Yesterday I hinted at a light bulb moment I had during our Tuesday night training class.
If there was an incident or comment that caused it to happen, I can’t put my finger on it. All I know is I was struck by an epiphany.
I don’t work with my dogs enough.
Granted since we started taking this class, I’ve gotten better with practicing, but I still haven’t set time aside each day to work with the dogs.
I can’t expect Delilah to know what I want her to do, when I’m not consistent with my requests.
It’s not like I don’t attempt to train my dogs, it’s just that once I teach them a command, I expect they know it and then I sort of don’t reinforce it as frequently as I should.
Which brings me to our recall.
How in the world do I expect Delilah to return to me, if I only ask her for it right when she’s found a really enticing smell?
It’s not like Sara hasn’t drilled this into my head. How many times have I heard her say, I call my dogs back about 75 times a walk?
So how is it, that it never sunk in before?
I’m reminded of learning my multiplication tables, I said it so many times over and over again that it is ingrained in my memory.
Seven times seven is forty-nine.
Which is exactly what I need to do with the dogs, I have to work it over and over again until it is second nature.
I want to work it so much that my dogs come back to me every couple of minutes all on their own.
Is that even possible?
Do you have a training schedule set aside for your dog? How frequently do you reinforce your commands?
The bigger question is, where do you find the time?
Ha ha! I’ve been reading ‘How to train your dog’ books for the past week and I’ve been thinking EXACTLY the same thing… need to spend more time with Flo, let alone with Elsie!
I can’t believe the simplicity of it. 🙂
I don’t spend enough time either, but our local police dogs and handlers must be certified and then each dog and handler must complete three 10-hour training days a month to maintain certification. I realize they have more to reinforce with police dogs, but it isn’t fair to our pets to expect their little brains to remember what they have been taught for very long.
I need to be better, the better I am the better they’ll be! I do think they have memory though, how else can they remember right where they left a toy in the house when they went outside to potty?
Beclaws THEY are Slow learners.. and FURGET EASILY… I have my mom and dad on a CONSTANT training schedule. I’m just sayin.
I know you keep mom and dad on a short chain Frankie, but you are exceptional. Many of us fall short every day. 🙁
It is easy to get lazy, especially once you hit a certain standard of day-to-day behavior. We’re back in obedience class now, where we get weekly, really specific homework. “Have your dog perform the sit fifteen times a day on both your left and your right side.” And I still don’t get it done. Some days we don’t do anything other than a few sits while we play fetch.
The thing that keeps me the most motivated to work with him is having something “fun” that we’re learning. Having a few tricks in the wings keeps things a little more light-hearted. There’s not really any joy in holding a sit for twenty seconds instead of ten, or sitting on the left instead of facing me.
I think at least for me, it isn’t so much lazy as frustrated. It’s not like we don’t ask her for certain behaviors every day, she is a very difficult dog to train. While most dogs get the gist of sit and wait while I prepare your food, she still won’t do it. I think it is more won’t than can’t. She is very strong willed.
What kind of fun tricks do you use? I’d love to learn how to incorporate fun into our training.
Maybe she just doesn’t see the point of it. I tried for months to train Silas to go around in a circle. Every other trick he’s learned almost immediately–shake, bow, touching his nose to my hand, high-five, even rolling over onto his side. But turn around he will not do. I may be misinterpreting him, but I think he just doesn’t understand why I would want him to do such a dumb thing.
Sometimes we have to hear the same thing over and over before we “get” it, I guess it’s the same for our pups! 🙂
Maybe Jules, I’m thinking this is more my fault than hers. 🙂
Ah yes consistency is the key but as you said Jodi TIME is always a factor. What about incorporating it into everyday things, for example I think I remember you writing about how the dogs are to stay in a down while you are getting their dinner ready you could use that as the opportunity to also use HERE (maybe you already do this). When I am standing in the kitchen doing something I try to throw a little sit or stand training in since they are all right there anyway. Just throwing it out there, but it sounds like by the way you write you do train pretty regular, remember it only takes a couple of minutes each day since dogs get bored quickly.
You are right Misty, time is such a struggle especially when you are writing a daily blog. I have taken your advice and started using the time I am in the kitchen to work with them. We are practicing touching, front and finish. 🙂 As well as our sit stays.
Time is definitely a factor. I do most of my training with Shiva during our twice daily walks. Since I have already set aside two hours every day to spending time with her, it’s easy to incorporate different lessons or tasks into that time. We work on sits and recalls and a myriad of other things like tricks during this time. Not only does it help with her obedience but it also tires her out a lot more than just walking would so that I can do other things once we get home! It’s a schedule I’ve stuck to since we brought her home and so is just part of my daily routine now.
That is great thinking Kristine. We mostly are working on our recalls during our walk, and granted they are not really that long with the current heat and humidity we are having, but I will try and add a few different things during the walk. I think I need to get better at utilizing the time that I have.
Hi Jodi,
You just made me realize I probably need to work more on training Mum to have everything just the way I’d like it around here!! Tee Hee – That’s it, I will try harder!! 🙂
Wags to all
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Repetition is key Snoopy, the more frequently you work with her, the better trained she will be. 🙂
Finding the time is always difficult but, as you say, if you are on a walk anyway, why not use it to reinforce the training.
Yes, I just need to incorporate more than just recalling. 🙂
I try to put short training sessions into every day life. But I admit I have slacked off on teaching recalls because our yard is fenced, and I don’t bring our dogs anywhere else that they are allowed offleash. (I don’t do dog parks and there aren’t many places here that allow offleash). I know the importance of the command, but it is hard to get yourself motivated to teach something you rarely use, and I should practice it more….
I’m lucky where I walk with the exception of the people I walk with. 🙂 I think if I switch up my walking a bit, incorporate more training in there, it could be very beneficial. If my dogs could get enough exercise in the yard, I probably wouldn’t walk them. 🙂
Repetition is key. Repetition and being consistent. When we train it is all about doing the same basic things over and over again, but in slightly different situations or in slightly different ways. The optimum is to have something so ingrained that it is second nature no matter what.
Exactly. You know what a lot of people don’t.
It needs to be so ingrained that no matter what the distraction when they hear their command, it is automatic. 🙂
We all have those light bulb moments. I hope you can find a way to make this one work for you.
I used to think training was something I had to make a big deal of.
But now, I build training in throughout the day, just a few minutes at a time instead of making a big appointment. I keep my clicker close at hand with some treats and will try things throughout the day.
One our walks, I make recall a game with Honey. I let her get a 20 feet away and then I start walking back in the direction we came. Or I hide behind a tree. She comes running back and we play tug with a stick or she gets a treat. I breaks up the routine of a walk and it has really strengthened her recall.
The other thing I started realizing was that training was more tiring to Honey than a walk. When we can’t walk, training serves the same purpose of stimulating her and tiring her out.
I can’t wait to see what you and Delilah can do with your “lightbulb.”
I’ve taken to bringing out the clicker right after I finish the dishes. I will grab a handful of treats and practice a couple of things we have learned. I have to figure out a way to keep treats close at hand but not available to someone with a sensitive nose. 🙂
You are right about training, it focuses their mind and is more tiring than physical exercise. Which is why I like to take them to training. Delilah is exhausted after Tuesday nights. 🙂
You watch out, Team Delilah is ready to rock n roll. 🙂