Training Dogs And Time Management
Students tell me they forget to cover certain exercises or skill sets. And they sometimes come to a trial, thinking their dog "knows" an exercise - so they don't need to practice it.
They frequently train an exercise versus training the skills broken down. They don't have time to train every day. And they are losing the dog's focus.
The best way to train -- is in an organized way. Keep sessions short. And train the way you trial. Be sure you are NOT training the same thing every day in the most predictable way!!
First - Make a list of everything you need to cover over the course of this month's training. Every skill every game. Here is an example:
Decide how many days is a reasonable amount for YOU to work your dog. Novice dog owners - consider working 3-4 days a week for 10-15 minutes each session. Planning is key. Does it even seem possible that you can cover every single exercise every week? Absolutely. But you have to be smart about it. And you need to tailor it to your team.
When you think about competing in Beginner Novice and Novice -- it is all about Focus (literally every exercise), Heeling (Heeling on and off Lead, between exercises), and Sit Stays (Group Exercise, Recall, Exam, Walk Around Room). So, consider weighting more of your time toward that.
Additionally, I like to plan ahead the location of my practice. What days do I plan to go to the club? Some businesses are closed on Sundays - and their parking lots are terrific places to train.
Plans do not always work out perfectly. Sometimes you learn new things, or sometimes things come up in your life. Plans change. And that is why you review a weekly plan - that is more specific than the Monthly plan. So on Sunday Night (the end of my week) I may come up with this training plan - which is more specific than the items mentioned in the monthly plan:
An individual Training Day is planned the night before or that morning! It is much more specific than my Weekly Plan. It also takes into account some things my dog loves versus where he may be struggling. I plan to alternate between Highly Motivating Skills and Less Motivating Skills. I rarely train the entire exercise.
Does this sound too overwhelming? Than start by biting off what you can chew. Does it sound easiest to do only the Monthly? Than start there. As you get accustomed to the habit, add another and just keep building.
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