definitions of terms commonly used by trainers, including myself
BREAK When your dog breaks a command. Ex – Dog is asked to sit, and before given a release command, he stands up, lays down, or walks away.
CLICKER A small device with a button that makes a clicking sound. When conditioned properly, the dog will associate a single clicking sound with food. This can be used to teach new behaviors, especially tricks.
CLOSE APPROXIMATION When training a dog through shaping with a marker, this is any time a dog comes close to the behavior you are looking for. Ex – Dog puts his nose on a light switch, and you want him to put his teeth on it. Click for him putting his nose, and he’ll keep offering similar results.
COMMAND Word, short phrase, or hand gesture that signals to perform a specific behavior.
CONDITION To pair a person, place, or thing with positive reinforcement, so that in time, the dog will associate one with the other. Ex – to associate the sound of a clicker with food, so that the sound of a click becomes a signal for a reward.
CONSEQUENCE (see Correction) Used when a dog does not perform the behavior asked of him or her. A consequence can be as simple as the word “No”, or it could be a correction, showing the dog that he cannot get away with disobeying.
CONSISTENCY This is one of the three most important things in training a dog. Consistency means being constant with following through with a consequence or correction if a dog disobeys a command, or rewarding a dog for positive behavior. Ex – if a dog is allowed on the furniture by one member of the household, but is corrected by another member of the household, then the owners are being inconsistent with training the dog of what is allowed.
CORRECTION (see Pop Release) This is a form of punishment that, when used properly, does not hurt the dog, but shows the dog that there is a consequence for misbehaving.
COUNTER CONDITION This is a form of conditioning used to help a dog that has a negative experience with a person, place, or thing, and over time, associate it with good things. Ex – Once a dog has a solid understanding of the Place command, it can be a great tool in helping counter condition a dog that is scared of a vacuum cleaner to sit there quietly, and not try to attack it.
DURATION How long a dog continues a command. Ex – if a dog is asked to sit, and then stays in a sit for 2 minutes, that is a sit duration. If he is released right away, and asked to sit again, that is sit frequency.
FOLLOW THROUGH (see Consequence) When training a dog new behaviors, the handler must always follow through after a command is said, to make sure the dog performs this behavior within 1.3 seconds. This can be simple pressure on a dog’s bum to guide him into a sit, or a quick Pop Release if the dog already knows “sit” but is inconsistent in sitting every time.
FORGE When a dog walks in front of the handler while heeling.
FREE Instead of using the unnecessary word “Stay” after every command, “Free” is used as a release command to allow a dog to end a specific behavior. Ex – When asked to sit, the dog should sit until handler says “Free”. The same goes for the commands of Place, Down, and Heel.
FREQUENCY Quick repetition of a single command, used at the beginning of every new behavior a dog is learning. Ex – When teaching a dog to sit, handler will sit the dog, give him or her a treat, and then say “free”. Then they will do it again as many times as they can do in one minute.
GENERALIZE To show a dog that a command is the same no matter where it is performed. Ex – For a dog to truly understand what the word “Sit” means, they should be able to sit by your side, in front of you, in mid-run, in front of a door, while the vacuum cleaner is going, during a thunderstorm, when a stranger calls their name from across the room, etc.
GREEDY Trainers often caution handlers to not be greedy, which means don’t move too fast, and make sure that you offer the right amount of reward for a dog learning a behavior. When you get too greedy, the dog may not understand the behavior yet, and does not understand why he or she is being corrected.
HANDLER A person who physically and mentally works with and trains a dog.
INTERACTIVE TOY Toys that aid in a dog’s mental and physical stimulation, which are 2 key ingredients to a happy dog.
JACKPOT When training, it is important for the handler to reward the dog for good behaviors. Every now and then, when a dog does something REALLY good, instead of giving them just one treat, you might give them a handful. Jackpot!
LAG When heeling, if a dog falls behind, they are lagging.
MARK Using a word such as “yes”, or using a single click from the clicker, marks a good behavior for a dog. After saying this word or clicking, the dog anticipates a reward within one second.
MOTIVATION Dogs, like humans, don’t want to do something for nothing. How do we pay them? Some common things dogs will offer their attention and obedience for are: playtime with a favorite toy, a food treat, or physical affection and praise.
PARTY Throwing a party means making a big deal out of something a dog does. Used mainly in recalls or Jackpot moments, it’s important to make exciting sounds, smile a lot, laugh, and generally be very, very excited and happy whenever your dog does something really good. They love to see you excited!
PLACE BED Canvas bed with elevated boundaries. Your dog will learn this is a place to hang out, where he can stand, sit, or lay down, chew on a bone, or go to sleep. With training, dogs learn that they are not allowed to bark, whine, be destructive, or get off until you release them. Later, the place bed can be generalized to a fuzzy bed, or whatever place your dog sleeps and hangs out in your house.
*POP RELEASE A form of correction using a leash, where the handler flicks their wrist just enough on a loose leash to tighten the leash quickly, to administer a stimulation to the dog’s collar. *Best if learned with a trainer for visual and vocal guidance.
RECALL Commonly known as the “Come” or “Here” command. During a recall, the dog should book it to the handler in record speed.
REWARD Showing your dog that he did something good by giving him or her food, a toy, or praise.
REWARD HISTORY The history of how many times a dog has gotten rewarded for a specific behavior. The more repetition that goes into training specific cues and commands, the more solid the reward history, which means Fido is that much more likely to follow through each time.
REINFORCE To strengthen a behavior by rewarding the dog with food, play, or praise.
STIMULATION A sensation during a correction that is temporarily unpleasant on the neck of a dog when wearing a collar. It is similar to the feeling a puppy endures when their mother bites them on the neck in nature, to get them back in line.
TIMING The period of time between a dog performing a correct behavior, and the handler rewarding the dog, or a dog breaking a command, and the handler administering a consequence to the dog.
TREAT POUCH A must have for training dogs, any kind of pouch, pocket, or waist apron that can hold treats, so that timing and consistency can be obtained every time the dog does the right thing.
Tags: definitions, dog training, dog training definitions, training terms
