Louise Harding

Blog«What Makes a Successful Training Session?
What Makes a Successful Training Session?
Louise Harding
22 July 2020
28 March 2024
2.65 minutes

Finding time in our busy lives can be quite challenging. So how can you find time to train your dog? It’s a common misconception that to train your dog successfully you need to put in regular hour-long sessions.  The good news is... this absolutely isn’t necessary! In fact,  short 2-3 minute sessions which end with your dog successfully completing the behaviour you are training are effective. It’s a triple win - you have the time, your dog remains focused and it’s sustainable. Could you find 2 or 3 minutes to train your dog as you go about your day to day activities?  


Perhaps your dog is already competent in the six-pack of core behaviours (sit, stay, down, come, quiet and loose-lead walking), then it’s time to challenge yourselves by learning a new trick or complex behaviour.  It's great fun and a good problem-solving activity for you and your dog.


Here’s an example:  Your dog has a really reliable sit-stay.  Can he remain sitting while you hop on one leg next to him or bend down and tie a shoelace or while you pick something up off the floor and put it on the bench?


Here are my 5 top tips for successful training sessions.

  1. Keep it short and sweet, grab a handful of treats, perform a few repetitions of the behaviour of your choice and end with a game.
     
  2. Train one behaviour at a time before you start joining different behaviours together in a chain or sequence.
     
  3. If you’re teaching a brand-new behaviour, start in a distraction-free environment, break it down into simple steps.
     
  4. End the session when your dog has been successful.
     
  5. Training should be fun for you and your dog.

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NOSE to TAILA Holistic Guide to Training Your Dream DogLouise Harding Author, Speaker and Master Dog Trainer

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