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T.R.A.I.N. — Are you a Step Skipper?
When people come to us asking for help with a skill they’re struggling with, we can often find a step that has been left out in their training plan. As humans, it can be hard for us to understand how dogs think simply because it is different than how we think, and it can be hard to understand why you might have a perfect recall in your yard, only to watch your dog ignore you at the park. Today, we’re going to talk about the steps necessary to train and perfect a skill from start to finish using our favourite acronym — “T.R.A.I.N.”
T — Teach
The teaching phase is the first step. We need to spend time teaching the dog what we want, first in a quiet environment, like the living room, kitchen or backyard. Using a training method that is conducive to the skill you’re teaching, show the dog how to be right! It’s important to keep working at this stage until your dog has full understanding of the perfect picture. Using sit as an example, you would want to ensure your dog can physically complete the skill before you start to make things harder. Remember that if you’re working with a puppy, not only are they learning how to perform that particular skill, but they’re also learning how to read your body language and cuing system, so don’t rush through this step!
