Issue Date: January 6, 2008

In this article: The fastest...and slowest learners

PETS

You can teach an old dog new tricks

Two animal training experts spill the bones on shaping behavior.

By Lisa Jaffe Hubbell

TEACH A NEW TRICK IN STEPS 1. Get the dog's attention with a treat. 2. Then ask him to sit. 3. Finally, ask for his paw.

You've inherited your mom's badly behaved 10-year-old poodle, and you think there's not much hope that Trixie can learn something new. Not so fast, say the experts. With a little ingenuity and perseverance, just about any old dog can do new tricks.

FIGURE OUT WHAT MOTIVATES HER. Some dogs like balls. Others are very focused on food. Most love attention. Don't assume that whatever works for your neighbor's pooch will work for yours, says Victoria Wells, manager of shelter behavior and training at the ASPCA in New York City, who appears on Animal Planet's "Animal Precinct." You may have to try more than one approach before finding the best motivator. Once you know what will work, you can teach just about any canine a new behavior.

RATION THE MOTIVATOR. If you have a ball-centric dog, play fetch as a reward or to cement your bond with the dog, says Trish King, the director of animal behavior and training at the Marin (Calif.) Humane Society and author of "Parenting Your Dog." Play when you want to, though, not when the dog demands it. Although most dogs will work and learn in exchange for attention, King says most owners are unwilling to ration their love. For those owners, treats may be a better option. Get the dog excited about the motivator at the start of a training session, King explains. "Show them the ball, then do some work, then play, then do some more work."

BECOME THE CEO. Manage the relationship between you and your dog. The animal may need to see you as the "dog god," particularly if you have an animal with behavior issues. King likens it to the difference between being the CEO, who is often reserved with employees, and the secretary, who is more accessible.

USE "BEHAVIOR SHAPING." Break the desired outcome down into smaller steps, Wells says. If you want your dog to learn to roll over, first reinforce having the dog lie down. Next, have her lie down and roll onto her side. Finally, encourage her to roll completely over. "It can take a little longer, but this process will stick with the dog better," Wells says.

MANAGE THE ENVIRONMENT. If your dog is distracted by squirrels running up the tree in the yard, then don't try training him outside, King says. Instead, find a place with few or no distractions.

Go to top

The fastest learners ... and those that can't be bothered

For his book "The Intelligence of Dogs," psychologist Stanley Coren examined 141 breeds and discussed their performance traits with U.S. and Canadian dog obedience judges. He used "understanding of new commands" and "obey first command" as criteria in judging the responsiveness of dogs to commands. When given a command five or fewer times, the following breeds performed the requested behavior 95% of the time or better:

Border collie Poodle German shepherd Golden retriever Doberman pinscher

Although the breeds below have many fine qualities to recommend them, trainability and a desire to please is low on the list. These dogs may take 80 to 100 trials to learn a new command and then obey the command 25% of the time or less:

Borzoi Chow chow Bulldog Basenji Afghan hound