Dog Training: A Journey

I was digging through some old paperwork and came across a document I wrote over nine years ago entitled "Ten Timeless Training Tips." It was supposed to be a part of the "good luck and farewell" package that all of my clients received at the end of our dog training sessions, but for some reason it never made it into the bundle of paperwork. I hadn't looked at it in ages, so I dove in, wondering how outdated my newbie trainer advice would look to me all of these years later.

Surprisingly, the document held up! 

One tip in particular jumped out at me. It read: "Don't expect miracles. Your dog only has 5 weeks of basic obedience under his belt. If you want a perfect recall, or rock-solid 'stay' amid distractions, keep practicing EVERY DAY in a variety of situations and locations and you'll get there."

I was hoping to drive home the idea that we'd just barely scratched the surface of what it meant to have a "trained" dog. Imagine how proficient you'd be at a new language if you'd only been learning it for a few minutes per day for five weeks. (In a perfect world my clients are seamlessly weaving training into their dog's everyday activities, thereby increasing the amount of time dedicated to training, but I'm not sure that always happens.) After five weeks you might be able to ask for a beer and directions to the restroom, but could you have a nuanced conversation about art? 

I wanted that tip to be a wake-up call for my clients. Even though we were done with our sessions, I wanted them to realize that training is endless and ongoing. (And fun, mind you.) You're never "done" with dog training. I also wanted to level-set them that new scenarios presented new opportunities to train ... sure, Fido might have a perfect "down-stay" in the living room, but has he ever tried it at the vet office in the waiting room?

Those folks who say, "Yeah, we did training with our dog back when he was a puppy, but none of it stuck" are probably the same people who thought that they were done once they received their dog's certificate of completion. 

Dog training is a journey, not destination.