I have said to students and fellow trainers that certain breeds mature more quickly or males/females have different rates of maturity. It’s usually said in a jesting way after a dog has humbled us in the ring or practice: “Well, {insert breed here} seem to get their brains at 5 years old,” or some similar comment. It’s not said to be hurtful and in many cases it’s a true statement.
While I still believe this to have merit, I also believe that your training plan can have a great deal to do with it. Or lack of a training plan. I am Exhibit A.
I posted on FaceBook last week a semi-cryptic statement: I think we’ve turned a very large corner. I was referring to Mollie…it seemed as if suddenly, she had gained her wits. And I don’t mean that she’s been a dimwit all along…far from it. What I meant was that all the work we’ve been putting in seems to have taken hold. And it’s been a long road in many ways, but as one of my training partners pointed out, it really hasn’t been that long.
Things that used to bug her outside the ring suddenly don’t matter as much. Last weekend, she PULLED me to the agility exercise we had set up outside. Couldn’t wait to work. The wind was blowing, we hadn’t worked on the back lawn at 4 Paws but one previous time…and she had just finished barn hunting. The significance is this: she wanted to work. Now. With me. Can I have a HALLELUIAH?
Now, keep in mind that we train nearly every day. Not long, but enough to work on a skill and keep her wanting more. But until recently, it was all about her…not us.
She is now 4 years old. Looking back, I didn’t put in enough time on building our relationship and the basic skills she needed to be successful right from the start. There we many reasons for this…and not one of them matters. I need to think like my dog: be in the moment. What happened yesterday, which forms what we are today, is in the past. What matters is what I do from this point forward. So, I have a 4-year-old girl who is gaining a skill I should have built earlier: the love of the work. And she is maturing right before my eyes.
Perhaps you are just starting out with your dog…or you are a seasoned handler…it really doesn’t matter. Try to resist looking at training as a burden – or a giant time suck. Instead, reframe your mindset and consider training for just 5 minutes today. No matter whether you have specific competitive goals or you simply want to get your new puppy to lie down, take those 5 important minutes and ENJOY the time. Look into the eyes of your dog, and realize that the love you see is unconditional. Even if you aren’t 100% successful at the skill THIS TIME, reward your dog and yourself for building your relationship.
The message I hope to leave you with is this: celebrate every success no matter the size. Embrace it wholeheartedly. You may be humbled again, but that is for another day and it will teach you a valuable lesson. Our dogs bring so much joy for such a relatively short time. Take the time to appreciate the individual your dog is, and remember that he or she will mature in their own time. Live and love the journey – there’s no deadline.
