When all your hard work doesn’t feel enough

If you’ve been chipping away at your dog’s training for a while, it’s natural to compare your progress together to others.  And comparing your dog and their progress with others is one of the fastest ways to rob yourself of everything you've achieved together.

No two training journeys will ever look the same because no two dogs are the same.

And just because you’ve had your dog from a puppy doesn’t mean you’ll have an easy ride, and it DEFINITELY doesn’t mean it’s all your fault if things are feeling difficult.

Every dog comes with their own genetics, natural tendencies, strengths, sensitivities, and quirks.  If you live with a working bred dog, they will have traits that have been shaped by generations of selection and you can’t train these traits away.  

Drive, motivations, sensitivity to the environment, speed of arousal shifts…these are not things we train in or out of our dogs, they are things we learn to work with and this is going to look different for every dog.

And then of course there is us.

We all live with different circumstances and have our own strengths and weaknesses.

And our biggest enemy of all…our own expectations.

It’s so important to remember that training does not speed up maturity.  You won’t bypass the adolescent development stage just because you are putting the work in.

The adolescent brain is a developing brain.  It’s a work in progress.  Emotional regulation, impulse control, and decision making are all skills that naturally strengthen with maturity and guidance.

Your adolescent dog will not be capable of making the same choices and behaving in the same way as an adult dog would.  It’s normal and it’s ok.

Some dogs reach maturity quicker than others.

Lottie was a slow burner.  As a young dog, she had so many skills from all the time and energy I put into raising her well, but she still really struggled with life throughout adolescence.  It took until around 3 years old but she finally matured and everything fell into place.  She’s the sweetest girl with just the right amount of crazy to keep things fun and adapts well to everything life throws at her. 

It feels so demoralising when you are working consistently with your dog over a period of time but your lives together still feel so limited.  Especially if you are surrounded by people having a much easier time or getting caught up in the social media highlights of people’s perfect dogs.

Always remember that the progress you make together will be unique to you and your dog.  It can be incredibly difficult to avoid making comparisons, but it’s so important that we do otherwise it can completely suck the joy out of your relationship with your dog. 

So when you’re reflecting on how far you have come together, don’t measure this against anyone else's progress. 

Don’t compare your dog to others with a different starting point, a different journey, different genetics, different needs, and different experiences.

Focus on how far you have come together compared to where you once were.

Focus on the little wins. They will all add up to something meaningful over time.

Focus on knowing that you are on the right track and if you need help getting there, please don't hesitate to reach out for a chat - BOOK A FREE CALL HERE.