There is such a strong pull from people to cling to doing sessions in person. It’s what they see and hear about. most people conjure up thoughts of group classes with dogs lined up holding down stays, or walking in circles nicely around each other on some large open lawn, sun shining and kids playing in the distance. Whatever that suburban image may look like to you, it’s definitely not realistic and not at all what we are working towards when we’re working together. The majority of my clients live in dense urban settings, increasingly dog dense while open fields extremely rare. Regardless of what skill we are working on with your dog, I can assure you that at no point will I think practicing down stays in a line up with other dogs will be needed. When we are working on navigating around other dogs and people and everything a city can throw at you, we are talking about a mix of management strategies, as well, which training skills we’ll be utilizing given the environment at hand. More then often, the people and dogs in the area are happen stance and not even aware they are part of out training session. I want my sessions with you to be practical and actually help with your every day to day.
Now here’s the kicker most people don’t want to hear. I don’t need to be there. I really don’t. Some dogs would prefer I stay far away and not bother them out on their walk. I know the majority of my clients who insist on having me in person do so because they want one of two things. They either really (really!) want to show me their dogs behaviors when they are past threshold – think barking, lunging, snapping, biting, pulling, spinning out of control, screaming, you name it. The other group really wants me to do the training skill with their dog so they can see it be done, then (hopefully!) do the skill with their dog while I watch.
I’ve spoken at length about that first group and how dangerous it is, no less unethical it is, for me to intentionally put your dog in a position where they are going over threshold in order to see the behavior. It does not help, it sets our progress back, and I don’t need to see it. I’ve seen it plenty! You’ve described your dogs unique behaviors in depth during our consultation together (or you will when we meet up!). Me setting your dog off means I have done my job terribly and done you and your dog a dis-service.
The second group I truly have a ton of empathy for and get it. I do! Back in the day when I was working with my dog, and though I sound a zillion years old saying this, videos weren’t that common. Like instagram was photos only. Tiktok didn’t exist. While youtube was around, it wasn’t the beast it is today, and lets just say, most people’s editing skills were lacking. the few videos I did upload and presented during my school days took hours (HOURS!) to upload because the internet connection wasn’t fast at all. I can still remember crying over the 7 minute video I needed to submit for DTIA that took me a week to upload. It crashed out so many times and I still don’t know how I finally got it online. So yea, todays technology is light years from where it was. The dog training model back then was to meet up in person – be it at a facility, someone’s office, or go to their home. Having a dog bark at the visitor the entire time, howl behind a closed bedroom door, or need constant fussing over was the norm. It took away from the learning, made people and dogs uncomfortable, and didn’t consider the emotional toll on the dog who was already facing emotional struggles. But that is the way it was done, and unfortunately a lot of people think this is the only way to do it now. But it’s not!
Alas, we’ve come a long way (okay, we still have way far to go, but we’re making strides) and we’re doing better by our dogs. When we are discussing practicing any training game, we are always talking about having our dog under threshold and in a good head space so that they can learn. Just because we want a certain scenario to work for our dog, it doesn’t make it so. If you’re dog is overwhelmed by people entering their home, me entering their home is not going to be helping. I’m just as much a stranger in your dogs eyes as anyone else. Just because I bring the yummy treats, know not to lean over and pat them on the head, I’m still a full human person encroaching on their space. For dogs that are worried about humans in general, regardless of location, us meeting in a field isn’t going to magically make me okay in your dogs eyes. And I’m surely not going to hold their leash and getting them to work for me. And even for those dogs that have zero issues with humans and might even enjoy my company, my ultimate goal is for you to feel confident in your skills and know exactly how to handle your dog. I don’t want your dog only working for me, or only having those good outings when I’m handling the leash. I want your dog learning from you, while I can coach you from a far.
The other factor we need to be taking into consideration is that our model of one hour training sessions aren’t realistic to what your dog actually needs. Most times when you are working on a new skill with your dog, I’m speaking to you about practicing maybe 5-10 minutes a day (sometimes way less!). While I make sure our sessions are never boring and would never be practicing the same skill over and over again, we need to be mindful of how the dog learns, as well, how practical our sessions are of your time.
The majority of the training is actually happening between sessions. It’s when you are honing your skills be it out on a walk, practicing something in the home, exploring new, fun ways of communicating with your dog. What we can focus on in our sessions is making the most out of that hour – be it teaching you on how to advance a skill, bring on a new one, troubleshoot any areas your having problems with, answer your questions, give me updates and let me know about any new behaviors you are seeing. We’re not needing to worry about how your dog is feeling at that moment, or if the environment is just right for a training skill, nor wasting time trying to find the exact right scenario. We’re getting the most out of your hour, and giving you the skills to go out and practice with your dog.
and because I want to ensure you get the most out of your sessions, I encourage all my clients to send me updates in between sessions, be it video submissions, emails, or reach out for resources or guidance. Training happens all the time, not just in that window we’ve booked and agreed to meet up.
So maybe it’s time we got a new picture in our mind when we’re thinking of dog training. something you are doing with your dog, in the home, out on your walks, out in some magical field. It’s a time you and your dog are working together, having fun, exploring together and enjoying each other’s company.