#8 Learn By Doing

Highfives Insights: Learning comes from Doing. 

I'm surprised at how quickly people tell me that their dogs will never be able to do certain things, even before they try. Sometimes it's a valid response, but most times, it is an excuse or an actual false belief... 'He will never swim' 'She will never go up stairs' 'He will never be good with other dogs'. There are even those who hesitate to contact me for training because they can never see their dog behaving well around his regular triggers. It's impossible, according to their mindset. Why even try?

Thats right because, in the words of Yoda ‘Do or do not, there is no try’.

To obliterate that limiting mindset, remember that dogs will never know HOW to do many things unless we teach them and SHOW them how to do it. Obviously that's the very reason for training! Of course, a dog won't always know how to behave unless they receive training and practice DOING each scenario. And what you practice becomes a pattern, and your patterns will become habits, and your habits will become your lifestyle.

If your dog doesn't know how to walk calmly, socialize politely, obey obedience cues, or even run on the treadmill, it's only because they have never been taught how to do it. It doesn't mean they'll never learn. It doesn't mean they are dumb or be of a personality or breed that is 'just like that'. The inhibiting stories that manifest in the mind are only real if you make them real by limiting learning experiences. 

I love proving dogs' potential, and seeing the build-up of confidence and trust in each dog and person when they realize they can do things that were 'impossible' before. All it takes is determination, faith, patience, and consistency. With the proper communication, dogs can learn anything we aspire to teach them! The secret is to get out there and DO the work.

No train no gain!

Jenna