Collaborating
Working Collaboratively Together
Prerequisites: None
Who is a Training Partner? Anyone who lives in the home with the dog, anyone who comes to training class togther with the dog, any two or more people interacting with the dog, etc.
Teaching yourselves how to work together as a team.
Avoid “no, that’s not what the trainer said” or “no, don’t do it like that”.
Better “your timing for calling the dog’s name was GREAT, you got the exact result you wanted” or “great way to get that behavior”.
When we work together and help each other see what DOES work, we can repeat that and make it work again. If we default to “no, don’t do it like that”, then we aren’t helping each other succeed in training.
The Directions are:
- Be Observant – When your training partner executes a timely command, compliment him by saying “YES” that was great!
- Don’t Nag – When your training partner is working with the dog, don’t comment on what isn’t working (he probably already knows). It’s better to compliment and comment on the little things that do work, so that he can try those little things again.
- It IS how you say it – Take a moment before you “correct” your training partner. It could be helpful to collaborate toward what TO do and what WILL work rather than to critically comment on what isn’t working. Good Example “Fido Really likes it when you use that high pitched play voice that you have”. Example to avoid “Don’t call Fido with that harsh voice, Fido never responds to it and it scares him”.