When it comes to understanding this “new”* way of dog training, one where we are guardians of the dog rather than it’s owner, one where we ask for behaviours rather than give commands, one where we assume the dog is doing it’s best with the tools they have in any given moment, and one where we believe in reinforcing good behaviours rather than punish the bad ones…. Sometimes things are just easier to understand when there is an analogy to help it make sense.
*Also, it’s not really “new”… It goes back almost 100 years ago, to B.F. Skinner’s research in the 1930’s and 1940’s. it’s just becoming more accepted and promoted as we get more science and studies to back it and prove it’s best for our pups. To see some of these sources, refer to our resources page.
Amazing Analogies
There are many fantastic groups on Facebook for like minded people, and in one of these groups, someone asked the question “What’s your favorite analogy to share with clients when it comes to training concepts or processes?”
Some of the comments were too good not to share, so with permission (and a link to the original post, which is public), I’m going to share some of the amazing analogies here!
First, my own (you can read my full article at “Expectations of Dog Training”
Think of it this way:
Would you expect a child to be ready for the university before finishing kindergarten?
Probably not.
They couldn’t write a dissertation before even learning how to write, right?
If they’re not successful in the small steps, how could they be successful with a big step?
Or think of it like building a house:
- A house needs a foundation first.
- Then you can add some framing.
- Next, you would put on the roof.
- You’d put in some windows.
- Then, add some shingles and siding on the outside.
- Gyproc the inside walls… but wait, before that, you need wiring. If you put the Gyproc up first, you’d just have to take it back down and add the electrical work.
- Put in the furnace.
Install the fixtures and appliances. - Add paint, and furniture.
Now, would you want live in a house that missed the step of a proper foundation?
Or a house with a roof without shingles?
Your dog simply cannot do big things without first being successful at all the other little things in order,
just like building a house.
Now, for analogies from the group:
- “If a stranger on the street came up and asked you to wash their car, would you?”
- They always say “no”
- “What if they paid you a thousand dollars?”
- They smile and say “yes”
- “Our fond elderly friend or family member asked them for help washing their car?”
- They always smile and agree they would do it without payment
“Pulling a dog from sniffing on a walk is much like your partner turning off the TV during a show you really enjoy.”
“Over threshold analogies: whether I win the lottery (excited overarousal) or there’s a tiger behind me (fear), I can’t focus enough to do math homework.”
“Can you work or think clearly when you are stressed or in pain? You most likely revert to negative behaviors or shut down. Same holds true for dogs.”
“I compare an entire walk at heel to a human going to a concert with ear defenders on or going to the zoo blindfolded.
Not letting the animal use their primary sense to enjoy their only outing of the day.”
“Taking your dog for a walk and not letting them sniff is like taking a child to Disney World and making them wear a blindfold.”
“Sniffing on a walk: scrolling through Facebook to see what everybody’s been up to lately.”
“…And a pee is a *like*”
“I call this *peemail*”
“I like to talk about the leash as a safety, not a tool. It’s the seatbelt of the car, not the steering wheel.
I want to put it on and forget it’s there and hope I never need it, but it’s not what drives the car.”
“– the leash is your emergency brake, not your steering wheel.
“For e-collars that are “nice” cause they don’t “shock them” or “only vibrate.”
“Staring out the window is Dog TV. It’s like watching a bad reality TV show.
They’re “resting” but they’re glued in, unable to turn their brain off, waiting to find out what happens next”
“Punishing a growl is like removing batteries from a smoke alarm.
It might stop the “unpleasant” noise, but you’re in FAR greater danger.”
“Resource guarding isn’t inherently a bad thing and can serve a purpose: if you were at a nice restaurant, eating a delicious steak (or salad) and I reached down and grabbed it, you would justifiably stab me with your fork. Respect their space, especially when they’re eating”
“Your fork is in your hand and the waiter walks over and takes the plate and fork out of your hands. Gives it right back only to take it again. So how long before you stab them with the fork?”
“Petting a dog while they are munching on a treat is like my fiance making me a steak, laying it down infront of me, and then reaching for it. Whatever my fiance’s intentions are, I am going to feel a lot of conflicted emotions.”
“I always say “where is your dogs paycheck “ meaning treat more! That one is especially for those people who think their dog should work for free”
“Yes! I ask ‘Would you still be working your job if there wasn’t a paycheck?’ if they say they don’t want to use treats/rewards…”
“I like the “pairing scary monsters” analogy of going to a job interview in the city:
It’s on the 5th floor of a high rise.
