If you’ve ever been to a party where you didn’t know anyone and nobody seemed interested in talking to or including you, you can probably remember how that felt. You might have felt a little lost, isolated, and you most certainly weren’t having a very good time. You may have wondered why you were even there.
Now imagine, for a moment, that your household is that party and the isolated one is your dog. Your pup doesn’t speak your language, and isn’t invited to all of your human activities – whether that is sitting on the furniture, playing with the kids, or even just cooking or taking a shower! There are certainly times where your dog must be thinking, “what about me!?”
When you do set aside time for your dog, you have a lot of making up to do! You need to make them feel included, loved, supported and heard! If all of the time you spend with your dog is unfulfilling to you both, it is going to damage your relationship, not build it. You might be thinking to yourself, “I set aside time to train my dog every day!” That is WONDERFUL that you do that BUT only if those training sessions are productive and fun. Yes FUN.
You see, your dog doesn’t want to hang out with people that don’t make him or her happy, in the same way you wouldn’t go back to a party where you felt miserable. If your training sessions are a chore for you and your dog, you aren’t gaining anything. We all want a beautifully trained dog but doing training drills and 50 “sit stays” with your dog in one session isn’t likely to inspire your dog to want to do more training no matter how good the treats are. This is especially true if you turn into a drill sergeant, expecting nothing less than perfection and yelling at your dog every time they make a mistake. Instead, he or she might come to dread training sessions with you which will make you frustrated and your dog even more so. Pretty soon, they might stop coming to the party.
Here are some tips to making training with your dog more FUN and PRODCUTIVE!
- Keep sessions short. Dogs get bored easily if you try to repeat the same exercises over and over again. Go for quality over quantity in your sessions. When you get something you really like, reward it and STOP!
- Always end on a positive. Nobody learning something new wants to leave the lesson feeling defeated. Make every effort to make your dog successful at the task at hand even if that means lowering your expectations a little. A dog who feels confident in their ability to get things right will be more willing to try new things in the future so make them feel like rock stars.
- Play with your dog. Nobody said training can’t also be playtime. When I was a kid nearly all the computer games in the house were educational games. You couldn’t get me to do math flashcards, but put me in front of Mighty Math Number Heroes on the computer and I was working out math problems for hours! Incorporate your obedience into your regular play sessions by asking your dog for behaviors you are working on in between throws of the ball or sessions of tug.
- Leave the competitive nature outside. Some of us get competitive and want our dogs to be the best dog in class or the best dog in the neighborhood. The trouble is that can make our behavior strict and rigid and we can become overly demanding of our dogs and miss all the good things they are offering. Instead, if you must compete in something, I would suggest aiming for having the dog who is having the most fun!
- Get silly. Relationship drives behavior so if your dog enjoys spending time with you, they will want you to enjoy being with them and will be more likely to modify their behavior to suit your desires. Don’t be afraid to get silly with your dog in the same way you might for a little kid (mentally, dogs are about the same as a three year old child). Getting silly can be a huge motivator for your dog because, for them, seeing they were able to make you happy is often the best reward of all because it’s a clear sign that you like them just as much as they like you.
- Fake it until you make it. We hope it is rare, but there will be times when you look at your dog and think, “I don’t really like you right now.” Often these moments occur when our dogs become adolescents and they are testing us and making us crazy. The problem is that if you, in your heart and soul don’t even like your dog, they are going to know it. You will treat them differently. You will distance yourself. And you will have a shorter fuse when they do something you don’t like. Again, relationship drives behavior so if you are pulling away, your dog will too. It is in these times, most of all, that you need to find a way to make training fun. Make it fun for you. Strap on a treat pouch, put on music, and dance with your dog (asking for a spin or twirl, a sit, a “park it”, some loose leash walking around the furniture) and build that relationship back up by practicing where the stakes are low (nobody will know if your loose leash walking is lousy if you are practicing inside in your living room to music) and you are rocking out to your favorite tunes. Before you know it, you and your dog will be having fun together and your training sessions will be back on track again.
Somewhat embarrassing proof that I practice what I preach…
Happy Training!
Nicole L Yuhas CPDT-KA
This blog is intended to be informative as well as entertaining. It contains my opinion which may not reflect the opinions of any organization I may be affiliated with. My opinions should not be interpreted as those of my coworkers, family, friends, casual acquaintances, and certainly not the opinion of my cat, although my dog probably agrees with everything I say, if for no other reason, than because I provide the treats and meals (cats are less inclined to agree with anyone but themselves). Information provided here is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge but, as information and opinions change, neither the facts nor the opinions expressed here may be true or accurate at any future date. As I don’t currently own a time machine, I cannot be responsible for things that prove to be untrue, or opinions I change my mind about, should those changes become apparent in the future. It should also be noted that, as I am human, there may be omissions, errors or mistakes in the information provided here. Frankly, even if I were a computer, it is likely there would be errors, as computers, in my experience, can be a royal pain in the butt. This blog may contain affiliate links which you are under no obligation to click. If you click them, they will hopefully take you the place I intended. But they may not. As I’ve said, computers can be a pain. If you find yourself somewhere you don’t think I intended, click your ruby slippers three times together and say, “there is no place like home.” If you do that, and click the “back” button, you should be safely returned. Computers can, at times, have a mind of their own. Any training suggestions or opinions expressed here should be taken as information only and should not be seen as advice particular to you or your dog’s unique situation. Please consult with a training professional before taking any action.