11/17/2022
Must read.
Dog trainers don’t possess any magic. What they do possess, if they’re good at their craft, is a highly developed set of skills. But remember, at one point they knew very little, and likely got into this line of work because they were struggling with their own dogs.
So what’s different between a skilled and knowledgeable dog trainer and a struggling owner? Yep, you guessed it, skills and knowledge.
These people that you now hire for help were once struggling much like yourself. What did they do? They developed within themselves—likely with the help of another dog trainer—what was necessary to be able to solve their problems, and now, with all that ability, they help others with theirs’.
But, and this is a big but, all they can do is help. They can share information, teach skills, coach, and root you on—but only you can put in the work to take what is being shared and make it something personal, integrated, and useful.
You don’t have to become a dog trainer, but you do have to become a skilled, and knowledgeable owner—to whatever extent needed to match your goals.
Otherwise you’ll have to settle for watching your dog “magically” excel with your trainer, and “mysteriously” deteriorate with you.
