What to do when YOUR big feelings about training your reactive dog have you feeling stuck!
I’ll be the first one to admit that my own feelings have left me stuck with my dog’s training! Whether it’s my anxiety about something going wrong, battling with perfectionism, or a general sense of overwhelm trying to decide what to train… they all have impacted me.
Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, scared, stressed…
and maybe these feelings are making it really hard to actually do the training with your dog. This is common and I see it a lot when working with clients! I have some words of wisdom for you, if you’re feeling this way.
Do it scared!
I know I know, that’s easier said than done.
Sometimes, you have to do the scary thing while you’re still scared! If you wait until that fear goes away, you may never actually feel ready and continue in the cycle of procrastination. You can do hard things!
Do it messy!
You don’t have to be perfect.
The great thing about using force-free training methods is that it’s okay if your timing and mechanics aren’t the greatest. Your skills will improve the more you practice and give things a try! I’m a professional and sometimes things don’t go as planned for me. Like peanut butter exploding from the bottom of a squeeze tube, the cap rolling away from me, and then my dog not caring about my existence once her dad walks out of the building we were training outside of.
Just do it!
Such a cliche but I’m serious, just do it!
Once the momentum gets started it will feel much easier to keep things progressing. Newton’s 1st law does say…
“Once in motion, always in motion.”
When the way you’re feeling is making it difficult to start training with your dog, try these things!
Grab 10 treats and a clicker - click your clicker and then feed your dog a treat until they’re all done.
Take 1/4 of your dog’s breakfast and after they finish eating practice a simple trick they love.
Grab a handful of your dog’s kibble, walk around your house, and feed your dog a piece every time they walk next to you.
Bring treats on your walks and every time your dog does something you think is cute - give them a treat!
Remember that done is better than perfect!
This is a phrase I repeat to myself daily for my own life things and one that I tell clients allllll the time when it comes to their dog’s training! Take the pressure off of getting everything right on the first try. Start with low pressure and low expectations for your dog AND yourself!
Even spending just 1 minute doing a training game or silly trick training with your dog before a walk adds up over time and does make a big difference.
P.S. Do you want to be supported as a big feelings dog parent by trainers who get it and a community of other big feelings dog guardians?
Check out our Confident Mutts Club where you can be your authentic, neurodivergent, big feelings self, and gain amazing support from dog trainers and other dog parents who just get it!
