TIP – During training, your dog may not always be as precise as you would like.
At these times, it is important to recognize the cause of his imperfection. Is he trying hard to do what you want or is he actually “hardly trying”?
Lack of effort should NEVER be rewarded. In most instances, true effort, even if precision is lacking, should be rewarded.
WHY?
Because we want our dog to continue to try and to work.
Over the years I have learned to read dogs.
HOW?
I pay attention to the dog’s face, demeanor, and attitude.
When I first started training dogs, I videotaped all my training sessions. After the session, I would let my dog rest in his crate and I would spend time watching the video and do these 3 things!
First, I would watch how my dog was responding to my cues, turns, commands, etc.
Next, I would watch my cues AND responses with rewards, games or consequences.
Finally, I would look for any inconsistencies in criteria and if it was caught when training.
Observation is a sure way to gain success! Over the years, watching videos taught me timing and when and how to reward or play a game.
