8DPCVOD
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The final skill in the
communication trinity
is manding or asking for things.
And it's one of the
most important skills
for any social creature.
By default, puppies will mand
by jumping up and pawing at us.
[DOG WHINING]
This is one of the
chief behaviors
that dog owners complain about.
So for the puppies very
first training lesson,
we're going to teach
them the core concept
that if they want something,
they can ask for it
or mand by sitting
instead of jumping up.
Jumping is correct and
appropriate puppy behavior.
Jumping up says to
adult dogs, I'm small.
I won't hurt you.
Please play with me, feed
me, or pay attention to me.
Unfortunately, people
don't speak dog,
and they wear clothes
that have to be dry
cleaned after muddy
paws get on them.
So our job is to change
the cue of a human presence
to mean sit instead of jump up.
We do this by presenting a
cue, in this case, a human.
And then clicking and treating
the puppy for sitting.
The behavior of jumping on
you is not a bad behavior.
It's a stereotypical behavior.
It's the software the puppy
came with when he was born.
So all you're doing
is deinstalling
what you consider a bad behavior
and installing a good behavior.
But the real profound
part of it is,
is that you're teaching
the dog to talk to you.
At first we click
puppy even if he just
backs off from jumping on us.
But once he seems to understand
that, we ask for more
and wait until the
puppy is actually
sitting before we click him.
We're not training the puppy to
sit on command in this session.
We're training the puppy
to sit automatically when
a human's in front of them.
Therefore, we will not
be adding a verbal cue,
such as sit or off.
The presence of a human is
the cue for the puppy to sit.
At first, this puppy tries
his automatic response
of climbing up,
but quickly learns
that sit is the
behavior that pays.
Good boy.
Good boy.
So we're watching some footage
of four-week old puppies being
taught to automatically sit.
And you may think to yourself,
I mean, it's a cute thing,
but really, I mean,
is it necessary?
Is it necessary to put all this
effort in with these tiny, baby
puppies?
If you don't take anything
else away from this,
I want you to understand
that dogs have needs,
and they communicate
them through behaviors.
The need to be heard is
a deep, emotional need
for all social animals
and that your job
is to give your puppy a
voice so he can speak to you
and communicate his needs.
And in this simple
exercise, what we are doing
is taking the most primal need
for a four-week old puppy,
which is social interaction,
which he is preprogramed
to do a behavior which
most people would not like,
which is jump on you.
And we're saying to
him, you have a voice.
I'm going to listen
to you, but I'm
going to show you how
you can speak to me.
That is so profound
for a tiny, baby puppy,
and it is something that
will be carried with him
for the rest of his life.
That he matters,
and he is heard.
So again, give
your puppy a voice.
And do it during
the critical period
where it will form part of
his cultural understanding
of the way the world works.
On the other hand, if
you chose to let this
go and then just correct
the puppy, not too harsh,
but correct him.
Stop him.
Prevent him from jumping on you.
You would have shut
down his voice.
The dog no longer has a way to
communicate his need to you.
And it has been proven
time and time again
in scientific experiments
that to deprive
a social animal of a
voice is incredibly
damaging psychologically.
And I think that most people
through the absolute best
intentions and they love
their dog will suppress a dog
or correct problem
behaviors because they think
that's what they should do
because that's what they've
been told a good dog is.
But what I want
you to understand
is you need to stop thinking
about it in terms of preventing
or stopping problem
behaviors, and think
about it in terms of teaching
your dog how to talk to you.