Have some down time? Teach your dog to read
If you have a dog in your life, chances are you've had the experience of having to limit his daily physical exercise due to an injury or other circumstances. Now, how do we keep him busy and out of mischief?
According to Certified Pet Dog Trainer Debbie Jelich, (Fetch Magazine, September, 2008), "Most dog training experts agree that mental exercise for dogs can be just as tiring as physical exercise. In addition to helping the dog to pass the time during recovery, playing mental games can be a whole lot of fun for the owner."
Jelich offers a number of games to teach and play with your dog, including object discrimination, puzzles, handling skills and reading flash cards.
She notes, "The ability of dogs to conceptualize stick figures is actually the brainchild of Dr. Bonnie Bergin of the Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, California. According to Dr. Bergin, dogs can learn to read up to 20 written words and even three-word sentences."
The following is Jelich's procedure for training your dog to "read," which appeared in Fetch magazine, September, 2008.
Start with whatever behaviors your dog does best. Jelich uses the command "down" as an example. You can make your own cards using 8½-by-11-inch paper. Create two flash cards for each one, using a dog stick figure and the printed word to represent each cue.
For "down," one card will have a dog stick figure assuming the down position on it. The other card will have the written word "Down" on it. Jelich cautions your dog's physical limitations at this time will dictate the behaviors he can perform.
When teaching your dog to "read" the card for "down," show your dog the "DOWN" card and give him the verbal cue (or hand signal) simultaneously. As soon as your dog is down, use a clicker or the word "yes" to indicate correct behavior and reinforce with a treat. Continue in this fashion.
After allowing your dog to view the flash card for a few seconds, remove it from your dog's vision before you issue the verbal cue. Begin to pause a bit longer each time before giving the verbal cue. At the sight of the card, your dog will anticipate the down behavior before you give the verbal cue. Beware of any extraneous body language on your part.
"Practice only one behavior at a time, and limit the number of repetitions to between six and nine before ending on a high note. If at any point he seems confused or hesitates, just back up a few steps in your training," Jelich said.
So, the next time your dog has some physical downtime, keep him busy with some intellectual exercise. Or don't wait. Have some fun teaching him to "read" right now.
It's another way to strengthen your bond. You'll probably learn something new about each other in the process.
• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 shelter. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.