There are big, beautiful dreams to achieve in dog training: “I want my dog to be a Rally Obedience Champion.”
There are also lovely little dreams: “I want my dog to greet my holiday guests politely.”
You and your dog can achieve whatever goals you want. Both of those dreams are achievable. The key is recognizing that every little step, every two-minute training game, is taking you closer to the prize.
Destination is motivation
Aiming for a specific goal gives you a reason to find time for training. It’s also a yardstick to measure your progress. It helps to set a deadline for yourself.
While playing training games with your dog is always fun, adding a bit of pressure to achieve a goal makes it more likely you’ll do it. Everyone’s schedule is crammed with things we have to do. It’s important to carve out some time for the things you want to do as well.
Set up for success
Say you’re hosting a gathering in a month and want to show off your dog’s new trick – “Shake Hands.”
The first step is planning for a few mini-training sessions every day. At your dog’s meal time, use the first five pieces of food for training treats. Set up containers of training treats everywhere in the house you spend time. Use commercial breaks, waiting for your popcorn to pop, or even bathroom breaks as training opportunities. That destination is motivation for you and your dog to keep up the short training sessions.
Unexpected benefits
Your relationship with your dog will change if you make tiny training sessions part of everyday life. They’ll listen better, be happier, and become more confident. Shared communication will improve. And you’ll make great strides in achieving both big and little dreams.
When we start a new session of classes, we always ask our students what they hope to achieve in the class. The nebulous goal we hear most often is “a well-behaved dog.” Which looks different to everyone. Set specific goals and you’ll achieve not only that target, but the fuzzy “good dog” one as well.
There’s no wrong way
Your dog training journey will be filled with both triumphs and hiccups. No path toward a goal is always smooth. You may even find that your original goal becomes unimportant.
That’s all okay. Dog training, in short, fast, fun bursts, is really all about having a great relationship with your dog and having fun together. Making it a habit will benefit both of you. Your dog will get the biggest life. And you’ll have the best dog.