The Rules of the Game

Every now and then someone asks me what the "correct" command is for a behavior, or what the "rules" are for certain behaviors — for example, should their dog hold a specific position when asked to "stay" or can they relax into whatever position they prefer, as long as they don't move? But the fact of the matter is — there is no correct answer!
When it comes to training your animals, you get to decide what your rules are based on the life you lead, and how you envision your relationship with your dog. Previously, my criteria for a stay was staying in place, regardless of position. If Koa decided to lie down, or sit up, it was fine by me, as long as she didn't move location. But, further down the line, as we got into the KPA program and started working on slightly more advanced stuff, I needed her to hold specific positions, so I redefined the criteria for my stays and taught her the new "rules."



Before teaching new behaviors or deciding on your criteria for behaviors, think about what you are training for, what you want these behaviors to look like, and when you will be using them.  Do you want your dog to heel in alignment with your left leg, or are you okay with a dog that sniffs around a little ahead or behind you? For me, a relaxed walk with no pulling is perfectly acceptable! Having a clear definition for each behavior is really important, because it will help your dog understand what you want. If sometimes you ask for a stay, and a relaxed down is reinforced but other times you ask for a stay and you get frustrated with your dog for not holding a sit, they are going to become confused. It's best to decide what your dog will get paid for and what will be a retry beforehand to avoid confusion.

Furthermore, if you're going to change the rules or teach new rules, start by making it really easy for your dog to figure out and "win." When I changed the rules of my stays with Koa and started asking her to hold stays in the standing position, for example, I started by simply clicking and treating rapidly as she held the standing position. This high rate of reinforcement kept her from becoming discouraged and disengaging. Most dogs are taught a sit or down as a default behavior, so holding a stand is a little strange at first. But if you give off a flurry of clicks and treats for a still stand, the light bulb will go off — "Oh! I'm getting paid to stand here, cool!" Then you can add your cues back in and start making things more challenging with distance, duration, etc. But if I had just told her to "stay" and then walked away, she would have settled into a familiar sit or down stay, and been completely baffled that she wasn't earning any reinforcement!

So remember — training your dog is a game that you get to make the rules of, but it's only fun if you set your dog up to win!