Repeating commands are likely to leave your dog super confused, dog behaviorist says

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By Chaitra Krishnamurthy

7 August 2024

Your pet’s struggle to pick on commands could be your fault. A dog behaviorist highlights a common error most people make while training pups.

Teaching dogs commands early is essential to ensure they are well-behaved. Showering your pet with toys isn’t the solution if you think that works. An overwhelming amount of the same can make them more anxious and restless.

Common error in commands confuses your dog

Dogs are smart creatures. Plenty of studies show your pets reflect their owner’s emotions and understand several words. However, incorrect cues can leave them extremely confused.

In one of his TikTok videos, dog behaviorist and psychologist, Steve Del Savio, breaks down a common mistake most pet parents make while teaching their dogs to sit, stand, lie down, and more.

He says you should never repeat a cue after rewarding your pet as it wouldn’t understand what the original command is meant for. For example, if you tell your dog to sit, you shouldn’t say “Good boy, sit” again.

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The repeated cue after a reward is confusing because the dog is already seated and wouldn’t know what “sit’ means if it hears it again after following the command.

“Doing that can dilute the cue or commands of ‘down’ because they are hearing it at the end when they are already doing it,” he explains.

@packleaderdogs

I see so many people making this error when communicating with their dog. I understand why because many dog trainers and professionals are doing this as well. Let me give you an example: 1) Human give a cue/command like, “sit.” 2) The dog sits down. 3) Human says, “Good sit.” Here’s why this is not optimal: In this situation, the cue/command is the word “sit,” which the dog understands to put butt on the ground/floor. The reward marker, the sound that tells the dog they completed the cue/command, is “good.” So if we say in this order, sit ->good sit,” we are communicating to the dog, cue/command -> reward -> cue/command. Doing this will dilute your cue/command because it was given twice, and the dog only performed the action of sitting once. So what would be optimal instead? Giving the cue/command -> wait for dog to do action -> reward marker. What does that look like: Sit -> Dog sits -> Good. This way, dog hears the cue/command once, does the action associated with that cue/command, and heres a reward marker “good” that tells the dog they completed action which is the universal reward marker thats used for all completed actions/behaviors. Does this make sense to you? It’s so obvious to me, but I want to make sure you understand so you are communicating clearly with your dog!

♬ original sound – Pack Leader Dogs

How to practice puppy recall

Recall commands are important from a safety standpoint, as well as to make sure your dog stays in one place. As Steve points out, most pet parents don’t follow the correct technique, thus only confusing their pooches more.

Therefore, whenever you teach them to recall, don’t repeat the command multiple times or try different ones to see what word catches their attention. Follow the method backed by dog psychology instead – nose, eyes, and ears.

Start by making your dog smell their favorite treat and let their eyes follow your hand holding it.

“As the puppy sees it’s coming from me, I move away from the puppy, which causes the puppy to say ‘I want that food’,” he explains. The puppy will naturally come towards you for the treat and that’s when you must say the command “come”.

“He’s hearing that [word] when he’s doing the action over and over,” Steve says. It’s called “Marking the Behavior.”

Steve Del Savio is a dog psychology and behavior expert with over 15 years of experience. He is the Owner & Founder of Pack Leader Dogs, who has turned his passion for animals and their behavior into a flourishing career in dog training, according to the official website.

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