You get into the elevator on the 1st floor, and on the second floor a stranger gets in, touches your arm, and leaves.
This happens until you get to the 5th floor – how do you feel by then?
Now consider the same situation- but the stranger gets into the elevator, touches your arm, hands you $100, and leaves.
Next floor, same thing.
How do you feel about this scenario by the 5th floor?
*In greater detail*
…so you are on an elevator on your way to a job interview.
(A situation where you are most likely on High alert to begin with – so comparatively, maybe the park, a walk, etc)
The Stranger is a “scary monster” (so whatever the dog is afraid of, for example: dogs, humans, bicycles, kids etc.)
Teaching the dog that scary monsters = something great. (High value reward.) *This is not at all contingent on their behavior.*
It helps pet family understand we are not “rewarding them for losing their minds” we are “pairing” to change how the dog feels (as it would likely change how you feel if people kept coming into the elevator and giving you $100).”
“Tone of voice – if a client of mine is using a harsh tone of voice, loud unnecessary, aggressive etc.
I yell “Oi, you! Come here now!!” at the client.
And they look confused and concerned and I suddenly switch tone and say “So that wasn’t nice was it? Especially when you had no idea why I was mad?” And it clicks and they’re like oooh OK.”
“When talking about asking a dog to sit calmly while a trigger is approaching them, I say it’s like sitting in a boat while JAWS music is playing, watching the dorsal fin approach your boat.”
When people insist on taking scared reactive dogs on walks, I tell them that doing that is like taking a person with social anxiety disorder, dropping them in the middle of Burning Man, and saying, “Have a great time!!!”
“We’re walking in the woods together.
Every time you see a snake, you scream because you’re afraid of snakes.
Whenever you scream, I punch you.
Does me punching you make you any less afraid of snakes?
This works to illustrate why punishing fear based behavior is stupid.”
“I compare the home to schools – in the house is elementary, backyard is middle school, front yard high school and out and about is college. Then I explain that Fido can’t function on walks because we’re throwing him into Harvard and he hasn’t learned the basics yet. He doesn’t have the coping mechanisms to be submersed into these hard situations”
“I usually explain desensitization to novice handlers as teaching a small child to swim.
You help the kid practice the basics of not drowning in a kiddie pool, not during the Olympics, and gradually move them into deeper waters.”
“Swimming is great for understanding the idea of gradual build up rather than flooding, and for understanding counter conditioning:
Learning the swim-stroke by developing trust in your teacher and enjoyment of water.”
“Counter surfing
My analogy: you walk the same path every day. One day you take the path to the right and find $100. Tomorrow you will take the path to the right, it may pay you again. That’s counter surfing.”
“I expand on this…
You check every day and a week later, you find another $100.
How many more times would you check that spot?”
“Training a concept (like go to your bed, or stay while I open the door) is like peeling an onion.
You train the tiniest layer of the behavior you can do so the dog is always easily successful.
It’s like peeling those thin, tiny layers of an onion. I use that analogy in my own thoughts every time I go to train something new or change a behavior.
Even the most basic cues work that way.”
“Forced greetings, especially face to face on leash:
How do you like it when you first meet someone and they get so close to you that your eyes cross and you smell their breath?
Give ‘em space, if there is not a bite history keep the leash loose and let ‘em sniff butts.”
“I often compare awkward/inappropriate greeters to the creepy guy at a party”
“When I’m explaining the concept of using higher value rewards for working on certain behaviors I’ll ask:
“If you have been working on a new project at work that’s a little tricky and requires you to learn something new, would you be more motivated to keep going and improving if your boss rewarded you with a cheap gas station coffee, or told you how great you are doing with raise and a gift card to your favorite coffee shop?””
“Rewarding: Encouraging clients to not just do a one and done… I use the analogy that 5 pennies and 1 nickel are the same in value but put it in front of a toddler and what would they choose? …. 5 pennies. Rewarding Individually is more rewarding than 1 big one.”
“When a dog is processing a cue and the client keeps repeating it…puppy processing. It’s like that rainbow wheel of doom on your MacBook. Don’t touch any keys! Just be patient.”
“Shelter dogs can be like hot lava. They need time to cool down before we can do a lot with them.”
“…when your dog is barking like crazy and you are yelling at him, it’s like everyone is barking. Or if you were to wake up and start panicking and your husband starts panicking how do you feel. point is stay calm”
“I talk about how many things parents bring when going out with their children to keep them as engaged and frustration free as possible (snacks, juice boxes, electronics etc ).
