Training for the New Year: Practice Makes Progress

Practice makes progress! photo: AdobeStock

January is the time of year when many of us set goals and focus on streamlining our routines for success in the coming year. This can also be a great time to refocus and seek clarity about your training goals for your dog, whether it’s a behavior you’d like to change or something new you’d like your dog to learn.

The best training plan, by far, is the one you’ll actually practice. I could spend hours crafting a perfect training plan for you and your pup but that won’t get you anywhere if you don’t do it regularly. Even the best trainer in the world can’t help if you don’t show up to practice and do the work with your dog. There is simply no substitute for practice.

Luckily, there are many things you can do to develop and sustain your dog’s  training practice in the new year. Kristine Adams, with My Woof Wisdom, describes it best when she says, “We need to fall in love with the practice of what we are building. We slow down and become fully present with each step. Once we fall in love with repeating that one thing being beautifully executed again and again, it keeps us in the present moment. When we fall in love with the practice, working towards our goals becomes a constant pleasure versus a constant striving for something we’ve yet to achieve.”

But how do you get in the practice groove?

If you want your dog to get better at something, first break it down into smaller steps, learn through practicing those intermediary steps, and then put them together to build more complex behaviors. This approach requires focusing on process and not outcome. That will come in time.

Set goals that are attainable and manageable, and make practicing those goals a habit.  Regular practice has a way of keeping you on track. Your goal may be, “I want my reactive dog to walk past other dogs without pulling and barking.” So try reframing that into a habit-based goal: “I will take my dog to the park to practice training exercises four times per week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.” Similarly, if your goal is a calmer dog, try reframing that as, “I will spend five minutes every evening with my dog practicing our relaxation exercise.” Setting habit-based goals allows us to stay focused, be successful, and avoid burnout. 

It is also important to set reasonable and manageable goals that both you and your dog can be successful at achieving. You may want to consider working with a positive reinforcement trainer to develop a plan and exercises that will move you in the direction of your training goals. If you aren’t getting the success you’re after on your own, that’s a clue that you might not be applying the right techniques to your individual situation and it may be time to bring in some outside help. Input from a professional, based on neutral insight, can often help your progress.  

We’ve all heard the saying “practice makes perfect.”  But really doesn’t “practice makes progress” fit the bill a little better? We aren’t aiming for perfection because a dog is, after all, a sentient being with its own agenda. We are aiming for progress. If we aim for perfection, we run the risk of failing and feeling overwhelmed when our dog isn’t hitting the goals we set.  This sort of stress often leads us to do things that are detrimental to the practice or to our relationship with our dog.

What does all this look like in real life? Here are my best practices for practice:

1. Schedule your practice sessions in your calendar. If you dedicate time in advance to your dog’s behavior and training, you will be more likely to show up and practice.

2. Review your training exercises before you start your practice so you know what you will be doing with your dog for that session before you begin. Pay attention to the details.

3. Set a timer (let’s say two minutes) and aim for successful repetitions of the skill you’re practicing in that time limit. Your dog should be clear about what it is you are asking them to do to earn their reward. If your dog is having difficulty, it’s a sign you need to adjust the training plan to find a variation at which your dog can be mostly successful.

4. Take breaks as needed and remind yourself the goal of practice is to get better, not to be perfect. It’s a great idea to allow your dog to take breaks anytime they need them, too. If your training plan is set up correctly, your dog will need few or no breaks because it’s fun for them to participate. Your dog should be showing up and saying “yes, yes, yes” to training with you.

5. It’s important that the training feels good for both you and your dog. If you are worried, scared, frustrated, or angry during your practice, stop and take a step back. Training should be fun and enjoyable for all involved. Be proud of your dog’s work and dedication. Be happy for their successes. Laugh at their silliness. Enlist a trainer to help you if you aren’t both enjoying the training process.

6. Reflect back on your session once it is over. What did you learn? What did your dog learn? What was difficult? What was easy? What will the plan be for next time? Reflecting on how things went allows you to learn and grow together. Slow and steady is what real progress looks like.

Remember, if you want your dog to get better at a specific skill or behavior, you’ll need to show up for practice and be ready to do a lot of it. This continued focus and dedication will lead you toward behavior wellness, an awesome relationship with your dog, and - just maybe - a pup with a repertoire of 50 cool parlor tricks!