Jack, my "walk and train" client dog, needed something to do today while the temperature went no higher than 13 degrees. So what do I do with him? Work indoors, of course!
Mental exercise (in this case, practicing basic obedience commands) is a wonderful way to focus a dog. What you will see in the video at the end of this post is only part of our session. No, he wasn't perfect, but I don't expect perfection all the time. I see ever time he doesn't follow a command correctly as an opportunity for both of us to learn. That's right, I said "both" of us. Training is not a one-sided deal. To be a good trainer, you have to always have your eyes, ears and mind open. You must be willing to learn. Every dog will present a unique situation. Yes, there are many things I see as a trainer over and over again, but somehow it's always a little different from dog to dog. Sometimes you have to learn to adjust and sometimes your tried and true methods work perfectly every time with a particular dog. Never give up! If you can keep yourself in a calm assertive mode and keep your mind open to coming up with new ways to teach and new activities for your dog (or in my case, my client dogs), amazing things can happen.
Now for today's video of Jack... Jack Practicing His Basic Obedience Skills Indoors - 1/7/14
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