Motivation

[bekah1001]

Because of school I've been very stressed and been very busy with school work. When I get home I feel to tired to do any training with my dogs. They do get their daily runs thanks to my mom and our friend/neighbour. Question is: where do you guys find motivation to train your dogs?

 

[running_dog]

I'm sorry to hear you've been feeling so stressed and busy. I've found that training with Zac makes me feel less stressed, I think it is because it is something that I feel in control of and I can see Zac making progress. Training Zac is one of the things that keeps dark clouds from hanging over my head. So part of my motivation when I don't feel like training is that I know that is when I need the training more than he does .

You probably need to find a moment when you are already up and active and train for a couple of minutes - when you first get in for instance, before you sit down grab a handful of treats and run through 4-5 tricks with each of the dogs. You can even train new tricks in sessions this short. I think you'll soon find it is a highlight of your and their day.

 

[JazzyandVeronica]

I also see training as a little "break" in the day; a fun little "time out" from all the other stuff I have to do.

During the week I usually only train for 5 - 10 minutes/night and on the weekends anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes; usually twice/day.

Then there are times when we aren't actively working on anything new and take a break; although with Veronica every time we leave the house we're training in some fashion or another!

 

[lindsay_dogids]

Yep, for me it's something I really enjoy. It is a stress reliever. Like the others have suggested, I would just find 10 minutes here and there where you can take a break and just have fun with your dog. Even just grabbing some treats and working on some easy stuff in the living room is fun for my dog.

And, like with anything, sometimes you just have to force yourself to make the time. Put it on your schedule and make it a habit. Start with twice a week and go from there.