When you’re training your puppy or adult dog, any particular segment of that training session that doesn’t go smoothly can become frustrating, confusing, upsetting, agitating, and unpleasant for both of you. It can cause the rest of the training session to go poorly because you’re not emotionally in the right frame of mind to continue practicing.
Let’s take a simple example. You walk to the door to teach your dog to sit, stay until you open the door, and say OK so that both of you cross the threshold together. You tell your dog to sit, then stay. Your dog gets up, turns around, and plays with something on the floor, and you get frustrated. Your dog is not paying attention to you. This is where the “reset” comes in. Instead of doing the training exercise repeatedly in the same place, turn away from the door and walk back into your home about six (6) feet, turn around, and head toward the door. This do-over is what I think of as the reset.
Here’s another example. I often see pet parents walking their dogs on the blacktop a foot or two off the grass, attracting them to pull in that direction. Keeping your dog at heel so there is no pulling toward grass or other distractions is another lesson. However, if your dog manages to steer you in the direction of someone’s lawn and, once there, refuses to come back, don’t pull your dog to correct him. It most likely will not work or make the situation worse. Instead, try walking toward your dog, circling him, and leading him in the correct direction. Do it without hesitation and use an encouraging tone of voice. If necessary, try a squeaker removed from an old toy.
Emotions are contagious. If you become frustrated or annoyed, your dog will not benefit from repeating the same technique or action over and over. Think of something that may be discouragingly irritating to you. For me, it’s working on the computer, and I do not know how to fix a particular issue. The best thing I can do is shut it down and walk away. The do-over is always more successful.
