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Edited

Training Sessions

Posted on 29th Jan 2010 @ 12:31 AM

Training Sessions

We find that our dogs train easier with multiple shorter sessions during the day than one long session whether we are working on mastering a new difficult task or working on tightening up well learned commands.
 
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We get asked all the time, "what is the optimal time length for my training session with my dog?" We always answer multiple sessions throughout the day of no more than 15 to 30 minutes because that is about the maximum attention span of even the most mature dog.  Whether you are training basic obedience or advanced retrieving drills, this time limit will greatly improve your results because the dog won't have time to become bored, irritated, stressed, or un-focused.

The next question that gets asked is "how can I get more than one training session worked in a day?" Well, we have found that once a training routine has been established that we can do 2 or 3 sessions a day with the same dog.  You can work a training session with the dog and then go about your normal daily routine and then work in another session.  The dogs that we train in this manner actually have shown a greater retention to the learned commands than with single long training sessions where the dog can get bored or stressed and stop learning.

Finally, this may sound like a lot more work, but it really is no more time than you would normally spend or in actuality you could actual be able to spend more time with your dog because you don't have to spend a great length of time during each session working on the commands or drills that your dog needs to learn.  John and Amy Dahl have written a great book called the "The Ten Minute Retriever" which advocates shorter sessions for better training success.