It’s funny what things you remember as a child that can spark that “Ah ha!” moment later in life. I was in the 3rd Grade when the teacher gave us an interesting bit of homework one day: Write instructions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No minimum number of words or paragraphs. I remember thinking, “Great! I’ll just write a couple sentences and be done. Best homework assignment ever!” Then I actually tried writing just those couple of sentences.
It didn’t work. “Spread the peanut butter on one slice. Then spread the jelly on top.” Then I had to add “Put the slices of bread together”. But wait. How much peanut butter and how much jelly? How did I get the peanut butter out of the jar? Did I use a butter knife or my finger? Did I use white bread or wheat? So I added more and more until I ended up with a couple of paragraphs. I thought I was wise beyond my years. There was a trick to this assignment, but I figured it out.
The next day I went to school feeling confident with my 2 solid paragraphs. When we turned in our assignments one by one, I noticed that a couple of my classmates handed in pages of instructions.
Whaaat?!
I was outdone and couldn’t wait to find out how multiple pages were even possible. After everyone’s assignment was collected, the teacher calmly explained that there are many steps involved with even a single task, but we often forget about them. She sifted through the papers and plucked a 3-pager from the pile, but there was writing on the back and front so it was really a 6-page whopper. She read it out loud. It started off with instructions on how to ask you mom to drive you to the grocery store, and included contingency instructions in case your mom wasn’t home, such as asking your dad or a friend’s parents. It had notes on how to open and close the car door and properly secure the seat belt. It included details as to grocery store options, the various aisle names that could contain the bread versus the peanut butter and jelly, how much money to have, getting back into the car and driving home, washing hands (oops, I forgot that one) and so on and so forth.
Training a dog to perform a service task often begins with teaching a behavior that looks nothing like the end goal. Knowing and experiencing this are two different things and this “Ah-ha!” moment came years later when I first tried teaching a dog to deliver an object to my hand. I spent time thinking out the baby steps (approximations, in trainer’s speak) that would lead to a flawless hand delivery, but little progress was made in the training sessions. It dawned on me that I was in 3rd Grade all over again, and that I would have to let go of my original instructions in spite of how well thought out I believed them to be. I would have to break down the baby steps even further, re-order a few things, and try again. It wasn’t easy though. I first had to detach myself from the original plan that stubbornly clung to me, as if I somehow formed an unhealthy relationship with it.
It’s important to keep the mind flexible and observant. Come up with your plan and then expect to tweak it as you go, after all, two different species are trying to communicate with each other – Pretty mind boggling if you think about it. Being fast can be tempting, but often breeds impatience and frustration. Service & task training is iterative, which is to say there’s nothing turn-key about it.
Keep thinking of ways to make the instructions clear so your dog can make an awesome peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
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