We all have our ideas and goals when it comes to training dogs.

Bud came to us nearly three years ago, battered, abused, exhausted, and severely ill. Last week was the first time we got him to sit.

Today is the first time I got him to stay for three minutes, even with food on the floor. For me, that is the Nobel Prize for dog training.

The American Veterinary Association (AVA) conducted a massive survey to find out how many dogs are trained in America to sit, stay and lie down.

They found fewer than three percent of the estimated 75 million owned dogs could do that.

They also found that only three percent of the dogs in this country knew their names and responded quickly when their names were called.

I love training dogs as much for how it improves me as it does the dogs. Well-trained dogs are a beautiful thing; they are the ones who live in beautiful harmony with their humans. One vet joked to me that most of the dogs he saw thought their names were
“come here, or I’ll kill you!”

I think there’s a lot of truth to that. Everywhere I go, I hear people shouting at their dogs because they have up on training them. I want a different kind of relationship with my dogs.

I am not patient; I’m impulsive and like things to happen instantly. That doesn’t work when it comes to training dogs.

I waited over two years to introduce Bud to my favorite training tool, Calming Training – sit, lie down and stay for at least three minutes. When he came, he was terrified of me and all men and trembled when approached directly. He would run if he could.

So I waited until I thought he had accepted me (he loves to sleep in my lap now when I’m reading, that took him more than two years to try). Last week, Maria got him to sit once or twice, and I followed up with a regimen of calming training. Now, he sits when he sees a treat.

For me, dog training never ends. Training is the way we learn to talk to them, and they learn to listen to us. Having a well-trained dog is an entirely different experience. I highly recommend it.

There is rarely any reason to shout at a well-trained dog.

Yesterday and today, I asked Bud to stay and held my hand up for him to see. I counted to 30 seconds yesterday and a full minute this morning, and then, a half hour later, we got to 3 minutes, the gold at the end of the training rainbow for me.

Bud is a happy, confident, and safe dog now, and I am calmer, more patient, and wiser than before; I have a longer view of things.

I do my calming training with all three dogs present. Zinnia doesn’t need calming activity; any calmer, and she’d be dead. My training motto is talk softly and never quit.

I do think Bud learns from her. Fate is the most challenging dog I’ve ever had to train; she is a hyped-up border collie with a lot of drive, and sitting still for three minutes is very difficult for her.

She did it this morning, the first time also.

It took him three years to train me, and I thanked him today.

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Dog Support is underway.

If you need counseling,  help, or ideas with a dog who has problems, even small ones (or if you have problems, even big ones), e-mail me at [email protected].

We’ll set up a time to talk on Zoom, the phone, or facetime. I charge $50 for a half-hour of advice. That’s pretty cheap for good dog advice.

So far, the program is working beautifully. This isn’t a bad Christmas present for someone who needs help with their dogs: [email protected].