Dog Trainers and Clients BOTH make THIS major mistake!
Dog Trainers and Clients BOTH make THIS major mistake!
Koni helped me see the bigger picture! Learn how below...
Before you begin it’s crucial you understand what you read below only applies to the Trainers and Owners that truly care.
With that being said let’s dive into it!
The amazing thing about working with someone one on one is getting to be fully focused on them. You have each other’s undivided attention during instruction. Regardless of what level they’re at as a Dog Trainer you see the bigger picture. You’re also showing them glimpses of that bigger picture while working with their dog before their very eyes. The things no one is going to see at a crowded group class or a board & train where the owner is non-existent. Both sides develop illusions of grandeur. The Dog Trainer pushing the client to attain their level. The Owner who can’t be satisfied with anything less once they’ve witnessed what could be or so they think.
This is where the car starts going off the road...
Everyone’s actually missing the REAL “bigger picture”.
Stand up tall like Koni when you realize a mistake has been made!
Let me first tell you a story about a Trainer I knew. A fella that was a Military Working Dog Trainer. He was relentless and often times unforgiving in his training. Pushing himself and his people beyond what they perceived as achievable. A little became a lot and pretty soon a lot was nowhere near enough. Chasing perfection, having it within grasp, then setting the bar higher. His people couldn’t please him and couldn’t please himself. He could justify his actions to himself because the mission was detecting explosives. In our world as well know it takes one incident, misstep, error and lives are lost.
How could any level or amount of training ever be enough? It couldn’t be he told himself.
People resented him for the training pressure applied and he returned that feeling believing they simply didn’t care enough.
See those stairs behind him? At the top of those is where the big breakthrough happens...
Then he had a breakthrough over in the Middle East as a K9 Trainer there. Being in charge of 70+ working dog teams that varied in experience and skill. As he sat at the top of Saddam Hussein’s sons former apartment overlooking Baghdad he looked down at his dog, Koni. Koni was not the best dog there, nor was he the worst by a long shot. Koni was solid. As solid as Koni could be and much better than anyone had ever taken him. What could be wrong with that? What sense could it make to drive himself or Koni into madness trying to create something not meant to be? It couldn’t. The reality was the 70th best dog team was not going to be as good as the number one team. Considering those two factors mentioned before it just wasn’t going to happen.
So what’s the solution?
Push that 70th best team as hard as possible to get as close as possible? That’d be the same as pushing some benchwarmer on an NBA team to be Michael Jordan. It’s not happening. Ever. Is this a bad thing? No, but why? Because they’re both NBA caliber players achieving a standard most never will. As long as that benchwarmer is reaching their individual full potential and believes in what they’re doing, has anyone lost? The same as that 70th best dog team. The same as you.
Not the best, not the worst and absolutely perfect!
As long as you’re capable then stop killing yourself.
Trainers, stop killing yourself trying to make your “worst” client your star pupil. If you’re beating up your clients doing this then STOP. Clients, stop beating yourself up comparing your skills to a Dog Trainer that has years of experience and does this as a profession.
The ONLY thing that matters is this…Are you better today than yesterday?
If you answered yes, then you’re winning. Stop comparing yourself to others because someone out there is worlds better and worlds worse. Never stop trying to be better, but never sacrifice your sanity in doing so.
Koni was always better today than yesterday and that’s all that mattered!
By the way…That Trainer was me and I was wrong.
Sometimes we don’t find the answer until it’s too late, but is it ever too late when you can positively influence others? Nope. Take this big gold nugget of knowledge and spread the wealth.
Too easy Need help communicating with your canine? Contact us NOW!
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