This study sought to enhance current dog training practices by determining whether a finding from human motor skill learning research, the contextual interference (CI) effect, could be replicated in a trick-training paradigm with companion dogs. In humans, research shows that practicing skills in random order, as compared with blocked order, improves learning of those skills. To test this question in dogs, we randomly allocated 17 dogs to blocked training (low CI) or random training (high CI). The dogs performed three behaviors of varying difficulty. After training, we conducted a retention test in which half of the dogs in each group performed the tasks in blocked order and the other half in random order. We scored each trick, measured duration, and measured whether dogs required one or two tries to perform a behavior. We found no significant differences between dogs who practiced three tricks in random or in blocked order during training and during a retention test. This study is the first to apply the CI effect to dog trick training. Although no evidence of the CI effect was found, the current research provides a preliminary framework for future studies with potential implications for increasing retention of trained skills.

中文翻译：

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情境干扰对家犬训练技巧保留效果的初步检验

这项研究试图通过确定人类运动技能学习研究的发现——情境干扰（CI）效应——是否可以在伴侣犬的技巧训练范例中复制，来加强当前的狗训练实践。对于人类来说，研究表明，与按顺序练习相比，以随机顺序练习技能可以提高这些技能的学习效果。为了在狗身上测试这个问题，我们随机分配 17 只狗进行分组训练（低 CI）或随机训练（高 CI）。这些狗表演了三种不同难度的行为。训练结束后，我们进行了保留测试，每组中有一半的狗按分块顺序执行任务，另一半则按随机顺序执行任务。我们对每个动作进行评分，测量持续时间，并测量狗是否需要一次或两次尝试来执行某种行为。我们发现在训练期间和保留测试期间随机或按顺序练习三种技巧的狗之间没有显着差异。这项研究首次将CI效应应用于狗戏法训练。尽管没有发现 CI 效应的证据，但当前的研究为未来的研究提供了初步框架，对提高受过训练的技能的保留具有潜在影响。