Your dog is not your cell phone. It is not a piece of technology.
You can not press a button and have it do exactly what you say at all times.
A dog doesn’t have a hard drive or a motherboard that can be programmed to never forget training and skills. It is an animal!
Your dog, just like you, experiences real emotions, thinks for itself, and will make its own choices.
As a trainer I would LOVE to tell you that after I train your dog your job is finished. But that just isn’t the case.
Think of it like this, as a student I learned all about long division. And back then I was pretty darn good at it!
This is a skill I mastered in school. In my everyday life it is not a skill I use. I don’t practice or take the time to even refresh my memory on the subject. Therefore my long division skills have greatly diminished. To the point that you could argue, I never actually learned this math skill.
I could get mad at my 4th grade teacher- Mrs. Soandso! I clearly don’t know long division because I’m no longer proficient in it!!! But….how silly do I look yelling at a poor old woman who did her job twenty something years ago?
Clearly if you don’t practice a skill, you lose a skill. THIS IS THE SAME WITH YOUR DOG.
In addition to practice, you must also take the advice of the trainers who have instilled the new fancy bells and whistles on your dog.
Getting your dog professionally trained then putting them back into the same environment that caused the issues in the first place will lead to your dog’s training ending up like my math skills.
It is important you continue the changes your trainer has implemented surrounding the structure of your dog’s life, or I hope you can learn to live with the dog’s traits that drove you to training in the first place.
If you find a trainer that tells you after their training you will NEVER have to work with your dog and they will just be perfect forever, quickly gather your things, find the nearest exit and RUN. This is completely unrealistic and frankly a lie.
The truth is, the training your dog receives from any trainer is only as good as the work you put in after the training.
If you are committed to your dog and the life you desire, you will continue to grow and see success.
A good trainer will be there to support you through the journey, be your cheerleader, offer support as needed, and ultimately assist you in creating a better life for you and your dog.
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