Welcome back to Part 2 of How To Get A "Good Dog." Here we are addressing the last two components so you can reach your training goals. In Part 1, we discussed setting specific goals and then writing out the steps to get there, called "mini goals." If you didn't catch the first blog post, here is the link. Don't forget to download the free training logs.
Let's make an appointment with your dog!
That's right, you need to schedule WHEN you will work on your mini goals. It's incredibly easy to postpone training from your to-do list when you have to change the oil in your car while rushing your kid off to band practice. I get it, life is hectic. Nobody told us training would be this challenging, so let's make it easy. Set aside a total of 9 minutes each day to train. Where can you find the 9 minutes? Most people are on social media for well over 9 minutes and I am pretty sure social media will not get you to your goals, any goals. You can get creative. Train during every commercial on your favorite TV show. There is no one right way.
After you figure out what time works best for you, write it down on your calendar. Literally, write it down, look at it to see if what you put down flows, then put it in your phone if need be to remember. Set that appointment.
Your training sessions do not need to be at the same time each day. As a matter of fact, I don't train at the same time each day myself. I need to find 27 minutes each day because I am making goals for all three of my dogs, Avi Mondavi, Elsbeth Tascioni, and Spy, my deafie.
I may have to break it up into 9 minutes here and 9 minutes there. There is no right way. What is most important is that time is set according to what works for YOU and secondly, you make it non-negotiable. Your dog has been waiting all day for this. Don't blow your dog off.
Here is the training log with the calendar below. This training log is downloadable for free in Part 1 of this series.
Reflect on these quotes about starting today, and how far you would be in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year! Wow! How much closer you would be to having a "good dog" if you stick with this for one year.
"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher." — Thomas Henry Huxley
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lao Tzu
Remember, it's not about training for one hour, 3 times each week, it's about the little moments that add up to big progress. 9 minutes each day and schedule it in stone!
Dog training is never done.
Our dogs will always need maintenance and there are ways to modify the skill. The reflection page was not a part of my training log in its infancy. This idea came to me from a friend and her complaint of her pup getting "rusty" on things she trained her long ago. The skills she started with are not the skills she is working on now. My friend is so focused on the new skills, she forgets to revisit the old ones.
Reflection Page
The Reflection page in your training log is where you input your met goals. It should be used as a reminder to revisit those goals every now and again to keep them sharp. It is common for dogs to become dull if they are not reminded of the expectation. The Reflection page will collect data to reflect on when you last revisited a met goal. It will remind you of what goals to revisit. Anyone who has trained for a long time has goal after goal after goal and it's hard to keep them all straight in your head. Now, you don't have to. Place any met goal on your goal sheet and look at it from time to time. Add one or two repetitions into your daily training session to maintain the efficiency of the met skill. This will take very little time because the skill is trained already. You are just doing maintenance.
You will never finish training your dog. That is the reality of having a dog. Your dog will always have something to learn, and your dog will always need maintenance. No well-trained dog is trained once and for all. A well-trained dog is worked with throughout its life. It's WHOLE life. Furthermore, it is impossible not to fall deeper in love with your dog. The connection between the two of you will be unbreakable. You think you love your dog now. You just wait!
If you didn't get a chance to listen to the podcast where I go into detail about these two topics and story tell as I always do, take a listen here.
If you have questions about socializing or training your dog let me know. I'm happy to help!
Please email at Stephanie@pawsitiveconnectiondogtraining.com
Happy Training!
~ Stephanie