And how pet parents often bring nothing out on adventures and expect their dogs to pay attention to only them….
I bring toys and squeakers and delightful things to earn their attention.
I want to engage in the adventure with them, often going where they want to go and where they want to sniff.
Those allowances then begin to reinforce those great behaviors.
Or what if walking through a mall with our friends they dragged us away from everything that interested us?
Then they became angry when we tried to see what we wanted?
How would that change our behavior and affect that relationship?”
as ‘right handed behaviours’ (once I confirm if the client is right handed).
We need incentive to change from being right handed to left handed.
You go to work on Monday and your boss calls you in to their office to tell you that your role has changed and you now have different responsibilities, and also that all employees now needed to be left handed.
“Not an analogy, but something I say ALL THE TIME:
What gets rewarded, gets repeated.”
“Would you ask a kid to learn to do algebra at Disney world?”
“On how dogs generalize:
When we speak to a human child, if we say “sit down” in a classroom vs. in a field, it’s the same behavior. It doesn’t matter if there’s a chair around or if it’s raining outside or if it’s carpet or tile.
For dogs, each of these behaviors is different.”
“If a child goes thought a traumatic event, do you send them to extra math class or a therapist? Learning math is important, but does not usually help solve psychological issues, but helping the psychological issues can make it easier to learn the math!”
“For not being interested in food when the dog is reacting:
If you were about to jump out of a plane and someone offered you your all time favorite food perfectly made… would you care to eat it then?“
“One I use a lot to explain trigger stacking, reactivity and other stress or arousal behaviors, “your dog has a cup in their head, it’s what they can emotionally tolerate before they freak out. Each stressor you add is like putting more water in the cup. If you keep adding stressors, eventually the cup is going to overflow and you’ll get (the undesirable behavior).” I then talk about ways to lower the water level, soothing activities, enrichment. I talk about reducing the intensity of triggers (ie. make each thing less water). I talk about building resilience, ie. Helping to build a bigger cup. About reducing environmental stress to help our dogs have a lower starting level of water. Etc. It’s been a very useful analogy.”
“I work a lot in rescue, I remind people that
bringing a dog into your home is like starting a new job.
Everything is stressful, you don’t know where to sit or stand or pee until someone tells you and then you have to get used to it.
You wouldn’t perform well if your boss just screamed at you for not doing your job when you have no idea what your job is.
You also won’t learn your job if the boss just keeps telling you “no” and you have to guess what to do instead.“
“How I explained our dog barking and lunging when other dogs are (in his mind) too close is that it’s the equivalent to me saying
“Hey! I am really scared right now.
This situation makes me uncomfortable!“
And when someone doesn’t listen when I state my feelings our boundaries, I’m more likely to do other things I think will help protect me from the situation.”
“I like the water running down a mountain analogy for changing ingrained behaviours…
If water runs down the same place on a mountain enough times, it will eventually create a gully. It will continue to flow that way because it’s the path of least resistance.
To change rehearsed or ingrained behaviours you have to try and reroute the path the water takes.”
“For training over threshold…
Trying to train a dog when they’re over threshold is like trying to teach someone to swim while they’re drowning”
“Dogs are way more likely to react to a dog walking straight at them than a dog walking “across” them.
The analogy I use: If you’re walking alone in an empty parking lot, and you see a guy you don’t know, 50ft away walking a straight line from left to right, you won’t think much of it. He’s just on his way past you. But if that same guy, in that same empty parking lot, walking in a straight line directly towards you… you’re convinced you’re about to get mugged.
Dogs are the same way.”
“Yelling at/punishing a puppy/dog for eating something they shouldn’t or chewing on something they shouldn’t and then not giving them a more acceptable substitute is like us staying in a house where we don’t speak the same language as anyone else and getting yelled at for eating off of the wrong dishes because we don’t know how to find the correct ones…”
“…Of course we’d keep messing up and getting yelled at if that happened.
And how simple would it be to fix the problem if instead of yelling, someone would just show us the correct dishes to use?”
“Why wouldn’t you use treat while learning to walk/sit/etc?
Do you also work for free then?”
“Puppy classes are like Disneyland to your dog, don’t expect him to be calm and attentive.”
“Using rewards during behavior therapy/modification is like using a crutch while you’re recovering from a broken leg.”
