Pass Along PDJ
February 2008

Sense of Place
by Steve Smith

ne of the hardest things for those training their first dog to comprehend is that many dogs are extremely "place-specific" in the way they learn.

For example, if you were in your kitchen and your kid asked you the capital of South Dakota, you’d say "Pierre." And if you walked into the living room and he again asked you the capital of South Dakota, you’d give him the same answer. Not your dog. Your dog would say, "Pierre" in the kitchen and, "Frankfort" in the living room. Actually, in the living room, he wouldn’t say anything – he’d act like he’d never heard of state capitals before. Plus, he’s a dog and is highly unlikely to say anything anyway, but that’s another matter.

A dog that heels perfectly well in the backyard may get amnesia when he’s asked to heel for the first time in the field, an action often mistaken for disobedience. It’s not; in the backyard, "heel" means "heel." In the field – at first – "heel" means "hdyefgwlsicp." Only after he’s re-taught heeling in the field will he do it there as well, though he’ll learn it faster.

It works that way with all the dog’s skills – they are not always transportable until they’ve been used in a fairly wide variety of places and circumstances. He’s not being disobedient – he just really doesn’t understand yet. Have patience.

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