Practice, Practice, Practice

The exam is over, but the training continues….

It’s important that you and your dog continue to practice, practice, practice what you learn in your courses, after you have completed them. We humans need rest and relaxation after a long, hard work week, but dogs need to kept engaged, challenged, and exercised as often as possible so they don’t get bored. Remember:  a bored dog is a destructive dog.

In the photos above, Glimmer is practicing distance sit-stay and down-stay exercises with distractions. People coming and going throughout the entire session, dogs were barking at us from their yards, kids and their parents were getting in and out of vehicles, and there was a lot of vehicle traffic. Working her in these kinds of conditions not only helps build her confidence, but in having to hold her position in spite of the distractions, it also drains out mental energy.  By the end of the session, Glimmer has released all the mental and physical energy that gets built up when she doesn’t work, and she’s too tired to even think about getting into trouble.  A tired dog is a happy dog.

Have an awesome day and an awesome weekend – and remember to stay calm and lead on.