changing a word...

[PoodleMommy]

Ok I have a question, is it possible to change the words you trained your dogs to listen to. For example from teaching a different word for Sit when they already know sit. (I dont know if I am explaining this right)

My parents are the typical (sit, sit sit sit sit) people... it doesnt really impact Armani because he has been trained for awhile but I see it starting to make Chloe go backwards... I would like to re-train them using different words so that my parents words dont effect them.

Is there an easier way then just starting from scratch?

[wcladymacbeth]

I changed one for Maggie when I got Caesar, because his word for stay was "stay" and her word for stay was "calm" (because she got so excited when I got home, I would say calm and make her stay in her crate until she calmed down, then I would let her out, so it seemed appropriate to just keep it that word when I taught her stay.)

Anyway, I just said both for a while along with the hand signal I always used. So I would say "Stay, calm" and eventually I dropped "calm" and now it's just "stay", although Justin still uses "calm", and now Caesar responds to that too.

[Beanie]

Do you use hand motions too? If you use the same hand motion but a different word, that will speed it along. If you don't use hand motions, I'd start adding in a hand motion to the cue, and THEN when they are recognizing the hand motion (will probably happen fairly quick) start cueing it with the new word but the same hand motion.

[lizzybeth727]

I would just start from scratch. They know the behavior so it shouldn't take long, and then just use the new word instead of sit. How did you teach it the first time?

IMO, unless the dog REALLY knows the original cue, it's confusing to use both words for a while the way wcladymacbeth suggested (although a lot of trainers do use that method and it does work). If you're using a hand signal you can start using the new word on top of that, but I usually don't like using two words together.

[xpaeanx]

I don't know.... But I understand where you're coming from. I feel the urge to bash people over the head sometimes when they do that to muffy.

I REALLY hate it when they keep repeating it and are waving a cookie around like a flag two inches from his face. Of course he's not sitting, he's focusing on the cookie you're swinging around like an idiot.

[bubbatd]

Years ago I said down meaning get off , but switched when I went into obedience . Having had older dogs with deafness , I've always added hand signals early on .

[Doberluv]

Yeah, just start tying the new word to the behavior. Capture the behavior sometimes, elicit it sometimes. She'll catch on. When you train with treats, you sort of get a hand signal whether you mean to or not. You can also keep using sit. You don't have to change words. You just have to reinforce the sit every time for a while and only when she sits the first time. If she isn't following the cue the first time and is use to sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, don't use a verbal cue at all for a while. Get the behavior by capturing, luring with a treat (but fade luring asap) or whatever way you can. Reinforce with a tasty treat. Wait till she's sitting easily and pretty quickly regularly, then start tying in the cue, "sit." Only say it once. And it will again become the cue to sit as she associates it with the act AND with a piece of chicken. LOL. Reinforcement or consequences rather, are what drives behavior, not cues.

I've had regressions in behaviors with my dogs when I got sloppy or lazy. Jose`'s recall ("Lets go") got really bad for a while. I didn't change the cue. I stopped using it and got him to come another way. (not bribing) I'd go closer to him in the yard and make like I was playing and coax him along. Then I'd give him yummy treats. Also, when he came on his own accord, I'd treat him. (He's very food motivated) Soon, I re-introduced, "lets' go" and he got back to more prompt and consistent recalls.

So, while cues can loose their meaning due to lack of reinforcement and also that they can become paired with another behavior, incidentally, they can come back to the original meaning again. It's all about consequences. Prevent the consequences you don't want in association with the cue, ie...the dog running the other way when called. And reinforce the behavior you do want. And the old, rotten behavior will extinguish. And the new behavior that you like will take on a whole new meaning to the dog. LOL. Chicken, steak, pork roast.