Slow down young man!

Working with young dogs means lots of reps at times to help them learn new patterns, lots of communication to help them follow through because they are constantly and easily distracted, and having a dedicated and present handler who’s focus and eyeballs are on the dog and who’s not trying to juggle other things at the same time (when you do have to put your attention elsewhere, the best place for the young dog is in his crate!).

There is a time and place for fun and games, but that is not at the dogs discretion and certainly not when we need him to focus or follow commands in important situations. So this isn’t something we’re going to give free pass to or encourage with young dogs because it ultimately leads to rude and rowdy behaviour longterm and we want young dogs to learn how to stop this distracted silliness when we need their focus and obedience. So you’ll hear me repeating commands and giving guidance, not giving up or giving in to the antics but instead making the young dog follow through on his commands and settle down. However, it is something we are going to expect from a young dog, have patience with and also help them move past through consistent application of our training, structure, accountability, boundaries and communication (with some hidden giggles and many many eye rolls along the way).