This #trainingtiptuesday we are bringing out the big guns. This tip is something that can accelerate your training in BIG ways and has personally helped us out immensely. Get yourself a training buddy! Whether this is a friend, sibling, online group, or a formal training club - find a buddy that has a dog and would like to do some training as well. We are going to start off right now by saying THANK YOU to Kristina, Ryan, Kerri & Alyssia for being our #trainingbuddy !
Why is a training buddy so important? First things first - it makes training even more fun! Being able to laugh while working with your dog is huge. Not only is this good for you, but it's also good for your dog. If you are having fun, chances are the session is going to be more enjoyable for your dog as well as you are more relaxed. Secondly, sometimes you just need another set of eyes or a different opinion. Another perspective can help you see alternative ways to approach a challenge you are having with your dog, help you identify any barriers to your success, or hype you up when things are going well. And last, but by no means least, sometimes you need someone to kick your butt and say get training! When you are working with someone it helps to hold you accountable. You don’t need an in-person buddy to train together! Use Zoom, social media, Snapchat or even FB Messenger. Send a video to your buddy and challenge them to send one back. Keep score of who does the most tricks if you're a competitive person by betting each other something small (like a coffee, or a donut) that your dog can learn more tricks than theirs in a set time frame, see who wins. Set goals together and crush them!
Things we have done are set up weekly nights to meet and work our dogs, meet up for walks together, take a class together, join and attend a training club or group, send questions to each other, and had a Snapchat group promoted to sharing training videos. Our friend Kristina at Little Nose says “Last year during one of the stricter lockdowns in winter I was looking for virtual ways to connect with my family as well as a way to keep my dogs busy in the cold winter months. My sisters (I have 2) and I decided we wanted to go for Novice Trick Dog titles with DMWYD. We took a list of 25 Novice trick titles and each day one of us would take the lead on a trick and teach our dog, then the other 2 sisters would try it with their dog. We shared our videos in a Snapchat chat group we had together. It was great because we got to “see” each other every day, it gave us something to look forward to in a time where we were at risk of feeling isolated. We laughed together, each dog has their own style and flair and some of the trick attempts were more polished than others. We also were there to help each other, if one of us knew how to execute the trick and the others didn’t that person was able to provide guiding tips. If one of us had dog equipment and the others didn’t we brainstormed household items to use in place (i.e. using a broomstick as a hurdle for the dog to jump over). It was the most fun training at home I’ve had in a long time!”
Our current training challenge is a GREAT way to incorporate a #trainingbuddy! Challenge your buddy daily with a task, play who did it better, keep track and see who can achieve the most squares on the TRAIN Bingo board, or just commit together to work through those challenges by being each other's supporters, encourager, or giving each other friendly reminders to train. Take turns being the leader so that neither of you feels burdened by the tasks. Don’t forget to share videos and HAVE FUN!
Our current training challenge is a GREAT way to incorporate a #trainingbuddy! Challenge your buddy daily with a task, play who did it better, keep track and see who can achieve the most squares on the TRAIN Bingo board, or just commit together to work through those challenges by being each other's supporters, encourager, or giving each other friendly reminders to train. Take turns being the leader so that neither of you feels burdened by the tasks. Don’t forget to share videos and HAVE FUN!
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