In this episode we discuss:
- Bad training sessions can happen for a lot of reasons.
- Be kind to yourself. Beating yourself up won’t help you do better training in the future.
- Fault is the wrong thing to focus on. You are responsible for the training session, yes, but there is a difference between fault and responsibility.
- Do you know what went wrong?
- Focus on principles and ABCs to avoid getting trapped in stories or labels.
- Don’t repeat the same session. Change something!
- Phone a friend. Get an objective perspective.
- #1 stop digging.
- Essentialize – What are you really focusing on in this session?
- Start small – You may not need to totally ditch your whole training strategy.
- Get a new starting point that guarantees success.
- Look at reinforcement strategy first. Did it work?
- Rehearse the reinforcement strategy first without ANY behavior.
- It is always better to start with low criteria and be in a position to raise them quickly, rather than start with a failure and be forced to lower criteria.
- My rule of thumb is to restart at half of whatever I think I can definitely get.
- Quit (or take a break) at half the time you think you could do.
Links mentioned:
- Episode #126: Guide to Treats
This podcast is supported by: Zero to CD
Zero to CD is an online group mentorship program designed to provide support, structure, and accountability for people who are new to competition obedience and looking to earn their Novice level title AND to make competition obedience accessible to all dogs and handlers through force-free, positive reinforcement-based methods.
