Understanding in the canine classroom: learning to ‘lean’

Using an ethnomethodological approach, we examine a particular case of a dog and its handler learning the ‘lean’ command. In this scene of instruction, we come upon a place where the uses of a word are taught to both dog and human. Revisiting Vicki Hearne’s influential book on animal training, we reflect on animals in conversation with their trainers, and the interconnected problems of understanding and of a dog’s specific rights. We describe the establishing of a new command as a body position, location and duration. The opening and closing of a door, as part of learning the new command, poses a puzzle of both instruction and rights for the dog as pupil. Our findings begin to contribute to the ‘missing what’ of dog training and question the limits of animal geographies in relation to the ethics in, and of, training and education with animals. In addition, we show how animal geographers can learn from and describe the public availability of intersubjective practices. Specifically, we describe the witnessable organisation of learning new commands, as part of which, we acknowledge and are attentive to the dog’s work, thereby contributing to studies of animal training, cross-species communication and classrooms.