When you have a reactive dog, the goal of a “normal life” can seem so big. It feels like you will never get there and there’s no end in sight. 

Before I got jura I thought agility was the coolest sport in the world, but it seemed so difficult. Then I started practising with Jura, and learned that you barely ever do a full course run except for on competition. Instead training consists of practising the smallest details, like how tight your dog jumps and turns around an obstacle, or which way your dog turns out of a tunnel. And there’s SO many commands to teach. You do this over and over again until your dog is a master. Then you move on to the next thing. This made me look at dog training in a whole new light. 

Don’t focus on the big picture, focus on the small details that will eventually get you there!

Too many of my clients want to get out and practise on other dogs and people immediately, but their dogs don’t have all the skills they need to succeed. Instead, think of what you can do today to get you 1% closer to your goal. For example: 

• Teaching them to lie on the bed while you get ready to go out so your dog isn’t stressed when you leave the house. 
• Doing one optimism game per day to build their confidence. 
• Doing the sniff and walk game at the start of every walk.
• Working on your dog’s impulse control 3 times this week. 

I also want you to promise yourself that you WILL celebrate these small victories, because even though it doesn’t seem like it, they will lead you to where you want to be. 

How will you celebrate your next win?