Can You Get Creative?

Posted On Dec 29, 2021 |

Creativity in training can mean lots of things but most of all it means fun!

I’m a fan of adding as much creativity as possible to training – for all sports.   The official reason is that creative training automatically strengthens your dog’s skills; dogs who can fetch twenty different objects of different sizes and shapes have a much easier time when you hand them a dumbbell – they become “fluent” on the underlying concept – “retrieve” whatever, on cue.

But that’s not the only reason I do it.  The real reason I do it is because my attention span is short for training if I’m working on known behaviors.  I get bored with repetition, especially if I expect that the dog is going to do the exercise and do it very well. Again.  Ho Hum.  So…what’s the answer?

So go ahead.  Have some fun with your training. Break out of the mold! Then you too can keep yourself awake at night, itching to go out and see what happens with your latest crazy idea!  I mean…what WILL your dog do if you ask her to fetch a wine bottle instead of the dumbbell? Put the articles on your kid’s trampoline and send her to find the right one?  Hang your gloves from the trees and go ahead with your directed retrieve?

Only one way to find out!