Clark, VisionPassage Mascot
Adopting and Training a Dog: Part 2
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Devotion was my plan to train Clark. I had nothing written down. No routine, no steps, no bookmarks, nothing. I had a bit of fear that I will mess up. That led me to give my best. And the results have made me and many others super happy.
Clark is capable of walking off-leash in crowded downtowns and train stations. Even if a squirrel is in front of us while hiking, he will chase with permission. My front door stays open on many hot summer days. Clark will sit at the door and greet neighbors and dogs, and won't run away. He understands both voice and hand signals. And he can do some cool things like walking over a fence. Taught him to walk over a fence as a life-saving measure. And he has completed a half-marathon with me.
Results of good training will surprise you. It is like having a well-behaved child at home and in public. This will enable you to take your dog along pretty much everywhere. And you will feel proud.
Here are a few things in no specific order that worked out:
Seeing dogs makes both Clark and me happy. So much more when we see more startups and established employers become dog friendly.
Hope these experiences help you in your dog-training journey. It is time well spent. Something you will cherish forever. Till then, Clark says woof-woof!
Next Note:
Related Notes:
- Life Changes After Getting a Dog
- Transforming the Body: Achieving a Flat Stomach
- Incorporating Natural Movements: Part 1
Devotion was my plan to train Clark. I had nothing written down. No routine, no steps, no bookmarks, nothing. I had a bit of fear that I will mess up. That led me to give my best. And the results have made me and many others super happy.
Clark is capable of walking off-leash in crowded downtowns and train stations. Even if a squirrel is in front of us while hiking, he will chase with permission. My front door stays open on many hot summer days. Clark will sit at the door and greet neighbors and dogs, and won't run away. He understands both voice and hand signals. And he can do some cool things like walking over a fence. Taught him to walk over a fence as a life-saving measure. And he has completed a half-marathon with me.
Results of good training will surprise you. It is like having a well-behaved child at home and in public. This will enable you to take your dog along pretty much everywhere. And you will feel proud.
Here are a few things in no specific order that worked out:
- Concentrated Effort:
- Two months is what it took us to get Clark trained. Every day mattered. Weekday or weekend was not relevant. Rain or shine. Think special forces training, and add loads of benevolence.
- Loving Relationship:
- I am super-devoted and loyal in my relationships. Getting Clark was akin to welcoming a new family member. And that is exactly how I have treated him. A responsible living being from day one. Dogs want some kind of a boundary. Clark loves challenging hikes, but appreciates when he gets home. He is safe there. And he knows the place inside out. If your dog looks up to you, half your training is complete. A combination of excessive love, diligent training, and boundary-setting helps.
- Doggie Vocabulary:
- Machines understand zeroes and ones. Every profession has a specific lingo. Ditto for dogs. Shorten every command to at most three words. One or two is best. If you use a long human-type sentence, dogs will pick up the most relevant word.
- Constant Repetition:
- Repetition helps team members with staying on course towards the vision. The same method applies to your beloved four-legged family member. During the early days, it would be common for me to repeat a command over forty times in a day. Nowadays it is more like a dozen times when Clark is learning something new.
- Continuous Communication:
- I talk to my dog. A lot. I use a combination of hand signals, voice, and facial expressions. If you use all three from the start of training, you will be able to remove at least method one later on. Varying the pitch and tone helps a lot.
- Varied Socializing:
- From day one, we socialized in a multitude of ways. Dog parks. Neighborhood park. Walks with other dog owners. Also, I exposed Clark to a bunch of different physical environments. Walking in cold, hot, windy, and rainy weather. Walking over mud trails, gravel, pebbles, sand, and mulch. Crowded downtowns. Train stations. Busy outdoor restaurants and breweries. Car rides. Stores without food items. We started super small. Repeated it a few times. Then increased the challenge. Try it. Your dog will look forward to every day with excitement unseen before.
- Ongoing Maintenance:
- New situations will arise all the time. Things may not go as planned and prior training will fail. These situations are great for adding a command or two to your dog's vocabulary. Keeps the dog sharp. Clark keeps building upon his strong vocabulary. His recent command is "turn". He makes a U-turn on trails when we need to go back.
- Ignoring Beliefs:
- Are some breeds harder to train? Yes, but not by much. Is it harder to train older dogs? Yes. But doable. Intention and effort. That is all it takes.
Seeing dogs makes both Clark and me happy. So much more when we see more startups and established employers become dog friendly.
Hope these experiences help you in your dog-training journey. It is time well spent. Something you will cherish forever. Till then, Clark says woof-woof!
Let's Talk: If you have a true experience that resonates, please send me an email.
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