Everybody messes up. We’re human. It happens.
It happens in training all the time. We say the wrong thing, look the wrong way, click at the wrong time, turn in the wrong direction.
Guess what? You’re the only one that knows. Keep it secret from your dog!
When you make a mistake, give your dog a treat. Reward with a “goof goodie!”
Why?
It keeps your dog from thinking that it’s his/her fault.
Think about it. What’s everybody’s first reaction when they screw up? They sigh, or say “ugh” (or worse). How does your dog know you’re not talking to him? Whenever you’re together, you always talk to her!
A dog trained with positive reinforcement probably won’t repeat something that hasn’t been rewarded. And may avoid doing things that got a negative reaction. So if we say “dammit” out loud, the dog thinks we’re talking to him. And, because he’s a very good dog, he won’t do it again. Even if he was right and we were the ones that screwed up.
You may know you’re talking to yourself – metaphorically slapping yourself. But your dog doesn’t. And she’s the only other one there. Let her know she’s good.
Give her a Goof Goodie and let it go. You’ll do better next time.
