Repetition and the Benefits of Brevity (Patreon)

Let’s talk repetition. One of the biggest mistakes a trainer can make is to drill their dog, which is true 10 fold for puppies.

When we’re thinking about training in regard to time, less is more. We want to end the session with the dog wishing you were continuing training. Drilling a dog for long periods can take the joy out of training for them and we want to create a dog that loves the learning process.

So what should a training session look like? Above is all the recall reps I did during a 20 minute exploration walk I did with Osa today. Two. I did two reps. They were both excellent. Because they were both awesome, I stopped asking for this behavior. I want to practice excellent behavior when possible and know when to quit. I don't want to keep asking until the behavior deteriorates. Doing short sessions and then coming back to it tomorrow also takes advantage of latent learning. Today I also started doing some “go to place” training. I did 6 reps total and then put the platform away. Tomorrow I expect she will be even better than today.

The best training plan is to train for 30 seconds to 5 minutes max, multiple times a day if possible. I like to train at every meal, because for a puppy, that means they get a minimum of three little training sessions a day, and you can do a lot in three sessions a day! 

Happy Training!