When you come to class, you may expect to learn everything and not need to do any more; but the truth is it just won’t happen that way. Just like us learning our times tables repetition is key. So at the end of each class, the trainer will select two or three exercises and ask you to go away and practice them as homework to make some of the tasks the following week easier. Here we’re going to talk about what we call kettle training.

“Kettle training”

Now, we don’t expect you to be doing an hour long session every day. We believe in a concept we call “kettle training” – that is, when you pop the kettle on, you spend those three minutes while the kettle boils training your pup. These short sessions use more cognitive effort than longer ones, which leads to better long-term memory retention.

Short sessions also offer up the opportunity for more repetition. It’s easier to boil the kettle three times a day than it is to watch an hour long documentary the same number of times, and let’s be honest – what else would you be doing while the kettle boils?

How?

For example, the trainer has asked you to practice hand touch ahead of your next class, if you practice “kettle training” for the next 6 days you have the chance at 18 more training sessions, as opposed to 6 sessions that might be less valuable as the requested behaviour may become automatic, rather than committed to long term memory.

Of course, the results will vary depending on the dog and the task that we are trying to learn; but we have found with consistent kettle training, most dogs have grasped what is asked of them within 3-4 weeks.

Now for those of you interested in the theory, Demant et al (2011) found that, like several other animal learning theorists, shorter sessions are better for committing to long term memory.

So, who needed an excuse for a brew?