“Your dogs are very well-behaved.”
I’ve heard this several times recently, and while I’m flattered, I can’t help but think… “Are you talking about my dogs? Really?” And then I mentally list all the things that still need work: Emmett counter-surfs, Lucas reacts to other dogs who get too close, Cooper pulls a lot on our walks, and so on.
Because even though I know that they’re usually pretty good, I can’t stop myself from seeing all the work we still have to do. Dog training is one of those things that doesn’t have an endpoint. You may pass this class or earn this certification, but doesn’t it seem like there’s always something else to work on?
Why is it so easy to overlook how far you’ve come and, instead, focus on the negative? I think most of us are pretty obsessed with keeping our dogs happy and healthy through training, exercise, and healthy eating. I think that level of care, concern, and compassion is what drives me to focus on “fixing” behaviors because I’m convinced it will make them happier. Hmm.
Anyone else in this boat?
In the interest of being – and staying – positive, I decided to post a few training celebrations that I am proud of, and I’d love to encourage you to share your celebrations in the comments!
- Cooper met an adorable dog today, and he didn’t tuck his tail! He greeted the pup with a loose body, a swishing tail, and an open mouth.
- Lucas has seen numerous dogs (from a distance) around the neighborhood on his walks this week – everyone is walking early because it’s gotten so dang hot – and he looks but doesn’t react! Wahoo!
- Emmett’s “watch me” is becoming as automatic as his sit, which is awesome because it means I can keep his attention on me even in a super busy library or school.
- Lucas’ “drop it” is freaky good. He can be running full speed across a field with a tennis ball in his mouth. We can shout “drop it” from the other side of the field… and he does. It’s amazing, particularly because I don’t think we even taught him “drop it.” And both of the other two try to get a few extra chews on something before they drop it, so while I’m celebrating this one, I can’t take credit for it.
- We’re taking an “intermediates” dog training class with Cooper, and he sailed through class with John on Sunday. John was so proud when he came home! The trainer called Cooper an “overachiever!” Yay!
What about you? What dog training successes can you celebrate this week?
Diamond just went on her first walk with the harness front-clipped, which she’d previously been scared of and concerned by. (She doesn’t pull horribly, but she does tend to want to run full-speed.) She got the hang of it, didn’t pull, and we had a very nice walk.
Woohoo! Those are all awesome and exciting things. Oh, how I’d love to perfect Shiva’s drop it so that she’d put down that nasty piece of dead bird or mystery meat on command…
But this isn’t about all the work we still have yet to do! It’s funny, I think I give people the same confused look when I hear compliments like that. “Really? My dog? You should have seen her five minutes ago when she ignored my recall in favour of chasing a piece of paper!” Accepting compliments gracefully is not an easy thing to do, is it?
Anyway, today Shiva actually did drop a number of things on command during our morning walk. I didn’t have to put my hand in her mouth once! AND we were walking through a high-litter-traffic-area. Woo hoo!
Such a great post! I think we do too often overlook the amazing successes our dogs do have and we take for granted. I think it took having Bella for the day, and realizing she doesn’t know sit, or stay, or look at me, or wait for food…that I realize how far we’ve come. The pooches have been so great with me on my morning walks when I have to walk both of them and all kinds of people and other dogs are popping up everywhere.
@Kelly, Congrats on a great walk with Diamond! That’s huge progress!
@Kristine, You’re so right. It’s tough to accept compliments. Why?!?! But you and Shiva work so hard. You should be very proud!! And the “drop it” thing… I honestly can’t take any credit for that. Lucas – weirdly – figured that out on his own somehow? Maybe watching me repeat it over and over and over and over again with Emmett?
@Two Pitties, That’s awesome!! Walking two at once seems to be a huge challenge – or maybe it’s just Lucas and Emmett who are determined to race each other and pull me along with them? It’s funny when you spend time with dogs who aren’t as up to speed (cough Cooper cough cough) that you realize how far you’ve come!!
Wonderful idea for a post.
I sometimes wonder if we focus too much on training and behavior and less on building our relationships. So many of the lessons in positive dog training do come down to understanding our dogs better and creating bonds that, coincidentally, often result in better behavior.
So besides praising Emmett, Lucas, and Cooper for their recent good behavior and signs of growth, congratulate yourself for creating such a strong bond with your dogs that they trust you and can make progress because they know you’ll keep them safe and happy. 🙂
And the progress I’m proud of–we recently took Honey on vacation and ate at several outdoor restaurants with her. Her behavior was exemplary. I gave her my highest praise, “You looked just like a guide dog under that table!”
What a great post! And congratulations on all those training celebrations. You should be proud of yourself AND your dogs.
My training celebration is that Mayzie and I are taking an agility class for the first time. I was really worried about whether she would enjoy it or not. With all those crazy obstacles, I thought she might very well just refuse to do them. I had decided that if she was too freaked out, we would drop out of the class.
But, like everything she does, Mayzie has surprised me and exceeded my expectations. There are some obstacles she loves and others that she’s obviously not crazy about. But she TRIES each and every one of them. To me, that’s huge. When we first adopted her, she would shut down whenever she got even a little scared. No amount of coaxing could get her to do something when she was in that state. So I am incredibly proud that we have come far enough that she is usually willing to give something a shot if I ask her to. I think that shows that she trusts me and that she has gained a lot of self-confidence over the last two years. It almost makes me tear up when I think about it.
Sorry…that turned out a lot longer than I intended. But thanks for letting me brag!
Amber, that’s AWESOME!!! Trying is huge! It’s confidence, willingness, and trust all wrapped into one. Way to go, Mayzie! I do hope you write about your agility experiences. And include pics of adorable Mayzie conquering the obstacles, of course! 🙂