Yesterday, Cooper took his first ever one-on-one class with a fab trainer. It was a make-up class from a Click-a-Trick session we missed, and it was awesome to see him flourish with that individual attention… awesome enough that I signed up for four more one-on-ones!
We train a lot. Constantly, sort of. When we’re out on walks, lounging around the house, working, whatever, we’re always reinforcing manners and trying to teach new concepts. I strive to spend a few minutes with each dog and the clicker every evening. It’s tough to squeeze it in to busy schedules, of course, and so sometimes I let it go or rush through it to “get it over with” on busy nights. We struggle with setbacks, and we occasionally rush the boys on cues and end up having to backtrack, too.
But despite the time frustrations and the mistakes, every second is worth it. Here are 5 reasons why I love dog training:
- That A-HA! moment they experience when they figure out what you want. You can see the joy on their faces.
- Tricks! How fun to have a dog who can close doors, spin in circles, weave between your legs, and so on?! It’s hilarious!
- The increments. It would be phenomenal to be able to say, “Lucas, look. Stop aggressing at other dogs. We won’t let you get hurt. There’s nothing to be scared of. Walk nicely, ‘k?” But, by building up a training regimen, we’ve been able to watch him grow, step-by-step. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch them build up from a basic foundation.
- Bonding. Working out a new trick or cue together is such a great way to bond. Even though it can be difficult to find the time to train, I love those bonding opportunities with each of my guys.
- Impressing friends and family! Yes, this is a purely superficial reason, but aren’t all those compliments great?? I love showing off their tricks to just about anyone who’s willing to watch. After all that hard work, it’s fun to perform!
What about you? Why do you love dog training?
Can only agree with what you say. The A-HA moments are awesome, but also the delight and eager for more attention from my dog is rewarding enough for me. We have such big problems with dog meetings and we work on them all the time. It’s one step forward and ten backwards, but for every meeting that is “okay” it is worth everything and that is what makes me continue with the training.
I so agree, Inger! The tiny steps forward make all the effort worthwhile! Let me know if you have any good tips or tricks for dog meetings… It’s something we struggle with daily!
The only thing I do is to try to hold some distance between the other dog. If Viggo (my dog) gets really frustrated I choose to walk away if possible, because then nothing will work and I end up with a dog that is stressed out for a long time. If I choose to go through with the meeting I start giving him treats as soon he spots the dog and keep giving him treats every time he responds to me. I usually use a klicker but now it’s too cold outside. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It depends on what kind of dog we meet. He ended up like this because he has been attacked twice and after the second attack there was no way he wanted to be near other dogs. Would love to get tips that would work better. I’ve asked so called instructors for help but they just said that I have to be more fierce and one of them said that I should throw a can filled with pebbles on the ground. He said that would make the dog listen to me!!!!! Therefore I go with what I feel might work. Noway I follow advice like that. That would only destroy my dog. I’m going to attend a course at Tilley Farm in England next year to learn the TTouch method. I think that might be something that might work on Viggo. If only I could turn back time and not let him greet that other dog, then we wouldn’t have this problem.
Yikes, Inger. It sounds like you’re figuring out what’s best for you and Viggo, which is – by far – the most important thing. I’m with you on the avoiding thing. For a really, really long time that’s all we did with Lucas, and it’s still what we do 9 times out of 10. That 10th time is only when the situation is well managed. Good luck with TTouch. I’m not very familiar with it myself, but I’ve heard great things! Keep us posted!
I love your list, I agree with all those things. For me, as a newbie dog owner/trainer it’s fun to learn new things myself too. Sometimes I am the one experiencing the AH HA moment as I figure out “oh THAT’S how I should be asking her to do that.” I’m proud of her and also proud of myself.
Karen, I’m so glad you pointed that out! Those A-HA! moments are fantastic whether it’s the dog and/or the trainer… And you are so right to be proud of yourself and of her! Such an important point to remember for everyone, especially on those less-than-stellar training days.
I love how much pleasure our dogs seem to take in learning new things.
That’s so true, Pamela! It’s so much fun watching their wheels turn, and then the excitement once they “get it” is so rewarding!