of the Dog - Association of Pet Dog Trainers

“Give Me a Break!”
Recently, a bunch of us enjoyed a “Girls’ Day at the
Lake,” paddling around in the waters of beautiful
Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. As a
business owner, it’s not easy to get away, so even this
short, one-day respite had me energized, reminding me of
the importance of taking a break—not just for us, but for
our dogs and our students, as well.
Regardless of training approach, both dogs and trainers
benefit from taking breaks. Breaks will help with any
training method, but as a clicker trainer, my focus is on
their importance with the clicker.
The shaping process engages the dog’s brain, which
can be tiring, especially when the dog is first learning
a behavior. Asking a dog to think, rather than simply
to follow a lure, or to allow himself to be placed in
position, is mentally taxing. This is especially true for an
inexperienced dog just starting training, or a crossover
dog that is accustomed to being lured or physically placed.
Working in short time frames with frequent breaks allows
the dog to clear his mind and refresh, helping to keep him
sharp and better able to learn.
What Constitutes A Break?
A break can be as short as a few-second, brain-clearing
floor sniff, or as simple as moving to a different spot in
the room or training area. It can be a trip to the bathroom
(for either of you), going to the kitchen for more treats,
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or ending for the day. While many trainers think of
playing tug o’war or retrieving a toy as taking a break,
such interactive play is a reinforcer rather than a mindclearing
breather. The most beneficial training break is to
simply let the dog relax, to “veg-out,” uninvolved with any
specific activity or directive—after which you can return
to working on the previous behavior or start a new one.
When To Break
By Gail Tamases Fisher
Taking short breaks is beneficial whether training a new
puppy, or an experienced, highly engaged dog. Ideally, it
is best to take a break before the dog demonstrates that
she needs one. Think of it like athletic strength training
to build endurance—resting between repetitions as you
increase difficulty, accustoming the muscles to greater
output, rather than continuing to exhaustion, risking
injury and requiring longer recuperation before being able
to work out again.
An easy way to program enforced breaks into a training
session is to count out the number of treats for how many
repetitions you want to do before taking a break. A general
rule of thumb is five to 10 repetitions of a behavior, then
take a break. Some dogs, especially crossover dogs, older
dogs, or those with short attention spans, may benefit from
a breather after just one or two repetitions. Judge by the
quality of the behavior rather than sticking unerringly
to a specific number of responses. [continued on next page]
November/December 2008 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w 17