Breakfast at my house is never just breakfast, it is a full production. This morning Deuce and Rio had their meals in their bowls as usual. Deuce finished first and wandered into the kitchen while Rio raced over to his dish with high hopes that he had left behind a treasure. He had not. After confirming the bowl was spotless, she joined us in the kitchen. I handed her daily cartilage supplement, which she gobbled down like it was the finest treat ever, and she trotted off to the window to resume her squirrel patrol.
Now it was Deuce’s turn. But of course, the second I gave him his supplement, Rio reappeared out of nowhere and stood beside me with that look. The one that says as clearly as words: excuse me, what did he just get that I didn’t? Never mind the fact that she had the exact same thing two minutes ago. In her mind, fairness means she gets something every single time someone else does. So I handed her a stray piece of kibble from the counter. Consolation prize accepted, balance restored.
That little moment was funny and harmless, but it shows just how much timing matters with our dogs. They do not press pause and rewind the way we do. They cannot link a past action with something happening later. A classic example is when a dog has an accident in the house while the owner is away. The owner comes home, finds the mess, and scolds the dog. The person believes the dog knows exactly why he is being punished and even points to the so-called guilty look. But the truth is the dog has no idea the yelling is about what happened earlier. From the dog’s point of view, the scary behavior is connected to whatever he was just doing, whether that was lying down, wagging his tail, or walking over to say hello. Now, instead of learning where to eliminate, the dog may start to feel anxious around the owner. And that guilty look is not guilt at all, it is appeasement. The dog is saying please don’t hurt me, I am no threat.
The same thing happens with rewards. Timing is just as important when teaching something good. Imagine asking your dog to sit politely instead of jumping on guests. He sits for a second, but before you get the treat ready, he pops back up and jumps. If the treat arrives at that moment, you just rewarded the jump. Sometimes you even reinforce both, so now you have a dog who thinks sit-jump-treat is the routine. Not exactly what you wanted.
This is where a clicker can be such a useful tool. The click tells the dog with precision yes, that right there is what earns you the reward. But the timing of the click is everything. It must happen the instant the behavior occurs. The treat can come a moment later, and in fact, that pause often builds anticipation and makes the reward more valuable. So do not worry about fumbling to get the treat out instantly. Focus on getting the click right.
When you practice this, you will find that your dog learns faster, is more eager to work with you, and has a much clearer understanding of what earns rewards. The key is to remember that timing is your superpower. Deliver consequences, especially the good ones, at the right moment and your dog will connect the dots. Get sloppy with timing and you risk teaching confusion or creating a funny little behavior chain you never intended. The more precise your timing, the more you will see the behaviors you want become the norm.