Forgetting why we started - why loving the process is so important.
I have a really great dog. She loves to work, lives for it actually. Portia loves working with me so much so that when she is rewarded with her ball, she comes crashing back into me at 100 miles an hour; pushing into me, excited to play with her most beloved person on the planet - Me. Our relationship is truly one of a kind, she is a special dog.
Unfortunately, as of lately I have totally taken advantage of her desire to work for me and it is killing me. How could I not have noticed sooner?
-Portia Z Huckelovy Vily
Let me explain, lately my dog has been flat in obedience which is so unlike her. She barks because she is told and not because she wants to anymore, her heeling is flat, and she does not come crashing into me as hard anymore; I do not think she is having fun.
The park is a whole different story. Her drive is 100% of what she is capable of, her sits and downs in motion are as fast as a bullet, and she barks because she wants me to throw the damn ball. She puts on her hard hat and her work boots and she gets to work.
What could possibly be different? It is the same exercises, (which she knows down pat) just a different environment. My dogs attitude and her environment may seem related, but let me explain why environment has nothing to do with my dogs lack of performance lately.
At the park, training is about having fun. It is just my dog and myself, nobody watching or critiquing, I am just spending time with my dog. Training at the park is not formal, and we do it to have fun together. I cheer her on, and tell her how great of a dog she is. I tell her how smart she is and I tell her she will one day be a champion. Some of the best training I have ever done has been at the park with nobody watching, and it was also the most fun we have ever had together.
Club is usually a fun place for us, actually, our favourite place. Recently we have switched clubs, and we are so blessed to have SO many talented trainers who are more than willing to share their ideas. Changing clubs is hard, truly and it takes awhile to get into the routine again.
Photo Credit: Melissa Waters
I have been way too hard on myself and my dog lately at club. I have standards that are much too high for a dog that is a year and a half old. I have a world champion picture in my mind with a dog that is still learning, and is barely an adult, still much a puppy. Training is not fun when your short term goals are much too high and you are not reaching them, and when you are beating yourself up over it. I forgot as of lately why I started the sport (to have fun with my dog) and it makes so much sense to me now what I have been doing wrong lately.
Life gets so busy. I work two jobs, as well as run my own business. Sometimes I feel that there aren't enough hours in a day. To be totally honest, I dislike my other job and I dread going to work most days. How can I expect my dog to be happy, when I myself am not happy? The other day I took a step in the right direction and I quit my job and I can honestly say that our training has already improved. I am hopeful that I can kiss cooking goodbye forever and focus more on dogs, especially my own.
Photo Credit: Melissa Waters
I am going to let my dog be bad for awhile. Yep, you read that right, a dog trainer that is going to allow their dog to be bad. I am not talking, getting into the garbage bad, or chewing up my brand new couch bad. If she wants to bounce like a crazy kangaroo on crack in heeling, that is totally okay and encouraged. If she wants to maul me after she is rewarded -great! Our training is going to be all fun, with no pressure. I will tell her how clever she is, and she will start to believe it again.
While it can be so easy to get stressed before trials, and we try and do too much, too serious we need to remember why we started the sport to begin with. I started the sport with my show-line German Shepherd Dog, my goal was to have fun and build a better relationship with him. I think that my goal of every training session from here on out is to have fun, an easy goal to achieve. No more long heeling patterns for awhile, or boring dumbbells over and over, we will just play. Then when she is ready, we will be more serious, just not all the time.
So remember to have fun with your dog(s). Remember why you started. I hope to not make this mistake in my training in the future. I am so sorry for my dog, for being such a drag lately. We went for a long walk by the river this morning, we took steps in the right direction. Remember that chocolate cake is great but if you eat it everyday eventually you will say yuck!
Melissa Jean Hume
Calgary Alberta
On The Ball K9 Services YYC