Have you ever watched a professional dog trainer get your dog to quickly respond to cues, new and old? Have you ever wondered what strange magic the trainer possesses? Is it possible for you to learn that same magic?
I believe good dog trainers share a lot of skills but there are a few that really stand out in my mind.
The first is simply part of the job; we work with large numbers of dogs of various breeds and temperaments.
We learn to stay connected with our dogs or end the training session.
We try our best to be consistent with our cues.
We develop the ability to read a dog’s body language, judge distance from triggering items or events before the dog reacts, and when to use management instead of trying to train.
We spend a lot of time learning and perfecting our mechanical skills. How to handle a leash, a long line, move our bodies, hands, and eyes in a way to support what we are trying to convey to the dog. We practice all of our skills without a dog until it’s second nature.
We learn about reinforcement. We spend a lot of time discovering what our dogs love and when they love it. Then we provide those reinforcers in the best and most effective way we can.
My clients don’t want to be dog trainers, they want a companion to share their lives, but a sprinkle of magic never hurts either end of the leash.
In the next blog, I’ll talk about all things reinforcement!
