Dog training is very rarely straightforward, so hold on tight this could be a bumpy ride. While it would be lovely to think that everything progresses nicely and your dog becomes a bit more “perfect” everyday, this is seldom the case. While things might seem to be heading in the right direction today, tomorrow they might be distracted, or just seem to have forgotten everything they have learnt.
So you might enter the journey thinking you are going for a nice gentle stroll, but the reality is far more complex. There’s no getting away from it – changes take effort and time. Consistence and patience are key.
Progress may be influenced by various factors, which may include:
- how long the behaviour has been established
- what function the behaviour performed for the dog
- how the behaviour was being reinforced
- your dog’s genetic inheritance/ predispositions
- relationships between your dog and others
- prior learning history/ experiences (both positive and negative)
- how consistent and accurate you are in applying the strategies
So don’t lose heart when you don’t see miraculous results immediately – you will get there eventually.
Behaviour change and training often feels a bit like this:
The Vision
How we wanted our dog training journey to be.
The Reality
It tends to be more like this.
If things don’t seem to working, just take a step back. Look at the situation, read your dog, remove some distractions, up the value of the reward. Then try it again.
Remember to always finish a training session with something that your dog already knows how to do, that way neither you or your dog will leave a session frustrated.
Most Importantly – have fun and enjoy the ride.
If you think I can help you on your journey, then please contact me.