CANINE LEARNING • TRAINING INSIGHTS
Why a familiar cue may become less reliable when the setting changes.
A dog who learns a skill in one place may not respond the same way elsewhere. Generalisation means learning to use that skill in different situations.
A dog may respond consistently to a recall cue in a quiet garden, yet find the same cue more difficult in a park. The surroundings, competing interests and previous experiences are different, even though the words used by the owner have not changed.
This does not necessarily mean your dog is refusing to cooperate. They may still associate the cue with the place or situation where they learned it.
Practise in different settings, adjusting the difficulty to suit your dog. A familiar skill may need easier practice when the surroundings change.
Further reading: The role of context specificity in learning — Gazit, Goldblatt & Terkel (2005).
Individualised training and behaviour support
Mizz Pawz provides reward-based dog training and behaviour support across Lanarkshire, with online sessions available across the UK.
