Setting Yourself Up for Success (2/11)
By Leanne Battle
My dog and I are training to be a therapy dog team so we spend a lot of time training. Rule one of training using positive reinforcement is have plenty of rewards on hand. Rule two is never set your dog up to fail. I’ve learned that these same principles work for me. If I want to succeed, I do everything I can to create an environment that will help me toward my goal. I make sure to reward myself and I try to end the day while I’m feeling good about my accomplishments.
With only two rules it seems like dog training should be relatively easy. So why does training a dog take so long? Because, like every person, every dog is different and every skill you try to teach them requires starting over at the beginning. Success takes patience, which may be the most difficult part. Still, the rules hold true, so let’s try to understand why and how they work.
It is pretty obvious that a dog is likely to repeat behavior for which she is rewarded, but I have learned that all rewards are not created equal. My dog, Bridgette, is both food and affection motivated so she’s pretty easy to reward. So easy that I didn’t pay much attention to the food treats I used in training. Recently I had some leftover baked chicken so I decided to use that for working with Bridgette. Suddenly she was turning herself inside out to do whatever I asked! I have found the reward that works for her and it has made all the difference.
The same is true of people. All rewards are not created equal. The key is figuring out what motivates you and fitting the reward to the accomplishment. I’m a little food motivated myself so I may reward myself with a dark chocolate truffle when I meet a deadline. I have a friend who loves colorful and fun office supplies. When she meets a deadline she gets a new pen, for completion of the whole project it might be a funky new desk organizer. Maybe for you it’s a little break. When you meet an incremental deadline, you could take 15 minutes to walk around the block and enjoy being outside. For project completion maybe you treat yourself to lunch with a friend instead of eating at your desk. Think about the little things that you look forward to. Knowing there’s a reward when the project is finished will make it easier to get started and to keep going.
Failure is disappointing and frustrating, particularly if you know that with a different approach you could have succeeded. When I work with Bridgette on a new skill, I have to keep in mind that at first she doesn’t really understand what I’m asking of her. Asking her to “heel” and waiting for her to figure out what that means would lead to repeated failure. And it would mean the “heel” command would always be associated with failure and frustration. What I need to do is set her up for success. When I was teaching her to “heel” we started with me holding her leash very short so she really had no choice but to walk closely to me and she got rewarded for walking in the right spot. When I was sure that she understood the task I lengthened her leash so that she had to choose to walk next to me. Then we added the command “heel” so that she would begin to associate the word and the action with the reward. Gradually we got to the point that I could remove her leash completely. All of this to say that I had to be realistic about what she could do so that each time we trained she would succeed. It makes training a lot more productive and fun for both of us!
How many days a week do you make a “to-do” list with more items on it than you could conceivably accomplish? If you’re like me, probably most of them. I’ve learned something about that. Having a “to-do” list that is always longer than I can finish sets me up to fail. It means at the end of the day, I focus on the things I didn’t get to rather than rewarding myself for the items I completed. How often do you accept a new project without fully understanding what the final outcome is supposed to be? How often do you take on a project where you know from the start you don’t have the tools or resources to complete the project well? That, too, is a recipe for failure.
Now I try to adjust my “to-do” list so that it includes only the items that really have to be done that day. Be honest about the really have to be criteria. If it really has to be done you’ll get it done. Being realistic about your tasks sets you up for success. When you start on a new project be sure that you understand the expectations. Knowing what you need to accomplish sets you up for success. Do a resource inventory at the start of every new project. If the project doesn’t match the available tools or resources figure out how to adjust the project or acquire the resources. Aligning the project with the resources sets you up for success.
After a year of training, Bridgette will take her therapy dog certification test in a couple of weeks. I have done all I can to ensure her success. She has been well rewarded all along the way and she is prepared for each element of the test. When we pass, her reward will be starting a program in our local library for children with reading difficulties to read to her. Her success will result in reading success for children in our community. I couldn’t ask for a better reward than that. Click here to see a picture of Bridgette.
Here’s to setting yourself up for a successful 2011!
