I can already feel the protest on this one.
I can sense it.... coming toward me from dozens of new puppy trainers everywhere.
I'll take the hit though. This is important.
Every adult dog who has a behavior problem now... started as a puppy. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. There's literally no way around it.
In fact.... many of these same adult dogs even did puppy training with their dogs. Their dogs who now suffer from separation anxiety, firework phobias, nervousness around strangers, reactivity or aggression toward other dogs or people.
Puppy training is touted as one of the best ways to prevent behavior problems down the road... right?
So what's happening?
Why are all of these Used-To-Be-Innocent-Puppies coming to me, and other trainers as adults with behavior problems... EVEN after they'd done puppy classes, or puppy training?
Where is the gap here?
What are we missing?
Maybe... we're missing how HARD puppies really are.
See, I'm on the inside of the dog industry. And I'm about to share some truth with you that maybe not a lot of people know about.
Puppies are thought of as "easy" sometimes as "money makers".
Fill up the puppy classes they say. Puppy classes are EASY they say.
New trainers are given advice to start with puppies.
Because puppies are EASY, they say.
All you have to do is to teach them and their owners how to sit, stay, down, greet other dogs, and any other variance that's included in a basic puppy class.
But puppies AREN'T easy. I get it. I used to think the same thing. I actually used to think it was a GOOD thing that I started my career working with older, difficult dogs. I thought it made me more experienced.
More capable even.
But the reality is... puppies are easy to mess up.
And the problem with that is... that you don't see the result of that until months... sometimes over a year later.
New trainers mess up. A lot. Experienced trainers mess up too. We all mess up. We've got to be honest about that.
But messing up a puppy... is far easier than messing up a mentally mature dog.
Those mess ups... they're much more impactful for puppies than a mentally mature dog.
And unfortunately, it's common practice for businesses and training companies to put their NEWEST trainers on puppy training duty... because puppies are "EASY".
What does this result in?
This results in dog owners just like you..... having a now teenage... or adult dog... and having the impression that "training didn't work".
And those dog owners are right.
It didn't work.
But it's not because TRAINING doesn't work.
It's because the mindset around puppy training is backwards. It's so far off the rails that it's causing a real problem. Prevention is the MOST. IMPORTANT. THING.
Dog owners like you, as a result, are being short changed.
You're being taught obedience. You're doing puppy socialization. You're being taught potty training and house manners.
But what you're not always being given... is everything else you need.
Arguably the things that you need MORE than obedience commands.
You're not being given these things... because sometimes newer trainers don't know any better. (I know I didn't starting out).
Do you know how to tell if your puppy is tired? Do you know how much sleep they need a day? Did you know that it's entirely possible to OVER socialize them?
Are you being prepared to help them through stress, frustration, and arousal? And do you know how to identify the difference of each?
Are you being informed about fear periods, and how they can permanently impact your dogs future behavior?
Maybe some of this sounds like it's not important. I don't blame you.
The internet has a plethora of "PUPPY CLASSES!!!" type advice. "SOCIALIZATION!!" type advice. "POTTY TRAINING" type advice.
So that's what you google. That's what you focus on. It makes sense. That's what you're being told to focus on.
But it's not enough. You know why it's not enough?
Because you DESERVE to know more. You deserve to know what's most important.
And I can tell you with 110% conviction... that obedience.... that's NOT the most important thing.
And I can tell you with 110% conviction... that puppyhood is the MOST important time to really dig deep.
Dog owners like you... well... you want the best for your dogs.
It's hard to know what the "best" is.
But what I do know, is that it can take experienced teaching to ACTUALLY help you prevent behavior problems.
And you have a right to know how the mindset in the dog industry directly impacts YOU and your puppy.
And you know what? I'm going to throw some of that responsibility back onto myself too.
I can't proclaim that new trainers should stop training puppies, without having an alternate solution at the ready... right?
New trainers should learn how to train puppies. The RIGHT way (and I'm not referring to methods/styles when I say the "right" way).
But new trainers cannot learn unless someone teaches them.
Because of that, I am happy to be a teacher to new trainers, even though there will ALWAYS be trainers who know more than me. And I will always be a student myself.
I can't say "new trainers shouldn't be training puppies" and not offer to help those new trainers become pros in the best way possible, right?
So here's my advice to dog owners:
Don't take the shortcuts.
Don't jump into the first/closest/cheapest puppy class you can find. You may pay for it later.
Don't be afraid to advocate for your and your pups education, by choosing your teacher carefully.
And my advice to new dog trainers:
Commit to doing your very best.
Commit to being aware, and unashamed of your shortfalls, or weaknesses as a trainer.
Commit to becoming an experienced teacher, who does everything in their power to positively impact both our industry... AND dog owners.
Because they deserve our best.
And nothing less.
A reward is a reward is a reward...
When you think of a reward, in regards to training a dog, what is the first thing that pops into your head?
Food?
Maybe a tennis ball?
A game of tug?
Maybe your mind went where I'm already going with this and you thought of something more complicated.
The fact remains, that reward reinforces a behavior. It increases the likelihood of seeing a behavior happen again, and again, and again.
So why does your dog only listen sometimes, even though they've gotten treats, pets, and toys what seems like a thousand times for doing the "right" thing?
Your dog is the dog who will listen like a dream... if you have a treat in your hand.
But how do you help them behave reliably without having to carry a cookie in your pocket for the rest of your life?
That answer partially lies in how exactly you are taking advantage of reward opportunities.
1.When your dog is jumping up, whining, maybe even barking because you've just got home from work.
2. When your dog is pulling on the leash to go sniff the tree in your neighbors yard.
3. When your dog is attacking the vacuum.
What does your dog want *in the moment* of each of these?
1. Your dog wants your attention. They want to be close to you. YOU are the reward.
2. Your dog wants to examine and study that tree. The sniffing is the reward.
3. Your dog likely wants the vacuum to stop moving, to stop making that awfully scary sound. The reward is exactly that. The vacuum once again becoming motionless and "dead".
Rewards increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, good or bad.
Use the smelly grass spot at the park as a reward, use your attention, movement, and eye contact. Use your guests as a reward.
Having the leash put on, being let out of the kennel, being let out the doorway, into or out of the car, being allowed to approach and sniff something, their daily meals, something scary going away.
Rewards are endless. The most powerful one is the one your dog wants in a single moment.
Be conscious of the behavior and energy your dog is giving off when receiving a reward. Those behaviors and that energy is what will be reinforced in the future. #rewardwhatmatters