The dog training process will likely fail if the owner’s expectations outpace the dog’s behavior changes. Dogs can learn new skills quickly and adapt to changes, but maintaining training requires a long-term commitment. While taking shortcuts with the overall training process could make the training fall apart in the real world, there are some parts of the training that dog owners can speed up. Learning practical ways to train dogs new skills faster can make training more efficient and fun.
Training New Skills Versus Practicing Old Ones: What’s the Difference?
While no two training sessions are the same, some practice sessions focus more on skills the dog already knows well, while others are about training something new. Working with dogs on skills they already know has a few key benefits. One is that skills continue to strengthen through small changes. Let’s say you train your dog a simple leave-it skill. You drop a treat on the floor, and your dog ignores it. While it might seem like you can check that off the list of things your dog knows, real life isn’t that simple. In real life, you might drop food by accident when you’re carrying a full plate and not in training mode, or you might have to walk your dog past something tempting on the sidewalk. These differences between practice and everday life matter for the dog. Good training can’t be rushed because there are always more ways to build on old skills.
Training news skills is another important part of training. Owners shouldn’t stop adding skills to the dog’s repertoire after the dog has learned the basics. Learning has numerous benefits for dogs. Owners often notice their dogs seem more relaxed after an engaging training session. The process can be rewarding for owners, too.
The Purpose of Training New Skills Faster
When it comes to the individual skills dogs learn, from obedience skills to everyday manners and tricks, there are a number of ways to make those sessions more productive while reducing how long it takes for the dog to learn something new. Shorter skill-training sessions leave more time for maintenance training in the other areas the dog needs to work on.
Most of us are also driven by results. Imagine training your dog and seeing no change after each session? Compare that to how exciting it is to see a dog learn a skill you thought was challenging in just a few minutes.
Before you rush through your training sessions using the techniques that follow, remember that every dog is different. Even if you can make adjustments to help your dog learn faster, that doesn’t mean you should feel rushed. There are skills your dog will learn faster than other dogs, and skills your dog will seem to take much longer with.
Another important rule is to avoid training for the same amount of time each session. If you time your sessions and always stop after the same amount of time, your dog will learn only to work for that long. Speeding up training sessions isn’t just about the dog; it’s about challenging your skills and the way you communicate with your dog. Learning to train new skills faster can help you think creatively and become a better teacher for your dog.
How to Train Your Dog Skills Faster
To begin reducing the time you spend training your dog, you first have to practice session planning. When you have a new skill to train your dog, spend a few minutes planning the session. You don’t have to do this forever, but it helps to think of training in steps it takes to reach the goal behavior. Think about each movement your dog has to do in order to reach the result you are striving for.
Once you’ve thought through the steps, break them in half into even smaller ones. As you start to see the dog’s movement, you will come up with ways to train faster. Sometimes the skill involves a lack of movement. You might want to train your dog to stay while you walk around him in a circle. In that case, think about where your dog’s body is and what you want, rather than just focusing on the stay. You might say, you want your dog to hold a sit-stay without being offset on his hips and while holding his front paws still, even as you cross behind him.
The planning process can help unlock more ideas than people realize. Another thing you can do before starting the training process is to make sure the rewards you use are desirable to your dog. Use a high-value reward when training your dog on something new.
Timing sessions can help speed things up, too. Challenge yourself by setting the timer and seeing if you can accomplish a small goal within that timeframe. The goal doesn’t have to be the end behavior if it’s challenging. It might be one small part of the skill. Be random with the time so that training doesn’t become too predictable. Try setting the timer for about five minutes, or slightly more or less, depending on the dog’s level of experience.
Having a clear communication system with your dog makes the most difference. If your dog already has a history of training with you and a strong understanding of micro-training skills, the training sessions will be more likely to fly. Using a consistent marker (such as the word “yes” or a clicker) to tell your dog when something is correct can help in many types of training sessions.
Just like your dog will get better at training the more you do it, you will too. At first, training feels awkward. Like anything, it gets easier with practice. Train your dog on many new tricks to work on your own skills, such as how accurate your marker timing is, how well you adjust the criteria to move your dog through the session, and the way you deliver rewards to your dog.
A few minutes of daily training can truly make a difference in your dog’s training and behavior when combined with reinforcing the right behaviors throughout the day. It’s important to make those mini training sessions as productive as possible. You might even find your dog is learning more than you thought possible, or that you have training skills you didn’t even know about.
Melissa Viera is the owner of MJ’s Pet Training Academy in Acushnet.
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