Daily Practice = Real Change

Do you remember learning a new skill when you were in school? Was it a foreign language or maybe complex math or science?

For those of us who didn't keep practicing those skills, if you were to be asked to have a conversation in another language or sovle a Calculus II equation... it shouldn't be a surprise that we struggle to do that! Just because we took the courses once doesn't mean we will retain the knowledge forever!

The same goes for your dogs! Their training is NOT over after coming home from a board and train, or you finish the last session of your private lessons. Your "training" is only beginning! Your dog needs you to practice your leadership and his training skills every day so that he can continue to be successful and improve in the real world.

If you only said "sit" to your dog twice a week, do you think he would ever learn the command? So why only practice place command once a week, when guests come over on Saturday night? That type of "it's time to train" pattern means your dog is going to struggle (and you're likely to get frustrated) all because you guys haven't been having "real training conversation" daily. It's one thing to tell your dog "place" once a day when you're making his food and then release him to eat; It's another thing to have your dog in a place command while you do chores and then recall him across the room to a down/stay while you carry groceries in and out of the front door.

Try taking your dog on a walk once a week, and see if your leash manners improve Instead take your dog on a daily walk and challenge him to hold a down/stay while other walkers and their dogs go by, or to heel without distraction in a busy grocery store parking lot.

Keep challenging your dog and keep practicing your stuff. Don't sweep obedience under the rug for only the days when you need major control of your dog - they will struggle, and so will you. Have your dog do some structured obedience work and calm on command behavior every day. EVERYDAY. You've invested in it this far - don't let it go! Keep this language fresh, so your dog can eventually offer good behaviors on his own, in real-life scenarios!