You’re busy. You’re tired. You’ve got a lot going on. (We seem to attract people with interesting lives.)
Still…
You know your dog needs a good bit of work. (And that may be an understatement.) Things aren’t just going to fix themselves, you’ve finally realized. Not your favorite thought, but here you are. You need better guidance.
Dog Training for Busy People
So how can you get the best results with the time you have?
1. Use your food wisely.
Have your dog work for as much of his food as possible. Best is through direct interaction with you, but food dispensing toys can also be used on really busy days.
2. Every threshold is a chance to practice good behavior.
Everything you do with your dog is training. Does your dog wait calmly at doors, before entering cars, before coming up on furniture, before exiting the crate, before getting food, before getting attention, before getting a leash snapped on? (You get the idea but feel free to keep brainstorming!) This is an outstanding way to teach self-control and to work training reps into your daily routine.
3. Your attention is a reward for your dog.
With this great power comes great responsibility! What is the dog doing right before it gets attention? Make sure this is a behavior that you want to increase.
4. Use management to limit the BAD. (Crate, ex pen, leash, block access to windows, etc.)
Stopping behaviors before they start makes things a whole lot easier. It may not be exciting, but it’s effective and essential to developing a strong foundation. A well-managed dog can learn a ton in just a few minutes of focused training a day.
5. Focus on mental exercise for your dog rather than just physical exercise.
Is she working her brain and learning, or just charging ahead full speed? It’s tough to exhaust dogs physically, and they tend to just build endurance. Dogs can do mindless work for hours. Working their mind not only develops the sections of the brain that governs self-control, it also tires them out.
6. Doggie meditation. (The mat/place command.)
Have the dog stay on the mat, under command, for 15 minutes a day. (Okay to work up to this.) This can be while you’re cooking, watching TV, answering email, folding laundry. This is brain exercise, like meditation for people. It teaches the dog self-control and calm social behavior.
7. Plan your dog training sessions ahead of time.
Write them into the calendar, if necessary. Even if you’re only training for 2-3 minutes. Otherwise, life will always get in the way and you’ll start to see behavior spiral in the wrong direction. TRAINING SMART is more important than brute-force long training sessions. You don’t need endless energy to train your dog, just a well-structured approach. A dog trainer or dog behaviorist can save you hundreds of hours by focusing your efforts on the training that will yield the biggest benefits.
8. Consider a board and train program to jumpstart your training.
A dog training professional can save you hundreds of hours of repetition and frustration. Working with a trained dog is a lot more fun, and a lot easier to fit into a busy lifestyle.
Need help training your dog in the Fresno area? Let us know what you’re struggling with.
Nate Hess is the owner of Dogspring Training, which provides comprehensive dog training and behavior consultation services. He is a graduate of Stanford University, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and the International Association of Animal Behavioral Consultants (IAABC), and an evaluator for the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and S.T.A.R. Puppy programs.