And take a look at this list of tips to get dogs to eat more readily.
Note – if your dog is crazy about his rewards he will eat a treat and likely be staring at you, hoping to get more. If you have to put the treat in your dog’s mouth and he is only eating it when you insert the treat – he’s not so interested in that item – regardless of how much he may enjoy it when you are in a familiar indoor environment.
Outdoors!
2) Increase Your Requirements Indoors: Be sure your dog is responding right away, the first time when asked when you are indoors. Look for any weak areas and address these – ask your instructor if you need help. If your dog is not almost 100% indoors, it’s no surprise if he is struggling outdoors with the additional outdoor challenges. You can also add in controlled distractions in the house – set down items to practice walking past. Come up with a hard stay challenge and gradually work up to that level of challenge.
3) Bring the Outdoors Inside: A student last year gets full credit for this idea! Practice inside – but near an open window. There will be outdoor sounds and smells to add challenge – but possibly no sights (depending on the height of your window) and the familiar indoor environment. When your dog is doing well, practice near the door and then inside – but with the door propped open.
4) Lower Your Requirements Outdoors: Go back through your training process – but outdoors. If you’ve used a structured training plan then this should be fairly straightforward as you go through those steps again. Some teams struggle here if their dog wasn’t really trained – some dogs are really well behaved most of the time – and so we don’t always have a training foundation to fall back on. If you need help finding appropriate beginner steps, please contact an appropriate professional.
Wisconsin “Scenic view” hike
5) Get Offered Behaviors: Rather than thinking about controlling your dog – teach your dog to control himself and check in with you. This might be as simple as tossing a treat on the floor, waiting for your dog to look at you, and then having a huge reward party. If your dog is more experienced, you might be looking for offered sits, downs, etc. Be sure the behaviors are easily and smoothly happening – “loopy training.” Offered behaviors give you better results long term – and show that your dog is learning to make decisions and focus on his own.
We’re having a great fall, the dogs are excited about the walks and Blaze finds the cooler weather much more fun than the summer.