Patience: One of the Most Important Tools in Dog Training

Teaching a dog a new skill takes more than simply showing them what you want and expecting them to understand. One of the most important things we can bring to training is patience.

Think about it from your dog’s perspective: they have no idea what you are asking them to do. We may know exactly what we want them to do, but our dog has to figure it out through trial and error.

Sometimes that process is messy.

Your dog may try sitting, lying down, pawing at you, looking away, or offering every other behavior they know has made you happy in the past. They aren’t necessarily being stubborn or refusing to listen. They may simply be trying to figure out, “What does my person want me to do?”

That is where our patience becomes so important.

Your dog is learning, too

Training isn’t just about teaching your dog. You are also learning how to communicate with your dog.

You have to be patient while your dog figures out what you are asking, but you also have to be patient while you learn how your dog learns best.

Every dog is different. Some pick things up quickly. Others need more repetition. Some become frustrated easily, while others will keep trying anything and everything until they finally find the answer.

When your dog is confused, our first instinct can sometimes be to become frustrated.

But frustration doesn’t help your dog understand.

If we tense up, raise our voice, become impatient, or start expecting too much too quickly, our dogs can sense that change in us. That stress can make it harder for them to think, focus, and keep trying.

Keep it short and fun

One of the best things you can do when teaching a new skill is to keep the training session short, positive, and successful.

You don’t need to spend 30 minutes practicing one behavior. In fact, doing so may create frustration for both of you.

Work for a few minutes. Give your dog opportunities to succeed. Reward the moments when they get it right, and then take a break.

And whenever possible, end on a good note.

You want your dog to walk away thinking, “That was fun! I want to do that again.”

Give your dog room to figure it out

Sometimes the biggest mistake we make in training is giving our dog the answer too quickly.

If we constantly guide, correct, or repeat the command, our dog may never get the opportunity to actually think through the problem.

Give them a moment.

Let them try.

If they make a mistake, calmly help them reset and try again.

Remember that the goal isn’t just to get your dog to perform a behavior. The goal is to help them understand what you are asking.

Training takes communication, consistency, and patience from both sides of the leash.

Your dog isn’t born knowing how to live in our human world. They are learning what our words mean, what our expectations are, and how to communicate with us.

So when your dog is struggling with a new skill, take a breath and remember:

They aren’t trying to frustrate you. They’re trying to figure you out.

Be patient. Stay calm. Keep it fun. Celebrate the little successes.

Those small moments of understanding are where the real progress happens.

Stop Walking Beside Your Dog—Start Walking With Them

Have you ever taken your dog for a walk and felt like you were living in two completely different worlds?

You’re trying to walk down the sidewalk while your dog is pulling toward every smell, watching everything around them, stopping whenever they want, and completely forgetting you’re on the other end of the leash.

You’re walking together, but you aren’t necessarily connected.

A walk shouldn’t just be about getting your dog from one place to another or wearing them out. It’s one of the best opportunities you have to practice communication, boundaries, impulse control, and trust.

The goal isn’t to make your dog ignore the world around them. Dogs should sniff. Dogs should explore. Dogs should enjoy their walk.

The goal is to teach your dog that you are part of their world, too.

Start With Connection

Before worrying about perfect heelwork or having your dog glued to your side, start by teaching your dog to notice you.

Take a few steps and see if your dog naturally checks in with you. When they look at you, come back toward you, or choose to follow your movement, acknowledge it.

You can use praise, a treat, or whatever reward motivates your dog.

You’re teaching them: “Paying attention to my person is a good thing.”

You don’t need to constantly call your dog’s name. In fact, one of the most valuable things you can teach is for your dog to choose to check in with you without being asked.

Practice Changing Direction

One simple exercise is changing direction.

Instead of allowing your dog to decide where the walk goes, occasionally change your direction. Turn left. Turn right. Slow down. Stop.

Your dog should learn to notice what you are doing and follow your movement.

If your dog doesn’t notice at first, don’t get frustrated. Give them a chance to figure it out.

You’re creating a habit of paying attention to you.

Eventually, your dog begins to think: “I wonder what my person is doing.”

That little thought is the beginning of connection.

Let Your Dog Sniff—But Make It Part of the Conversation

A connected walk does not mean your dog has to heel for the entire walk.

Sniffing is important. Exploring is important. Your dog experiences the world through their nose, and allowing appropriate opportunities to sniff can make walks more enjoyable and enriching.

But there is a difference between your dog deciding everything that happens on the walk and you intentionally giving them freedom.

Try creating a rhythm: Walk together → check in → explore/sniff → come back together → continue walking.

You are teaching your dog that freedom comes with communication.

They can enjoy the environment without disconnecting from you.

Practice Around Distractions

This is where your relationship really starts to grow.

When you see another dog, person, squirrel, bicycle, or other exciting distraction, don’t wait until your dog is already completely overwhelmed.

Create some distance and work on getting their attention before they reach that point.

Reward your dog for noticing the distraction and then coming back to you.

You’re teaching them: “I can see exciting things without losing my mind over them.”

And even more importantly: “When I don’t know what to do, I can look to my person.”

That is a valuable skill far beyond the walk.

