Have you ever thought about finding a dog training buddy? The holidays are the most social time of year. There are lots of opportunities to chat with friends, colleagues, relatives about all sorts of stuff. Quite a few of those conversations may mention dogs – especially if you’re trading “naughty” stories.
If you keep your ears open, you might find a good match for a dog training partner. It’s a good idea to have someone watch you and your dog (either live or on video), trade problem-solving ideas, and discuss training issues and triumphs. It’s not strictly necessary, but it is nice to talk with someone else going through the same thing you are. The best and most experienced dog trainers welcome another opinion, idea, or suggestion.
Check for compatibility
If you like the idea of sharing your dog-training games with a friend, be sure you have similar ideas about how dog training should be done. There are still punishment-based, and “balanced” training adherents who don’t understand, or even denigrate positive reinforcement training. It’s one thing for us, as training class instructors, to lay down the law of “No pulling, no popping, no corrections!” It may not work in a one-on-one situation.
Your dog training buddy doesn’t have to be a steady date, or even a regular appointment. You can certainly check in with each other only occasionally. But it’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off, especially when you hit a plateau or obstacle in your training.
Another set of eyes
Because we’re sisters, Fran and I (Hope), know each other very well. We’re also able to push each other’s buttons and get on each others’ nerves. But in our dog training lives, we’re on the same page – finding the best way to communicate with our dogs. With our own dogs, we’ll often watch each other’s training. And having another viewpoint can be just what you need to move forward.
Everybody can get stuck. You may become convinced that a certain path is the right one – but your dog just isn’t catching on. And while you can clearly see that what you’re doing isn’t working, you may not have another idea. Just having another person’s thoughts may help you find an alternative.
As an example – I’m starting to teach Torque, my French Bulldog, the Utility Obedience Directed Retrieve exercise. In competition, three identical gloves are spaced evenly at the end of the ring. The judge tells the handler which glove the dog should get. The team starts with their backs to the gloves. When the exercise starts, the team turns around to face the correct glove and the person sends their dog to get it.
Torque was peeling off as soon as we started to turn. Even if we came to a stop, he didn’t seem to understand that not just any glove would do. I tried using different objects, varying the distances between them, starting closer to the “right” glove – lots of variations on the theme.
Suggestions from the “peanut gallery”
Fran could see that I was at a loss. Torque just wasn’t understanding the “directed” part of the Directed Retrieve. He was getting the thing, bringing it back to me, dropping it on command. But the first part was elusive. Fran mentioned that according to the rules, that when we turn around I could ask Torque to “sit!” before sending him. I wasn’t doing that, even though it’s part of the rules. And just that change, a pause to focus, is making a big difference for Torque’s understanding.
It may seem natural for people – if somebody’s pointing at something, that’s the thing to interact with. But it’s not as natural for dogs. Sometimes we lose sight of how differently dogs’ minds work. With just an outside suggestion, you may be able to break through whatever barrier’s in front of you.
Help’s always available
If you can’t find a dog training buddy who is open to playing training games with their dogs, we’re always here to answer your questions, watch your videos, and offer suggestions. Building your dog’s understanding is just as important for family companions as it is for those heading for Obedience or Rally competition. It’s the gateway for everybody’s best life. It’s a bit sad that those people (and their dogs) are missing out.