What Training Works for You and Your Dog?
People’s lives are busy. Most likely you have lots on your mind like work, kids, bills, errands, college savings, on and on. Your pet pooch most likely only spends his days dreaming of sleeping, playing or how to get you to give him a tasty treat or when’s dinner.
Whether human or dog, a little training goes a long way. Some of the same training principles that work for your dog can help you too. When it comes to basic obedience see what you can learn when it comes to your personal growth and development.
Whether you’re trying to teach your dog to speak or you’re trying to learn to speak Japanese, some fundamentals apply to learning any new skill. Consider these tips for mastering a new skill.
Personal growth is a lifelong journey.
- Clarify your goals. Identify a behavior you want to focus on. Working on creating a new habit or breaking an old habit are both worthy goals. Choose one, work on it before tackling another. When you know what to focus on, reaching your goal becomes possible.
- Practice regularly. Daily action is important to reinforce and get better and better. “Perfect practice, makes practice perfect”
- Pace yourself. Just like running a marathon learning any new skill takes time.
You wouldn’t start your first race with a 26 mile race. Take baby steps and gradually increase the time and intensity of your efforts.
- Expect off days. There will be times when you “fall off the wagon” You’ll have ups and downs. Accept when things aren’t going exactly how you want or expect. Brush yourself off and know that every day is a new day to begin again.
- Make a commitment. Make a commitment to work on your goal for a set amount of time. Commitment and consistency will take you far. Deciding to dedicate 30 minutes or an hour every day to reinforce your new habits and following through will ensure you’ll reach the goals you set for yourself.
- Celebrate successes. Reward yourself for your achievements. You pet loves rewards of treats or love, it’s only natural you’ll do better when there’s a reward at the end. Keep in mind to reward yourself with something that won’t set you back. For example, if you’ve lost 10 pounds the reward should not be ice cream or pizza. Set the reward at the beginning. What’s something fun that you think of that would make a great reward?
- Leverage your strengths. What are you good at? We all are good at something. Just like greyhounds run and huskies pull sleds, you have your own unique strengths. Figure out what you like to do and what you’re good at. Capitalize on your gifts in your personal and professional life.
Other Essential Tips for Growth
As a human you have many more options than your dog. Take advantage of your human abilities.
- Plan ahead. Your dog mostly just lives in the moment. If you look over at your dog you’ll see just an innocent face, there’s no master plan at work. On the other hand, you can absolutely lay out goals and plans for your life. Take advantage of your gifts and plan for your future self.
- Continue learning. Whoever coined the phrase, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” must not have worked with many dogs. Dogs like humans can learn even in their golden years.
Have you ever made a list of things you want to accomplish in this life? If not, why not? Sit down and write that bucket list. Then look at it and start checking off items when you accomplish things from your list.
Learn a new language or play an instrument. Enjoy kayaking with manatees, swim with dolphins. What have you dreamed of doing?
- Hire a coach. Whatever you want to work on there’s likely someone who’s already an expert at it. A coach or mentor can get you where you want to be faster than you may do it on your own.
Asking for help is ok. It’s a sign of wisdom and strength.
Overall, training that works for your dog often works for you too. When you’re trying to continue to grow and improve or form healthier habits, be patient with yourself. You didn’t get to where you are today overnight so changing or developing a new way of life takes time too.
Do you love animals too?
Debi
PS. Behavior Training For Dogs – Develop your Dogs “Hidden Intelligence”
Have A Well Behaved Dog: Dog Training System
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY EARNINGS DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
