20/05/2025
My social media feed occasionally throws up a gem - sharing this one.
âQuick Fixâ or Quick Fail? Why Good Dog Training Is About Smart Time, Not Shortcuts
I recently took a phone call from someone asking for some quick training advice. Now, Iâve no issue with helping where I can, especially if itâs just a nudge in the right direction but it quickly became clear that what this person was really after wasnât guidance⊠it was a miracle.
They wanted a quick fix. Letâs clear something up: quick fixes in dog training donât exist, at least, not without effort. You can certainly get quicker results if youâre consistent, patient, and use the right tools correctly, but a true âquick fixâ without doing the groundwork? Thatâs just wishful thinking.
The Kettle and the Cup of Tea
Partway through the conversation, the caller got their partner to make a cup of tea. Fair enough, nothing wrong with a cuppa. But then, mid-sip and splutter (because they drank it too soon), they told me they âdidnât have timeâ to do 20 minutes of training a day for their dog.
I couldnât help myself. âWhat do you do while the kettleâs boiling?â I asked.
âOh, I just sit back down.â
âWhy not use that time to train your dog?â
Thatâs when I explained kettle training, something I do daily. Every time the kettle goes on, I use that window to call over one of the dogs and do a bit of obedience or focus work. I use part of their daily food allowance, reward them, build engagement, and by the time the kettle clicks off, weâve both gained something, me a cuppa, them a bit of mental stimulation and structure.
A few hours later? âŠ. 30/40 minutes, I drink lots of tea! Another kettle session, another dog, another few minutes of meaningful training. Itâs easy, consistent, and it adds up.
The Walk Around the Block Argument
Then the subject of walks came up.
They told me they walk the dog âaround the blockâ usually for about 20 to 25 minutes, maybe 30 on a good day. My reply? âStop just walking the dog, start working the dog while youâre out.â
Use that walk as training time. Practise recall. Ask for sits, downs, and stands at kerbs or junctions. Work on loose lead walking. Sprinkle in some impulse control. Yes, let your dog sniff, itâs vital for their wellbeing, but donât treat the walk as a chore to get done. Make it an opportunity.
You can even incorporate scent-based enrichment into your own garden, scatter feeding, hiding food under plant pots, letting the dog hunt for it. It taps into their biological need to sniff and problem-solve. Dogs need this kind of stimulation, and it doesnât cost a penny more than a handful of their regular food.
Misunderstanding The Power of Four
At one point, they quoted my Power of Four method back at me:
âDidnât you say we have to do a 20-minute session?â
Yes, ideally. Thatâs the goal. Five minutes of play, five minutes of rest, five minutes of obedience, five minutes of play again. But nowhere do I say it has to be 20 minutes solid, every single time. Life gets busy. Thatâs why I also stress the flexibility of the routine. Break it up. Spread it out. Find what fits your day without losing structure.
Sadly, this person didnât want to hear it. They were âtoo busyâ for all of itâeven the kettle training. They wanted a pre-programmed dog. One that didnât require time, effort, or involvement. One that behaved perfectly without input.
I told them, quite honestly, perhaps they shouldnât have got a dog in the first place.
That didnât go down too well, and I doubt theyâll be booking in any time soonâbut it got me thinking.
Training Isnât About Having Time, Itâs About Using It
You donât need to spend hours training your dog. Unless youâre doing high-level sport or competition work, most sessions are short and broken up with breaks. Even then, no oneâs drilling their dog solidly for 60 minutes. Youâre looking at focused bursts of six or seven minutes, a break, then repeat.
Itâs not about training harder. Itâs about training smarter.
Use the time youâve already got, the time while the kettleâs boiling, while dinnerâs cooking, or while youâre in the garden. Turn walks into training sessions. Use food to build engagement. Give your dog purpose, structure, and consistency, and youâll see the difference.
Final Thought
Dogs donât come pre-installed with perfect behaviour. Theyâre not plug-and-play. Theyâre living, thinking, feeling animals that need leadership, guidance, and time.
You donât need to train for hours. But if you can spare 15â20 minutes a day, even if thatâs in little pockets here and there, youâll not only see results, youâll build a stronger bond with your dog in the process.
So next time the kettleâs on, ask yourself: âWhat can I do with my dog while I wait?â
www.k9manhuntscotland.co.uk
