Variation of a conversation I have a lot:
Random Person: "Your dogs always seem so well behaved."
Me: "Thank you."
Random Person: "Must be nice to have dogs that well behaved."
Me: "Trust me, they aren't that way all the time. Plus, I work with them each day."
Random Person: "Oh, well. Mine are idiots, but I am so busy. I just don't have the time to train my dogs."
Me: *facepalm*
I swear. One of my BIGGEST peeves. Why? Because it is a load of bologna, that's why. I work full time as a high school teacher, help run a rescue and train dogs part time. And yet, I still find the time.
Why people think that they can get well behaved, trained dogs without putting in any effort is beyond me, but that is the world in which we live--instant gratification, a lot for little effort, "can't you just fix it now"--type world. And that attitude paired with dog ownership just isn't going to work. Especially when it comes to training.
Sure, maybe you get lucky and get that perfect puppy who apparently knows everything and comes house trained and listens to your every word from the beginning...
It probably looks like this:
Random Person: "Your dogs always seem so well behaved."
Me: "Thank you."
Random Person: "Must be nice to have dogs that well behaved."
Me: "Trust me, they aren't that way all the time. Plus, I work with them each day."
Random Person: "Oh, well. Mine are idiots, but I am so busy. I just don't have the time to train my dogs."
Me: *facepalm*
I swear. One of my BIGGEST peeves. Why? Because it is a load of bologna, that's why. I work full time as a high school teacher, help run a rescue and train dogs part time. And yet, I still find the time.
Why people think that they can get well behaved, trained dogs without putting in any effort is beyond me, but that is the world in which we live--instant gratification, a lot for little effort, "can't you just fix it now"--type world. And that attitude paired with dog ownership just isn't going to work. Especially when it comes to training.
Sure, maybe you get lucky and get that perfect puppy who apparently knows everything and comes house trained and listens to your every word from the beginning...
It probably looks like this:
I digress.
My point is this. Dogs are work. And if you get a puppy, God love you. They are more than work. They are cute fuzzy nightmares with legs. We want to train them and most people start with great intentions. Intense training sessions each day, weekly training classes, you name it. But then they stop because it becomes all too much.
Everyone wants a well trained dog, but they also want to integrate their dogs into their daily lives, so why don't people approach training that way? I hear a lot of people say that they WANT to train their dogs, but they find a hard time setting aside time each day for training. I get that. That is at least honest. There is a simple solution:
Don't set aside a set time.
Yep. I said it.
*Before I go any further, I want you all to think of this as an alternate opportunity. I do all the things I talk about in this post, but I also set aside time to work with my dogs each day. This really is geared towards those who like to think they don't have any time at all. *
Think about how much time each day you spend waiting on something: the "down time" you have during your day. My guess is you have a dishwasher to unload. A load of laundry to fold. A commercial break. That agonizing time waiting for your Candy Crush lives to regenerate.
Use it.
Today, I wanted to make a sandwich. I didn't want my dogs in the kitchen. I put them in a down/stay right outside the kitchen and made my sandwich. When I was done, I released them and enjoyed my lunch. A few days ago I needed to fold laundry but didn't need their enthusiastic "help," so I did some mat/place work with them.
My point is this. Dogs are work. And if you get a puppy, God love you. They are more than work. They are cute fuzzy nightmares with legs. We want to train them and most people start with great intentions. Intense training sessions each day, weekly training classes, you name it. But then they stop because it becomes all too much.
Everyone wants a well trained dog, but they also want to integrate their dogs into their daily lives, so why don't people approach training that way? I hear a lot of people say that they WANT to train their dogs, but they find a hard time setting aside time each day for training. I get that. That is at least honest. There is a simple solution:
Don't set aside a set time.
Yep. I said it.
*Before I go any further, I want you all to think of this as an alternate opportunity. I do all the things I talk about in this post, but I also set aside time to work with my dogs each day. This really is geared towards those who like to think they don't have any time at all. *
Think about how much time each day you spend waiting on something: the "down time" you have during your day. My guess is you have a dishwasher to unload. A load of laundry to fold. A commercial break. That agonizing time waiting for your Candy Crush lives to regenerate.
Use it.
Today, I wanted to make a sandwich. I didn't want my dogs in the kitchen. I put them in a down/stay right outside the kitchen and made my sandwich. When I was done, I released them and enjoyed my lunch. A few days ago I needed to fold laundry but didn't need their enthusiastic "help," so I did some mat/place work with them.
Last weekend, I needed to clean kitchen floors, so I put them both into a down stay right outside the kitchen:
Watching TV and there is a commercial break? Practice some sit and release. Want to eat dinner on the couch in peace? Use that opportunity to practice leave it. Dog wants to be fed? She sits and waits patiently first (if you aren't doing that already, you are missing an awesome training opportunity at least once a day). Waiting with anticipation for your coffee to brew? Work on a few downs or focus exercises.
Just STOP using the "I just don't have any time to train my dog" excuse. You have plenty of time to train your dog. You just have to approach it differently and you need to learn how to make training work for you. Doing it that way will increase the likelihood that you will continue working with your dog. Find those 1-3 minute pockets of time during the day. Use them. Make them work for you and your dog. And you will be amazed at the results.
Just STOP using the "I just don't have any time to train my dog" excuse. You have plenty of time to train your dog. You just have to approach it differently and you need to learn how to make training work for you. Doing it that way will increase the likelihood that you will continue working with your dog. Find those 1-3 minute pockets of time during the day. Use them. Make them work for you and your dog. And you will be amazed at the results.