Training the dog in front of you (again)

Training Tuesday

So this post took me a bit.

You see, it required a lot of self evaluation to get it to a point I felt I could share.

I went to training the other day and took one dog. It was hard. In my world of trying to 'do more' in the time I have available my usual approach to training is that the more dogs I take, the more dogs I can work and thus the more productive I have been. I routinely try to fit 10 gallons of sh*t in a 5 gallon bucket.

Through a little self reflection and a few stutter steps with Dash, I have realized I am not fully invested in THAT ONE DOG when I get them out of the car if I have multiple dogs waiting. For those of you who have heard me teach or lament about a training issue, it usually involves Dash teaching me a valuable lesson.

When working lots of problems (or lots of dogs) we have the tendency to work one problem or training session while thinking about the next one coming up.

Questions like:

What if they do this one, how can I change the next one?

This one is taking too long, what if the next one takes too long?

This one sucked, the next one is going to suck too.

Jeez, that problem took forever! I am so infringing on the next person who wants to run this problem.

All of these thoughts go through our head which infringes on the quality of our training.

At a class Brad Dennis asked the question, "Who is the most important person to you at this exact moment?"

The person standing right in front of you.

This got me to thinking.

What is the most important thing I can do while training my dog.

Be present

With them

To train the dog in front of me.

It's not the quantity of training, it is the quality of training. Quality training takes time to think about, plan it, then do it. Don't let the 'hurry and get through it' rush the quality of the training your dog needs.

Don't let the, "but I have three dogs to work today, all must get worked" infringe on the crucial time of setting up that quality training.

Personally, I am trying to do a better job of just taking ONE dog to a training session and working that one dog. I am finding the quality of training is going through the roof, I am less frustrated, and my dogs are getting critical training.

It's hard. I'm not going to lie. Because working more dogs is better than working one dog well. Right?

Tell me about a time where you worked one dog well.