CANINE LEARNING • TRAINING INSIGHTS
Why a familiar cue may become less reliable when the setting changes.
Learning a behaviour in one place does not necessarily mean a dog will respond in the same way everywhere. In learning theory, generalisation describes the transfer of a learned response to different situations or stimuli.
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 is not, by itself, evidence that the dog is deliberately refusing to cooperate. It can indicate that the response is still strongly connected to the circumstances in which it was learned.
Reliable everyday skills are developed through appropriate practice across different contexts, with difficulty adapted to the individual dog. Recognising the role of context helps owners form more realistic expectations of training.
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.
