Dog Trainers,
Here’s the scenario: You had a dog in your board and train for 4 weeks. Today’s the day for the go-home lesson with the family. The dog has been spot-on, hitting every command for you, and you are feeling great. Then the time comes for you to have the owner give it a try. They say, “Come!”……..nothing, “Place”……crickets….
This is an annoying and frustrating moment for us trainers and can leave us feeling caught off guard. Now we are on the spot, in front of the owners, trying to pick up the pieces, fix the issue last minute, and hoping that the owners don’t doubt their decision to have us train their dog.
You see, many trainers think there is something that they need to do differently at the lesson itself. But actually, the problem starts well before the lesson, during the last 25% or so of the board and train.
The trick: Know Thyself.
Hear me out. We dog trainers are very clear and consistent in our communication with dogs during training; believe it or not, this is part of the problem. While this high degree of consistency is major asset during the early learning phases of training, it actually becomes an obstacle when you are preparing dogs to return home.
If you want to learn more about what I mean, check out this excerpt from one of my private coaching sessions that I just uploaded to youtube: