- Dogs are not answering wrong for any other reason than the fact that they thought they were answering correctly. The human teammate is the one determining right/wrong. Their reactions following an error are not because they “know” they made a mistake – it is a reaction to the feedback that you gave them in that moment.
- Errors caused by incorrect handling cues should be genuinely rewarded. If you know you caused a mistake, but your dog followed your handling cues perfectly, doesn't that deserve to be rewarded in the same was it would be had the handler also gotten it right?
- If the dog truly knows the answer, they won't make the same mistake twice. Give them another chance before making the question easier.
- Focus on what went right. Dog flies through the weave poles but skips one in the middle. Reward the dog for the 99% that was correct, and forget about the 1% that was wrong. It'll be better in the long run.
- We should be prepared for what happens in competition AND we should compare the dog for how we will respond in competition. Make sure you have a plan for responding to errors when food/toys ARE and ARE NOT present/immediately available.
Join my upcoming FDSA Workshop on “How to Handle Errors” in Agility!
Register here.
