Dog Training: My First Lesson in Operant Conditioning

It's 1998, and I'm in my kitchen trying to teach the Down command to my 11 month old Keeshond puppy girl, Peeka. My experience at this point with dog training is typical of most people's: almost non-existent. I teach Sit by pushing the dog's butt down, and then giving a treat when the butt hits the ground. I teach Down first putting the dog in Sit, and then luring them to the ground with a treat. I've only owned dogs for about 9 months, I've only tried to train one other dog, and I've never taught any other commands.

But my method is not working with little Peeka. When I try to lure her into a Down, she puts her nose to the ground to follow the treat, but her butt pops back up in the process. I try another method: pulling her front legs out from under her...but no success there, she only wants to play-bite my hands.

After far too many attempts with both unsuccessful methods, my back hurts from bending over her, and I'm frustrated and sweaty. She's confused, but hopeful (I'm still holding a treat, afterall.) I straighten up to stretch my back muscles into a normal human posture, and then I stand completely still for a moment, just looking at Peeka, just wondering what to do next.

Peeka is looking at me in return. She knows there is still a treat in my hand. She is trying to think of some way to get it from me. She starts with the obvious (to her): she puts her front paws on my belly. But this method is unsuccessful--I merely turn away from her and mumble "off" (a command she does not know). So she tries something else.

Little Peeka, mixing resignation with an invitation to play, splats herself down onto the floor.

But she's a quick little thing, not one to linger. She's up off the floor in a heartbeat. Because I'm still not responding the way she would like, she cycles through those behaviors again...just because it didn't work once, doesn't mean it won't work a second time, dang it! This time when she splats down onto the floor, I notice that she is--for one fleeting fraction of a second--doing exactly what I want. She's in a Down. And then...poof, she's not!

I hold my breath, hoping she does it again. This time I will be ready. I get a Sit. I get jumped on. And then, I get the splat-down! My hand swoops in, depositing the treat into her little pink mouth. Woo-hoo! Let's do that again. Let's do that a few more times. She does! I start saying Down as she's splatting. We're both excited and happy. She smiles and so do I.

Six years later, I will begin to learn about Operant Conditioning, Clicker Training, Shaping, and Positive Reinforcement from some very knowledgable sources. But I'll never forget the day that little Peeka gave me my first lesson.