Have you heard pet parents and dog trainers (reputable ones at least!) say, “All dogs learn by association.”?
This means that dogs connect specific feelings with situations, experiences, objects, animals, and people. Think of it like getting a lollipop at the doctor’s office when you were a child—a positive association that made the visit a little more bearable and positive. Dogs, however, experience these associations on an even deeper level, as this is a very reliable way that they learn to navigate their world, especially when it comes to the feeling of safety.
Positive association is one of the most powerful tools we have in dog training. That’s because when a dog associates something with a good experience, they’re more likely to respond positively to that something in the future, which can help you further your dog training goals. This is a major reason why positive reinforcement is such a reliable and humane training method that everyone can put to practice daily, no matter the issue or concern you’re wanting to tackle.
Why Association Matters
Imagine your dog’s first vet visit or grooming appointment. If they have a painful or scary experience, they’re very likely to remember that next time and may resist going. The intelligence in a dog can lie in being able to quickly associate specific details that they’ve linked with a specific experience, good or bad.
In the case of visiting the dog groomer, your dog might associate (or at the very least exhibit a worrisome-like reaction) you grabbing the leash to take them out for a walk with a potential visit to the groomer. This can depend highly on the dog, but also just how pleasant or unpleasant the grooming appointment was. Making it all the more important that your dog’s groomer does their very best to make your dog feel comfortable throughout their session. And something you can do on your end to help in this example would be to take your dog for happy visits to their vet and grooming appointments to help them feel and experience regular positive feelings, in contrast to the fewer visits where something challenging happens.
This is important to put effort in, as dogs lack the reasoning abilities that you and I have—they therefore can’t rationalize why they might need a shot or a nail trim. Their main takeaway will be how the experience made them feel.
You can think of it as when you go to a restaurant and their service isn’t the best. So you then leave the restaurant feeling like you might not want to return again..
What Can You Do?
To prevent negative associations, you will want to take proactive steps to help your dog have as many positive experiences as possible under your care. You can do this by going to the vet’s office for a “happy visit” or visiting the groomer when you don’t have an appointment, for example. This will help build trust and comfort, all at your dog’s pace.
Most vet offices and establishments offer happy visits, especially for puppies and older dogs. These short, stress-free visits allow your dog to see the vet as a friendly place, not somewhere to fear. This makes future visits smoother for both you and the vet, allowing for a safer, more relaxed experience. That way you’re not taking your dog to them only for appointments where something negative (in your dog’s eyes) would happen, forming an overall negative association which can make it difficult for everyone. For other types of situations that your dog is unsure of, you can put together a list of up to 5 ways that you could go about a similar activity or interaction, in a way that makes things feel easy and doable for your dog.
For example, if your dog is reactive and unsure about other dogs, you can select an open space where you can focus on playing games with your dog, while others do their own thing at a far distance. Then you can pause and watch them for a second before resuming. Today you might do that for 5 minutes, tomorrow for 10, and so on. Or if your dog isn't keen on handling in general, you can try something like Chirag's bucket game to make your dog feel included and more comfortable with the experience.
Applying Positive Association at Home
With what you’ve learned, start applying positive association to everyday situations your dog might potentially dislike or is rather new to—like vacuuming, crate time, or wearing a harness and being handled in general.
Much like happy visits, keep these interactions light, short, and super rewarding. Over time, your dog will begin to look forward to these experiences, making your life and theirs easier and more enjoyable.