There are many ways to teach a dog new skills and “shaping” is one of them. The process of shaping gradually builds on a certain behaviour, by breaking it down into very small achievable steps taking it nice and slow. Arnold was able to work this out with zero encouragement or coaxing from me as he offered these behaviours freely, through choice and by being rewarded. It’s amazing to watch the cogs turning, this is one of my favourite ways to teach something new.
It’s so easy to give cue words and gestures but sometimes if you just do nothing and allow them to work it out for themselves, you’ll see the magic happen. When a dog doesn’t get it instantly we can be too quick to jump in and say lots of confusing words to them, but sometimes saying nothing and letting them process things in their own time is far more effective. There are different ways we can shape a behaviour but this is definitely one of my favourites... It actually feels like we’re communicating telepathically!!
#wainwrightscanineacademy #happy #love #dogs #dogtraining #dogtrainer #imdt #shaping #forcefree #choice