If you have a dog, guess what? You are a dog trainer! That statement can be both empowering and intimidating. For most the thought of adding any extra training time to your already hectic schedule is something that seems damn near impossible and trust me, I get it. I know there are only so many hours in the day but I have some really good news for you. The time that you need to train your dog to be the best they possibly can be is the time you are already spending with them. The time is what you make of it and it is your responsibility as a dog owner to help your dog achieve success, they can’t do it without you!
Think about it for a minute, really think. How much time do you spend snuggling on the couch with your dog? Watching tv? I get it, the last thing you want to do at the end of a work day is train your dog. Instead of sitting on the couch and letting your dog use it like a jungle gym as they bark out the window at the neighbors, put a place cot next to the couch and practice their place command. Instead of playing fetch with them for a whole hour without making them *earn* that playtime, ask for a sit or a down before throwing the ball.
This is my favorite part; your daily walks that we ALL take because well, we have too. PUT THE PHONE DOWN. That’s right, we’ve all done it or have seen it being done. The dog zig zagging, barking, lunging and quite frankly acting like a complete and total terror while the owner is buried in their phone at the other end of the leash. It can wait and again, you owe it to your dog. Shorten the walk if you must but make it the best, most engaging walk you have ever had. Tired of the pulling? Practice what you want to see instead. Remember, you cannot expect your dog to do something that you have not taught them.
So, the moral of the story, you have the time, we all have the time. Work harder, be better, you owe it to your dog.