Maybe you've heard about capturing a behavior when using a clicker in positve reinforcement training? This is marking the behavior such as a head tilt, wink, you name it and rewarding the dog. How about capturing a command. When your dog does something that he does everyday like climbing stairs. Simply label it with the command "Climb!". It's an everyday behavior and as you continue giving your chosen command word, your dog becomes conditioned to the cue of the command leading him to perform the behavior. Remember to always verbal praise your dog for understanding and carrying out your request. Another example might be jumping up into the car or back of the truck. Label it "Hup" which is the command we used when I was in Police K-9 school to mean-jump! I use "Hup" to teach my client's dogs to go over hurdles in agility training. Not a complicated concept, I know. We all immediately say Sit and Down in teaching basic obedience and our dogs perform these behaviors, but many of my clients don't realize that we can do this with other behaviors as well. |