Funny thing about dog's hearing....

[ACooper]

like humans, they can also have SELECTIVE hearing!

Example:

This morning, Orson was sleeping soundly in bed. I asked him to come downstairs and he didn't even flick an ear. Mind you, I was IN THE ROOM with him.

I open the utility closet (DOWN STAIRS) where the dog food is kept.........it has a VERY light squeak, I mean VERY light, and that dog comes barreling down the stairs like there's a fire!

So I ask you, is this a MALE thing, or a lazy dog thing?

[Lolas Dad]

Actually I think it is a FEMALE thing. Lola has selective hearing when it comes to being outside. She can be fixated on something and does not listen when I say come here and this is from the full length of her leash which is 16 feet (not the flexi type) but if I say "treat" she will turn around and look at me and if I am holding my fingers cupped together out as if I have something in them she will come running.

[Doberluv]

It's got to do with cues and consequences more than hearing or listening. LOL. The squeeky hinges are the cue that food is about to begin. The word, "treat" is a cue that food is about to begin. When you say, "treat" first, before he comes, you're bribing your dog and rewarding him for not "listening." LOL.

[ACooper]

I can tell you I WASN'T bribing him to come downstairs, LOL, he just assumed when he heard that little squeak that it was meal time......ahahahahah, it wasn't, and he was bummed to find it out when he got there.

My observation was that he CHOSE not to listen when he was all comfy and warm, but a TINY little squeak from DOWNSTAIRS he chose to hear, hahahaha

[bubbatd]

Know what you mean !!! I have that problem telling Ollie to move over when trying to get into my bed !

[Lolas Dad]

Originally Posted by Doberluv

It's got to do with cues and consequences more than hearing or listening. LOL. The squeeky hinges are the cue that food is about to begin. The word, "treat" is a cue that food is about to begin. When you say, "treat" first, before he comes, you're bribing your dog and rewarding him for not "listening." LOL.

Actually she was not rewarded for not listening because there was no treat in my hand. She thought there was though

[Doberluv]

Originally Posted by Lolas Dad

Actually she was not rewarded for not listening because there was no treat in my hand. She thought there was though

Do you think this will train her to come when called? The promise of a treat, as long as it sometimes happens...when it's put on a variable reinforcement schedule, is bribing....until you fail to give the treat for a long enough and consistent enough period of time that it loses all meaning. It's bribing because the promise of a treat is a conditioned reinforcer, which has had a history of being paired with a primary reinforcer. Conditioned reinforcers, which inherently have no value of their own, become valuable when paired with a primary reinforcer. The promise of a treat then, becomes the cue.

I know what you mean about squeeky hinges Coop. I have them on my closet door where I keep the dog food. Everytime I open it, they wonder, if by chance, they might get something. But I may also be going in for something else. However, since every day, at least twice, occassionall a little handout at other times,the squeeky hinges are the sign food is very likely coming, it has been put on a variable reinforcement schedule so they don't loose hope ever. LOL.

When I sit on my little step going into my living room to put on my shoes, that means that there's a very good chance we're going on a walk. My dogs get all silly and excited.

When I jingle my car keys, they know I'm going to the car. It may or may not mean they're going to, so they watch me very intently for signs which tell them one way or the other. I usually apologize profusely and sorrowfully that I can not take them with me this time. And they look rather forlorn. It's really sad. If I pick up the leashes after putting on my shoes, there is no doubt that we're going on a walk. And they are bouncing around, so happy.

There are so many cues that tell dogs what is about to happen or what might happen. They sure do seem to have selective hearing at times, don't they.

[Lolas Dad]

Originally Posted by Doberluv

Do you think this will train her to come when called? The promise of a treat, as long as it sometimes happens...when it's put on a variable reinforcement schedule, is bribing....until you fail to give the treat for a long enough and consistent enough period of time that it loses all meaning. It's bribing because the promise of a treat is a conditioned reinforcer, which has had a history of being paired with a primary reinforcer. Conditioned reinforcers, which inherently have no value of their own, become valuable when paired with a primary reinforcer. The promise of a treat then, becomes the cue.

There are so many cues that tell dogs what is about to happen or what might happen. They sure do seem to have selective hearing at times, don't they.

As I said in the first post when she is FIXATED on something s such as a ground hog that she sometimes spots in the park. She does come on command except for when she is fixated sometimes on another animal other than a dog.

I can have her sit in the middle of the dog park with 10-15 other dogs there
all running around in front of her, behind her and even twards her and she remains focused on me. Then when I walk away from her she will remain seated until I call her and then she comes running and is rewarded with a treat.

She also has her CGC and one of the CGC tests is coming when called.

About 2 nights ago she was fixated on a something that I did not even see because it was dark out. When I called her she came to me and then I saw what she was fixated on a skunk we went inside really quick. The skunk ran off in the opposite direction thankfully

[Doberluv]

Well, it sounds like she does quite well. Yes, I know about the CGC. My dog, Lyric went through that. Training him to come when in high prey drive or even when he was already in mid chase of deer was fairly involved. But it didn't take too long to condition him to come reliably regardless. I did have to be careful and prevent those rewarding situations. And I had to make sure not to call him when I didn't think I stood much of a chance....so as to ruin the recall that I already had on him. Preventative measures were needed at first...while he was learning about doggie zen and how he'd get better "prey" if he left the object "prey" and came to me first, instead. We'd spend about 20 minutes most days with these exercises.

Yeah, I think if I saw a skunk, I'd do anything I had to, to get my dog away from it and fast. That has to be the worst!