Training Talk: Freshen Up Your Approach with Habit-Based Goals

What do you want your dog to learn next? photo: AdobeStock

The new year is a time for fresh starts and setting new goals. This can apply to the relationships we have with our dogs as well. So why not take advantage of that new year energy and refine your dog training goals for 2023?

Setting goals has a way of keeping us on the right track. As a trainer, I spend most days focusing on ways to change dog behaviors. Many of the same principles I use to train dogs can help mold and shape human behavior as well. 

In considering the goals you’d like to set for the new year, ask yourself two questions:  What do you want to improve with your dog? And what do you want them to learn next?

Now that you have your goals, focus on creating habit-based training. This means reframing your dog training goals to be habit based rather than outcome oriented. To better illustrate this concept, I sat down for a chat with some of the most experienced members of my dog trainer mentee group. Here’s what they had to say about habit-based training and other best practices.

Sara: What sort of habit-based goals do you encourage your clients to adopt for long-term success? 

Kristine Adams, owner of Woof Wisdom and specialist in dealing with fear and anxiety: The most important habit I would like my clients to adopt is the art of listening. Learning is a two-way street and listening for feedback from our learners is essential.  Dogs don’t always communicate to us in a way that is easy to understand. Often we override the feedback our dog learners are giving because it can be subtle, unfamiliar, or we are too focused on our end results. When my clients adopt the habit of pausing, listening, and responding effectively, we really see the relationship and learning flourish. 

Sara: Such an important one! Listening is a key part to any healthy relationship. And a healthy relationship equals positive behavior in our dogs as well as ourselves. Althea, what are your thoughts about habit-based goals? 

Althea Karwowski, owner of Sit Stay SF and specialist in dealing with anxiety and reactivity: I like to encourage training clients to take existing routines and maximize their impact. If you’re already feeding your dog breakfast every morning, feeding from puzzle toys versus a bowl gives your dog mental stimulation and can build confidence, too.  If you’re already feeding your dog dinner every evening, deliver that food in small portions for doing behaviors you want to see more of (sit, down, fun tricks, settling on a mat). The existing routine of providing nutrition gets the bonus impact of changing your dog’s behavior and increasing their mental well-being. 

Sara: I love this one - so easy to implement! Reframe your outcome-based goal (“I want my dog to be well trained”) into a habit-based goal (“I will spend 10 minutes each night practicing training cues with my dog using some of their daily food rations”). Dani, how do you help your clients set habit-based goals? Any tips for goal setting for a dog who pulls on the leash? 

Dani Agnew, owner of Oaktown Paws and specialist in adolescent dogs: When it comes to creating good habits and setting goals for dog training, I encourage my clients to think about sustainability.  Set realistic goals for you and your dog, and make it fun for both of you! Create a routine that you think you can be consistent with, and make it something you enjoy showing up for. I have found that clients who commit to doing a regular practice of just 10 minutes of training per day are amazed at how quickly their pups learn new things.  Regardless of what your training goal is, consistency is the key to getting there. 

Sara: Regular short practice sessions are so much easier and more effective than trying to cram everything into a longer session. Setting a habit-based goal that focuses on practicing consistently 10 minutes each day, five days per week, is an excellent way to improve your dog's leash manners. Hiring a trainer who can help you light a clear path forward for your dog is a great way to maximize efficiency too. Jessie, what do you do to help your clients reframe their goals from outcome based to habit based? 

Jessie Olsen, owner of Foxtrot Training for Dogs and specialist in helping dogs build confidence: One tip I've given clients is to not only set your dog up to succeed but set yourself up to succeed as well.  Sometimes simply arranging our environment in order to make our goals more achievable is all it takes.  For example, if your goal is to catch your dog doing things that you like so you can reinforce them, why not strategically place pet proof treat containers around your house so you can easily reward your dog for those spontaneous excellent behaviors you’d like to see more of? Or treat yourself to that super fancy treat pouch so you’ll be more inclined to wear it and use it! The opportunities are endless. 

