not very smart….
Did you ever think to yourself… “wow, my dog is just not very bright!”
Many of us tend to categorize by type:
smart/not-smart
hard-working/lazy
perceptive/distracted
This can limit how we see and interpret behavior - and how we respond to our dogs will in part be shaped by what we think of our dog’s capacities and personality in general.
Curiosity rather than Categories may help you understand your dog better!
I once worked with a dog once who just could not learn to run or walk on leash without pulling. We tried all kinds of training games, different gear, different locations, different times of day, different rewards but nothing seemed to work. He could walk close to us for a short period of time, and then he would start pulling. It turned out, he had intestinal pain from adhesions. He was not having a hard time learning nor was he stubborn, he was uncomfortable.
I lived with a dog that would just stare at me and refuse to move a muscle when I set up any structured training session. She was fearful of people, but not of dogs. She learned a lot from other dogs right away - but it took a while for her to trust me. Once we had established a relationship, we could start to work on skills together. And she turned out to be a brilliant learner — but the first couple years I knew her, she seemed to be terrible at learning new skills!
Let’s explore some common ideas about dogs’ intelligence:
1) old dogs lose their smarts
dogs of any age can learn new things
age does change the speed with which dogs can learn, and canine cognitive dysfunction is a concern
stress, poor sleep, and physical pain can interfere with learning and with the maintenance of previously learned skills (even mild arthritic pain) but pain meds can help
great nutrition, access to the outdoors, physical and mental activity, and healthy age-appropriate social interaction can support and maintain brain function in older dogs
2) rescue dogs can only learn so much
all dogs can learn new things; this is how they adapt to change
rescue dogs are learning a new environment when they are first adopted; they can often appear to be very poor at skills training because there’s only so much they can absorb at one time
learning from humans works better when there is a relationship and communication systems in place; setting the stage for cooperation and trust can take time
learning can also be a process of unlearning past lessons - which is usually more complicated and time consuming than you may expect
3) my dog is so slow, they must not be smart
many things can get in the way of learning: boredom, lack of clarity, pressure, distraction, physical pain, basic needs, fatigue, lack of interest, genetic limitations, past learning experiences and old habits
learning how to motivate your dog and read their body language may help
clearing up your training mechanics may help your dog
4) my dog doesn’t notice so many obvious things, they must not be smart
dogs see the world like dogs, not humans - dogs are not good at navigating spatial boundaries and do not have great depth perception, for example
dogs do not automatically know how to follow a treat in your hand, how to read your face and body movement, how to navigate the human world: they learn these things from/with humans
things dogs are naturally good at (such as smell) are still skills that need to be encouraged and used often if you want your dog to be good at them
stress, new environments, emotional state, physical discomfort, and even just arousal can make it really hard for your dog to focus and think clearly
If you want some help figuring out how to set your dog up for success when learning new skills or fine-tuning their performance, contact us!
