Why We Train
First, a little on behavior theory…
Why do we choose to perform the behaviors that make up our daily routine?
Everything that we do (along with dogs and any other animals) is to better our situation. We spend a lot of time learning skills so that way we can have a better chance at getting a well paying job... we want a good job so that way we can get more money... more money generally means less stress because you can afford the things you need and possibly want... less stress creates a healthier life… etc. Another example could be; we spend time with certain people because those people benefit our lives in some way. Maybe they make you happy, maybe they bring you comfort, maybe they help you financially, etc. We’re usually never intentionally doing things to make our situation more difficult for ourselves. The same goes four dogs!
Pressure:
So what we’re essentially trying to do is to avoid high levels of stress that are too much for us to handle. These difficulties in life can be looked at as pressure. We’re always looking for the path of least resistance in order to avoid high amounts of pressure (aka stress), but there will always be pressure in life because it’s necessary for growth. Pressure can come many different forms, some that come to mind for me are tests, performances, dealing with a mental obstacle, a physical confrontation, interviews, etc… These pressures can be big obstacles, but they shouldn’t ever be looked at as something negative. In fact, overcoming these pressures can be some of the most rewarding things that ever happen to us because it leads us to further growth! When a tree’s branch breaks it often times grows into two new branches, creating a healthier tree in the long run. So, in general, our goal is to go on with life keeping pressure at a manageable rate, but when there is pressure (and there will often!) we must be equipped to handle the situation with experience, knowledge and many other tools! We will have to take tests and overcome obstacles/challenges (pressure) throughout our entire life. That part is a given and we can’t always control that, but what we can control is how we take on every situation. Do we coward and shy away from the issue, never learning how to deal with it and therefor not grow? Or do we face the issue with confidence knowing that there will be hardships, but still we stand tall to get past the obstacle? Maybe we even have to ‘fake it til we make it’ for a little bit until it becomes a regular thing and you don’t have to anymore. And that goes with saying we will fail over and over again, but failure shouldn’t be something to be turned off by, embarrassed of or ashamed of. Instead it becomes a badge of honor when you’ve proved to be able to overcome the obstacle in the best, most logical and ethical way and even though you failed you still go back to the drawing board, learn from your mistakes and try again.
When we look at things this way we almost never see pressure as something negative. Pressure becomes very positive and rewarding as long as we face the obstacles in a structured way that sets us up for success, is strategic and productive. Stress can definitely be a good thing!
But…
Pressure can also be a setback when the pressure is so much that it stunts future growth. Like how a tree trunk snaps in half due to high winds; it may not be able to grow back at all or at the most it grows back much weaker than before. What becomes important is knowing how to incorporate pressure at a rate that pushes the individual slightly outside of their comfort zone, eventually making that “the new normal”. When that becomes the new base line you push them even further outside that. These small jumps, when done consistently over time, will eventually turn into big jumps.
Back to training...
We train to set ourselves and our dogs up for success in real life. We purposely put ourselves and dogs in slightly stressful situations that are set up to work in a way that they are able to easily overcome the stress, making them more confident in being able to handle that situation in the future. As we progress, the amount of pressure the individual is able to withstand grows more and more. For example, if someone starts going to the gym they should start with light weights and as they get stronger they should slowly add more over time, eventually leading to big jumps in muscle strength. If it was done in the opposite order where this person started lifting very heavy weights they’ll probably hurt their joints and therefor create a negative experience. I doubt that would be a start to a long lasting habit. BUT If the process is done correctly through making the goal obtainable (start with lighter weights and slowly progress), while still pushing yourself and you’re making it fun (super important!!!), then it’s very likely that the behavior of going to the gym will continue to be rewarding for that person; making it a long term behavior and creating a lot of improvement.
This is why sports and extracurricular activities are so popular and important for us. They’re all methods of pushing ourselves to be stronger, quick-witted, creative and intelligent individuals. We put ourselves in competitions, tournaments, etc. to test ourselves to see if we can withstand pressure at a high level. We train for years up until this point so it’s not overwhelming on the day of competition. Then when you win that confidence of winning carries on throughout your daily life. You communicate with people more confidently/effectively, you might feel slightly more fulfilled, your relationships with your team/coaches/supporters are deepened because of the whole experience, maybe you’re a little happier and your positive vibes are infectious to others! …along with many other possible positive outcomes!
...Or maybe you fail horribly! It really doesn’t matter because no matter what we’re always going keep training and pushing forward. You can think of it as adding more fuel to your fire so you can come back with more preparation. That fuel is what gets us to be better. It gives us more focus and a goal to continue striving for. It’s a win/win! Losing is never failing, it’s learning what NOT to do.
As a dog trainer I do my best to express the dogs natural drive and use it as motivation to perform preferred behaviors. The dog gets to choose what the fun activities will be since different dogs enjoy different biological activities. My job is to make them the best at whatever they choose. I’m the dogs coach just like how we need coaches or mentors to point out our flaws, to show us a more productive way of doing things and to reward the new/preferred behavior. Dogs also NEED this guidance. This is a human dominated world, not the natural one where all animals roam free. There are SO many things dogs can’t understand in this complex world and its our job to show them how to successfully navigate through it rather than hoping that they’ll just figure it out without guidance. Dog training is all about setting the dog up for success.
We put dogs in sports and extracurricular activities in order to build them up to be stronger/more confident dogs during activities so that confidence/ability to problem solve under stress carries on when they’re outside of the activity. This also helps to fulfill them as a dog through biological activities while simultaneously getting rid of unwanted behaviors through teaching the dog to focus its energy on more preferred behaviors. We also teach communications skills, obedience commands and handler awareness during these games!
I’m sure I can go on, but I think this is a good representation of why we train dogs. This isn’t JUST dog training, this is learning how to understand your dog better, how to communicate more effectively, it’s understanding behavior modification and even learning theory; something that can be applied to our own lives just as much as our dogs.
In doing all of this, the best part is that you end up with a much greater relationship with your dog because you’re essentially spending time learning and understanding more about each other… the best part!
