ASK THE TRAINER frank with the owner as to why the dog is not excelling . I have a client right now who comes up with every excuse in the book for not practicing and , like you said , it shows . It can be very frustrating . However , when she sees her dog respond to training she gets very excited ! And isn ’ t that what it is all about !
Pat Miller , CBCC-KA , CPDT-KA www . peaceablepaws . com Having been guilty of the same offense myself , I can empathize with clients over this one . And I do . I usually start by saying to the whole class that I know all too well how busy our lives are , and how challenging it can be to set aside time to do the dog training . And I tell them I face the same challenges when I take my dogs in training classes .
I like to remind them that training can be done in short bursts — it doesn ’ t have to be a half-hour or hour-long session — and one of the reasons I always have dog treats in my pockets is so I can practice a few behaviors here and there on the fly . We practice a few sits and downs prior to going out the door to the back yard , and dinner time is the perfect time to practice “ Wait ” for the food bowl . Television commercials are another perfect oneto-three minutes training session , as are those frustrating times when some company ’ s customer “ service ” department has put you on hold for three minutes , 15 minutes , or longer . Just put the phone on speaker , lay it down , and play / train with your dog !
Other possible times :
• Waiting with your child for the school bus
• Waiting for the air fryer to finish crisping up those onion rings
• Waiting for the 5-minute microwave dinner
• Waiting for the last few minutes of the dryer load to finish
I bet you can think of more . And guess what ? Since “ real life ” is when we need our dogs to respond to our cues , there is huge value in routinely practicing during “ real life .”
If the client / team still doesn ’ t seem to get it , then I might take them after the next class , commiserate with their challenges , and ask how else I can help . You can offer one of more private catchup sessions if they are up for it . If they say they just don ’ t have time to do the training , I would reiterate the above and ask them if they can suggest some “ real life ” times that they could slide in some on-the-fly training session . We also use “ Bonus Bones ” to positively reinforce our students ( they buy prizes with their bones at graduation ), and I would keep my eyes on this client to look for opportunities to give Bones for even the smallest signs of improvement .
Lyn Richards Pawlowski Doglogic . com I suggest scheduling a private training session where you can have him demonstrate what he ’ s doing with the dog in between
class sessions . If you aren ’ t seeing a demonstration that he is willing to do the work , then I would excuse him from class ( no refund either ).
Kate Powell , ABCDT , CPDT-KA , CTDI Ft . Lauderdale , FL Williamsburg , VA There ’ s always more to a situation than meets the eyes . Training should be a fun experience for the dog and person where they learn to train as playful teammates – not as a chore . There are many unknown factors or variables that would need answering to address why the person appears to be listening but not hearing and / or possible not following through and doing . I would consider what her DISC style ( Dominance , Influence , Steadiness , and Conscientiousness https :// www . discprofile . com /) is in relating to other people ; especially regarding taking authoritative advice or implementation of taking action or not and adjust my instruction if possible in the group class setting to help meet the client ’ s needs . Learning in training does not arrive based on the human Apple watch or calendar time . It ’ s based on how the individual brain processes and how clear / consistent are the instructions it is given .
Jamie McKay , CPDT KSA www . McKay9 . com Sometimes life takes over and even the best laid plans don ’ t work out so I try to be understanding when students haven ’ t found or taken the time to practice skills taught in class . However , when a student comes in week after week and it ’ s apparent that they haven ’ t worked with their dog I find it frustrating and sometimes disruptive to the class . When the student struggles to keep up in class for whatever the reason I try to pay close attention to them and compliment every positive interaction with their dog . If they are not up to the skill being worked on I ask them to reward their dog for attention / or break the skill down to something simpler in hopes that making even a little progress in class encourages them . I usually address the class as a whole and talk about ways to incorporate training into short bursts of everyday life . My goal is to inspire them to work with their dog at home .
Jamie McKay , CPDT KSA , gained her early experience at the Humane Society of Westchester teaching safe handling skills to volunteers to enhance the adoptability of shelter dogs . Jamie teaches group classes at Port Chester Obedience Training Club in New York . She is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator and competes in agility and rally obedience . Jamie and her husband , Stephen , CPDT KSA , own McKay9 Dog Training , LLC .
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2021 49