There are usually two sentiments when we meet with a client. Either their dog is the smartest dog on the planet, or the exact opposite. You see, as human beings we constantly compare ourselves, and our four-legged pals to everyone else, this is the human condition! However, it is extremely unfair to do to ourselves, and more importantly our pups.
Every Dog is Different
Just like people, dogs learn at different paces. We have worked with hundreds of dogs and seen dogs that learn certain commands in five minutes, and other dogs that can take a few hours for that same command. On the other hand, some dogs excel at specific commands more than others! For example, we have been to houses where there are two dogs being trained, similar in age, and in breed. When we were working on sits, one of the dogs was extremely stubborn and refused to sit until about 20 minutes into the session, the other was sitting within 2 minutes. Later in the session when we moved on to laying down, the dog who was so quick with the sits then swapped roles with its sibling in being the stubborn one! The whole purpose of this story is to encourage you. When your dog isn't measuring up to the neighbor's dog, or the dog you had before this one, do not be discouraged.
The key to dog training is being patient. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a new result". It is clear Albert Einstein never trained a dog... Set up a plan, stick to it, be kind to yourself and to your dog, and watch as you both prosper.
All dogs learn different things, at different times, and at different paces.
If you find yourself being patient and consistent yet still see no progress, feel free to contact us, we can help you out!
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