Default Behaviors

Default behaviors are a great way for our dogs to learn how to communicate with us.

Find some behaviors that are simple for dogs to do (like "sit") and reward that behavior a lot.
Pretty soon, our dogs will learn that performing the default behavior will get them things that they want.
Instead of jumping up for attention, our dog might sit for attention
Instead of barking for food, our dog might "sit pretty" for a meal
etc..

From Leslie McDevitt's "Control Unleashed: The Puppy Program
"Puppies enthusiastically learn about default behaviors and this becomes the foundation of their understanding that they can use their behavior to influence your behavior"

From Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed: Creating a Focused and Confident Dog
"Teach your dog some default or automatic behaviors (my primary ones are eye contact, sit, and down). Whatever behaviors you reward the most will become the defaults. I always wait for my dogs to give a default behavior before I give them dinner, let them out of a crate, or do anything else they are going to enjoy."

From Smith and Mandy's Quick Clicks - Fast and Fun Behaviors to Teach Your Dog with a Clicker
"Choose a default behavior. Practice multiple times over the course of several days until the dog is offering the behavior quickly and reliably."


Tell us you about your dog's default behaviors in the comments section below


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