A Glossary of Terms For Dog Training
In This Blog You Will Find:
Definitions of words commonly used in dog training
Definitions of words used in training sessions with Sherri from Rascals and Rescues
To make the most of your experience with a dog trainer, it’s helpful to have a shared training language between the two of you to clearly and efficiently communicate your dog’s needs and training plan. For people in the Nanaimo area interested in working with me, I’ve provided this glossary (below) as a resource to get you familiar with the terms I commonly use in my training sessions and in the post-training notes I send to each of my clients following a lesson.
If you are preparing to adopt a dog or welcome a puppy into your family, share this blog post with each of your family members so everyone who will be part of your dog’s training can have a shared training language!
Note: all terms are listed below in alphabetical order for ease of use. Don’t see a term on this list that you commonly use? I invite you to reach out with your question through my contact form!
Aggressive: barking and/or lunging outbursts from your dog towards another person or animal
Aggressive behaviour is your dog intending to cause harm. More simply put, it’s your dog communicating “Attack!”
Note: ‘Aggressive’ and ‘Reactive’ are often used interchangeably, but the behaviour stems from different parts of the brain. See “Reactive” definition listed below for more details.
Correction: a verbal sound or physical movement intended to alter a dog’s behaviour
A correction can be used when an animal knows what to do, but because of being over-aroused, fearful, or reactive, acts in a manner that may be dangerous to themselves or someone else. The correction may be a sound, word, down command, or a physical correction, such as a tug on the leash, taking the dog's collar, or stimulation on a remote collar. It depends on the dog and the situation.
Scenario 1: My 90-pound reactive dog knows that he cannot jump on strangers—period. In the past, he did this when he was anxious or overwhelmed. I knew he intended to make that person go away, and it was my job to teach him other ways he could manage those intense feelings. Now, because of our training and relationship, I am confident that he knows that behaviour is not acceptable. So, if he does become over-aroused and jumps on someone, he receives a swift correction. I grab his collar and say “no” loudly and then “down,” because I need to interrupt his behaviour quickly. Once he is calm, we can proceed with the rest of our day, and I can reward him for all the great things he does throughout the rest of the day—no hard feelings on either side.
Place: a designated bed, mat, or towel, in the house/outside
This is the spot that your dog goes to when someone knocks on the door, or when you are eating dinner, or when you are sitting on a café patio. For a reactive dog in your home, the safe “place” for your dog may be in their crate or behind a gate, because we want the dog to know “It's okay, I got this. You are off duty.”
Recall: to come when called
Having a reliable dog who can return when called, even when there are ample distractions is very important for their safety and wellbeing.
And, dogs aren’t the only ones who have recalls instilled into their daily life. Think of your own home at dinnertime. If you call out “dinner” and everyone is hungry, they will quickly be at the table. However, suppose someone is playing a video game, watching a YouTube video, or is busy outside. In that case, you will end up waiting, frustrated, and watching your dinner go cold because your family's motivation to continue what they are doing is stronger than their desire to eat.
Now, think of your dog outside. You say, “Fido, come!” and she looks at you, then puts her head down and keeps sniffing. She's not trying to make a point; she is just more interested in what she's doing than in what you asked her to do.
Then add a squirrel, a rabbit, or another dog, and she doesn't even hear “Fido, come!” Her adrenaline has kicked in, and she is only focused on getting what she wants.
We have all been in situations, perhaps with our own dogs, when we can't call them back to us and yell out to another dog owner, “It's okay, she's friendly!” That is shorthand for “Sorry, I can't get her to come back to me,” and we don’t want to have to be in that position.
Resource: a person, object, or food that has value to the pack
When we are kids, we fight for our parents’ attention because they are the most valuable resource we have. As teenagers (of a certain generation), we were fighting to use the one phone in the house, hanging on the kitchen wall.
Dogs have resources too: food, toys, treats… even you, their owner who ensures they get fed, exercised and even get cuddles. A resource can be many things to a dog!
Resource Guarding: when a dog displays reactive behaviour to someone near their resource
It is natural to want to protect and hoard something that we value. We teach toddlers how to share. It’s not intuitive for most young children to share what they value. The same applies to our dogs; the difference is that they have teeth, and if pushed, they will use them. It’s not personal, it just works.
Reactive: barking and/or lunging outbursts stemming from fear in response to something
Reactive behaviour stems from fear in response to something (contrary to aggressive behaviour where your dog is intending to cause harm). In other words, when your dog is displaying reactive behaviour it’s your dog communicating “I want this to go away.”
Reinforcement: A process to encourage the behaviour we want and reduce the behaviours we don't want
Positive reinforcement with physical touch, a smile, a treat, a toy or freedom, whatever the other animal values at the time, to teach them that we want more of that behaviour.
Scenario 1: “Fido, come!” and Fido comes racing over to you. You may provide a treat and then let Fido run off and play again, which is what she values at the time.
Negative reinforcement is withholding the reinforcement because we don't want to encourage that behaviour.
Scenario 2: My 90-pound dog is excited to see me when I get home, and he jumps up to greet me. If I start fussing over him, I am reinforcing that jumping on me is okay. If I say “no,” he sits down, and then I start fussing over him; he will learn how to get the reinforcement he wants—calm equals cuddles.
Settle: A relaxed state of mind for the dog
He is lying down, rolled onto his hip, with his head on his paw; not sleeping, but calm. A long “settle” can be extremely difficult for high-energy working dog breeds and/or hypervigilant, nervous dogs.
I hope you found this list of training terms valuable! For more tips on training your dog, be sure to sign up for my mailing list, and follow Rascals and Rescues on Instagram!
Happy training!
Sherri
