17d (edited) • Predation Tidbits
Dealing with Setbacks and Regression
I want to start out by saying that setbacks or regression are not the end of the world. In fact, I choose to look at them as learning opportunities:
- Where did I go wrong?
- How can I better communicate my goal with my dog?
- Did I move us on/progress too fast?
- Have I been consistent?
Did you notice a theme with those questions? They all had “I” in them. This is because we, the trainer, the handler/guardian, are responsible for setting our dogs up for success. If something needs addressed 9 times out of 10 if not 9.9 times out 10 it is a failure in communication of some kind with our dogs. Our dogs are very good at telling us and those around us what they have and have not been taught (except for that one thing that one time that they had never done before…). We should listen to our dogs when they tell us there is a gap in their understanding and if we are not sure how to address that please seek out help from a professional.
Something else to remember is that each dog is an individual. How each dog learns and what motivates them is just as unique as they are. Some dogs prefer treats only, some prefer toys only, some like both, some like both but are quite particular. Another thing to remember is that some dogs require the steps to be broken down into even smaller steps. It is important to have patience and understand that training is not linear. Training will have ebbs and flows of good days and bad days. If your dog seems to be having an off day in training (or in general) it is important to rule out anything veterinary first.
- Did your dog eat like normal? Was their energy the same about eating? Are they drinking more, less or the same amount of water?
- What do their gums look like? Are they pink, moist with a capillary refill time (CRT) of less than 2 seconds?
- Did your dog have normal bowel movements?
- Are they limping or licking an area excessively?
- Is there head hanging low? Is their back arched?
- Do they seem hesitant to be in a certain position?
- And many more questions that can be asked related to veterinary
If you suspect the cause is veterinary it is recommended that your dog’s vet be contacted and have your dog seen. Take note of anything new or abnormal that happened around the time your dog started to behave abnormally even it seems silly.
If you don’t suspect veterinary then something else to consider is how often you have been training with your dog and what have you been doing. If you have been training with your dog a lot everyday then perhaps your dog just needs a day or two off to do something else. Just like humans, dogs benefit from a change in routine sometimes and participating in a different activity. It could be as simple as you both stay in for the day and your dog gets to chew on a bone or stuffed KONG while by your side and/or your dog has a relaxing day sunbathing in the yard. Every dog is different but this would also help teach your dog how to relax for those days that you have work at home that needs done or even errands out of the home that need done.
In short, don’t burn out your dog. (You also might be the one to set up that schedule for them to ensure that does not happen. Again every dog is different!)
Something else to consider when dealing with setbacks or regression is how old is your dog? If your dog is young (particularly younger than 18 months old) then your dog may be going through the ups and down of puppy to adolescence to adulthood. If you have a young dog and particularly a puppy it is crucial, in my opinion, to have at least a basic understanding of the puppy phases between zero weeks to 18 months and remember it! “Where knowledge begins frustration ends” is a quote I very much love and try to remember especially for when I am getting frustrated at my lack of understanding of a situation and it encourages me to never stop learning.
So what to do:
Sometimes it is best to just go back a few steps or go over the basics altogether and see where the issue lies. It is hard to have a sound house without a good foundation. Your dog’s training is the same way. You may find that a certain step just needs to be broken down into smaller steps and that’s ok. To ensure longevity of a learned skill and the joy of training and working use positive reinforcement. Reward the dog for the correct behavior, know when to stop for that session (don’t “one more” it), as often as possible end on a good note.
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Dealing with Setbacks and Regression
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