So, you’ve done the training classes, your pup has graduated and is officially “trained” and now you get to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, right? Well, not exactly. Dog training, just like any sort of human training, requires consistency to maintain. Just because you trained for and ran a 10K once, doesn’t mean you can sit back, relax and go out and easily run another 10K race in 6 months. You might be able to muscle through it, but it won’t be enjoyable.
The good news is that if you completed a training program your dog now has a solid skill set foundation. So your job now is to do the maintenance work and if you want, you can continue to build up those skills. But how, when and for how long? Honestly, you just need a few minutes a day, you can work on different skills each day whenever and wherever you want.
If you check out the video below you’ll see a great example of adding just a little work during a fun outing. Our fantastic trainer Stephanie is working on “let’s go,” maintaining different positions and adding some recall work on a long line while out exploring the forest preserve on an adventure walk. Help with recall, as well as good leash manners, is one of the most frequent requests we get. Working on recalls at home is great, working on recalls in an environment when you really need your dog to come back to you is better, and doing it in a way to ensure success, like with a long line attached to your dog’s collar, is best. Finding an environment that has some distractions, but nothing too intense, like a forest preserve, or a big open field, is a great way to work on and reinforce your dog’s leash skills, impulse control through holding a given position, and of course recall.