EVIL Genius or What? Why Does Your Dog ALWAYS Do That?

There are many types of learning when it comes to dogs. Trainers often talk of Classical and Operant Conditioning as the two main ways dogs learn, but it can get a bit more complicated than that when you start to dig below the surface. There are several other things that may come into play when analyzing your dog’s behavior.

Memory Chains

Training is all about repetition. The purpose of training repetition is to create more desirable habits with your dog. For example, dogs are generally inclined to jump up on people. Without intervention, a natural memory chain will develop that will create habit in the dog. Picture it: You’re walking your dog down the street, you spot a person rounding the corner (so does your dog ;o), they fixate, get excited, pull towards the person and when they are within reach, they jump on the person. After several repetitions of this scene, you’ll notice your dog start to get excited at earlier points as they establish the chain. Eventually, the second your dog sees a person, they will likely start to pull and vocalize until they reach them since eventually, the appearance of the person will become an early predictor of getting to greet. Stimulation will build from the earliest behavior in the chain as your dog has learns what works! They want to get to the person to say hello, they do that…