New Year, New Training Goals.
Welcome to not only a new year, but a whole new decade! That gives us a lot of time to set some pretty ambitious goals! If you’re anything like me, you came out of 2019 with guns-a-blazin’, ready to take on the new decade not with a can-do attitude, but a resolute WILL-DO attitude. If you’ve been following along since my website went live last year, you probably saw that I came out pedal-to-the-metal. blogs were being posted consistently, I had tons of ideas in reserve just waiting for my fingers to hit the keyboard, and I was making time to do some really cool new things with my own dogs. But then life took over and the blogging came to a halt. The ideas were still there, as was the intention; the time however, was not.
There was summer break and kids were out of school, then back to school, then Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years… and well, the blog fell to the wayside. Not because my goals changed or because my blog became less important to me, but because the reality is that sometimes life takes over and makes sticking to our goals less than realistic. That’s why New Year’s resolutions fail, right? Our larger-than-life goals sometimes just aren’t realistic in our actual day-to-day life.
The same holds true for our training goals. We all want to be successful in training our dogs in whatever capacity that may be. However, the goals we set in our hearts and minds may not always match up with the reality life sets before us.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t make those lofty goals and resolutions - by all means, reach for the stars and shoot for the moon! But let’s do it in a way that does not allow for that pesky reality to discourage us. Let’s set ourselves - and our dogs - up for success.
What does that mean? I’m here to break it down for you.
Make clear and concise goals. Whether your goal is to have a well-mannered pet who doesn’t jump on your guests when they walk through the door, try a fun new event with your dog, or title your dog in one of the many competitive dog sports out there - set a clear end goal for you and your dog to work towards.
Set a realistic time frame to achieve said goal. Note: I said a REALISTIC time frame. Depending on your end goal, it might take a month, a year, or it may take the entire decade, but give yourself enough time to be successful.
Break that larger end goal into smaller steps with more attainable goals to meet along the way. Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged and give up when you feel like you aren’t making any progress toward your goal. A really important concept in dog training is to break a complex skill into smaller steps, then continue to build on those smaller steps, chaining them together until your dog is fluent and consistently performing the complex skill. This allows for your dog to be successful and have fun training instead of experiencing the frustration of being asked too much too soon. Use this same concept in mapping out your training plan to reach your end goal. Remember baby steps are still steps in the right direction.
Seek out help. Everyone can learn something from someone, so collaborate! Reach out to those with similar goals, trainers, training clubs and, if you are competing, fellow competitors. Bounce ideas and thoughts off one another. If you and your dog are stuck in a rut, I can promise you others have been stuck in that same rut and will be happy to share helpful tips and advise if you just ask and are willing to listen with an open mind. Tap into the vast knowledge that surrounds you!
Have fun and don’t be afraid to fail. Reaching your goals with your canine friend is one of the most rewarding feelings on the planet, but spending the time it took to get there with your dog is the best part. While you may have big goals set for you and your best friend, your dog is there to make YOU happy. so make sure you are both having fun! Don’t get lost in the ribbons and Accolades - live in the moment and celebrate every little accomplishment with your best friend, no matter how large or small it may be. If you fall short of your end goal, it was at the very least a learning experience and you know what you need to work on for the next time. cherish every moment and enjoy every second!
I’m going to close this blog with a quick story of encouragement and success, pulled directly from my own bucket list of goals.
There were a lot of really cool things that happened in 2019 - my website went live, I was able to try some new events (Barn hunt and Fast Cat) with my dog, Sera, AND I finally met one of my goals that had been six years in the making. My dog Fiddle and I became a Certified Therapy Dog team!
I knew that Fiddle was a special puppy and I had big plans for her from the beginning. We started by joining a basic Obedience class when she was about 4 months old and had a lot of fun spending time together and Practicing what we were learning. She went everywhere with me, absolutely loved being around people, and had the capacity to bring a smile to the faces of all who met her. We earned her AKC canine Good Citizen award when she was about 18 months old and started going to schools to teach dog safety classes to kids. She was a natural! the next step - taking our therapy dog test - should have been easy, but life got crazy and priorities shifted for a while. Even so, my end goal for her never changed. We continued to practice and, In October of 2019, we finally went to take our test as a team. she lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations. we earned our Therapy Dog certification, and I could not have been more proud of her. Now that we are certified, We are on the schedule for weekly visits to a local Assisted Living facility where she does what she was meant to do and it is truly a beautiful sight. We have also earned fiddle’s AKC Therapy Dog Novice Title, which was not on the bucket list, but was a nice perk! the photo accompanying this blog is of her working and bringing joy to those who need a little light in their day. this was my goal for her.
Whatever your goals may be for the new year, new decade, or even for tomorrow, I hope my suggestions help you follow through and that you are successful in achieving them. Good luck in the new year and happy training!
Heather pope