My beloved Kaya wears this sign twice daily when I take her out for training. She is such a good learner. At first, she didn’t like the training harness, but now that she associates it with our time together outside, she lets me put it on with no problem.
One of my favorite drills is the recall. That’s dog trainer speak for teaching a dog to come when she’s called. I love it because we have so much fun together. Right now, I am calling her and starting to run backward. She chases me until she catches up, and I stop, rewarding her with praise and sometimes treats. Then we do it again! Every day, I have at least two sessions to train her on the basics: heel, come, sit, stay, and down. She is getting really good. Soon, we’ll start building on those elements.
The great thing about training is that when it really counts, you do what you’ve been trained to do, whether it’s CPR, mental health first aid, or something else you care about. What do you want to be trained in? What would you like to have as second nature when responding to an important situation?
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
– Muhammad Ali
