I (Fran) am writing this in the midst of the COVID-19 lock-down. Our training classes have been cancelled. Trials have been cancelled. Restaurants, bars and movie theaters are shuttered (hopefully) temporarily. People are encouraged to work from home. Training at home is the best relief from cabin-fever we have. When you’re told you can’t go anywhere or do anything outside for fear of being contaminated or contaminating others, it’s easy to start to panic. A training session with your best friend (your dog) one of the best stress-relievers and a great way to focus on something other than the global pandemic.
If you have a dog (and if you’re reading this, then you probably do!), you want him to abide by the rules of the house. Stay off the kitchen table, don’t chew on the furniture, don’t pee in the house. Easy, right? Well, not if your dog hasn’t learned the rules.
The best way for your dog to actually learn rules, whether that’s the rules of the house or any other rule, is by training. So when we’re home it’s a great time to do that training. And in just a few minutes you can get a good session in. If you’re bingeing a Netflix series or working for an employer remotely, a good break is to just take a few minutes and train your dog.
Decide what you want to work on ahead of time, get your treats, your dog’s collar (or harness) and leash and your dog, and start your training session.
And the best way to get real results is to track the progress you make. Make a note in one of your Training Logs – just because you have the Agility Log doesn’t mean that you have to write about an Agility Training session – and you can refer to it tomorrow or the next day when you’re planning another short session.
If you check the notes in your Training Log before a session with your dog, you can save time by not trying to remember what you worked on, what worked, what didn’t work and any notes for your next session.