Be Persistent Until It Doesn't Help
08 Jul 2024
Be persistent until it doesn’t help. Here’s a short tale that I think also applies to dog training.
I had a four day weekend this past 4th of July weekend. So I thought I’d spend 4-5 hours to upgrade the two main software libraries that make up the core of my Agility Course Master app. After 8 hours I’d made good progress and I learned some new things. Then 16 more hours trying to figure out two issues. That got me to the point where AC Master ran again but with one remaining error. I just could not figure out the solution. I scoured the web, I tried AI assistants, to no avail.
In desperation I posted my question to a tech Q&A website. Four hours later someone in Asia replied with wrong answer. BUT, they correctly identified the source of the problem and that gave me a hint to a solution. Ten minutes later my last error was resolved.
This could be a story about dog training. Sometimes you think training a skill should take X hours and that time goes by and you might not feel you are much closer to your goal. But you keep at it and hopefully you and your dog learn more about what works to help you both approach your goal. Though there may come a time when you think you really aren’t making progress.
Ask for help!
There are trainers out there that can help you. You probably don’t have to seek out Wendy World Team or fly to far off places for a seminar. I am fortunate that I have local trainers that can help me and discuss ideas to try. You probably have those people in your life too.
Their ideas might also not “work”. But, examine the approach they proposed, the different view point. It might give you a way to combine their idea with what you know about your self and your dog to give you a path to a solution. There is no “one right way” in dog training, no matter what someone’s “system” might proclaim.
So, keep trying, be kind to your self and your dog, don’t be afraid to ask others for their insight, and try combining ideas to progress.
Photo of me combining 2x2s and weave guides to get experienced weaver Snap! acclimated to the weave guides touching him while he weaves.
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