The Truth About Your Dog's Training Progress

Dog training isn't always "ups" and "forward progression"... it actually usually consists of a LOT of setbacks, challenges, and "dips" in behavior. But truthfully, that is to be expected! In this episode, I'll break down 5 powerful tips that will help you improve your pup's behavior with more peaks than valleys! Tip #1- Set Goals Most things worth accomplishing in life take a lot of hard work. In my life, I've seen the most success with my dog's behavior when I've set goals. I don't typically like focusing goals on 'behavior growth' necessarily, but more on how often you'll train, how long you'll train, and what behaviors you will work on. If you set SMART goals (look that up if you aren't familiar with it 😃), you'll find that you'll become more consistent with training. And in my experience, staying consistent (more on that later) is one of the most vital ways to help your dog's behavior see more growth than setbacks! Tip #2- Track Progress Part of setting goals is keeping track of progress. Plus, keeping track of your dog's progress can help you visualize the growth that is occurring.  In the Pupford App (download here: https://pfrd.site/track-progress), you can rate your dog's behaviors so that you have a snapshot of where your dog stands with different behaviors like recall, leash walking, and more! Again, tracking progress will help you understand more thoroughly how your dog is actually progressing! Tip #3- View Behavior as a Whole If you're feeling down about a specific behavior your dog is struggling with, remember to look at your dog's behavior as a whole. While your dog may be struggling with jumping, for example, find the good things your dog is doing and focus on those. And what you'll realize is that your dog's "behavior" is likely better than you're giving your dog credit for! Tip #4- Stay Consistent The key to pushing through your dog's behavior setbacks is consistency.  Training takes a lot of effort over an extended period of time. And it can't just be for a few days or weeks... it takes consistent effort! Plus, the more consistent you are with training your dog the more quickly you will be able to overcome the setbacks and 'dips' in progression. Tip #5- Be Patient Even more important than consistency is patience! Often as pup parents, we put timelines in our head as to how quickly our dog should learn a certain behavior... that is a mistake. Not only do you need to be patient with your dog's progress, but you need to be patient with yourself. Raising a dog can be hard work, so remember to cut yourself some slack and be patient with results! Please leave a review and subscribe, thanks for listening!