Expectations – It’s not what you expect

I’ve been training dogs for over 20 years. Looking back on where I was versus where I am now is still unbelievable to me. I guess deep down I always knew I would be involved with animals somehow, but making it a career in the capacity I have was never on my radar. I’ve developed from a dog owner to a dog trainer…….when did that happen? It happened the moment my then boyfriend, now husband, and I brought home our first puppy. A little Jack Russell Terrier mix named Scooter. 

It would be nice if these little thieves of our hearts came to us knowing it all. They don’t. They need to be trained to be appreciated, well mannered, members of our families. So how do make that happen? Well if you are like I was, you muddle through for a while and then realize you need help. You need a dog trainer. You find a trainer (how to do that will be in another post) and arrive at your first lesson or class waiting for the magic to happen. The magic of the trainer to train your dog. WRONG!!!

The expectation of having the dog trainer train your dog is the wrong one. The job of the dog trainer is to coach and teach you how to manage, understand and work with your dog.  Are you staring at the screen with blinky eyes? That’s right, the person you just hired is not there to train your dog. They are there to coach you how to work with and understand your dog. 

I’ll try to put this into perspective. My Basic Manners class is a 6 week course, 5 of those weeks the dogs are in class. Each class is roughly an hour long. There are a total of 1,008 hours in those 6 weeks, you are with me for 6 of those hours; your dog is there 5. You share the class with 7 other people and their dogs. It is impossible for one person to fully train 8 dogs in 5 hours.

What should your expectation be for something like a group class? You should expect to come out of a group class with a good understanding of basic training skills. You should have an understanding of how your dog learns, what their motivators and reinforcers are, and how to use those tools to get desired behaviors out of your dog. You and your dog should have positive experiences around other dogs and people in a group class. Lastly, you should have an opportunity to practice what is being taught and receive feedback from the trainer. 

It really is like school. You come to class to learn the lessons, you go home and do the homework, you come back and show your understanding of the material being taught. The test is your day to day life with the dog. If you aren’t seeing improvement you might need to increase your study time or ask for a tutoring session (private lesson).

Dog training really is about what YOU put into it. It takes time, repetition, and patience to get the well-mannered dog you envisioned. Expect it to be a journey, a journey that will teach you about love, respect, and build a relationship like you never thought you would have. 

Train don’t complain, 

Mandy Eakins KPA CTP, CPDT-KA,  FP-MT