Adapt the training to your dog
Everything you read in the Petli Dog Training Guide may need to be adapted for your particular dog. Because we're all different and we all learn differently, the same goes for dogs. So use rewards that motivate your dog and set up training in a way that develops your dog. Ignore what others are doing and don't envy cool clips of well-trained dogs on social media. Dig where you are with what you have, get curious about your dog and get to know your furry friend in depth. Only then will your training take you to new heights.
Number of repetitions and breaks
The number of repetitions needed for the token to fall depends on and is different for everyone. It may depend on the training environment (how much distraction there is), the clarity of your guidance, the dog's motivation for the reward or your timing.
The number of repetitions required per step may also depend on your dog. Everyone is different and puppies and young dogs may need more repetitions than a dog that knows what training means. Some dogs are easy to teach, others need more time. That's okay, take it at your dog's pace. Practice with an alert and happy dog that can handle it. Don't go on longer than there is energy left to burn. Overtrained dogs lose motivation over time, so test how many repetitions your dog can complete with energy and joy at its peak. Stick to it and know that you can increase the number of repetitions when the dog finds it easy, or need to reduce the number when you are practicing something new or in a more difficult environment. There is no standardized rule, but your dog's energy level will determine what is appropriate.
Length of training sessions
You should also individualize the length of the training session according to your dog's daily fitness level. As a rule, short sessions are a good recipe for success. But what are short sessions?
- A puppy may not last more than 4-5 minutes but preferably several times a day.
- A young dog may lose focus faster in one environment but be able to train longer in another.
- An adult dog may excel during 10-20 minute training sessions including breaks, and want to practice four days a week rather than daily.
Including breaks...? Yep, if you're practicing for 5 or 35 minutes, those minutes should be broken down into, for example: 6-8 repetitions including shorter breaks of a minute or two, and longer breaks every now and then after about half the duration of the workout. Elite athletes practicing precision in different movements usually talk about effective training in the form of extremely short, concentrated sessions. This also benefits our dogs.
At the same time, this all depends on your dog. Some individuals want to run until their tongues hang out, others really don't understand the point of marathons. Get to know your dog and adapt to his preferences and abilities.
Try your hand at it
You can start with 6-8 repetitions of a sub-step before pausing for a few minutes. Then do one more round. Then think about when your dog performed at its best. If it was around repetition number five, you can spend the rest of the training on an interval of 3-5 repetitions. If it was around repetition number eight, the 6-8 repetition interval is more suitable for your dog.
Be aware that you may need to adjust your approach depending on the exercise and the environment. Some things are harder than others and some environments are more demanding than others. Make sure to keep it light, fun and reasonably exhaustive without tiring your dog.
Set the bar at the right level
For training to be fun and rewarding for both you and your dog, a light-hearted approach is essential. But let go of thoughts of performance and top results in one go. Some training steps need to be repeated over several training sessions over days, weeks, sometimes months depending on what you are practicing. That's fine. If it takes time, you are most likely doing it right. Take it step by step, time by time, easy and fun.
Set the bar according to your dog's ability. If your neighbor's dog can practice fetch on the loose in the woods around game scents, it's perfectly fine if you start practicing fetch with your dog on a long leash in a fenced yard. If you make it easy for your dog to do the right thing, you will have a dog that will love to train. Gradually increase the difficulty level over time, and one day you'll be standing in the woods with a loose dog you can call in. If you started with the bar at the right level and gradually increased, lowered and increased the difficulty level over time. Ask Carolina Klüft, she will surely agree.
Aggravate in the right position
Make the training more difficult (add distractions, time, distance, practicing in more difficult environments) only when your dog understands the whole exercise, e.g. the whole recall, sit/stay or walk nicely on a leash. When your dog performs whatever you are practicing with ease, purposefully and usually gets it right, it is learned. The dog has a good understanding of what is expected, and only then are you ready to move forward.
The next phase is about consolidating the behavior. For example, when your dog comes when you call in your home environment, it is time to train in the immediate area. Or when your dog can sit on signal, it is time to start practicing sit/stay. Really good training results require many hours of training, some creative thinking and individualizing the exercise to suit you and your dog.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
Your personal dog trainer on your mobile
Petli is the app where you can train your dog in a fun format, get personalized coaching from dog experts, meet like-minded people in a warm community and exclusive discounts on great products.