Sara: I love having a couple of easily accessible cookie jars within reach when I’m at home. It’s so easy to reward my dog for a behavior I like when I have the cookie jar nearby and stocked full of goodies. Perhaps the goal is to stop barking. Then I’ll reframe this to: “I will place three easily accessible cookie jars throughout my house and feed my dog 20 times per day when they are being quiet.” Tania, how might you reframe an outcome-based goal into a habit-based goal? 

Tania Lanfer, owner of Cannon Dog Training and specialist in dealing with fear and aggression: I believe developing a program for the individual dog is important. But as important as seeing dogs as individuals is seeing what family dynamics that dog lives within. A training routine and habits that might work for a single person living with a dog in a rural area might not be the same as for a family with children living in a city. Setting up goals should include those particularities. Is this habit possible for this family? For something to become a habit, those tasks must be easy to incorporate for both the dog and the family.

As to barking or other specific behaviors, analyzing the function of that behavior is important. When we know the underlying reason for a dog to perform certain behavior that does not match our living situation, then we can make a plan that breaks down a goal into tiny achievable pieces. Those pieces when incorporated into a daily habit will have a much longer reinforcement history of successes and the outcomes come naturally.

Dogs are learning everyday, every moment, not only during a formal training session. That’s why we need to see life as an opportunity to create better relationships. Meeting the dog’s needs, respecting what they were bred for, modifying the environment to make the behavior we do want more likely AND having training habits is what changes behavior and creates the beautiful teamwork we love with our dogs. 

Sara: Great advice, Tania. I love that phrase, “training habits.” What last pieces of advice can you give to readers regarding their dog’s behavior, goals, and emotional well-being?

Kristine: It sounds like a cliche, but really just take things day by day. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is successful behavior change. We all have bad days, our dogs included, and it’s important to keep it all in perspective as we work towards change. 

Althea: Make a goal of doing at least one thing a day that both you and your dog find joyful. Set aside the parts of your training that are about asking your dog to do a particular task or work in a certain environment.  What can you do with your dog that brings you both delight?  Each dog-human team is unique so this might be a forest stroll with friends, one-on-one play in the living room, or teaching your dog a very silly trick just because it makes you laugh. 

Jessie: I think if we’ve learned anything in these last few years, it's that we often need to be flexible and willing to adjust our expectations. Having empathy and understanding for our dogs is always a good first step toward change and acceptance. Once we have a better grasp as to why a certain behavior is presenting, we can begin to look at solutions for change. The old saying “set your dog up to succeed” will never be tired advice. Start with small achievable goals, reassess, and adjust expectations. Lastly, make sure you’re taking your own limitations into account. If you or your dog are not mentally equipped to take on a new challenge, then don't. Learning when to take a break is essential to progress.

Dani: Working through behavioral challenges is not always a linear path! Especially when we’re working with a dog who is fearful, anxious, or has one or more medical conditions. It’s important for us to be able to adjust our expectations when our dogs are having off days. Sometimes we need to drop back and make things easier, or sometimes we just need a break. Remember that rest and play are just as important as training so make sure and prioritize them in your plan! 

Tania: I think we often fantasize a relationship with our dogs that is similar to one shown in movies. When we understand the differences and commonalities between us and them and see dogs for who they are, our relationship with them changes for the better. Dogs are dogs and we both share this amazing capacity for feeling emotions. But we people extrapolate on that and apply some human traits to our furry companions that do not necessarily apply to them. I see some problems starting because of that confusion in reading and interpreting what’s going on. The dog trainer often comes into this equation as a translator - building bridges in communication and strategizing solutions is what we are here for. Dogs are dogs! And we are better off because they are around.

Sara: Such sound advice. Seeking the advice of a trainer to help you truly understand your dog is essential to helping you understand your dog and better meet their needs.

So what’s next? It’s time to put some goals into action! Write down the first 10  things that pop into your head regarding your dog training goals. Next, look over that list and pick the one goal that would make the biggest positive change for you and your dog and start there. Reframe that goal into a habit-based goal and set the stage for success with your new habit.

Have a dog training question you’d like to get answered? Submit a training question for my weekly Instagram post “Barking Out - The What, Why, and How of Dog Behavior.” Submit your questions for consideration to: barkingoutbehavior@gmail.com. And enjoy your new habit-based goals in the new year!