Have you ever wondered if you are on the right track with your training? Is it too late? Is it working?
Teaching a dog a new behavior can be quite an exercise in patience and at times it can be hard to stick with the work. Let's say for the last couple of years your dog has been pulling on the leash. Walking Fido has become a chore instead of being fun. Your shoulder is hurting. Your dream of sitting at a coffee shop reading the newspaper, sipping on a cappuccino and having a croissant while Fido is lying at your feet has evaporated. Frustrating? Yes! Is it too late to make your dream come true? No!
Fido won't be too thrilled at first. He doesn't understand what's going on and that is frustrating. But once he understands what you ask from him, he will be one proud dog. Getting from frustration to proud dog, Fido will go through 3 different steps.
- Fight
- Avoidance
- Acceptance
It can take anywhere from an hour to several days or weeks going through these sequences, but don't give up. For a lot of dog owners witnessing the first stage, fight, is quite unnerving. Keep calm and don't get frustrated, you know what the reward will be at the end! The second stage, avoidance, is trickier – often people are tempted to think that they are done. Keep going! The final stage, acceptance, is when your dog gives you the behaviors for which you were working so hard. You have arrived!
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