I was reading an interesting article the other day.
The article discussed learning and the problems adults have.
The writer gave two great reasons why adults have a difficult time learning any new skill or accepting new information.
I see it every day and I have to admit that I am sometimes guilty of what he is talking about.
But I’m working on it.
You see, the reason we reject new information is because:
We already think we know everything there is to know about the subject or
We flat out reject and disagree with the new information.
I see this all the time. Recently, I was working with a friend helping him train his dog. During the lesson, he began telling me how to do the training. When I said we are going to use treats, he informed me that with his breed of dog, treats were not needed.
When I showed him a new technique to help train, he told me that the way he’s been doing it was working and he was going to keep doing it his way.
You may think I would have been getting mad by this point. Instead I found it quite interesting. You see, I know I have done the same thing. Instead of truly listening to the person giving advice I was already rejecting the information, or I was telling myself that I knew all about the subject.
When I first met my friend and certified nutritionist, Craig Fear, I completely disagreed with everything he said. I walked out of his office and thought, “What a chump. He has no idea what he is talking about.” I truly believed he was a fool.
Now, about five years later, I can’t believe what a fool I was for rejecting his advice.
With dog training, I have studied it from every angle. I have done my best to keep my judgements out of the mix. I’ve done this to provide you with the best possible advice you can find. And if I was to tell you one thing about dog training it would be this:
Teach your dog the word “YES” and the word “NO”.
Use the word “YES” when you want your dog to do a behavior: sit, down, stay, come etc.
Use the word “NO” when you want your dog to stop a behavior: jumping, biting, stealing, etc.
Yes is associated with a positive consequence. No is associated with a negative consequence.
If you do just these two steps you will be able to develop a great relationship with your dog.
You’ll be able to train your dog and solve any behavior problems that may crop up along the way.
You can accept or reject this information. The choice is yours. If you reject it, no problem. Have a great day.
If you accept this information and want more help, The Dog Training Inner Circle is waiting for you.
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All the best,
Eric