One of the questions I ask potential clients is what their goals are for their dog’s training. This is important to know as the trainer because I want to know what kind of expectations my clients have for the board & train program, and I want to discuss those up front to make sure we’re on the same page. However, it’s also a good question for any dog owner to ask themselves. Just like with anything else in life, it’s helpful to have defined goals to work toward. Goals help you measure progress, stay on track, and give you a sense of accomplishment as you meet them. Here are four questions to ask yourself when setting goals for your dog’s behavior and training.
1) What do you want to be able to do with your dog?
This is a good question to ask because it’s often easier to name things you want to be able to do rather than skills you want your dog to learn. You may want your dog to “be obedient” and that’s a good start, but defining how and when you want your dog to be obedient is far more helpful. For example, I LOVE to hike with my dogs! I love to hike in general, and it’s an activity that I want to be able to share with my dogs. The ability to hike with me (politely on-leash and reliably off-leash) is at the top of my priority list for many of my personal dogs.
2) What does your dog do now that you’d like him to stop doing?
Specifically, what are those problem behaviors? What are the points of irritation? What are the moments when you feel like you’re about to give up? These are important things to define. It might be something as (relatively) simple as dragging you down the street on the leash, or it might be something more complex like leash reactivity towards certain kinds of dogs—or both.
3) What behaviors would you like your dog to do instead?
Now that you’ve defined what you don’t want your dog to do, ask yourself what you’d like your dog’s behavior to look like instead. For example, if you want your dog to stop jumping on guests, what do you want your dog to do instead? Do you want him to calmly hold the place command while your guests come in, take their jackets off, and get a glass of wine? Or do you want your dog to sit politely next to you at the door?
4) What personality or genetic limitations does your dog have, or do you suspect your dog might have?
It’s also helpful to reflect on whether or not the behaviors you want to see from your dog are reasonable. Not all dogs are capable of being Lassie. Dogs each have what we call a “genetic ceiling.” This is not so different from humans—we’re not all capable of being Einstein! It can be tough to assess your dog’s limitations for two reasons. First, you’re so close to the source. You see your dog every single day, you may have had your dog for many years, and you’re also emotionally bonded to your dog. All three of those factors can distort your perception of your dog’s potential. Second, if you haven’t embarked on a lifestyle training program, you may not realize what your dog is capable of! The training lifestyle makes a massive difference in a dog’s state of mind and behavior.
My best advice is to assess your dog as honestly and objectively as you can, but to be willing to adjust your expectations and course-correct along the way. Resolve to work hard toward your goals—and also, resolve to love and accept your dog for who she is regardless of whether or not you make it to your end goal.
