01/28/2025
Great advice from Jack Fenton - Dorset Dog Trainer
Here are five mistakes I've made in ten years of dog training, and why you shouldn't make them.
1 - You can't ignore what you don't want.
Six months into my career working with assistance dogs, we had a Labrador puppy come in who would not stop jumping. We were told to ignore him until he kept his feet on the floor, and then rewarded him.
This is great, if he ever stopped jumping. Which he didn't. So we stood there, not moving, while this boundless ball of energy reached our eyeline, becoming more and more frustrated.
The idea was sound - ignore what you don't want, reward what you do - but that implies that you'll ever get to 'reward what you don't want'.
He wasn't going to stop jumping.
So, we made it easy. We scattered some food on the floor, and the moment his head came up, we fed him some more. And more. And more. And then, once he was focused, he would sit.
I'd make this mistake all the time - waiting for the dog to make the right decision. But dogs don't have that skillset, and sometimes you have to help them. Does your dog actually know they can move away when they're uncomfortable? Does your dog know that keeping their feet on the floor is the best thing ever?
Not if we don't show them.
2 - Fear and Frustration cannot be solved the same way.
I used to believe that fear and frustration were two sides of the same coin - when they're more two different types of emotional currency.
Fear is overcome by processing and gradual, safe exposure. It's overcome by learning alternative things to do rather than reacting (like creating space).
Frustration is overcome by processes. Patterns, skills and behaviours that reduce arousal and teach a simple system - if A happens, B follows. If I make eye contact with my caregiver, I can move closer to the dog.
Which brings me onto...
3 - It can be both!
Often caregivers get confused because they can't understand why their dog can be anxious of people, but scream at dogs because they want to get close to them. It used to confuse me too!
We refer to these dogs as 'conflicted'. It's where there are two emotional states warring inside of them, sometimes over the same thing. I really want to say hello to that person, but can't cope if they make eye contact. I'm desperate to play with almost every dog, but German Shepherds are scary.
For these dogs, you need a dual approach. Channel the fizz and frustration, build and scaffold the confidence. It can be done!
4 - Exposure isn't the enemy.
Early on in my career, I was told that dogs should be kept away from their triggers as often as possible. Dogs who were nervous should rarely see dogs and people, and should have as specific a routine as possible.
This rarely works in the real world.
Now, that doesn't mean we're throwing our dog at everything blindly. That'll cause problems.
But the reality is our dogs do need exposure to things that frighten or frustrate them. How can they overcome these issues if not?
They need to do it safely.
For example, in my Reactive Roamers workshops, we have a series of stooge dogs and people of varying personalities and behaviours to help dogs 'get used' to a whole host of things. Safely.
You can't help your dog by hiding. Decompression time? Vital. Constant exposure? Dangerous. But complete removal from situations? Impossible.
And, finally...
5 - Repetition Builds Resilience.
I used to believe that dogs had resilience, or they didn't. And that the best port of call was occasionally, not often.
I disagree now.
I don't believe confidence is an emotion. I think it is almost like a muscle.
The reason why the dogs I see weekly and monthly for classes and workshops do so well is because they're constantly being pushed. Not by the things we're doing, per-say, but the changes we make.
Classes change locations each week. Workshops are in different areas each time.
Depending on what we're tackling, we might encounter dogs, people, cyclists, children, birds, squirrels, heavy machinery and more.
We're constantly pushing the boat out ever so slightly. Just a bit more resistance in solving this previously easier problem. Just a bit more time spent in this space. Just a bit more focus in a tricky situation.
They're always evolving. Safely, of course, but there's always growth.
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We're nearly at the end of January. Are you ready to start your dog's evolution yet?
If you want all of these things - an understanding of your dogs emotions, practical skills for reducing their reactivity, the opportunity to rehearse these around dogs and people each week/month - then now is the time.
Details on a few bits in the comments that you should know about.
Thanks for ten years - can't wait to see what I learn to help your dogs over the next ten!
