Does your dog really know that cue?

This is a question I find myself asking my clients quite often.  My new clients usually will say “Yes!” immediately and then give the cue to their dog ten times before the dog finally complies. Clients who have been working with me for a while know better than to immediately say yes when I ask that question.

They know that if I ask, does your dog truly know the cue, that I mean, will your dog respond correctly the first time you ask? Will your dog hold the position and look to you for what is next? Can your dog do the cue, no matter what they are doing beforehand? Are they actually listening to you? Here is the thing, there is a difference between what your dog knows will work and what your dog truly understands.  A lot of the time, if you have not actually put the work in, your dog is just guessing! They know that when you look at them and are holding a treat in your hand, they should put their little tushy on the ground because that usually gets them the treat.  The fact that you said “sit” isn’t what caused your dog to move into that position, the treat in your hand and your body language did. 

Put it to the test: With your hands behind your back and say “Sit”. Did your dog sit? If so, did they sit right after you said the word? Or did they start sitting before you could get the word out? If you can keep your hands behind your back and say “sit” and your dog responds correctly after you said the cue, then congratulations, your dog has a foundational understanding of the word sit!  Can you do the same thing with the cue “down”?  Can you ask your dog to sit with your back to them? Can they do a sit on cue when they are really excited? 

It is important to determine whether or not your dog actually understands the cue you are giving and to what level, so that when you do ask them to “sit” or “drop” or “come”, you know what to expect.  Knowing what your dog understands and how well they truly understand it, is so important because it keeps us from asking more of them than they are capable of doing, which would then cause failure and frustration for both you and your pup. 

So always look at the situation and before you ask your dog to do something, ask yourself if they can actually do it first.