“Sniffing is equal to reading your messages and stories.”
“Would you take a socially anxious person to a disco to make them more socialised?”
“Would you shout at a child who was crying due to being scared of a thunderstorm or would you grab a bag of sweets, comfort and watch the storm from a safe distance together.”
“What phobia do you have?
Does it help when people shout at you?”
“Sniffing is like sitting down and working on a puzzle, a coloring book, or a video game that you can have some zen focus with.”
“Using an e collar is equivalent of spanking a child to get “good” behavior”
“Thinking of training as dress rehearsals before the live performance”
“Not using management is as effective as training at the gym and also going to eat at McDonald’s everyday”
“I like to explain that correcting or trying to eliminate growling/baring teeth is like getting rid of the yellow traffic light – if all we have is Stop & Go, there will be a lot of accidents.”
People will get hurt.
“I also liken ‘making‘ your dog do something; be it forcing a butt down for sit, pushing them off during jumping, or pulling them back while on leash, to making me do something:
I’m pretty cooperative & easy going, so if you asked me to step into the next room with no explanation, I’ll probably do it. But, if I’m halfway there, willingly complying and suddenly someone scruffs me by grabbing my collar and shoving, only 2 things are happening – I’m NOT moving from this spot, and the person behind me is probably going to a dentist, because I WILL fight you. Don’t make your dogs fight you.“
“But you should know it, I’ve said it many times. I even said it louder”
She and the class did the “Ahhhh” realization moment.
“I asked a question in French or German a couple of times, and then ask them (in English) why they didn’t respond.
Then I explained: English is a Dog‘s second language.
In order to understand, you have to teach it and reinforce it with treats, treats, treats.🐕🦺🎉”
“If you’re scared of spiders and I put 10 spiders near your face while chaining you up, that’s what it’s like for dogs who’re afraid.
You don’t get to decide what the dog is afraid of but you do get to make a plan to help her become a little bit spider-tolerant.“
“Speaking to them in a language that they don’t speak and just expecting them to understand by repeating myself. They understand that their dogs do not speak their language and that we need to help them understand what we expect”
“It doesn’t matter if you wear a swimming costume, bikini, speedos or whatever, they don’t teach you how to swim. Just like wearing a collar or a harness will not teach a dog to walk nicely on lead. The clothes don’t matter, so long as they are comfortable, you still just need to learn the skills.”
“Training in the situation while over threshold is like trying to teach someone to swim in the deep end;
they are too busy trying to stay afloat and survive whilst being terrified to learn any of the skills you are trying to teach. You learn better in the shallow end with someone you trust supporting you. You can then transition down the pool towards the deep end but if you have a fright or a set back you need to go back to the shallow end to practice again … also you don’t learn math in a math test!”
“If you see a spider on a wall across the room, you can see it, process it, and then choose what to do. Catch it, squish it, burn the house down. Your choice. But how do you feel about the spider when it is on your neck crawling towards your face? This is not a process zone, this is the reaction zone.”
“When dog is intently focused on something – using whatever sense – and they don’t respond to you…that reminds me of when I am engrossed in reading a book;
I may not even hear someone speak to me.
I think dogs can be in their own head (or senses) that deeply too.
And if someone smacked me for not hearing them…”
“Crouching over your dog/other people crouching over your dog = attack of the rock giants!”
“Dogs are opportunist – they do what works for them.
If they keep finding wonderful things on the counter, they’ll keep surfing”
“I use the email analogy for sniffing:
Pulling your dog away from sniffing is akin to someone walking by and closing your lap top while you’re only half way through an email.”
“And for those questioning needing to use food for R+ (positive reinforcement) training long term, I use the analogy of the food being a paycheck:
If you got really good at your job, would you want your boss to take away your pay check suddenly?“
“Yelling at/punishing a puppy/dog for eating something they shouldn’t or chewing on something they shouldn’t and then not giving them a more acceptable substitute is like us staying in a house where we don’t speak the same language as anyone else and getting yelled at for eating off of the wrong dishes because we don’t know how to find the correct ones.
“I explained desensitization to my friend like this:
If you take your child into a lolly (candy) shop, they may grab and scream for the lollies. If you don’t want them to have lollies, don’t go in there. Instead, teach them how to walk past the shop without even asking. Aka, walk the other side of the road, once you can do that try the same side of the road.
Aka, don’t take your puppy into a group of dogs and expect it to sit calmly. Start at a distance, take your time, build duration, etc”
They we try again with shaping and positive reinforcement.
