| Copyright 2005 Secret Lake Dog Training, LLC |
A lot of people come into Kindergarten or Elementary School and want their dog to come when called no matter what, never pull on leash, never jump on people, and stay when told. I am going to be honest with you about expectations. No short cuts exist in dog training. You have to work with your dog daily to see results. I find that often people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to training a dog. At the end of Kindergarten or Elementary School, you will not have a dog that will reliably come to you every time. In 4 – 7 weeks it is not possible to achieve such a goal. It takes a long time – months of hard work to achieve the goal of a dog reliably coming to you when called. You will have the beginning of a recall that you need to build on over weeks and months. You need to do the work in order to get the results you want. If your dog will not come to you when it is on leash or inside the house, you cannot expect the dog to come from a football field away. Teaching a dog to come reliably is possible with lots of practice. It takes about a year of practice to have a dog that reliably comes when called. Teaching a dog to stay or not jump on people also takes a lot of practice. Set realistic expectations. Training a dog is not a short-term effort. If you sign up for one class and expect to have a dog that will run through a pack of squirrels just to be at your side, you will be disappointed. Dogs are not programmable machines. Each dog has a mind of its own and each team progresses at their own pace.
In Kindergarten or Elementary School, you will have an opportunity to learn the basics of dog training and teach your dog the basics such as sit, down, stay, come (in the room), and beginning to walk well on leash. Class is an opportunity to learn in a fun and supportive environment. My job is to guide you and assist you just as others have done and still do for me. Besides the classroom training, you will be given written material and homework as an aid. Your job is to take advantage of the opportunity to learn AND have fun at it. Practicing or Not is Your Choice Sometimes people come to class, but never practice at home. They often finish the class with a dog who still does not know the basics. Maybe they rationalize by saying the dog failed school or that the trainer was not very good. The truth is – they own the failure, not the dog. If you come to class, but never practice, nothing will change in your dog’s behavior. If you don’t do the homework assigned for each week, then do not expect any progress. If you do not work with your dog each day and incorporate what you have learned into your daily life, then understand that nothing will change. That is your choice. People sometimes come in and tell me they never had time to practice Down all week. These same people get frustrated when their dog doesn't do it for them in class. The dog is not going to do anything if you don’t practice. Training continues throughout the life of the dog. Every day your dog is learning. Every day is an opportunity to train your dog and to continue to build and maintain a positive relationship. Make the most of these wonderful opportunities and you will see progress. |
Are Your Expectations Realistic?
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