Learning doesn’t automatically travel. A dog who can respond beautifully in the kitchen may appear to “forget” everything in the garden, at the park or when visitors arrive. Dogs notice details we may barely register: • Where you are standing • The surface beneath their paws • Background sounds and movement • How close distractions are • Whether you are sitting or standing • The emotional weight of the situation Each new setting changes the learning picture. Your dog hasn’t n

A slower response is still information. Latency is the time between a cue and the beginning of a behaviour. If your dog usually responds quickly but suddenly pauses, looks away or takes longer, they may not be “ignoring” you. A change in latency can reflect: • Distraction • Uncertainty • Emotional pressure • Physical discomfort • A change in the environment • A behaviour that is not yet fluent in that situation Rather than repeating the cue more loudly, pause and notice what

If your dog functions better when they’re further away from something, that’s useful information. Distance can change intensity, increase opportunities for observation and make other behaviours more available. We don’t have to repeatedly find the closest point a dog can tolerate. Sometimes creating more space is exactly what allows learning to happen. #dogs #cookiepushersunited #funnotformality #themischiefmethod #dogbehaviour #worthknowing

Where learning happens matters. The sights, smells, sounds, surfaces, distance, people present and emotional state of the dog can all become part of the learning picture. That’s one reason “but they know this!” can be such a frustrating idea for both dogs and humans. Sometimes they do know it. They just haven’t learned that it applies here too. #worthknowing #dogs #dogbehaviour #themischiefmethod #funnotformality #cookiepushersunited