It really helps shift perspective from thinking “oh this is a naughty dog and they’re misbehaving” to “how can I help support this creature that’s struggling in this scenario”
“Favorite one I was told by a behaviorist about punishing a dog for barking at something that is scary to them:
How would you feel if you saw a suspicious person lurking outside your house and you yelled to your friend who was also in the house for help, and they got mad at you and started yelling at you to shut up. Would you feel safer or more stressed and scared?
It changed my view completely on how to help my dog when they barked reactively at the time.”
“When is the last time you ever felt safe and confident after someone corrected one of your mistakes you with force?
Does a child feel more confident and safe around a parent that spanks them, or a parent that talks them through a poor choice?“
“Don’t be a dick. Just let your dog eat HIS/her food!!
If you must take something away for safety, trade it out with something else they like. Redirect them away from it.”
“Teaching by shaping is like learning a Tiktok dance – break it down into each step, master each step before putting it all together.
If you try to do the whole dance right off the bat, you’ll probably make mistakes and get frustrated.”
“About how much freedom you give to a dog that is in process of learning:
“Teaching skills in a safe environment before trying them in a challenging environment — I often say that we train for the Olympics before we get there.”
“Generalization and proofing, DSCC = scaffolding like schooling.
We can’t leap from kindergarten to law school.”
Punishing their behavior is like putting a Band-Aid on an infection.
It’ll cover up the sight for a while,
but the underlying cause isn’t being treated and can often get worse.
Expecting them to do things just for praise/pets, is like you going to work just to get a good word or high five from your boss.
Expecting a dog to be able to follow obedience when emotionally overwrought is like asking you to do fractions when you’re being held up by a mugger.
or while reading.
and only exactly how it was taught.
“The more you repeat your cues, the less relevant they are.
Give your dog time to do it.
Pretend you are using a second language and you just need some time to understand.”
“The more you physically prompt your dog the lesser of words mean.
Especially if you repeat yourself.“
“My take was to bridge the understanding of why training regression is a normal phase during their hormonal maturing period, so they understood why training seems more difficult to complete. “My dog used to do ___ cue so well and now they seem to have forgotten!” It’s not forgotten, there’s just a lot more mental construction going on and a new blossoming open world instead of just owner and house to focus on 
“
“Yes, plus they are also hard wired to explore and adventure and, to some extent, form (break) new social bonds at this time.”
“I liken the adolescent brain to a disorganised filing cabinet. The behaviours you began filing away with your puppy have all been shaken up and chucked around, so the files are still there, but you may need to help them look for it, or even start again and write a new one because they can’t access it right now.”
“I also compare trigger stacking to a day with a toddler: wake up, go to the park, then the bank or grocery shopping, birthday party in the afternoon full of cake and soda. And no nap. You have a teeny tiny terrorist on your hands.
They don’t want to make bad decisions, they just aren’t in the right frame of mind to make good ones”
“Road rage or snapping at a spouse or friend for asking a simple question like what do you want for dinner.
I am sure everyone has bitten off someone’s head when they are trigger stacked.
Heck my husband recognizes it now and either makes jokes or steers clear.”
“Oh, I have one for that too!
“Learning to drive a car is something most can relate to.
Most people recall how hard it was to put all the pieces together and how nerve racking it was and now it is so automatic when you get in the car.
Muscle memory comes from lots of practice.
Staying with the driving analogy we teach driving on a quiet street or parking lot not the freeway, learning and practicing without distractions.”
“Heightened emotions are not good no matter what end of the spectrum they are – this is why everyone ends up crying at Disney! Being overexcited is just as bad as being overstressed.”
“I say using punishment to stop a scared dog from barking is like slapping a person who cries for help.”
“This morning I was talking about generalization. I said “you don’t act the same way at the library as you do as home/work/a friend’s house/the beach.”
Also: driving is different in other states. It’s not that you don’t know how to drive, you just don’t know the rules of the road in this state.”
“If you are afraid of spiders and a friend comes toward you with a cupped hand and throws a spider on you” (I mime this) “first, you probably won’t like that friend very much anymore.
Also if they walk towards you with a cupped hand in the future, you might take a swing at them or at least run away.
But if a different friend started giving you five dollars every time you saw a picture of a spider, you may start getting excited about seeing those pictures.”
*Whew*
That was a lot, eh!
But they help things make sense, don’t they?
If you have any to add, I’d love to hear them!
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