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Keep it calm and keep it simple

  • Writer: The Dog Workshop
    The Dog Workshop
  • Oct 5, 2019
  • 2 min read

Updated: Jan 13, 2020

My tips for making all interactions with your dog successful, whether it's training, going for a walk, or working on some serious behavioural issues.


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Be calm.

  • Dogs need to be calm in order to be able to listen and learn.

  • Handlers need to be calm in order to teach and guide.

  • Check your posture and state of mind – are you displaying calm and confident body language or are you angry and frustrated?

Be patient.

  • Don’t rush things – It’s not about how far you get, but the message you are sending.

  • The best teachers are patient and let the student learn (with guidance) how to make the right choices.

Be present.

  • Genuine engagement with anyone – dog or human – requires us to be truly present in the moment.

  • Relax into it and enjoy it for what it is, not what you want it to be. Your dog will know if you are frustrated and don’t really want to be there and that's not good for either if you.

Be consistent.

  • Consistency and repetition will get lasting results. Any quick fix you might hear about will most likely lead to another unwanted behaviour or lose effectiveness just as quickly as it appeared to “fix” the issue.

  • Be mindful of what you are rewarding. Consistently (although often inadvertently) rewarding undesirable behaviours is how problems with our dogs arise in the first place. To create change we must create new patterns.

  • Being consistent can be a major challenge. Sometimes we really don’t feel like putting the effort in, but every time we slacken off, we set ourselves back a bit. Keep it simple and pick your battles.

Be purposeful.

  • Purposeful engagement builds your dog’s confidence in you. If she knows she is succeeding, she will try even harder.

Be kind to yourself.

  • Don’t put yourself or your dog under too much pressure. We all have bad days. If things aren’t going well, go back to where you were last successful and stick with that for a bit – both you and your dog may just need a little longer to get it right.

Need help to bring calm and build a stronger relationship with your dog? The Dog workshop can help. Contact us.

Jacqui Triggs, Trainer

 
 
 

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