August 09, 2012
Can you tell me how you set up your training sessions?
Full Question:
Cindy,Can you tell me how you set up your training sessions? For example, do you work on only one exercise at a time? Do you go over learned behaviors and then teach new behaviors? As a trainer, I do the familiar exercises, then the new stuff, then go back to an exercise the dog does really well, so we can end on a positive note.
How do you set up your sessions? How long do they run? How many minutes do your sessions run? How frequently? 7 days a week? 5? 3?
Thank you for your input.
Cindy's Answer:
It is really not possible for me to give you an answer to this, because there is no cookie cutter plan for training. The variables are too many and as a trainer, part of being a good one means going with the flow during each session based on what happens and the dog's state of motivation and focus. That may be incredibly different from one day to the next and from one dog to the next.
Training my Malinois is very different from training my Border Terrier, so I have to go with whatever the dogs show me they are ready for each and every time we start training. I often do impromptu sessions, based on what the dogs are showing me. If I'm out on a walk and my Border wants to be engaged with me, I go with it. If my Malinois does that, I ignore it because he could easily become obsessive. He wants to train every minute of the day.
Some dogs benefit from daily sessions, some become bored, etc...
If you look at our video on demand section, there is a free video in the Michael Ellis section about why we can't give you a timeline for your training. It's a common question without a concrete answer. Here's a link to the video: Michael Ellis on Timelines in Training.
Cindy
Training my Malinois is very different from training my Border Terrier, so I have to go with whatever the dogs show me they are ready for each and every time we start training. I often do impromptu sessions, based on what the dogs are showing me. If I'm out on a walk and my Border wants to be engaged with me, I go with it. If my Malinois does that, I ignore it because he could easily become obsessive. He wants to train every minute of the day.
Some dogs benefit from daily sessions, some become bored, etc...
If you look at our video on demand section, there is a free video in the Michael Ellis section about why we can't give you a timeline for your training. It's a common question without a concrete answer. Here's a link to the video: Michael Ellis on Timelines in Training.
Cindy
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