#9 Training Is a Lifestyle
Highfives Insights: Training is a lifestyle.
One of the biggest questions that all trainers face with clients is 'When can I stop training my dog?'.
I want to answer with another question… ‘When do you stop eating healthy food when you want to remain healthy?’
A balanced diet keeps you healthy as long as you stick with the discipline of eating certain foods. And working out keeps you in shape as long as you make time and stick with a gym schedule. What you put in is what you get out.
But if you stop eating healthy or going to the gym and start eating junk food while being a couch potato, what do you think is going to happen? You are going to lose the benefits of a healthy lifestyle because you are now practicing unhealthy habits.
Dogs take in information 24/7. They are always learning even when we aren't training. This is why it is extremely important to set down rules, consistent feedback on rewards and consequences, and a structured schedule so your dog knows what you expect and has the formula for living a balanced life with earned freedom.
Another similar question is ‘How long until I can stop using training tools?’
And once again, I ask… ‘How long till you don’t have to wear a seatbelt anymore?’
You wear a seatbelt even when you know you’re a safe driver. This is because unpredictable things happen. You cannot control the outside world and everything in your surrounding environments. Sometimes utilizing tools is the only way to achieve a stable relationship between us and our dogs. Tools should give us confidence, comfort, and enough trust to build our bond.
However, I personally believe you should be able to get to a point where you never need to rely on tools to have a good dog. The goal of using tools is to get to a point where you barely have to use them. And keep in mind that tools come along in so many different forms, not only in leashes and collars.
So when you start training your dog and you're wondering how long it will take before his behavior problems are 'fixed' or when you can stop using certain training tools, remember that the main chunk of the behavioural change comes from a constant structured lifestyle. A dog can't just be fixed automatically without the need for rules or tools again, just as a human can't suddenly get in shape and then go back to unhealthy ways of life while keeping the same fitness level.
Definitely there are doggy behaviors that can and should be remedied very quickly with solid results, but in the long run, consistency of structure in exercise, discipline, and affection is key to a continually balanced dog.
Both lifestyle structure and tools should go hand-in-hand during training and your dog will let you know when you can begin fading the training wheels out.
If you give your dog 100%, you'll get 100%. If you allow bad habits to slip back into your relationship, the results will show through your dog’s behaviour. We are all a product of our environment and lifestyle. Make sure you create the healthy lifestyle of consistent training that your dog needs to get the positive results you want.
No train no gain!
Jenna