Why train your dog?

I’ve found that many people (understandably) only seek out a dog trainer when something is going very wrong. I’ve also found that many people think of dog training as something inherently punitive, and only relevant when their dog is doing something they don’t like. But this is a misunderstanding of what good training really is, and what it can do for you and your dog.  

At its best, dog training is not just about getting the dog to do what you want her to do. It’s about also building an understanding between you and your dog that will carry forward from your training sessions into your everyday life, making it easier to live in harmony together.

It’s about that intoxicating spark of connection when the training just clicks, and it’s about opening up a whole new channel of communication you previously didn’t have access to. You’re working your way through your training session and then suddenly something shifts into place, and you and your dog can talk to each other in a way you couldn’t before.

It takes time and practice to get there -- and it may not happen in every session -- but it’s hard to beat the experience of being completely on the same wavelength with your dog, working toward the same goal together. It’s why I love training; it’s why I am just about always working on something new with my dogs.

Good training is not punitive or about getting the dog to do what you see other people’s dogs doing on Instagram. It’s about seeing the dog in front of you for who she is, and who she can be. And it’s also about seeing who you can be together, as a team.

I’ve had multiple clients tell me toward the end of our training journey that they feel much closer to their dog than they ever did before (even though of course they always loved their dog!). That’s because good training, training that takes your dog’s entire well-being into consideration, creates connection. When you’re working together with your dog on a project, figuring things out, problem solving, finding your way forward together – of course you come out of that with a stronger bond.  

We only have a finite amount of time on this earth, and our dogs have even less time. Why not spend a little of it really getting to know your dog, building that bond, and learning how to communicate and work together?

If this resonates with you and you want to get started on virtual training with your dog, you can contact me here.