To learn about dog training, watch an athlete train. When you watch professional sports, even amateur sports at top competitive levels, you probably are not thinking about how the genetics of the athletes can influence endurance and natural ability. You probably also are not thinking about the hours, days, weeks and years of fitness and skill training each athlete has committed to, to strengthen and perfect his or her game.
BUT…it is the sum of all those components that give that athlete a competitive edge.
Just having the genes for motor skills and endurance is not enough.
Just playing the sport day in and day out is not enough.
Just having the desire to compete is not enough.
What sets the top athletes apart is that each one of those parts is focused on separately. Actually, playing the games or competitions is often where the least amount of time and energy is spent.
Each of the components is split and strengthened individually, before combining.
And, if one training component has broken down, then it is practiced to fluency. (Even if it is not broken down, it is still practiced to fluency)
For years I volunteered at the Tennis Masters tournament (later called the Western & Southern Open, and soon to have another new name) where I got to know some of the players and player teams. Top tennis players surround themselves with a group of professionals like a yoga coach, a strength training and fitness coach, a stringer, a playing coach…even a dietician or chef and a sports psychologist.
My new sport is pickleball. I love it! The pickleball court is my happy place, and a great stress reducer.
However, I had to give up my last love – tennis – years ago when the intensity was too much for my body. Now I am finding that it is a difficult thing to change. On the pickleball court, when opponents power their shots at us, I power my shots right back. The problem is, I am feeling the aches after I play.
One of my teachers, Ronnie Grandison (former NBA basketball player) of the Ronnie Grandison Sports Academy, has said over and over…it is not the playing games that will help you to change how you play, and ultimately strengthen your game.
It is the drilling focusing on technique with coaching –
and more drilling.
and more drilling.
and more drilling.
until it is habit and muscle memory to play differently, softer, more controlled.
It never fails, I always feel like my game has improved after one of my clinics with Ronnie and Speedy (Frederic Sanchez).
The other day at the Sports Academy, I met professional volleyball player Tori Dilfer-Stringer, setter for the new Atlanta Vibe team. Tori was a 2x All-American in college; and post college, a member of the USA National Team who has played professional in the U.S., Italy and Puerto Rico (named player of the year in the Puerto Rico pro league).
Tori was practicing drilling the same shot
over
and Over
and over again.
When she finished all the balls in her bin, she reloaded and started again
over
and over
and over again.
THAT is how she perfects her sport.
Drilling until it is just muscle memory.
If she made an error, she did not punish herself. She kept working.
The reason I am telling you this long story is because it made me think of how much this relates to dog and other pet training, and really, to life in general.
Dog Training Lesson From Watching A Professional Athlete Train
These are a few dog training tips I relate to sports training.
- Know the dog you are training. Is your dog a herding dog, a terrier or a toy dog? That can influence your dog’s genetic tendencies and reinforcer preferences. How old is your dog? Does your dog have a medical condition – including potential pain? What is your dog’s learning history? These are just a few of the helpful questions to ask yourself, as the answers can impact what and how you teach.
- Set up the environment to maximize learning. How are you going to manage to prevent your dog from practicing the behaviors you do not want strengthened? Processing and learning is easier in less distracting environments. At least keep distractions at a distance, and or manage them, to where your pet can (and will want to) pay attention, think and learn.
- Split your lesson into small steps. Within most lessons, there are many variables and ways in which you can break it down and practice each step. If one of those steps is sticky, practice that one over and over. As an example, with walking on a loose leash – you can practice having a connection, check ins, changing directions, what to do around a distraction, waiting at street corner, having value at your side.
- Be easy on yourself and your pet. Mistakes are going to happen. It is all part of the process. Don’t punish yourself or your learner. If your pet is not doing what you want, your pet is giving you valuable information. Learn from it. Make changes. Go forward.
- Be consistent. Without consistency and clarity, unwanted behaviors can be practiced and strengthened. That word ‘sometimes’ can lead you down a grey path of unclear information to your student which leads to unclear learning. If you want your pet to respond in a certain way in a certain situation, be clear and be consistent in what you reinforce.
- Practice to the point of fluency…and then practice more. If you want to see a strong behavior, practice it A LOT (by meaning in everyday life, with reinforcement and all the other steps in play – NOT in length of training session time).
If your goal is to have a well behaved dog that listens to you and enjoys learning, think like a professional athlete coach!
