If you took an obedience class back in the 80s, you could have learned to say things like AH-AH, NO, and HEY to stop your dog from doing something. And if you learned that that recently or find those old habits still with you, I’ve got something to help! Those short sharp words spoken harshly will startle dogs and stop a behavior, but they will also create stress and anxiety for a dog. Instead, we can teach words or sounds that will interrupt our dogs and let them know what we want them to do.
In the episode you'll hear:
- About the judgement we put on dogs when we use harsh words to stop behavior.
- The way to condition a new cue to use as a positive interrupter.
- How a positive interrupter should mean "stop what you are doing and come and find me".
- When to use a positive interrupter to give your dog something different to do.
- How an interrupter is not a recall cue and that your recall cue is sacred!
- About choosing the best sound or word to use as a positive interrupter.
- How you could use "wit-wit-wit-wit" as your positive interrupter.
- How to easily teach your new positive interrupter to help you and your dog.
- When to transition your new cue to real-life situations.
- That you need to be aware of the thing before the thing and inadvertent behavior chains.
Resources:
- Podcast Episode 157: Dog Body Language: Understanding Canine Communication Signals And Emotions
- Kikopup on YouTube
- Blog with Video: Teaching Puppies: It’s Just Arranging Coincidences
- Learn how to play ItsYerChoice (IYC)
- Podcast Episode 16: The Thing Before Your Dog’s Thing
- YouTube Playlist: Behavior Chains in Dog Training with Susan Garrett
- Podcast Episode 64: Help! How Can I Tell My Dog He’s Wrong?
- Podcast Episode 131: How Would Susan Garrett Plan Your Dog Training Sessions?
- Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube
My dog is 1.5 years old. Her worst behavior is she eats dirt and grass and anything tasty on the ground . She knows I don’t approve so she sees the whole thing as a game.. In the house she will “leave it” if I tell her too but outside running around in our yard she would eat the whole lawn if left her alone. What can I do about this?
I’m on Recallers and I’m curious why this is trained differently on there than you describe here and on YouTube?
Just started Recallers…so instead of Leave It which both dogs have been trained to ( unless there is HUGE HIGH VALUE -like a kid screaming or a squirrel ) , the part where you need another person in the Wit Wit , well well – I just moved and no friends or family and I am single… how do I do this with no other person? Also older dog (12) has spent her life with itchy paws which then became a habit of self soothing even when paws were good leading to not good paws… I can tell her “quit” and she will but as soon as I take off my focus … well it’s the time to go back to licking those paws!! I don’t demand tons of my older dog these days but with a 2 year old pup it’s a hard balance when there aren’t the same rules right?
Hi there, another fun and informative podcast but I guess I am on Team Confused. I have a 6 mo pup acting inappropriately with my other 2 adult dogs, one of which is a senior. I was thinking from podcast 157 that a positive interrupter was the method to use to redirect the pup – waiting 3 weeks before using it seems an awful long time? Do I keep everybody separated during that time? Thanks so much.
So….I need a training plan for getting my dog to stop barking at the TV. He watches tv when we have it on and is very sensitive to anything going on. If there is ominous music he’ll lightly whine, if someone pulls a gun or a knife on TV or gets in a fight ( I kid you not, we have videos and in no way did we ever encourage him to react to things on tv). But when he sees dogs he goes wild and depending on which tv In the house we are watching he then goes outside to what I can only assume is look for the dog he saw because he goes the the side of the yard that tv in the house is facing if that makes sense. Almost like he thinks it’s window. But a bear, a dinosaur, a cat comes on tv-he does not care. If asleep in another room and a dinosaur makes a noise that sounds similar to what a dog would made-he runs in there ready to get crazy until he realizes it’s a dinosaur and not a dog and he lays down and goes back to sleep. So of course we have just been working on management. Making sure to watch shows without dogs, crate our dog when watching tv ( though he still barks when he hears the dog), Positive interrupters – but we are in the situation to where now he will bark at the tv and then look at us for his reward. So we need a training plan. Any help appreciated. Many trainers have been unable to help with this.
My word will be Bubububu! Thankyou for your help. Hoping this will help with distracting dog from chasing cat!
I still am not sure what to do regarding the 3 week remark. Does this mean im not suppose to use the game for 3 weeks if so, what do i use in the meantime to stop him from unwanted behavior.
hi.My doggie is deaf so I am wondering how to incorporate some kind of cue to interrupt her behaviour.Thanx
Im sorry! I just relistened to the podcast, i am still so confused at the 3 week comment. Im not suppose to use this game for three weeks? even when they are doing something undesirable behavior. How do i stop them from , chasing the cat, getting on the end table? in the meantime while im practicing thanks
please respond here my eamail is not working thank you
hi im confused? Are you saying that we cant use the posistive interupter for 3 weeks? If so how do we stop our dogs from unwanted behavior? I have a yr old beagle with some negative behaviors that i need to stop. Your comment of you shouldnt be using this all the time, does that mean i havent done things properly, or i wouldnt have to use it a lot. thank you
When u drop food on the floor for this interruption cue do you need to use the find it cue as well.
My dog is getting confused as he has a strong release cue so if I am playing the find it game from his bed I need to release him first. He is a bit of a garbage guts when out on walls so I want him to be clear that he can’t eat food off the ground with our being cued
Hi Diane, Susan replied on YouTube:: Great question Diane! Yes use the word followed by your permission cue for him to eat it.