What Do You Do When You Have A Bad Training Session?

[megan_]

On the bad training session, good trainer blame himself, bad trainer blame the dog ;)

Joe

I don't blame the dog, but I don't always blame myself either. Sometimes the dog has had too much and you just need to give them timeout (not a punishment). Why does someone always need to be blamed? I personally hate the saying "roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the head with it". I know it is light hearted but I think this kind of thinking puts way to much pressure on owners.

Remember that we do agility to have fun with our dogs.

Aussielover - I'd end on something simple (a 1 second sit for example) and then have some time out (either crated or tethered).

[lilmisssascha83]

It happens. Nothing to worry about. Sasha had a shocking day one week and school. the teacher just didn't bother has Sasha had given up before we started. I figured she was just tired. Turns out I was right I think. The next week she was a little star. :-)

[RubyStar]

When I have bad training sessions or trials, I have to remember to stop what I'm doing and let us both have a break. No point continuing when I'm worked up, it makes things worse. Then I go and watch my videos of trials where my girls have done really well and remind myself that us as a team are quite capable of some nice work, and it helps me back into the ring again after thinking we aren't cut out for competing afterall. My dogs do so well when I'm not stressed. When I tell myself to not stress, I just stress more and get more nervous. When we have fun, things go really well, and that is what I have to keep reminding myself of

[Agility Dogs]

I look at it from a different perspective.

I have trials or training sessions where I have performed poorly, but ultimately we don't ever have a bad session because there is always something to learn from what we have done.

Looking at that and thinking about WHY it was bad and what I can do to make it better next time is the key.

[whiskedaway]

I don't blame the dog, but I don't always blame myself either. Sometimes the dog has had too much and you just need to give them timeout (not a punishment). Why does someone always need to be blamed? I personally hate the saying "roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the head with it". I know it is light hearted but I think this kind of thinking puts way to much pressure on owners.

Agreed. I had an awful training session with Akira on Friday night because she was just highly distracted by EVERYTHING and she didn't want to work. Nothing I could do about it, because I tried focus games to get her focus on me, but nada. I put her in the car and took her home.

And it wasn't even a full moon so I can't even blame that!

[aussielover]

Thanks guys the wine idea sounds good lol!!!

I think mindy actually does better when I am nervous, worse if I am frustrated.

[**Super_Dogs**]

I look at it from a different perspective.

I have trials or training sessions where I have performed poorly, but ultimately we don't ever have a bad session because there is always something to learn from what we have done.

Looking at that and thinking about WHY it was bad and what I can do to make it better next time is the key.

Well said. I totally agree!

[sheena]

I had one of those last night. I am trying to work on my LAT AND follow the lesson at the same time, & being aware that not everyone in the class agrees with LAT .( Fortunately my instructor understands what I am doing.) We were going really good with it....the barking black poodle no longer mattered & we did a bit of fancy distance work (she was the only one that got it). I was feeling really good with her & myself. Then we got onto some more complicated distance work & bugger me, if some lady appeared out of the dark with a SWF on a string..took it around the back of where we were training under the lights & lunged it like a horse. Being a very motion reactive border collie, I got no more sense out of my girl for the rest of the night. If it happens again, I think I would do better to just put her back in the car & ignore the synics in the class. It was so classic, I almost wonder if it was a set up by a certain person.

Edited August 30, 2011 by sheena

[BC Crazy]

Another vote for the wine Think we all have off days & as long as we are quick to realize our mood,end the lesson on a positive note, no matter how small, then

time out, off home, whatever you want to do & start off fresh next training session. No point in trying to slog it out if you or your pup just aren't with it. We are only humane/canine.