« Workplace Learning Professionals Performance | Home | Gaming & Simulations conference »
Let your training go to the dogs
By Christine Martell | August 3, 2007
What dog trainers can teach us about training people
I was watching the Dock Dogs competition at the Washington County Fair last weekend. My grand step-dog was entered into the Big Air. If you haven’t seen Dock Dogs, there is a 40 foot pool set up with a dock built onto one end. The dogs compete by running the length of the dock and seeing how far they can jump into the pool. The distance is measured from the end of the dock to where the base of the tail enters the water. The world champion jumps over 28 feet.
This is Baloo (my grand step-dog), who is an Irish Water Spaniel, with his owner and trainer Tammy Walker.
What can we learn about training?
There are a couple of things about Dock Dogs that stand out as lessons we can apply as trainers.
- Any dog can be successful
- It’s about teamwork between handler and dog
- Dogs compete by ability or level of ‘expertise’
Dock Dog success is broken into categories. The dogs compete by ability, not size or breed. So, if your dog falls off the end of the dock, it is in the novice class. It stays there until it jumps over 9 feet. Yes, the dog who jumps the farthest ultimately wins, but you can be successful in lots of increments along the way.
Every dog/handler team works out a different way to accomplish the goal that is customized to the pair. Some of the dogs are ready to make the leap their first time there, and some just can’t get past the fear of jumping off the dock.
Each dog responds to their handler differently. Some dogs get inspired by cheering and being led through a psyching up process, while others do better by going to the starting point and awaiting their handler’s command.
Lessons we can apply:
- Start where your learner is and work from there
- Customize the learning for individual differences
- Supportive relationships help
- Sometimes just getting your feet wet is success
Jumping up is different then jumping out
Just because a dog can jump off a dock aiming for distance doesn’t mean it can jump aiming for height. In the extreme vertical competition, the dogs run off the dock and jump into the air to snatch a float suspended from a pole.
Way less dogs are able to do this. First the handler has to be able to help the dog see that there is a float hanging over the pool. Then they have to communicate their desire for the dog to run, jump, and grab the float in midair.
Handlers reward their dogs in various ways. Lots of hugs, ear rubbing, atta boys, and doggy treats. They do this not only because they love their canines but to positively reinforce the behavior the handler desires.
More lessons to apply:
- Not all learning is transferable.
- Jumping up is not the same as jumping out
- Some of you or your clients have special skills not everyone can easily develop
- Remember to throw your clients a treat every now and then
- Popular Posts for Employee Learning Week
- Why #5: Adapting to a New Learning Structure
- Recognizing strengths
- Agonizing over social learning?
- More training lessons on my bike
Topics: Are you new to training? |
August 4th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Another way dog training relates to human training is that we have the most success with dogs (and people!) when we communicate positively. For example, we tell dogs “Off,” “Come,” and “Leave it” rather than “Don’t go on the couch!” “Don’t just stand there!” and “Never pick up dead birds.” We tell dogs what TO do–not what not to do. When we approach humans the same way, we guide them to be more successful.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Lynn,
Great insight. I certainly appreciate people telling me what to do, or what they want, and how they are defining success.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:00 am
When my chocolate lab (who lives for this kind of play) participated in a similar demonstration last year, she surprised us by jumping off of the dock onto the shore and racing to the point nearest the float. She then lunged into the water grabbed the float, and by the time the other dogs had swam to the location was back on the dock waiting for someone to throw it again.
I was a little disappointed not to see the awesome leap into the lake that I had anticipated, and almost agreed with those that felt that she had cheated.
But really, she had done what we asked of her, and did it more effectively that we expected. Even some Labrador retrievers don’t like to swim when there is a quicker way, so she found one.
I suspect that the experience is often similar in the “Learning 2.0″ situations. The learners often know a better way, and are just waiting for the training facilitator to provide the opportunity for them to demonstrate it.
August 14th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Ron,
Smart dog. She did solve the challenge more efficiently. There were a couple of Dock Dogs who walked down the exit ramp. I thought they were actually smarter than some of the others.
I’m thinking about how often I am initially resistant to innovation, and this is coming from someone who facilitates innovation. I still have to breathe through the reflex that wants things to stay the same. Or make the dog do it ‘right’. Let us all strive to learn with our learners….
August 14th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Lynn’s comment about positive communication reminds me of a book I read, “Whale Done” by Ken Blanchard, in which the author suggests that if we humans treated each other as well as the trainers at Sea World treat the whales, we’d get better results. Lots of positive reinforcement, ignoring behavior we don’t want repeated, not to mention plenty of free food. Sounds like a fun training experience to me, as a whale or a human.
August 15th, 2007 at 6:42 am
Laurie,
Free food or chocolate