Remember: You’re Building a Relationship

It’s easy to think of dog training as a list of commands.

• Sit.

• Stay.

• Come.

• Heel.

But training is really about communication.

Every interaction you have with your dog teaches them something about your relationship.

If your dog learns that you consistently communicate clearly, follow through, provide structure, and still allow them to be a dog, they begin to understand what they can expect from you.

And when your dog understands what they can expect from you, trust grows.

That’s why a connected walk can have an impact far beyond your front door.

The dog who learns to check in with you on a walk is practicing checking in with you at home.

The dog who learns to follow your direction around distractions is practicing listening when life gets exciting.

The dog who learns that boundaries are consistent on the sidewalk begins to understand that boundaries are consistent inside the house, too.

Don’t Aim for a Perfect Walk

Your walk doesn’t need to look perfect.

Your dog doesn’t need to be in a perfect heel the entire time.

There will be distractions. There will be moments when your dog gets excited. There will be days when things don’t go as planned.

That’s okay.

Instead of asking, “Is my dog walking perfectly?”

Ask: “Are we communicating?”

• Is your dog checking in with you?

• Can you change direction and have them follow?

• Can you get their attention around distractions?

• Can they enjoy sniffing and exploring and then reconnect with you?

If the answer is becoming “yes,” you’re making progress.

Because the goal isn’t simply to have a dog who walks nicely on a leash.

The goal is to have a dog who understands that you are their partner as they move through the world.

You’re not walking two separate paths while holding the same leash.

You’re learning to walk together. 🐾

Want to practice a connecting walk under the guidance of a dog trainer? Join us for Pack Walk!

The Traffic Light Principle

As you pull up to the traffic light, it switches from green to yellow.

What do you do?

Keep going and hope you make it through the intersection before it turns red, taking a chance that you won’t hit someone or someone else won’t hit you?

Or do you stop and wait for the light to turn back to green?

As long as the light is green, you know you can keep going with little to no consequences other than getting to where you want to go within the timeframe you planned. But when the light changes from green to yellow, now you must make a choice. If you stop, you might be late. If you speed through, you might get pulled over if you’re caught or you might cause a fatal accident. It is in that moment of choice that true teaching happens.

Training your dog is like a traffic light

Green light means “you’re doing great, keep doing what you’re doing.” This is the positive side of dog training, the 90% when we reward our dogs for good behavior, usually in the form of treats, toys, affection, and “good boy”.

Yellow light means “caution, you might want to stop and think about what you are doing.” This is the negative side of dog training, the 9% when we teach our dogs to think before they act and give them constructive, informative, and corrective feedback to change their behavior before they do something they or we will regret.

Red light means “STOP NOW or you will face the consequences.” This is the non-negotiable side of dog training, the 1% when we must stop bad behavior that will harm our dogs or others.

When your dog pulls up to the traffic light and it switches from green to yellow or yellow to red, keep this mantra in mind: “Be as fair as you can be, but as firm as you need to be.”

Will my dog listen without the e-collar?

QUESTION

Hi Sara! I hope you’re having a beautiful day today. I have a question that I’d like to hear your perspective.

Do you know if there’s a way to have a dog not be e-collar savvy? My dogs do behave better when they know their e-collars are on, but is there ever a time when they don’t need it anymore or is there a way to get them to listen without it?

ANSWER

Hey […]! Let me see if I understand your question.

Can a dog eventually be reliable and trustworthy without the e-collar on? Or, can you ever prevent dogs from becoming e-collar savvy?

The answer to the first question is yes. Humans have been teaching dogs for eons without e-collars. However, for the best results you should start early during the imprinting stage, and it typically takes 10 times as long and even then there is always a slight 1% chance your dog will decide it's worth it to give you the middle finger.

The answer to the second question is “maybe”, but most likely “no”. Take our own behavior for example. Why do we drive 5-20 mph over the speed limit when we all know it's against the law, but drive 5-10 mph under the speed limit when there's a highway patrolman in sight?

Just let that sink in. And I'll leave the decision to use or keep using the ecollar up to you.

Rules & Boundaries = Respect & Freedom

Dogs thrive on structure and boundaries. When rules are absent, dominant dogs naturally become the leader and take over while submissive dogs become anxious and overwhelmed with the responsibility of leadership. Both scenarios create annoying and many times destructive behaviors. What many dog owners perceive as stubbornness or hyperactivity is really dominance and/or anxiety overblown! Establishing rules, boundaries and limitations in the home and in public will resolve or prevent these bad behaviors.

Puppy Playdates for Aggressive or Fearful Dogs

I WANT TO MY DOG TO HAVE DOGGY FRIENDS, BUT...

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If your dog shows aggression or fear around other dogs, STOP. Re-evaluate the goal. Are you wanting your dog to stop going after every dog? Or is your dog selective? If he's selective then he just needs a few, close, trusted friends that bring out the best in him. Set up playdates with some friends or neighbors with dogs of similar age, temperaments, and play styles. Avoid dog parks at all cost!!!

Your dog doesn't need to be friends with everyone. Now this doesn't mean that you allow your dog to be antisocial in a social setting. What it does mean is that you advocate for them and show them that they don't have to be in that type of a social setting in the first place.