I have a confession. The phrase “stay in your lane” typically brings me comfort and relief. Corporate PR is my lane. You would not want to hire me to fix your electrical wiring or perform as a trapeze artist.
I realize, though, that sometimes we have no choice but to switch lanes and do something new.
Enter Fensty, our puppy, the king of tearing tissues and stealing socks. He desperately needs basic obedience – not media – training. I pondered, “Is there any alignment between PR and dog training?” The answer is YES!
- Know your audience: Depending on your breed and their individual personalities, they have different motivators. Understand what they value and reward them accordingly. String cheese works well in our house!
- Keep your messages consistent…: You and other humans in your pack need to use the same language to avoid canine confusion and get the results you seek. Decide what terminology you want to use (e.g., Sit! Down! Leave it. Drop it.) and be consistent!
- …And repeat them: As any good media trainer will tell you, the more you repeat a message, the more likely we are to remember it. The same applies with dogs.
- Emphasize the positive: We’re accustomed to correcting the dog when he snags a Listerine breath strip. What about the other times during the day when he’s quietly sitting by your desk like the angel pup we know he can be? Acknowledge and reward the behavior you want to see.
- Learn non-verbal cues: Two-way communication is critical. Since we don’t speak Dog, we need to recognize his needs. Barking at the front door may mean, “I need to go out” or “Alex the mail carrier is here!” Learn his signals as he’s learning yours.
- Be ready for a crisis, but don’t panic if it happens: If your dog lifts a dead frog from your garden, try not to flip out. Perhaps use the “drop it” command and offer an alternative – and less disgusting – treat. If you scream or chase after him, you may either scare him or he’ll think it’s play time. Either way, your message will fail. As far as the readiness part, determine ahead of time where the frogs may be and try to steer him away from there.
No bones about it. You can harness your PR skills to unleash your inner dog trainer.
You, reading this post, are a subject matter expert in something. Use what you know to help you overcome what you don’t.
Originally published on LinkedIn.