The Foundations of Beauty

When we see something beautiful, it is just natural to think, "I would really like to have something like that." It is not often that we stop and consider how that thing became so beautiful. That tree with the beautiful flowers and far-reaching branches was once just a seed. It was placed deep in the dirt and there in the dark, it waited. It waited for water and for the sun to reach down into that soil to help it grow. The farmer dug channels to get the water to the tree. Weeds had to be pulled. The farmer watered and shaped the tree, feeding it and caring for it so that it would grow into the beautiful tree that can be seen by the farmer’s family and friends and neighbors.

 Dog training is so much like this tree. People see a person with a well-trained dog, and they say, “Yeah, that is what I want.” What they see is a dog walking calmly next to his owner, with total focus on the owner. The owner lets the dog off-lead. Wow! What a recall that dog has. Just perfect. So, you go out and get a dog and a harness and leash (just like that person you saw walking the other dog has) and……. disaster strikes. Your dog is crazy. There is no way you would let your dog off lead! You would never see him again. You go home defeated. You even think, should I have a dog?

 The answer is yes. What you have to think about is the roots, the foundation. You cannot get a dog and some equipment and expect the dog to be exactly what you want. A lot goes into that dog and owner relationship that you saw that inspired you to get your dog. Hard work, discipline and persistence went into that training. That perfect pair have faced doubts, maybe rejection, and definitely failure. I can assure you that all this happens and more. I have had family members who argue that this training does not work. I have failed time and time again. I love the current meme that says, “Never say that your dog would never do that. As soon as you do here, they will come nevering like they have never nevered before.” Yup. Actually, I have failures every day. I have days I don’t feel like training. I have doubts about my abilities. But I also have days that I have success. I have days that I feel really qualified and I just keep learning.

 So, when you are looking at that dog/owner team and think, “I really want that,” here are the top three things you can do:

 Be willing to learn and do some learning every day. Schedule learning into your schedule.

 Don’t take yourself too seriously. You can have goals, but don’t be so focused that you forget to have fun. If it is not fun for you, then it is definitely not fun for your dog. If that happens then you have lost the battle, and maybe the war. There is a reason I use game-based learning. Because it is FUN! It is fun for me and for my dog.

 Take the time it takes. The tree that you see standing tall and beautiful started as a seed and it took years, decades, to get that way. Your dog will have good days and bad days. They are not going to be perfect all the time or all the sudden. If you only play the games or train every now and then, you will not see fast results. You may hear me say, if you put in 1% every day, by the end of the year you will see a 40% improvement (or more). I will be honest with you though, sometimes we do not see the changes fast enough. I see people give up because they just do not see the changes they want to see. This is when you need to ask yourself, “Am I putting into this what I need to?” “Am I trying to push too hard/expecting too much too soon?”

 Like that tree, I cannot wait to see you and your dog grow and bloom.

 Keep Playing.