In her AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen classes, Sylvia Moody has the benefit of two assistants who know a lot about dogs.
That’s because they are dogs. Meet Star and Justin, Sylvia’s Scottish Terriers.
Star attended a recent class where a 4-month-old Lhasa Apso, Bella, was learning attention and basic commands and gave her some pointers.
As a result, Bella learned sit, stay, and walk on a leash in one lesson.
Do you think dogs can learn from watching other dogs? Have you seen examples of this?
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
I have absolutely used my dogs to help train others, I do believe they learn from each other. As a dog walker I found that if I brought my well behaved dog for a walk with a puller or puppy, they would automatically walk better by my side. And they learn from each other even if it’s not just by watching, as I learned recently with my two dogs when my older dog “reinforced” my younger dog’s barking: http://mustlovedogs-kim.blogspot.com/2011/04/dog-training-dog.html
Yes we know that our dogs learn from watching each other and watching us because they live with us and know us very well. My first dog to go in conformation loved it and when she had puppies she taught them to follow her in a circle like she had learned in class. Later we started Jazz our Havanese in conformation training. Jazz did not seem to be getting it until at a conformation show he really watched the other dogs in the ring. Then his expression and movements said, “I can do that”; and he did. He is Champion Jazz now.