Beware the uninterruptible pattern!

It's a good idea to keep your eyes open and test your dog to ensure his learning isn't a series of uninterruptible patterns and that you can always catch his attention mid anything he's doing.

If we pepper this in at home, we'll be better able to keep peppering it in out and about, and we'll be more likely to have a dog that can interrupt behavioural patterns if we need him to.

Examples:

Dogs that are broadly confused in their life will lock on to events in which they know for certain they can do the right thing. These often include; getting into the car, pulling their owner to the house for the last bit of the walk, springting home, jumping up and down at doorways, desperation to leave for a walk when their person picks up their keys or a lead and ball chasing patterns.

What to do about it:

If you can't catch his attention (and by this I mean he pauses and looks you in the eye, with a Yes? feel), try saying his name as a question, wait for him to look at you and toss him a bit of cheese. Literally toss the cheese and walk away, we don't need to say good boy, or thank you, or anything, just toss the cheese and walk away. Do this many times over a couple of weeks and then start trying to interrupt things he's doing in a more concentrated fashion. Hopefully he'll be able to flick an eye to you to earn cheese.

If his pattern is completely uninterruptible, he may need to retain it to function in the life he's found himself in. I would say if you try the above with cheese over a couple of weeks and if he says he simply CAN'T break his focus for certain tasks, believe him and notice it, but leave him to it.

CAVEAT!

If a dog is being inspected by another dog, he cannot come to you. Dogs can't interrupt that sequence without risking a pounding from the inspecting dog. Touch always beats talk - if he's being touched by another dog, or the dog is in very close proximity, don't ever call him. He cannot come to you at that point.

If the dog being inspected responds by inspecting, neither dog can leave.

For more information about this, please wait for our Dog Social Rules course that is coming soon in the Courses tab.🐾