Training Tip of The Month

The Problem With Humans

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So where did the month of November go?  I launched my Tip Of The Month last October and here we are Nov. 25th and I have not yet posted the tip of the month for November!   Okay, blame it on getting a new puppy or in the midst of buying a new house but the truth is that beyond all the chores and demands in life what lies under my lack of posting is the fact that as humans it is really hard for us to be consistent.  This goes for keeping a diet, following up with New Year’s resolution or… writing a post. Our very human nature can also bite us in the butt when it comes to training our pets.  In order for our animals to learn with the least amount of stress we MUST be consistent.  True, all learning experience- regardless of species involves stress and also true that not all stress is “bad” for you. 

When we are consistent in our training: i.e.:  we use the same verbal and/or hand cue for a given behavior, we follow with consequences for our pets behavior EVERY time and not only when it is convenient for us or not too much trouble.  Our animals will enjoy working with us and learning.  Also as important, what they are learning will become permanent since they can truly focus on the new task at hand instead of an inconsistent hand gesture for example.

What’s more, if we strive to be as consistent as humanly possible, our pets will thrive because their environment and relationship ARE predictable and that is good news for them!