Proofing Behavior

To change behavior in a dog, it's helpful to use the equation A + B = C.

Antecedent (what comes before the behavior) 
+
Behavior (the action, such as sitting or lying down)
=
Consequence (what comes directly after the behavior)

When teaching a dog a skill, the "antecedent" is usually considered to be the word or hand signal a person uses as a cue for a specific behavior. In other words, I would say "sit" to a dog (antecedent) and—because I have actively taught this dog what that word means—they would put their butt on the ground (behavior) and I would say "YES!" and give them a treat (consequence). 

The truth is, though, that the antecedent is actually much broader than just a word or hand sign. In her book Meet Your Dog: the Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior, behaviorist Kim Brophey actually argues that the "antecedent' is everything in a dog's life that has led up to that moment, including: genetics, previous education and experiences, current environment, and the specific interior world of the dog, including health, development, age, sex, preferences, quirks, and all of the other things that make a dog a unique and individual being. 

Basically, there can be a whole world of variables, all before you say the word "sit." To proof a behavior is to teach your dog that "sit" means "sit," even when any one of these variables is present.

To "proof" a behavior is to help a dog generalize and group variables. 

Even though it may seem obvious to our human brain, a dog who can sit on cue at home may not inherently understand that the word "sit" also means to put their butt on the ground when they are in your front yard. With something as simple as a shift of location, the antecedent has drastically changed for the dog… and the dog can no longer understand the cue. 

I often hear people say "My dog knows what they are supposed to do, but won't do it!" But a dog's failure to complete a cued behavior is usually not a "refusal." Yes, it's absolutely true that sometimes a dog doesn't have enough of a reinforcement history and chooses to opt-out of a cue they understand... but it's far more common that the dog genuinely does not understand what is being asked of them. Your dog is not being naughty. They are just confused. 

This is demonstrated by the following anecdote that often comes up when chatting about proofing skills: A group of dogs that titled in the Obedience category at the Westminster Dog Show were asked to sit by their handler, with one significant change: the handlers put their backs to the dogs before giving the cue. And, by changing an element of the antecedent in this fairly small and mundane way, not one of the dogs completed the behavior. This was not because the dogs were stubborn, or picky, or oppositional, or bad... they just had no idea what the cue meant in that particular situation.

Our job, then, is to teach our dogs "sit" in their backyard, in their side yard, in their front yard, on the sidewalk, at the park, and on the trail, so that they learns the word "sit" cues a specific behavior when they are anywhere in the much broader category of "outside."

In other words, it's our job to teach our dogs that when we say the word "sit" it means to sit…

... when we are facing them  and when we are facing away.
... in every room of the house.
... inside the house and outside the house.
... in the morning and afternoon and night.
... alone with you or with other people present.
... in a quiet place and a loud place.
... when it is cold out and when it is warm.
... while standing on a rug or a wood floor or concrete or grass.
... while unencumbered or while wearing a harness.
... when it is said by a man or woman.
... when it is said by a child or a teen or an adult.
... when the person giving the cue is sitting on the floor, lying down, standing, or moving in a variety of different ways.
... when a person is close to the dog and far from the dog .
... on a boat and with a goat.
... in the rain and on a train.
... in a box and with a fox.
... in a house and with a mouse.
... here, there, and everywhere.

What's more, we must understand that we have the responsibility to change the conditions when our dog is unsuccessful for any reason. 

We may need to start at the beginning of the training process by capturing a behavior and then gradually moving from capture to cue. We may need to take our dog out to potty. We may need to let our dog take a break. We may need to increase the distance between our dog and something stimulating in the environment. We may need to turn down the volume. We may need to go somewhere else.

Lastly, we need to acknowledge that there are some elements of the antecedent that we cannot change. A big dog may not be able to do what a little dog can do. A young dog may not be able to do what an older dog can do. A sick or injured dog may not be able to do what a healthy dog can do. An unsocialized dog may not be able to do what a socialized dog can do. A traumatized dog may not be able to do what a dog that has had no previous trauma can do. A dog genetically selected for specific traits may not be able to do what a dog that has been genetically selected for different specific traits.

When you proof a behavior, you must constantly ask: how can I set my dog up for success? How can I manipulate the environment in a way that allows my dog to know or to learn what I am asking of them? What elements of the antecedent can I change to help my dog generalize a behavior? What elements of the antecedent are unchangeable and should prompt me to shift my training goals or expectations?